Indonesian president believes zakat to improve people’s welfare

The role of zakat plays significantly in improving the welfare of the Indonesian people and accelerating poverty alleviation in the country.

 

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed great optimism about the role of zakat in improving the welfare of the Indonesian people and accelerating poverty alleviation in the country.

Zakat is an obligatory payment made annually under Islamic law on certain kinds of property and used for charitable and religious purposes.

The president made the remarks when handing over zakat to the National Zakat Agency (locally known as its abbreviation BAZNAS) in 2025, on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at the State Palace, capital Jakarta, the Indonesian Cabinet Secretariat reported in a written statement as quoted by Indonesia Window on Saturday.

“By paying zakat, we can share with others. We can help the poor, lighten their burdens, and also prevent them from being stingy. Paying zakat is a reflection of mutual cooperation and an effort to reduce social inequality. Zakat is a manifestation of social justice and equal distribution of welfare,” the president said.

The Head of State is aware of the great challenges faced by many people who are still struggling to meet their basic needs.

He called on all people to not only celebrate Ramadan (month of fasting) by worshiping, but also by sharing with those in need through zakat, infaq, and sadaqah.

Infaq is spending or disbursement, particularly in the context of giving or donating wealth for the benefit of others, often as an act of worship and righteousness.

Sadaqah refers to voluntary charity or almsgiving, a practice of giving to those in need, with the intention of seeking closeness to Allah ﷻ (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and earning divine reward.

“Let us pray for them. Let us extend our hands to them, one of which is by paying zakat, infaq, and Sadaqah. By paying zakat, we will deepen our gratitude and thanks to Allah ﷻ for all the gifts that have been given to us,” he said.

The president also said that the role of zakat in Indonesia is very large and can make a significant contribution to fighting poverty.

With this large zakat potential, the president is optimistic that Indonesia can achieve extreme poverty alleviation in a relatively short time.

“Earlier it was reported that our (zakat) potential is still large, still very large, namely 327 trillion rupiahs, while this year’s revenue is 41 trillion rupiahs. In our calculations, we can eliminate absolute poverty with only around 30 trillion rupiahs,” he noted.

1 USD = 16,546.15 rupiahs

In addition, President Prabowo emphasized the importance of transparency and efficiency in zakat management, hoping it could be carried out as clearly and orderly as possible so that the funds collected can be utilized optimally.

“Zakat expenditure must be carried out transparently and effectively as all of our government’s works must be transparent, must be effective, must reach those in need. It must be carried out with the clearest and most orderly management,” he stated.

Reporting by Indonesia Window