Role of Zakat in Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learnt and Way Forward

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has impacted global human lives, killing millions and attacking the real economy to its core. United Nations has called for global solidarity to overcome this unprecedented disaster. Having said that, zakat has been utilized to respond to this ongoing suffering in Muslim countries. This chapter explore zakat utilization for COVID-19 under the shariah perspective and discuss the role of zakat to respond to the pandemic in Muslim countries. A qualitative methodology including conceptual and content analysis is applied to conduct this study. The findings show that most sharia scholars agreed to utilize zakat for the COVID-19 pandemic and endorse advance zakat payment. Moreover, zakat has been disbursed mainly to fulfil basic needs, support emergency health services, sustain education activities, recover economic impact and maintain dakwah programme. The global zakat institutions have also started up the international initiative to respond to this pandemic. This study contributes to the academia on showing how zakat is a conceivable and reliable instrument to give immediate response to this pandemic in Muslim countries. The best practices found in this study are worthy for zakat institutions to continue their programme under this pandemic and be resilient for the next global scale of disasters.

Citation

Swandaru, R. and Abdel Mohsin, M.I. (2022), "Role of Zakat in Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learnt and Way Forward", Hassan, M.K., Muneeza, A. and Sarea, A.M. (Ed.) Towards a Post-Covid Global Financial System, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 185-200. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80071-625-420210010