Payment of Zakat on Income among Muslim Personal at Prince of Songkla University Pattani Campus

Abstract

This research aims to study the behavior of paying income zakat among Muslim staff at Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus. Quantitative research methods were employed, collecting data from 484 Muslim academic and support staff. The analysis involved descriptive statistics, including frequency distribution, mean, and standard deviation. The findings revealed that attitudes toward behavior, conformity with reference groups, perceived behavioral control, and religiosity are all related to the behavior of paying income zakat among the university's Muslim staff. The relationship between attitudes, conformity, perceived behavioral control, and zakat payment behavior was moderate, while the relationship between religiosity and zakat payment behavior was low. Zakat serves as the cornerstone of Islamic finance, encompassing moral, social, and economic dimensions. It promotes moral development by purifying greed and curbing excessive wealth accumulation. Socially, zakat acts as an effective measure to eradicate poverty by fostering social responsibility among the wealthy. Economically, zakat prevents wealth concentration among a few and promotes equitable distribution. The research findings can be applied as a standard guideline for zakat income payment practices among Muslim staff at Prince of Songkla University. If income zakat payment becomes widely accepted and implemented, relevant organizations can efficiently manage zakat to serve as a crucial tool for social welfare development, reducing poverty and narrowing social gaps within the Muslim community.