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This study aims to propose a model to elevate the financial empowerment of Muslim women by rejuvenating the practice of Mahr in society and facilitating the affordability of men to pay that Mahr amount.

The approach of this study is to offer a model through the interest-free savings-based finance concept. The model comprises four stages; each stage of the model is mathematically formulated and graphically explained to ensure clarity and coherence. To further investigate the issue, the authors use a convenient sampling method to ask a small sample size of respondents (women) from different countries about their financial contribution and empowerment in the family.

This model enables women to turn their exclusive financial right into a source of earning without borrowing from any source or paying interest on the principal amount. Besides, it encourages accelerating men’s obligation to pay the Mahr to the women immediately during the marriage ceremony by facilitating men’s affordability. Almost 45% of respondents state that a woman’s financial contribution exalts her decision-making power and strengthens her financial position in the family.

The authors attempt to revitalize Mahr practice in Muslim society to accelerate the process of receiving a woman’s exclusive financial right and empower a family as a whole through the Mahr model.

Considering the model’s uniqueness, the developed and proposed Mahr model in this research is novel; to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study has been conducted and developed such a model using the Mahr concept.

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the borrowers’ intention to participate in small entrepreneurship based on Islamic principles. In doing so, this study has conducted an investigation in the case of a new Waqf-based model for Islamic microfinance in Bangladesh, which targets extending loans to the rural poor to alleviate rural poverty in society.

The researchers used the survey technique to investigate the microentrepreneurs’ intention to participate in this new Islamic microfinance scheme. A total of 290 responses were collected from the rural poor located in three different districts of Bangladesh and the participation of respondents was on a voluntary basis. The structural equation modeling technique was used to analyze the data using the SmartPLS-3 software.

Findings of the study indicate that Islamic moral obligations are observed to be substantially significant to influence empathy, favorable and unfavorable reasons to participate in the scheme. In turn, empathy is also found to be robust to influence intention or niyyah toward borrowing microfinance to initiate microentrepreneurship. However, among the four mediating effects, only two are found to be statistically significant.

Theoretical implications suggest that Islamic moral obligations remain at the core of the present research model. The significant impact of this variable implies that Islamic moral values and obligations are substantially important for the people in Bangladesh who strictly follow Islam in their daily lives. The research recommends the necessity for an awareness program on Islamic microfinance and the role of a Waqf-based scheme in the economic empowerment of the rural poor in society.

This institution practically implies harnessing the role of the Waqf-based philanthropic scheme to empower microentrepreneurs in society to alleviate poverty. Practical implications also highlight that Humanitarian Economic Lending Program (HELP) is a new type of Islamic microfinance institute based on Karz-e-Hassanah scheme and started in a small business initiative. In this study, one of the most important findings is that most people are strongly concerned about reasons, which may help the founder of HELP to propagate its branches across Bangladesh.

The model of this scheme may empower poor microentrepreneurs and consolidate the potential of a Waqf-based scheme for attaining socio-economic development. This fund may be used for social Islamic business as well.

Only a few studies have been directed on microfinance from an Islamic perspective in Bangladesh. This is the first initiative for a new scheme to be verified using an empirical method. Thus, testing the viability of this scheme in the Bangladesh context will certainly add value to the clients, institutions and policymakers in the Islamic microfinance paradigm.

This study aims to examine socio-economic, religious and institutional factors influencing zakat payment intentions among Ethiopian Muslims. The findings highlight the critical role of zakat institutions, literacy and religiosity, contributing to the broader discourse on Islamic finance and its potential as a tool for poverty alleviation in under-researched contexts.

This study used a quantitative approach and utilised a partial least squares-structural equation modelling technique for data analysis. The research investigated Muzakki’s intention to pay zakat, focusing on the main variables of the theory of reasoned action (TRA), namely, attitude and subjective norm, while also incorporating zakat literacy, zakat institutions (Amil) and religiosity. A total of 394 structured questionnaires were distributed with a five-point Likert scale to capture respondents’ views and experiences regarding zakat payment, using both convenience and snowball non-probability sampling methods to select participants.

The findings indicate that zakat literacy, positive attitudes towards zakat, institutional support through well-established zakat institutions and high levels of religiosity significantly influence the intention of Ethiopian Muslims to fulfil their zakat obligations. These findings underscore the need for robust, centralised zakat institutions that prioritise transparent administration and effective collection mechanisms. Lessons from successful zakat models in other countries could inspire the development of similar systems tailored to Ethiopia’s sociocultural dynamics, directly supporting poverty alleviation and socio-economic development.

This study opens up several avenues for future research. Comparative studies could examine how successful zakat systems in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have achieved their goals and identify lessons applicable to Ethiopia. In addition, longitudinal studies can track the long-term effects of enhanced zakat compliance on poverty alleviation and social welfare in Ethiopia. Exploring the integration of financial technologies such as blockchain into zakat administration represents another valuable research direction.

These findings underscore the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council (MEJLIS) need to establish robust, centralised zakat institutions that prioritise transparent administration and effective collection mechanisms. Such improvements in the zakat infrastructure could enhance muzakki compliance, directly supporting poverty alleviation and socio-economic development in Ethiopia.

This study provides unique insights into the factors shaping zakat payment intentions in Ethiopia, highlighting critical areas for improvement within the zakat collection and distribution framework. These findings provide a foundation for developing policies to foster a more effective zakat system that aligns with Ethiopia’s sociocultural dynamics.

This study aims to investigate the effect of financial inclusion on economic welfare in three religious country groups: majority Christian countries, majority Hindu countries and majority Muslim countries.

The study analyzed 30 religious countries during the 2004–2020 period using the two-stage least squares regression method. The economic welfare variables are the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate, GDP per capita growth, inflation rate and the unemployment rate. The main explanatory variable is the composite financial inclusion index. The control variables are corruption control index, political stability index, total population growth, rule of law index and the regulatory quality index.

Financial inclusion is positively correlated with corruption control, political stability, rule of law and regulatory quality in religious countries, whereas financial inclusion is negatively correlated with total population growth, economic growth, GDP per capita growth, inflation rate and unemployment rate in religious countries. Regression results show that high level of financial inclusion decreases the unemployment rate in majority Muslim countries. A preexisting low unemployment rate is significantly associated with higher financial inclusion in majority Christian and Muslim countries. High level of financial inclusion decreases the inflation rate in countries that have significant Islamic finance activity. Financial inclusion has an insignificant effect on economic welfare in majority Hindu countries.

The type of religion and the size of Islamic finance activity matter in understanding the relationship between financial inclusion and economic welfare in religious countries.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to examine financial inclusion dynamics and its effect on economic welfare in the context of the major religions.

This study sought to determine the association between religious denominations, with a special focus on Pentecostal/Charismatic denomination and some core community welfare indicators. The study also constructed some religious performance indices to compare the performance of various denominations in poverty reduction activities.

Data for the study come from the seventh round of Ghana Living Standard Survey and Religion in Poverty Reduction Survey (RPRS) from Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Descriptive statistics and the logit model were used to analyze the data.

The study found that the presence of Catholic denomination is significantly associated with increased odds that water will be provided in rural areas (odds ratio = 2.88297, p = 0.008). The results also show that the presence of Protestant denomination as the major religion in the community is significantly associated with a reduction in the odds that social amenities will deteriorate in rural areas (odds ratio = 0.236, p = 0.062). However, it was found that in rural areas, the presence of Pentecostal/Charismatic church as the major denomination significantly reduces the odds for the provision of water (odds ratio = 0.24994, p = 0.025), increases the odds of deterioration in social amenities (odds ratio = 2.095, p = 0.062) and poverty (odds ratio = 1.4879, p = 0.094). The various indices show that in urban areas, the performance of religious denominations on social service delivery, poverty reduction and awareness raising on poverty issues are comparable.

This study is the foremost to construct indices that could be used to objectively assess the involvement of religious denomination in community development in any developing country.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-10-2024-0807

This study aims to investigate issues of natural resource management (NRM), conservation and ecotourism leadership on rural livelihood in Musina Local Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. It concentrated on the existing and probable effects of ecotourism and integrated rural activities and their environmental influences on climate change and vice versa, subsistence and sustainability. The study utilizes a broad literature review, focus group discussions and field observations to investigate the municipality’s biodiversity, holistic livelihoods and tourism resource and facility concerns with climate change implications in the study area, with data analyzed manually and also by means of cross tabulations and central tendencies. A harmful link between ecotourism-induced environmental impacts and integrated rural activities that retain potential climate change consequences is found to exist in the vicinity. Nevertheless, it is fathomed in line with the study findings that when tourism actions adhere to the justifications of sustainable and responsible tourism management, they can result in better ecotourism products that foster environmental sustainability and enhance rural livelihoods. Therefore, the study has identified a need for decent ecotourism facilities and activities and a managerial approach to diminish climate change hazards and spur subsistence for local communities in the municipality. Within its rationale and ability, the study presents an analysis of conservation, ecotourism management, environmental degradation and responsible tourism qualities regarding climate change consequences within the municipality.

Research on the living conditions of slum dwellers in the inner cities of developing countries has received much attention. Nevertheless, there is little empirical research on the influence of personal attributes on the poor environmental condition of the slum area. This study aims to examine the relationship between the socio-economic characteristics and the physical condition of the slum environment in the inner city of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Data was collected through the use of questionnaire administration from a household survey of 491 slum dwellers. Systematic random sampling was used in the selection of the respondents. The study used descriptive, factor and multiple regression to analyse the data collected.

The study used descriptive, factor and multiple regression to analyse the data collected. The study reveals an interplay between various socio-economic factors and environmental conditions. The results show that out of ten (10) socio economic variables that were submitted in the regression model, only eight (8) of these variables such as income, household size, occupation, level of education, age, marital status, year of residency and nativity were significant.

The study concluded that despite the fact that the condition of the slum environment is a product of multiple interrelated factors, personal attributes also contribute to the poor environmental condition of the slum area. The study recommended that improving the socio-economic conditions of slum dwellers would lead to improved environmental conditions.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the feasibility of mud brick houses as an alternative to the more widely adopted emergency shelters used in war-torn Syria. It focuses on the mud houses’ sustainability, cost effectiveness, cultural preference, income generation and security.

This study uses a qualitative research approach to a single case study. Interviews were conducted with field experts from the Qatar Red Crescent Society and members of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) community living in mud brick houses.

The findings reveal that the utilisation of mud houses is a good alternative in relief efforts. The houses are sustainable and cost-effective, take into consideration cultural dynamics and provide economic empowerment to IDPs. However, the maintenance of mud brick houses turns out to be the largest flaw, and this problem requires further research.

The paper highlights the inefficiency of current emergency sheltering practices in Syria and reveals that tents are not a preferred mode of shelter. It further sheds light on a unique case study in which mud houses were used by an aid and development organisation, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. This paper contributes to practical discussion and ideation on more appropriate housing for IDPs.

Although the effect of religiosity on psychological health has been a topic of debate for a long time, the mechanisms underlying this relationship still need to be sufficiently elucidated. This study aims to examine the sequential mediating roles of social media addiction and loneliness in the relationship between religiosity and psychological adjustment.

Data were collected from 309 participants (60.2 % females; Mean age = 25.53 ± 7.74) through an online survey using a convenience sampling method.

The findings revealed negative relationships between religiosity and psychological adjustment, social media addiction and loneliness. Social media addiction and loneliness were found to mediate the association between religiosity and psychological adjustment. A chain mediation model showed that loneliness increased psychological adjustment via social media addiction.

These results highlight the influence of religiosity on psychological adjustment while illustrating how loneliness, through social media addiction, diminishes this effect. This study presents important evidence about the role of religiosity in psychological adjustment and informs interventions aimed at enhancing religiosity’s positive impacts while mitigating loneliness and social media addiction.

Enhancing employee competence is essential for an organization’s success, but it can be challenging due to the varying work practices across different sectors. This study aims to examine how high-involvement work practices (HIWPs) and creative self-efficacy contribute to competence development in public and private banks. It provides insights into the unique dynamics of each sector.

A total of 373 bank professionals from Bangladesh were analyzed, comprising 156 individuals from public banks and 217 from private banks. The hypothesized relationships were examined using structural equation modeling.

Information sharing is a significant driver of competence in private banks, while empowerment is the primary determinant within public banks. Creative self-efficacy mediates this relationship, enhancing the influence of HIWPs on competence development. Furthermore, sectoral variances indicate that employment contracts and organizational contexts play a crucial role in shaping the impact of HIWPs on competence development.

Adapting HIWPs to different sectors’ needs can significantly enhance employee competence and overall organizational performance. By integrating creative self-efficacy into recruitment processes and promoting supportive work environments, organizations can further stimulate intrinsic motivation and facilitate the development of employee competencies. These insights offer practical guidance for HRM practices applicable to public and private sectors.

This research enhances existing literature by elucidating specific antecedents of competence within the banking sector. It provides practical insights for using individual motivators and human resource management strategies across various organizational contexts.