Response of Indonesian Academicians Toward Factors Influencing the Payment of Zakat on Employment Income

Abstract

Studies pertaining to zakat payment in Indonesia are interesting because Indonesia is a country which has the largest Muslim population in the world. This means that the payment of zakat should be managed effectively in order to enhance its role to alleviate poverty and promote social well-being. However, the amount of annual zakat fund collected is not optimal as many Muslim individual are still reluctant to pay zakat. This study attempts to investigate the views of Indonesian academicians pertaining to the payment of zakat on employment income. In particular, the objective of this study is to identify the level of payment of zakat on employment income and to identify factors influencing the payment of zakat on employment income among Indonesian academicians. For the purpose of this study, the main factors which influence payment of zakat on employment income refer to the level of knowledge follow by level of income, and self awareness. The subjects of this study are 124 academicians working for Jakarta Islamic University. The results indicated that there are three factors potentially influence the payment of zakat on employment income among Indonesian academicians. This includes knowledge pertaining to the important of paying zakat on employment income, the posses of resources to pay zakat on employment income, and awareness that paying of zakat on employment income is important to enhance Muslim economics. The findings of this study imply that BAZIS Jakarta needs to needs to educate the academicians on zakat requirement in addition that academician should be exposed academically to the important of zakat system from the spiritual, economics and also social responsibility.

Keywords: zakat on income, level of payment, Indonesian academician