Is Sincerity Alone Enough When Giving?
The World Giving Report 2026, released in June, shows that the generosity of the Indonesian people remains above the global average, even as worldwide donation trends decline due to various economic pressures. One finding in the report indicates that Indonesia ranks 16th globally in terms of the strength of social norms that encourage people to give.
“Just transfer the money, the important thing is sincerity.”
A simple sentence like that might be heard when a donation appeal appears on a phone screen, and seeing a story of someone in need moves the heart. Often without thinking twice, we open a banking app, enter the account number, and press the transfer button.
“Payment successful.”
A sense of relief emerges because we have helped. However, afterwards, a question sometimes arises: “Will the funds really reach the people who truly need them?”
Amidst the ease of digital transactions, this issue is becoming increasingly relevant. Data from the Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre (IASC), presented by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) in June 2026, recorded more than 608,000 fraud cases with around Rp674 billion in funds secured or blocked. This reality should prompt caution when donating online.
This principle of prudence aligns with the saying of the Prophet Muhammad, narrated by Hasan bin Ali RA and recorded in Sunan At-Tirmidhi no. 2518, which teaches to leave what is doubtful for what is not. This hadith does not speak directly about online donations, but it provides a concept that a Muslim should not be hasty in making decisions, especially in matters that still raise doubt.
This is reinforced by Allah’s decree in QS. Al-Hujurat verse 6, which emphasises not to be hasty in accepting news and to investigate it first so that regret does not arise over an action already taken. In the context of digital donations, this principle can be realised by checking the identity of the fundraiser, the purpose, and the credibility of the distributing party.
This perspective can also be viewed through the lens of Maqashid Al-Shari’ah (the primary objectives of Islamic law) in the context of Hifz Al-Mal, one of whose principles includes protecting wealth from damage and unjust loss. If wealth is considered something that must be safeguarded in Sharia, then the decision to part with it should not be made carelessly. Essentially, these Sharia provisions aim to create peace for the people in all matters, both worldly and in the hereafter.
From an Islamic economics perspective, this also shows that the spirit of generosity is inseparable from the responsibility of managing wealth. Giving is indeed a form of care for others, but that care must be accompanied by effort to ensure that the wealth truly reaches those in need, in accordance with the stated purpose.
However, another question arises: “If that’s the case, will people then become reluctant to give charity?”
Islam does not teach its followers to stop sharing simply out of fear of being deceived. Sincerity remains the primary foundation of donating. Referring to the Prophet’s saying, narrated by Umar bin Khattab and agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim, the essence of every deed depends on its intention. Yet, having a good intention does not erase our responsibility to remain cautious.
Caution also does not mean that every donation appeal should be suspected or that one should delay doing good. Rather, what needs to be built is the habit of giving more wisely. Before channelling funds, a donor can take a little time to ascertain who is raising the funds, where the funds will be distributed, and whether the information provided is accountable. This simple step does not diminish the value of sincerity itself, but is a form of effort so that the intended goodness does not stop at the transfer process alone, because the goal of donating is not just to release wealth from our hands, but to bring it as a benefit to others. In the end, a donation is not merely a transfer of money, but also a form of trust given to the party receiving that mandate.