ANALYSIS OF ASNAF ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT BASED ON THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF ISLAMIC-BASED DEVELOPMENT
NAJWA MOHD KHALIL, SHEREEZA MOHAMED SANIFF

Centre for Islamic Development Management Studies (ISDEV), Universiti Sains Malaysia

Abstract

The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic which surprised the world in 2020, has increased the poverty gap worldwide. Malaysia is not spared. In Malaysia, zakat institutions endeavored to develop several poverty management programme to assist asnaf (poor and needy) to meet their basic necessities while developing their own ability to escape the chains of poverty. In the zeal of developing these asnaf as entrepreneurs to fulfil their tangible needs, they too need knowledge on their responsibilities as khalifah (caliphs) on earth. This study intends to examine asnaf entrepreneurial development from the perspective of Islamic-based development based on the first principle - tasaswwur (or Islamic worldview). It seeks to identify how asnaf entrepreneurial development is associated with tasawwur as the mould to development. This concept covers three fundamental components of Islamic tasawwur. This study uses secondary data through documents reviews with content analysis. One of the key conclusions drawn from the study is that developing asnaf entrepreneurs by emphasizing on material factors alone is inadequate. There needs to be efforts to incorporate the three Islamic tasawwur components. The implication from the findings suggests there is a need for zakat institutions, government agencies, NGOS, and the asnaf that are committed to developing asnaf entrepreneurs incorporate such components in their strategies to ensure that the entrepreneurs that are born from such programme are materially independent with minimum supervision.

Keywords: Islamic Tasawwur, Asnaf Entrepreneurs, Islamic Development Principles, Islamic-based development, zakat institutions

Topic: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)