Impediments to Optimizing Zakat Collection in Malaysia: A Bibliometric Analysis of Scholarly Literature (2011-2025)

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of scholarly literature on impediments to optimizing zakat collection in Malaysia from 2011 to 2025. Through systematic analysis of 52 peer-reviewed articles sourced from Google Scholar, this research identifies key thematic areas, prolific authors, publication trends, and citation patterns within the field. The findings reveal six major impediment categories: governance and transparency issues (36.5% of literature), distribution and asnaf challenges (36.5%), administrative and structural barriers (61.5%), technology and digital transformation challenges (26.9%), compliance and trust deficits (25.0%), and collection mechanism inefficiencies (15.4%). The analysis shows a significant surge in research output from 2020 onwards, with 33 publications (63.5%) appearing in the last five years, indicating growing academic interest in zakat optimization. The most influential work, Wahab and Rahman's (2011) governance framework, has garnered 492 citations, establishing the foundational importance of institutional governance in zakat management. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers, zakat institutions, and researchers seeking to understand the multifaceted challenges facing zakat collection optimization in Malaysia.