Baznas Palu Sets Obligatory Alms at Rp37,500 per Person

The National Zakat Board (Baznas) in Palu City has established the obligatory alms rate for this year at Rp37,500 per person. This decision was made during a joint meeting attended by the Head of the Palu City Ministry of Religious Affairs office, representatives of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI), and local Islamic scholars.

Muchlis A Mahmud, Chairman of Baznas Palu City, explained that the determination was based on zakat jurisprudential principles. “Obligatory alms are set at 2.5 kilogrammes of rice or staple foodstuff. When converted, this equals 3.5 litres or Rp37,500 in monetary terms,” he said in Palu on Sunday (1 March).

In addition to the obligatory alms, the meeting also established a redemption payment rate of Rp45,000 per day for missed fasts. This figure differs from the previous year as no official rate had been set then.

“In Jakarta, the redemption payment is Rp65,000 and obligatory alms is Rp50,000. This difference reflects the conditions in each respective region. In Palu, we have calculated that this amount is sufficient to feed one poor person for one day,” Muchlis said.

Baznas will accept obligatory alms payments from the first day of Ramadan until just before Eid prayers. According to Islamic law, people may still fulfil this obligation before the sermon leader ascends the pulpit on the festival day. Payments can be made through mosques in the immediate vicinity or surrounding areas.

Muchlis hoped that the public would not view obligatory alms merely as an annual obligation, but also as a form of spiritual awareness. “In every possession we own, there is the right of others that Allah has entrusted to us. Obligatory alms become our responsibility to distribute to those who deserve it,” he emphasised.