<![CDATA[Productive zakat is expected to reduce poverty by transforming recipients into economically independent micro-entrepreneurs, yet empirical evidence on its welfare impact remains inconsistent. This study examines the direct and indirect effects of productive zakat distribution on mustahik welfare by proposing trust in zakat institutions, zakat management quality, and microenterprise development as intervening variables. A quantitative explanatory design was employed using structural equation modeling with partial least squares based on data from 170 productive zakat recipients who own microenterprises in Pamekasan Regency, Indonesia. The results show that productive zakat significantly increases mustahik trust and improves perceived zakat management quality. However, productive zakat has no significant direct effect on microenterprise development or mustahik welfare. Furthermore, none of the three indirect paths through trust, management, or microenterprise development mediate the relationship between productive zakat and welfare. The model explains only 2.2 percent of welfare variation, indicating that selected variables collectively fail to predict mustahik well-being. These findings challenge the assumption that business growth automatically translates into household welfare and reveal a critical disconnect between institutional trust and tangible economic outcomes. For zakat authorities and local government, the results imply that capital distribution alone is insufficient; non-capital interventions such as intensive mentoring, digital marketing training, and post-disbursement accompaniment are essential. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs and test alternative mediators including financial literacy and entrepreneurial self-efficacy.]]>
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