The Disbursement of Zakah

Both the state and society are responsible for the alleviation of poverty in Islamic countries, a process that primarily involves the use of zakah. The Qur'an and Sunnah, while demarcating citizens into eight categories, do not clearly stipulate how to distribute zakah. The laws that determine eligibility to receive zakah and how much is to be dispersed to each group vary between countries. Since the main aim is to eliminate poverty in Muslim societies, preference in the disbursement of zakah is given to the poorest individuals. In some countries the assistance provided by zakah is not sufficient in even providing for the basic needs of the poor. In such cases further taxes on the wealthy or contributions from wealthy foreign Muslims may be necessary. Poverty levels in Muslim countries are as high as 26% of the total population, and zakah collections are not always utilized effectively. By instituting legal regulations mandating the collection of zakah, at approximately 3%of GDP, much