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ACTNews, JAKARTA
– In every command that Allah has revealed to mankind, there’s always a dimension
that concerns our relationship with Allah and a dimension that concerns our relationship with one another. These two dimensions are also apparent
in zakat, an act of obligatory almsgiving for Muslims, as stated by Ustaz Bobby
Herwibowo, a member of Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT)’s Sharia Supervisory Board.
"The command
to pay zakat was revealed to the Messenger of Allah in the year 2 AH. When this
command was conveyed to the Companions, it immediately became a standard that
zakat will strengthen society and a nation through the distribution of wealth
from the rich to the needy,” explains Ustaz Bobby, Thursday (2/17/2022).
In the Quran, the
command of zakat is mentioned in several verses, including in Chapter 30 (the
Romans) verse 39. Ustaz Bobby further explains that the zakat-based economy is very
powerful because it can grow very quickly. He provides an example that when
Yemen was ruled the companion Muaz bin Jabal, the zakat alms from the local
community was very well-managed so much so that the number of poor people
declined rapidly to the point that they have to disburse the zakat to other
Muslim territories.
According to him,
if the collective awareness of the Muslims in Indonesia to pay zakat grows, it
can help eradicate poverty. “Can you imagine what would happen if every Muslim
in Indonesia whose wealth has reached the nisab pays the zakat? If the zakat
donations are managed by a certified zakat administrator agency that has great
programs, poverty can be eradicated in Indonesia in 10 years,” said Ustaz
Bobby.
Ustaz Bobby hopes
that hundreds of millions of Indonesian Muslims can pay their zakat regularly. Zakat
is also a form of solidarity that can also ease the burdens on the members of
the community and empower them. So, zakat can also be a driving force in
advancing the Muslim civilization.
“Zakat is exactly
like obligatory prayers. Not only that it is obligatory, but it is also a pillar of
this religion. If you want zakat to grow, it is better for us to channel it
collectively through professional, full-time, and accountable zakat
administrators," Ustaz Bobby concluded.[]
