Islamic Political Perspective on the Practice of Friday Almsgiving among Urban Waste Pickers in Palembang

Abstract

The practice of Friday almsgiving (ṣadaqah) among Indonesian Muslims reflects not merely an 
expression of individual spiritual devotion, but also embodies the dynamics of Islamic political 
thought concerning the distribution of social justice and the collective responsibility toward the 
mustaḍʿafīn (the oppressed). In this context, ṣadaqah is not simply a personal act of charity, but 
a manifestation of Islamic political ethics that demands the establishment of a just and non
exploitative social system. This study critically examines the relationship between Friday 
almsgiving and the socio-economic dependency of marginalized groups—such as waste pickers, 
beggars, and rickshaw drivers—in two major locations in Palembang: Jalan Ahmad Yani and 
Jalan Gubernur H. Bastari. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research found that 
56 individuals actively rely on Friday almsgiving for their subsistence, consisting of 12 rickshaw 
drivers, 35 waste pickers and beggars, and 9 children. This phenomenon indicates the emergence 
of an informal social ecosystem marked by structural inequalities and the absence of state 
presence or Islamic political institutions that should uphold distributive justice (ʿadl) and 
sustainable empowerment. While the practice of almsgiving embodies values of communal 
solidarity, its resulting dependency may reinforce passive patronage and weaken the work ethic. 
Therefore, within the framework of Islamic political discourse, there is a need to reconstruct the 
paradigm of ṣadaqah—from one that is merely charitable to one that is also transformative—so 
that it may serve as an instrument of ethical politics aimed at economic empowerment, social 
justice, and the reinforcement of the state’s role as ḥāmī al-masālik (guardian of public welfare).