ZAKAT AS AN ISLAMIC SOCIAL FINANCE INSTRUMENT FOR ACHIEVING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A PRISMA-BASED SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS ON POVERTY REDUCTION AND SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.4566Keywords:
Zakat, Islamic Social Finance, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Poverty Reduction, Meta-AnalysisAbstract
Zakat, as one of the pillars of Islam, serves not only as a religious obligation but also as a socio-economic instrument with significant potential to contribute to sustainable development. This study applies a meta-analytic approach to evaluate the role of zakat in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in poverty reduction (SDG 1) and social empowerment (SDGs 4, 5, 8, 10, and 16). A systematic review of 45 empirical studies published between 2000 and 2025 was conducted, covering diverse regions such as Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Effect sizes were extracted and analyzed to synthesize evidence on zakat’s impact on income, consumption, education, health, entrepreneurship, and social participation. The findings indicate that zakat reduces poverty incidence by 20–25% on average, improves access to basic services, and strengthens empowerment, especially through productive zakat programs. Variations across regions were observed, with centralized and transparent zakat systems in Indonesia and Malaysia yielding stronger outcomes compared to fragmented systems in Sudan and Pakistan. Furthermore, digital innovation and integration with national welfare programs emerged as key drivers of effectiveness. Robustness tests confirmed the reliability of the results, with no significant publication bias detected. Overall, zakat proves to be a transformative mechanism that aligns with global development goals, offering both immediate relief and long-term empowerment for Muslim societies.
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