KUCHING: Zakat and waqf are not merely instruments of charity but enduring civilisational strategies that have shaped and sustained communities for centuries, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
He said zakat serves as a force that redistributes wealth, purifies the soul and binds society together, while waqf acts as an engine that multiplies impact and generates perpetual benefits.
“Together, they are more than charity. They represent a vision for justice,” he said in his speech during the closing ceremony of the 14th World Zakat and Waqf Forum Annual Meeting and International Conference.
The Prime Minister said these institutions can power education, strengthen healthcare, build climate resilience, provide housing, and drive digital transformation.
He said they can ensure no child grows up uneducated, no family is left without shelter, and no society is abandoned to the margins.
The text of his speech was read out by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar.
Anwar said Islam has never been a mere spectator in history, but a driving force that once established hospitals, libraries, observatories and universities.
He said these institutions were founded not from charity alone but from systematic, institutional responses to human needs.
“At the heart of that flourishing were two engines - zakat and waqf. They ensured justice, redistributed wealth, funded knowledge, and upheld dignity for the vulnerable,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that when these institutions thrived, civilisation soared, and when they declined, society faltered.
“The lesson of history is clear. If we want to rise again, we must restore and renew these pillars,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar urged Muslims to embrace science and technology and not fear them.
He emphasised that tools such as artificial intelligence, digital media, fintech and blockchain can be harnessed for good.
“But we must be guided by what I call our supreme AI - Al-Quran Intelligence. The Quran provides timeless principles of justice, compassion and accountability,” he said.
Anwar stated that technology without values becomes dangerous, while technology guided by the Quran becomes transformative.
He called for imagining waqf assets managed on blockchain for full transparency and zakat distributed through AI-driven platforms to maximise efficiency.
The Prime Minister added that digital media should be used to inspire global solidarity, saying this vision is within reach if society is bold. – Bernama
