Zakat Dan Infaq : Instrumen Kesejahteraan Umat Yang Menumbuhkan Kesadaran Sosial Di Kalangan Siswa Mts Nurul Falah Desa Durajaya

Abstract

This study aims to examine the role of zakat and infaq as important instruments in improving the welfare of the community while fostering social awareness among students at MTs Nurul Falah, Durajaya Village. Based on a literature review, zakat and infaq are viewed not only as individual religious obligations but also as effective social tools for wealth redistribution and poverty alleviation (Hafidhuddin, 2002; Ascarya, 2018). Previous studies, such as those by Basri (2016) and Khairi (2021), have shown that implementing zakat in educational settings can strengthen students' social character by instilling values of empathy, solidarity, and social responsibility. However, there are also critical views, such as those from Saifuddin (2019), who highlights that the implementation of zakat and infaq in educational institutions is often symbolic and not systematically organized, so its impact on students' social awareness is less than optimal. The methods used in various previous studies have been dominated by qualitative-descriptive approaches, such as case studies and participant observation, although some have also used quantitative surveys to measure changes in student attitudes. By adopting a qualitative case study approach, this study seeks to bridge the gap between ideal theory and actual practice in madrasas, as well as provide evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the role of zakat and infaq in character education oriented towards social values.