Development of Zakat in Malaysia: Past and Present

After a period of glorious development during the classical era, zakat as a pillar of Islam and an important source of Islamic wealth redistribution went through many centuries without significant progress and change. The development of Islamic economic thoughts at the beginning of the 20th century, however, sparked a new interest in utilizing zakat as a source of Muslim economic development.

This book traces the evolvement of zakat laws and administration in Malaysia, in particular the unprecedented transformation of the zakat institutions’ organizational structure which has changed the landscape of zakat in the country. Throughout the years, zakat has metamorphosed from an annual religious duty performed and paid in the month of Ramadhan to become a billion worth of public revenue controlled by the states’ Islamic religious councils.