The anthropology of amanah: negotiating islamic public values in zakat institutions of Surakarta, Indonesia

This dissertation examines how Islamic charitable organizations in Indonesia translate religious morality into public value. Centering on zakat management institutions (Organisasi Pengelola Zakat/OPZ) in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia, the study explores amanah (trustworthiness) as both a moral principle and a practical foundation of governance. Using the Public Value Management framework within an interpretive approach, it traces how faith, bureaucracy, and public accountability intersect in the everyday operations of OPZs. Findings reveal that amanah functions not merely as a managerial ethic but as a sacred trust that sustains donors’ faith and organizational legitimacy. By situating zakat practices within the moral economy of Javanese Islam, this research illuminates how Indonesian Muslims negotiate spiritual sincerity, bureaucratic rationality, and social responsibility in a modern religious institution.