<![CDATA[Zakat is a fundamental pillar of Islam with a strategic role not only as a religious obligation but also as a socio-economic instrument for wealth redistribution and social welfare enhancement. In agrarian contexts, agricultural zakat holds significant potential due to its direct linkage with harvest yields. However, its implementation among farmers often deviates from established Islamic legal provisions, as it is largely influenced by habitual practices and individual awareness rather than comprehensive religious understanding. This condition creates a gap between normative zakat principles and empirical practices, limiting its effectiveness as a tool for social welfare. This study aims to analyze the implementation of agricultural zakat from an Islamic legal perspective, focusing on farmers’ understanding, practices, and their conformity with sharia principles. The research employs a qualitative field research design with a descriptive-analytical approach. Data were collected through observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation, involving farmers and religious leaders selected through purposive sampling. Data analysis followed the stages of reduction, display, and conclusion drawing, while validity was ensured using trustworthiness criteria, including credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The findings reveal that although most farmers perform agricultural zakat, its implementation is not fully compliant with sharia requirements, particularly regarding nisab, rates, and timing. Zakat is often treated similarly to voluntary charity and distributed directly without institutional management, resulting in a traditional and unstructured system. This study contributes a novel integrative analysis linking normative fiqh perspectives with empirical practices at the micro level, offering insights into the causes of deviation and proposing strategies for optimizing agricultural zakat through education, institutional strengthening, and regulatory support.]]>
