REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By: Ikhwanul Kiram Mashuri

Subhanallah! It turns out Ramadan has changed people for the better, and like all goodness. In the mosques, people compete to give food and drink for iftar. Helping indigent and poor people. The orphans were invited to an iftar events which were magnificent and they were given gifts when they were back.

Hunger, thirst, and promised reward when fasting Ramadan has moved us to give charity to people who were starving. We were sufficient, gave some of our wealth to those in need. And, at the end of Ramadan we will meet with all the nature / Eid al-Fitr. That's when we pay Zakat to be distributed to those in need in the form of rice that were identical to what we eat.

My father in Kediri, East Java, used to have a record of indigent people, poor people and orphans in the villages which should be helped. The note that in the form of a book that was very simple and was stored under the folds of the clothes in the wardrobe. Note that will be updated each ahead of Ramadan. My late father was collecting zakat, donations and alms from the mosque, and then distribute them in a fair and polite.

They, the people who were entitled to receive zakat, did not coming to mosques or to those who gave zakat to take the rights. However, the mosque committee or Amil that were actually went to their homes to deliver zakat, donations, and alms (ZIS). By doing so, they - the recipient of ZIS - truly 'be respected’. They did not have to queue jostling to take what they were entitled to as much going on this time.

Now the collection and distribution of ZIS was no longer done by individuals like the days of my father. In addition to the National Zakat Agency (Baznas) and Amil Zakat Regions (Bazda), there were also other amil zakat institutions that were very professionally managed. These institutions were not just waiting for people to pay zakat, but also picked up the ball. They did advertise, visit the potential muzakki (zakat giver) candidates, to socialize through seminars and workshops, through shows on television, and so on.

The result, according to some friends -the managers of ZIS, the acquisition of the collection of zakat, alms, and donations during Ramadan as now were very astonishing. It was increasing to three or four times compared to regular months. There were ZIS institutions which in normal months could routinely collect around Rp 4 billion, in the month of Ramadan managed to raise up to Rp 16 billion. Subhanallah.

Not only LAZIS (The institution of zakat, donations, alms), Friday charity boxes at mosques also got the luck. The mosque Attaqwa Attahiriyah in Kampung Melayu, South Jakarta, for example, on Fridays usual could earn routinely about 3 million, but on a Friday during Ramadan could gather around Rp 4-4,5 million.

Ramadan has indeed made us compete in the search for goodness. However, if anyone should be observed is how much actual poor people in this country who successfully alleviated by potential ZIS collected?

According to the data, Indonesia as the largest Muslim nation in the world actually could potentially collect zakat amounting to Rp 217 trillion. However, in last 2014 and which has been obtained from the potential it was only Rp 5 trillion. On the one hand, this data was a challenge for zakat activists, but on the other hand the amount of Rp5 trillion was still not a small number. The question is, once again, how much the actual number of poor people who finished alleviated from poverty?

Each ZIS institution must already have a details record (accountability) about the activities of channeling zakat, donation, and alms collected. However, because not well coordinated inter-agency of ZIS, distribution of zakat, donation, and alms to less than optimal in alleviating poverty. Here lies the important role of Baznas as coordinator, data providers, and facilitator, without having to intervene in the management of each ZIS agency.

In which impressed during this time in each of ZIS institution as how to raise funds as much as possible, especially in the month of Ramadan as it is now. Look, ads banners from ZIS institutions scattered in various streets. However, in fact there were many people who did not know about the activities of the distribution of ZIS itself.

We dream from ZIS institutions it will create productive economic centers in poor communities. We wanted from the LAZIS be awakened many schools, many universities, many Islamic boarding schools, many orphans homes, many hospitals, many shelter for abandoned children and homeless, and so on in various regions. Everything was dedicated to children and the poor people.

Not only from ZIS institutions, but we also expected from the rich and super rich of this country there was a endowments movement companies or companies shares dedicated for the people. Unfortunately, citing the views of social observers in the Middle East, Khalid al Qasythaini, such movements have not been entrenched in the Muslim community. Of course, including the Indonesian Islamic community.

According to him, quoted  by media al Shawq al Awsat, habits of the rich and super-rich Muslims were still bequeath his property to the closest people. For example to the children, wife, or brother. If they want to donate, continued al Qasythaini, then that became the focus was still a mosque construction or renovation of an existing mosque. Not in the form of donations, alms or endowments in the form of productive efforts.

Therefore, al Qasythaini was really appreciate what was done by the super-rich Saudi Arabia, Prince Walid bin Thalal bin Abdul Aziz, when he announced it would donate all his wealth for the benefit of humanity. Prince Walid’s wealth, as quoted by various media, about 32 billion US dollars, equivalent to Rp 420 trillion (rate 13 thousand), or nearly a quarter of the state budget (APBN) of Indonesia.

Prince Walid besides known super-rich, was also very generous. He helped many humanitarian projects in various Muslim countries in Asia and Africa. Flamboyant prince was hoping his wealth could be beneficial to humanity both when he was alive and after he died later.

We hoped that this Ramadan could give a new consciousness for us all to fastabiqu al khairat, competing in goodness. Among others, in the form of productive charity movement for people. Is not this so-called perpetual charity that reward will not break even though the party concerned has died?

Eid was imminent. Happy Eid al-Fitr. Hopefully the fasting of Ramadan in which we run it could make us as beings who do right.

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