The role of zakat on poverty alleviation

Abstract

The issue of poverty, and particularly that of poverty alleviation, is given much emphasis in various national and international arenas, since the declaration of the Millennium Development Goals by the United Nations in 2000. The declaration focuses strongly on alleviating world poverty within the next decade. However, Islam provides Islamic tool that has completely proved in combating poverty. According to this, the objective of the study is to evaluate the role of Zakat in alleviating poverty in Nintavur divisional secretariat area. Survey conducted between the year 2010 and 2014. The study takes the form of qualitative, quantitative and descriptive analysis and depends on structural questionnaires, focus group discussion and key informant interviews which are both primary and secondary. The result indicates that the Zakat has played important role in taking out Muslims from poverty trap in the research area, Nintavur. Moreover, this research draw up few recommendations such as aware the people on Zakat, implement collective Zakat and the importance of training and skill development to promote and encourage Zakat for further effectiveness on eradicating poverty.