RECONSTRUCTING A PRODUCTIVE ZAKAT BASED EMPOWERMENT MODEL FOR MUSTAHIKTO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC SELF RELIANCE AT LAZISMU MEDAN CITY

Abstrak

Productive zakat has significant potential as an instrument for the economic empowerment of mustahik; however, the provision of business capital does not always lead to sustainable economic self-reliance. The research gap lies in the limited number of studies that explain, in an integrated manner, how productive zakat, capacity building, mentoring, enterprise development, and institutional support contribute to the economic transformation of mustahik toward self-reliance. This study aims to reconstruct a productive zakat-based empowerment model to promote sustainable economic self-reliance among mustahik at LAZISMU Kota Medan. The study employs a qualitative exploratory approach to identify existing empowerment practices, economic transformation processes, supporting and constraining factors, and the relationships among empowerment components. The analysis focuses on changes in productive capacity, business and financial management, income, business continuity, the ability to meet basic needs, and dependence on external assistance. The findings indicate that the effectiveness of productive zakat is determined not only by the distribution of capital but also by capacity building, continuous mentoring, enterprise development, monitoring, evaluation, and institutional support. The study produces an integrated reconstructed empowerment model that positions economic self-reliance as the primary outcome, reflected in increased and stable income, business continuity, enhanced productive capacity, improved financial management, and reduced dependence on external assistance. The model is expected to provide a foundation for strengthening LAZISMU Kota Medan’s productive zakat programs to make them more targeted, measurable, and sustainable