Hidayatullah Launches 'Sedekah Subuh' App to Strengthen Islamic Philanthropy Ecosystem

The Central Executive Board (DPP) of Hidayatullah, together with the National Amil Zakat Institution Baitul Maal Hidayatullah (Laznas BMH) and Maybank Syariah, has officially launched the Sedekah Subuh application. This digital innovation is designed to make it easier for the public to give alms regularly while strengthening the professional, transparent, and impactful governance of Islamic philanthropy.

Hidayatullah DPP Chairman KH Naspi Arsyad stated that the launch marks a milestone in collaboration between a dakwah organisation, a zakat institution, and the banking sector to build a culture of sharing that is more accessible through digital technology. Carrying the tagline ‘One Click Sedekah Subuh, A Million Benefits for the Ummah’, the app is expected to encourage the public to build a habit of giving alms every morning with a practical, secure, and accountable system.

Kiai Naspi conveyed that digital transformation must be utilised to broaden public participation in the Islamic philanthropy movement. He noted that Indonesia possesses enormous social capital in the form of a culture of zakat, infak, sedekah, and waqf, including the tradition of giving alms at dawn. This potential needs to be supported by a digital system that makes it easier for the public to channel their goodwill sustainably.

‘Indonesia has long been known as one of the countries with a high level of public generosity. Today, technology must become a means to strengthen the culture of sharing and bring wider benefits to the ummah,’ said Kiai Naspi during the launch in Jakarta. He emphasised that this cross-sector synergy serves as an example of developing a philanthropic ecosystem that is adaptive to the times. ‘We hope this movement becomes a bridge between the public’s enthusiasm for sharing and the management of social funds that is increasingly professional, transparent, and trustworthy,’ he said.

Laznas BMH Director Supendi explained that the Gerakan Subuh Bersedekah (Dawn Almsgiving Movement) was born from the need to provide a solution to the challenges faced by donors. He felt that many people have the desire to give alms regularly but are often delayed due to busy schedules or difficulty accessing donation channels at the right time. ‘What we are building is not just an application or QRIS. What we want to build is a movement, namely getting the public accustomed to starting the day by giving alms so that sharing becomes part of their daily lifestyle,’ said Supendi.

Through the application, the public can set daily, weekly, Friday, or monthly almsgiving commitments, choose a nominal amount according to their ability, make digital payments, and receive reminders and periodic fund distribution reports. Supendi further explained that his party is also presenting a QRIS Personal Campaign feature, a QRIS identity that can be owned by individuals, communities, schools, mosques, or business partners as a medium to invite the public to give alms. ‘Our hope is that after this launch, thousands of kindness advocates will emerge, inviting family, friends, and their communities to make Sedekah Subuh a daily habit,’ he stated.

Through this collaboration, Maybank Syariah is injecting its digital technology capabilities into the communication and donation platform owned by Hidayatullah and its official zakat institution, BMH. One of the main breakthroughs presented is the integration of the QRIS payment feature to eliminate bank transaction cost barriers. Maybank Syariah Director Romy Hardiansyah explained that the QRIS feature integrated directly into the app is a concrete solution to the administrative costs that often burden donors when making interbank transfers.

‘Usually, if you send money and the bank is different from the one used by Hidayatullah or BMH, there is a cost of IDR 5,000 or IDR 10,000 via LLG or RTGS. With this new system, these costs have been made highly efficient,’ said Romy. Through this integration, the application will directly generate a special QRIS code for each donor. This efficiency ensures that the nominal funds disbursed by donors can be allocated in full without any deductions. ‘So more of the funds are indeed intact for the people who need them. That is one of the advantages,’ he added.

Besides reducing costs, the aspect of practicality is a major highlight. Donors can now give alms anytime and anywhere instantly. The presence of digital payments removes the physical limitations that previously required people to be in a specific location to donate. ‘This can be done from home, from school, from the workplace, or during daily activities. It does not have to be when we are at the mosque or in certain areas where there are charity boxes,’ said Romy. To support this financial inclusion, Maybank Syariah has also provided a 100 per cent online account opening system. Prospective donors simply need to download the BMH or Hidayatullah app digitally and register without the hassle of visiting a physical bank branch office.