When the State Takes Over: The Centralization of Zakat and the Limitation of the Role of Civil Society

Abstract

This study examines how the Indonesian government manages zakat by tracing the history of legal policies and their relationship with the state’s efforts to unify the zakat management system. In contrast to other Muslim countries that have diverse zakat management systems, the direct involvement of the Indonesian government in administering zakat has caused rejection from Islamic community groups. The Islamic community does not want government interference in zakat affairs because this is contrary to the habits they have been practicing since before Indonesia’s independence. This study uses historical research methods and analyzes information by applying the theory of prismatic laws developed by Fred W. Riggs. The results of the study show that the government’s reason for unifying the management of zakat is to maximize the use of zakat funds more effectively. However, this policy actually reduces the participation of the Muslim community in carrying out zakat management based on their traditional heritage. Thus, this study concludes that the government’s efforts to consolidate the management of zakat are inappropriate because they ignore the practice of zakat that has been integrated with the history and culture of the Indonesian Islamic community.