He spotlighted the importance of the philanthropic fund during the 2024 National Coordination Meeting of the National Alms Agency (Baznas) in Balikpapan City, East Kalimantan, on Wednesday (September 25) night.
In his office's statement cited here on Thursday, Effendy pointed out that zakat is the most effective mechanism for dealing with economic gaps in regions, ultimately helping the government bring social justice to people and elevate their living standards.
"It is vital that we raise awareness about paying zakat. Otherwise, we might see in the future, people being forced to pay such alms, which is not good," he remarked.
Referring to zakat al-Fitr, a mandatory charitable contribution paid at the end of the Ramadan month, the minister emphasized that it is much better for Muslims to willingly pay the alms, driven by their understanding of its importance rather than compulsion.
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On that note, he also underlined that zakat essentially serves as a means to purify one's income or assets from possible impure ways of acquisition.
"For that reason, almsgiving is supposed to be driven by faith. Each Muslim should have awareness, including about the amount of alms they need to give," he pointed out.
The Baznas National Coordination Meeting, taking place on September 25-27, draws participation from around 1,200 Baznas officials representing the agency's headquarters and regional offices in 38 provinces and 514 cities and districts.
The theme adopted for the national meeting is "Synergizing for Inclusive Zakat Management to Alleviate Poverty and Pursue Prosperity to Make the Asta Cita Missions a Success."
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Translator: Sean F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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