The Transformation of Productive Waqf as an Instrument of Empowerment and Welfare: An Analysis of Waqf Management Effectiveness at BPW Ar Risalah, Padang City

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of productive waqf management in improving the welfare of beneficiaries at the Waqf Management Board (BPW) Ar Risalah, Padang City. Method: The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach with field research. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with four beneficiaries and institutional documentation, and analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing based on five effectiveness indicators: program understanding, target accuracy, timeliness, goal achievement, and monitoring. Results: BPW Ar Risalah is effective as a benefit distributor (distributive effectiveness): targeting is perceived as accurate, distribution is generally on time with one compensated delay, and monitoring is conducted periodically according to the type of beneficiary. Social assistance of IDR 500,000 per month, scholarships of IDR 1,500,000 per semester, and income of IDR 1,500,000 per month contribute to meeting living needs, education, and income stability, with job creation as the most transformative benefit. However, transformative effectiveness cannot yet be fully concluded: beneficiaries' understanding of the concept and mechanism of productive waqf remains limited, the benefit amounts are supplementary, and monitoring does not yet measure impact. Novelty: This study assesses the effectiveness of productive waqf directly from the beneficiaries' perspective using five indicators within a single analytical framework, and distinguishes distributive from transformative effectiveness. Productive waqf has the potential to become an empowerment instrument, provided that beneficiary literacy, follow-up empowerment pathways, impact evaluation, and asset performance transparency are strengthened.