The Relevance of Traditional Zakat Management in the Digital Era: A Literature-Based Analysis From the Perspective of Da’wah Management

Purpose: This study analyses the relevance of traditional zakat management, carried out by religious leaders, Qur’an teachers (guru ngaji) and mosque committees, amid the digitalisation of Islamic philanthropy in Indonesia, using da’wah management as the analytical lens. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative, conceptual-analytical literature study (library research) synthesised journal articles, statutory instruments, a Constitutional Court decision, a fatwa and institutional reports published mainly between 2020 and 2025, supplemented by international literature on digital transformation, the digital divide and social capital. Content analysis, thematic synthesis and critical analysis were applied through the planning, organising, actuating and controlling (POAC) framework and social capital theory, with source triangulation. Findings: Traditional zakat is strong in actuating, sustained by bonding social capital, but weak in planning, organising and controlling; its legal recognition is conditional and demands notification rather than managerial standards. Digitalisation excels at administrative functions yet is weaker at the relational functions on which community zakat depends. Strengths and weaknesses share one root: dense but closed social ties. Research limitations/implications: The conclusions are conceptual, rest on literature, and use heuristic indicators that require validation through multi-site case studies, muzakki surveys and action research. Practical implications: A hybrid model is proposed in which community amil act as frontliners, a simple digital backbone supports recording and reporting, and formal institutions provide light supervision, complemented by a four-stage roadmap, indicators and risk mitigation. Originality/value: The study treats traditional zakat as an object of managerial analysis equal to formal zakat, places social capital at the centre of the argument, and converts the analysis into an implementable integration model.