North Port, Florida, July 18, 2026 — As part of the “Halaqah Across Canada and USA” program series, the Dompet Dhuafa USA team brought Murniati Mukhlisin, an Indonesian Islamic finance expert, to 10 cities across Canada and the United States. The Florida session focused on Islamic family finance among the diaspora, particularly the financial challenges faced by families in mixed marriages.
Murniati Mukhlisin, widely known as Madam Ani, delivered a five-hour session attended by approximately 50 Indonesian diaspora members living in Florida. The event was hosted at the residence of Uda Rizal and Uni Novia. Before the session began, Nina Marliani from Sakinah Finance team invited all attendees to recite Al-Fatihah for the late Dr. Hudaifah Kuddah bin Ismail Kuddah, who passed away on July 12, 2026. The late Dr. Hudaifah was the father of Laili Hudaifah, the coordinator of Pengajian Florida.
During the discussion session, one of the participants, Yulfie, asked about protection models for diaspora families in cross-cultural marriages, for example, an Indonesian Muslim wife married to an American citizen. She shared a case where, due to limited religious understanding and inadequate financial planning, a husband decided to cremate his deceased Muslim wife instead of arranging an Islamic burial. The cost of a burial in the Florida area can reach up to USD 7,000, while cremation may cost around USD 600.
Responding to the issue, Murniati explained that managing the funeral and burial of a Muslim is a collective obligation (fardhu kifayah), while settling the deceased’s debts, wills, and inheritance matters is an individual obligation (fardhu ain) for those responsible. Therefore, she emphasized the importance of strengthening religious literacy, financial planning, and consistent implementation of Islamic principles.
“An initiative called Mawarith Takaful-as-a-Service (TAAS) has been introduced by Mawarith Technologies, initiated by Oscar Zaky, an information technology expert and former IMAAM board member based in Virginia. Mawarith provides a solution through a mutual protection (takaful) program based on a shared responsibility model, where financial risks, including funeral expenses, are collectively borne by all members. A waqf scheme is also incorporated to enhance this model,” explained Murniati.
She added that Mawarith’s services are developed digitally and web-based, enabling participants to access the platform easily and conduct inheritance simulations through a digital inheritance calculator.
From a governance perspective, Oscar explained that the institution he established adopts several legal structures aligned with United States regulations, namely a 501(c)(8) Fraternal Society, a 501(c)(3) Waqf Foundation/Non-profit Organization, and a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). The model also refers to Shariah Standards issued by the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI).
The projected participant contributions range from USD 10, USD 20, to USD 50 per month. However, the sustainability of this model depends greatly on achieving a sufficiently large number of participants (the rule of large numbers) to effectively manage potential claims.
Similar conventional protection models are already available in the United States and may serve as an emergency option (dharuriyah) before Mawarith’s product becomes widely available. Currently, Mawarith is undergoing pilot testing within several Muslim communities in the United States. Further information is available at www.mawarith.com.
“Family protection schemes in the form of insurance or family takaful should become an integral part of financial planning for diaspora communities in America and beyond. This is essential to anticipate the financial impact when a family member passes away,” said Murniati.
Source: Sakinah Finance Public Relations
