A few days before Ramadan, I’m usually busy getting a lot of things ready. From exchanging apologies with my closest friends and family, creating a timeline for activities and work, planning suhoor and iftar menus that never seem to go as planned, making plans to break fast together, all the way to the classic question: “On which day do we pay zakat?”
Back then, the answer was almost always the same: “Later—Ramadan’s still a long way off.”
In reality, Ramadan is short. Really short. Before you know it, you’re already in the last ten days; before you know it, you’re busy shopping for Eid clothes, not to mention putting together gift baskets for close friends. Before you know it, zakat becomes a task that gets put off. Not because it’s burdensome or I don’t want to do it, but precisely because it’s trivial and gets pushed aside by other matters.
Since then, I’ve decided on one small thing that’s actually quite impactful. Pay my zakat right at the start of Ramadan. Before all that busyness piles up even more.
It’s not a big decision. It’s not a decision that’ll drastically change my life overnight. But for some reason, it feels different.
So I don’t make too many excuses. Because I know myself. If something can be postponed, there’s a good chance it will be. Whether because I’m busy, tired, playing with the kids, or just wanting to lounge around.
By paying zakat at the start of Ramadan, I’m like “securing” one obligation right from the start. There’s no more little note in my head saying, “Oh, don’t forget the zakat.” My mind feels clearer, in a good way.
And strangely, after that, worship feels lighter. Not more diligent, but more peaceful.
Besides, at the start of Ramadan, people usually have many basic needs. Especially for the zakat recipients themselves. Maybe while I’m busy organizing fasting schedules and iftar gatherings, out there, there are people who actually enter Ramadan with anxious thoughts. While those around them are happy with a variety of iftar menus, some can only break their fast by hunting for takjil at mosques.
Meanwhile, the prices of necessities are rising, expenses are increasing, but income remains the same. Fasting continues, but anxiety fasts along with it.
At that point, I felt that paying zakat at the start of Ramadan was wiser. Not waiting for the festive end-of-Ramadan moment, but being present from the very start, when people truly need help to survive. Perhaps toward the end, people are in a euphoric mood and are eager to give. But at the beginning like this, that doesn’t happen. Everyone is busy with their own affairs. Going back to the opening paragraph of this piece.
If zakat can be turned into rice, school fees, or a small sum to get by for the next month, then why hold it back?
I’ve also come to learn something else. Zakat isn’t just about “giving away” what belongs to others that we hold onto, but about how it’s distributed wisely and reaches the right people. That’s why I choose to channel it through Dompet Dhuafa. Well, besides that, I do work at this organization, after all. Hehe. (But when it comes to Zakat Fitrah and donations for Palestine, I’ve always gone through Dompet Dhuafa—and always will.)
Here are the donation links:
Zakat Fitrah: digital.dompetdhuafa.org/zakat/fitrah
Zakat for Palestine: digital.dompetdhuafa.org/zakat/zakatpalestina
So my zakat doesn’t just stay in one place, but can make a difference. It can transform into educational programs, healthcare services, economic empowerment, or humanitarian aid. I feel at peace because I’m actively involved in overseeing how the funds are used.
Followed by a prayer. May those who receive it be happy and find it beneficial.
There’s another reason. I don’t know if this is just a placebo effect or not. But after paying zakat at the start of Ramadan, there’s a sense of relief that’s hard to describe. Like finishing tidying up your room before bed. It doesn’t make you rich, but it brings comfort.
So fasting isn’t just about withholding (hunger), but also about learning to let go. Letting go of some wealth, some ego, and the habit of delaying acts of kindness.
It’s not a requirement. But for me, it’s a small choice I want to keep repeating. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Riza Muthohar
Editor: Dhika