<![CDATA[This research evaluates the impact of the productive zakat program Zakat Mart (Zmart) BAZNAS on the shift in the poverty paradigm among mustahik in the Muslim minority region of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Indonesia. Using a qualitative case study with a phenomenological approach, data were collected through observation and in-depth interviews with selected informants purposively sampled from 25 mustahik who are still actively surviving. Field data shows that this program has not been entirely smooth; out of the initial 50 mustahik empowered since 2024, the business survival rate only reached 50%, with the slow graduation to muzakki due to market price fluctuations and the tight competition of modern retail amidst the reality of The Minority Paradox. Nevertheless, through the lens of Maqashid Syariah Muhammad Abu Zahra, this study found that the success of the surviving mustahik businesses was not solely driven by financial capital, but rather by the internalisation of the pillar of tahdzīb al-fardi (character education) instilled through intensive amil mentoring. Strengthening integrity and work discipline successfully restored human dignity (karāmah al-insāniyyah) in the realm of iqāmah al-‘adl, and encouraged social contributions in the realm of jalb al-maṣlaḥah. This study proves that the shift from dependency on aid to economic independence requires a synergy between the injection of material capital and the sustainable mental-spiritual reconstruction of beneficiaries.]]>
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