<![CDATA[This study aims to analyze the behavior of muzakki in optimizing zakat as an instrument for empowering the people's economy, especially in the context of how muzakki fulfill and distribute zakat and the factors that influence these decisions, such as religiosity, trust in zakat institutions, and preferences for zakat distribution.This study employed a qualitative approach with a phenomenological approach. Informants were selected using purposive sampling, consisting of zakat payers from among the State Civil Apparatus (ASN), entrepreneurs/traders, and private sector employees. Data were collected through in-depth interviews to explore the experiences, motivations, and perceptions of zakat payers in paying zakat. The results of the study indicate that the behavior of muzakki (payers of zakat) is still dominated by a normative compliance orientation in paying zakat, with a less than optimal level of trust in zakat management institutions. Furthermore, there is a tendency for muzakki to distribute zakat directly to mustahik due to emotional satisfaction, so that the zakat distribution pattern still tends to be consumptive and not fully oriented towards economic empowerment. These findings indicate that the optimization of zakat as an instrument for empowering the community's economy has not been fully achieved. Therefore, improving zakat literacy, strengthening trust in zakat institutions, and transforming zakat distribution patterns from consumptive to productive is necessary to support the sustainable economic independence of those entitled to receive zakat]]>
