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and or others. The results showed that the effectiveness of zakat in
the economic empowerment community at Rumah Zakat has been
quite good and in accordance with the principle of Islamic
economics. Respondents benefiting from both programs reported
significant positive impact on their home economies, health and
social lives. Empowerment programs is realized through four kind
of main program, namely Senyum Juara (Education), Senyum Sehat
(Health) Senyum Mandiri (Economic Empowerment) and Senyum
Lestari (Environment). The findings provide empiricial evidence
regarding positive contribution and effectiveness of zakat targeting
in reducing poverty and improve the welfare of people related with
the management of zakat.

Keywords: Zakat, Effectiveness, Social Welfare and Rumah Zakat

INTRODUCTION
Indonesia as a country with the largest Muslim population in the
world, ideally should be leader for other Islamic countries in matters
of study, practice and sharing knowledge of Islamic matters. This
idea is one of Rumah Zakat missions to develop a better zakat
management. The zakat area is one of the primary sector of
economic philantrophy in Muslim country. As the third pillar of
Islam, payment of zakat is obligation for eligible Muslim to purify
his wealth by distributing to the Mustahik based on the specific
criteria. Not only does it serve to provide funds for Mustahik, the
zakat also acts as balancing instrument for the economy. Zakat can
be potentially meet the resource gap for poverty alleviation in the
nations. In the other word, the ultimate goal of zakat is to transform
the Mustahik into Muzakki within a definite time frame.
Zakat had been practiced since Prophet era in Mecca, but there
is the difference between Mecca and Medina era. In Mecca, zakat
obligation was only the suggestion for giving voluntarily. The al-
Qur’an verses and al-Hadits was only understood as no obligation
for paying zakat and no punishment for negligent. Otherwise, in
Medina, paying zakat had been fixed for limit of wealth, time for
paying, rate of wealth of zakat and beneficiaries of zakat. Muslim in

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