Determining Zakat Beneficiaries Based on Housing Conditions
An Analysis of Social Practices and an Evaluation from the Perspective of Islamic Law in Nagari Rao-Rao
Keywords:
zakat, zakat beneficiaries, housing condition, social practice, Islamic lawAbstract
The determination of zakat beneficiaries (mustahiq) is normatively stipulated in Qur’an Surah At-Tawbah (9):60, which clearly identifies eight categories of recipients, with the poor (fuqara) and the needy (masakin) as primary beneficiaries based on their actual economic conditions. However, in social practice in Nagari Rao-Rao, the identification of zakat beneficiaries tends to rely on the physical condition of houses, particularly whether a house is considered habitable or uninhabitable. This practice raises methodological and normative concerns, as housing condition is not a formally recognized criterion in classical Islamic jurisprudence on zakat. This study aims to analyze the practice of determining zakat beneficiaries based on housing conditions, identify the social factors underlying this practice, and evaluate its compatibility with the principles of Islamic law. This research employs a field research design using a socio-empirical qualitative approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with zakat administrators, data collectors responsible for identifying beneficiaries, and zakat recipients, and were complemented by field observations and a review of relevant literature on zakat jurisprudence. The findings reveal that the reliance on housing conditions as the primary basis for determining zakat beneficiaries is influenced by prevailing social perceptions of poverty, the absence of standardized beneficiary assessment mechanisms, and limited understanding of Islamic legal principles among local zakat managers. From the perspective of Islamic law, housing condition cannot serve as the principal criterion for determining zakat eligibility; rather, it may only function as an initial indicator that must be verified through a comprehensive assessment of a household’s economic situation. The study therefore recommends aligning local beneficiary identification mechanisms with Islamic legal principles in order to ensure that zakat distribution becomes more equitable and accurately targeted.
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