Mapping Local Religious Practices in the Community against the Views of the Four Sunni Imams on the Ruling of Professional Income Zakat in Pasar Muara Bungo District, Bungo Regency

Abstract

The absence of a uniform understanding of professional zakat within the community, together with differing legal perspectives among the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence, has contributed to variations in religious practice in Pasar Muara Bungo District, Bungo Regency. This study aims to map community understanding of professional zakat, identify factors influencing its implementation, and analyze the legal perspectives of Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam al-Shafi‘i, and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal in relation to contemporary community practices. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, with data collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation and analyzed descriptively using source triangulation and member checking to strengthen the credibility of the findings. The results indicate that community understanding of professional zakat is undergoing a transition from a predominantly textual toward a more contextual interpretation. Some community members pay 2.5% of their monthly income as professional zakat, whereas others follow a traditional approach by waiting until the haul requirement is fulfilled. Its implementation is further constrained by differences in legal understanding, limited socialization by zakat institutions, and socio-cultural, economic, and psychological factors. The findings demonstrate that differences among the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence provide a diverse juridical framework capable of accommodating contemporary social needs rather than constituting a barrier to zakat practice. The study concludes that optimizing professional zakat requires continuous education grounded in maqasid al-shariah, living law, and contemporary fiqh, supported by zakat institutions and religious leaders. This study contributes to contemporary Islamic jurisprudence by linking classical legal perspectives with community-based practices of professional zakat and highlighting their relevance to the development of context-sensitive zakat governance.