The Role of Zakat Distribution in Hunger and Poverty Elimination in Kedah

Abstract

Zakat is not only a religious obligation which must be complied by all eligible Muslims but also plays a very important role in Islamic fiscal system, specifically as a major source of income and could be used as an instrument to finance certain programs to achieve social, political and economic development among Muslim communities. However, the standard goals to be achieved by zakat distribution across the world are still ambiguous and therefore, need to be examined. The objective of this study is to examine the role of zakat distribution in the state of Kedah, Malaysia in assisting to achieve the goals of hunger and poverty elimination. This study is hoped to shed some light on whether the distribution of zakat in Kedah is in line with the goals, which could expand our understanding of the effectiveness of zakat distribution in achieving the objective of zakat. This study employs a descriptive analysis to answer research objectives to provide empirical evidence and justifications to the analysis. This study employs secondary data on zakat distribution published by KSZB. This study makes a concerted effort to analyze zakat distribution in the state of Kedah, Malaysia, and its role in the elimination of hunger and poverty. This study reveals that KSZB has made important strides towards achieving the goal of eliminating hunger and poverty. Although there is a great potential to achieve the goals through zakat distribution, its success still depends upon the amount of zakat collection. The zakat collection needs to be increased up to the target collection to have enough funds to be distributed to the recipients. KSZB needs to plan, strategize, and implement a suitable and effective zakat distribution policy to speed up the process of achieving the goals of hunger and poverty elimination.