Mediating Role of Digital Sharia Financial Literacy in the Relationship between Social Media Marketing and Generation Z’s Intention to Participate in Waqf and Zakat

Abstract

The stagnation of waqf and zakat collection among Indonesia’s digitally native Generation Z has prompted Islamic philanthropic institutions to intensify social media marketing, yet the mechanism through which such campaigns translate into donation intention remains underexplored. This qualitative study investigates the mediating function of digital sharia financial literacy in linking social media marketing exposure to Generation Z’s interest in waqf and zakat. Employing a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 Generation Z individuals (aged 17–27) in Greater Jakarta who actively engage with Islamic digital content. Thematic analysis, guided by the Hayes mediation logic adapted for qualitative inquiry, revealed four overarching themes: (1) pervasive but passive social media marketing reach, (2) fragmented digital sharia financial literacy, (3) evolving philanthropic intention from awareness to action, and (4) literacy as a cognitive gateway that filters, interprets, and validates marketing messages. Findings demonstrate that digital sharia financial literacy fully mediates the relationship when marketing content is perceived as complex or untrustworthy, yet plays a partial mediating role for simple, affect-driven campaigns. The study contributes a mediating literacy framework that integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior and media literacy models, offering actionable insights for digital da’wah strategists and Islamic fintech developers to design educational content embedded within promotional narratives