<![CDATA[Poverty and structural inequality remain among the most persistent development challenges in Muslim-majority countries, and conventional fiscal and market-based instruments have frequently proven insufficient to achieve inclusive outcomes. This study examines the complementary roles of zakat (obligatory almsgiving) and waqf (Islamic endowment) as instruments of Islamic social finance (ISF) in reducing poverty and promoting inclusive economic development. Using a systematic literature review and synthesis of empirical, conceptual, and institutional studies published between 2008 and 2026, this article analyzes how zakat functions as a short-term redistributive and consumption-smoothing mechanism, while waqf particularly cash waqf and productive waqf provides a sustainable, asset-based platform for long-term human capital formation, micro-enterprise financing, and public-goods provision. The findings indicate that integrating zakat and waqf into a single complementary framework, rather than managing them as separate and competing instruments, produces stronger and more sustainable poverty-reduction outcomes than either instrument used alone. Evidence from Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries shows that zakat has reduced poverty headcounts and poverty gaps among recipients, while productive and cash waqf have financed education, health, and micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) development. However, optimization remains constrained by low financial literacy, fragmented governance, weak regulatory integration, and limited digitalization. This study contributes a conceptual model of zakat-waqf complementarity for inclusive development and offers policy recommendations for regulators, zakat and waqf authorities, and multilateral development institutions seeking to mainstream Islamic social finance within national poverty-reduction and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) strategies.]]>
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