Poverty Eradication

Lend a hend for a Fair Wealth [Foto: Juned]Ibnu Khaldun once said, things are always circulated between the authorities and people. Ironically, the state has become the biggest market and makes its people to lose a fair wealth circulation. Therefore, the spirit of zakat or almsgiving in Islam is to share the joy, happiness, and wealth between people. This is what we call an even economic growth for every level of people. Wealth will no longer be centered in some people who have capital.

It is a fact that the current economic activity has created a wide income gap. For instance, as stated in the Human Development Report in 2006 issued by UNDP (the United National Development Program). Report said that 10 percent of wealthy people dominated 54 percent of world wealth while the rest 90 percent of world people only have 45 percent of world wealth (Beik, 2006).

One of the main factors of the wide income gap is because there is no wealth distribution system which reflects a fairness and equality principle. Therefore, wealth is concentrated in only a few people's hands. In fact, Allah SWT refused the act as it is said in QR Al Haysr:7:"...so that the wealth will no longer be circulated in a few rich people among you..."

Share is the main purposes [Photo: Novriyadi]In Islam, one of the wealth and income distribution systems is through the instruments of zakat, infak and sodaqoh (kinds of donation in Islam). The Prophet Muhammad PBUH in his hadeeth narrated by Iman Al-Ashbahani from Imam Thabrani, said: "Allah SWT has truly mandated an almsgiving responsibility over Muslim's wealth which can overcome poverty. It is impossible for a poor people to suffer from hunger or do not have anything to wear except penurious rich Muslim people are exist. Do not forget that Allah SWT will conduct a judgment and ask for responsibility and give a harsh punishment for them." (Narrated by Thabrani in Al Ausath and As Shogir).

The hadeeth shows that poverty is not only caused by a cultural laziness but also caused by unfair economic gap (structural poverty) and the decline of social solidarity, especially between the poor and the rich.

The sense of togetherness appears when we realize that many people are still live in poverty [Photo: Novriyadi]Lapoe and Colin (1978) and George (1981) said that the main reason of poverty is the economic social gap since a few rich people have lived so wealthy over many people's suffering and not because of overpopulation.

Zakat and other Islamic donation fund can be used to overcome or reduce poverty if the fund is well-managed and well-distributed (Hafidhudin, 1998). In Al Qur'an and Hadeeth, zakat, infaq, and sodaqoh are often mentioned together with sholat and the interest of a loan, for instance in QS. Ar-Rum: 59 and QS. Al Baqoroh: 276. This indicates that zakat, infak and sodaqoh optimizing will reduce economic activity which uses interest.

The challenge is to make zakat as a strategic institution for creating a fair and responsible economic system, not just a solace for the poor. Therefore, zakat can function as a broader element not only to purify Muslim's wealth and give something for the poor, but also to boost fair people economic growth. In social life function, this is the bottom line of zakat in Islam.