This article investigates an involvement of the government of the Municipaltiy of
Padang in West Sumatra in managing zakat institution, namely BAZDA (Badan Amil
Zakat Daerah). It argues that the intentions of the mayor in managing the zakat
institution aimed to provide an alternative financial source in order to support his
position at the mayor. Zakat payers (Muzakki), collector (ʿamil), kinds of property
obligated to pay its zakat (māl) and recipients (mustaḥiq) are mainly the matters that
link to his authority. The zakat revenue initially was mainly distributed to recipients in
form of charity, but since 2010 it has gradually shifted to financialize busninesse run by
the poor and needy. The mayor received resistances from many people, but they are
mainly in form of individual resistance that are lacking to force the mayor to change his
policy. In addition, the emerging resistance is rooted in different values between the
mayor and resisters.
Keywords: Zakat Institution, government, zakat payers (Muzakki), collector (ʿamil),
kinds of property māl), recipients (mustaḥiq) and resistance