The Role of Acts of Worship in Combating Corruption (A Case Study of Zakat)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the role of Islamic acts of worship in combating corruption, focusing on Zakat as an applied model. Using a descriptive-analytical approach, the study examines the comprehensive concept of corruption in Islamic law, its multiple types (religious, financial, administrative, political, moral), and its causes and effects. It also addresses the definition of Zakat linguistically and terminologically, its legal ruling, and its effects in purifying the soul and wealth, as well as promoting moral values such as piety, honesty, justice, and social solidarity.

The study finds that Zakat represents a fundamental pillar in building community immunity against corruption through spiritual purification, meeting the needs of the poor, strengthening solidarity bonds, and instilling the principle of self-accountability before God. It concludes that acts of worship in their comprehensiveness, and Zakat in particular, form an integrated system for preventing and combating corruption, emphasizing the necessity of activating their role in contemporary reality.