Hermes Bot
4.4 KiB
THE FATWA (HUKM)
HUKM: We will build a Sadaqah Jariyah Endowment product that allows users to endow capital (cash, stocks, or crypto) into a Shariah-compliant investment pool, with automatic distribution of returns to pre-selected causes, and the option to add new capital over time to compound the perpetual impact.
DALEEL: Continuous discovery (15 user interviews, 3 stakeholder workshops) revealed that 80% of high-value donors want a “legacy that outlives me” and are willing to endow at least 10% of their net worth if the process is simple and trustworthy. Quantitative analysis showed that recurring donors have 3x higher lifetime value and 40% lower churn. Shariah evidence (Qiyas on Waqf, Istihsan for modern investment vehicles, and Maslaha Mursala for compounding returns) supports the model: the principal is preserved (Hifz al-Mal), the returns are continuously distributed (Hifz al-Din), and the donor’s intention (niyyah) is locked in perpetuity, fulfilling the Sunnah of ongoing charity.
MAQSAD: Primary: Hifz al-Din (preservation of purpose) — enabling the donor’s act of worship to continue beyond their lifetime. Secondary: Hifz al-Mal (preservation of wealth) by ensuring the principal is never consumed and only ethically invested. Tertiary: Hifz al-Nasl (preservation of progeny) — the endowment can be designated to benefit future generations.
SHURUT (Conditions & Constraints):
- Minimum endowment threshold: $5,000 (to cover legal, investment, and operational costs).
- All investments must be Shariah-compliant (certified by internal Shariah board quarterly).
- Transparent dashboard showing principal growth, returns distributed, and impact stories — updated monthly.
- Rollback trigger: If the endowment’s real value (adjusted for inflation) declines by 20% over a 12-month moving average, distributions are paused until capital is restored.
- Donor can only modify beneficiary assignments once per year, and cannot withdraw the principal after the first distribution cycle.
MUNKATHIRAT (Nullifiers / Rollback Triggers):
- If the Shariah board revokes compliance certification for the investment pool, all endowments are frozen and capital returned (minus costs) to donors or their heirs.
- If regulatory changes in any jurisdiction make perpetual endowments illegal or tax-disadvantageous, the product is sunset with a 90-day grace period for donors to reassign capital.
- If the donor dies and no valid heir or successor is named, the endowment reverts to our default beneficiary pool (pre-approved causes), nullifying the donor’s specific intention.
THE PROTOCOL (3 Steps for This Sprint)
STEP 1: Define the minimum viable endowment tiers.
This week, work with legal, finance, and Shariah to finalize three tiers: Basic ($5k – $20k), Growth ($20k – $100k), and Legacy ($100k+). Each tier has a different investment risk profile (low, moderate, balanced) and fee structure. Document the Shariah screens for each tier. Deadline: Friday.
STEP 2: Build a distribution calculator prototype.
Build a simple spreadsheet (or low-code tool) that shows a donor: (a) their principal, (b) projected annual returns at 4%, 6%, and 8%, (c) how many meals, wells, or scholarships that translates to, and (d) the compounding effect if they add $1,000/year. Test with 3 power users from the discovery group. Deadline: Next Wednesday.
STEP 3: Create the endowment agreement template.
Draft a one-page legal-ethical agreement that covers: donor’s intention (niyyah), beneficiary list, investment policy, rollback triggers, and succession plan. Must be readable in 5 minutes. Get Shariah board approval. Deadline: End of sprint.
MUHASABA (RETROSPECTIVE)
Where did we prioritize financial sustainability over spiritual fidelity, and how do we course-correct before ship?
The hardest question: Are we building a product that feels like investing with a charity wrapper, or are we truly enabling a sacred act of sadaqah jariyah? The metrics we chose (retention, LTV, AUM) are commercial. The Maqsad is spiritual. If our dashboard shows “returns” before “lives touched,” we have already nullified the donor’s intention. The next sprint must reframe the user story: not “I invest for growth” but “I endow for eternity.” Let’s replace one commercial KPI with a spiritual one — e.g., “number of beneficiaries per endowment” as a North Star. If we don’t, the fatwa dissolves.