Mediating Faith Through Technology: Socio-Environmental Consequences of Platform-Based ZIS Systems

Abstract

This study aims to examine how platform-based Zakat, Infaq, and Sadaqah (ZIS) systems mediate faith-driven charitable practices and to analyze their socio-environmental consequences within contemporary digital ecosystems. This research employs a qualitative conceptual approach by synthesizing interdisciplinary literature on Islamic social finance, digital mediation, socio-technical systems, and environmental sustainability. Thematic analysis was used to construct an integrated conceptual framework. Findings show that digital ZIS platforms enhance transparency, accessibility, and donor engagement through automation and real-time reporting. However, they also reshape spiritual experiences of giving, introduce ethical risks related to data governance, create platform dependency, and contribute to environmental impacts through energy-intensive digital infrastructures. The originality of this study lies in its integration of spiritual, technological, social, and environmental perspectives to evaluate digital ZIS systems—an approach not commonly addressed in existing scholarship. The study proposes a multidimensional understanding of how digital mediation influences faith practices and sustainability outcomes.