Mofid University The Journal of Economic Studies and Policies 2423-4648 Articles in Press 2026 06 17 Criteria for an Optimal Model of Government–Charity Relations in Livelihood Provision: An Islamic Perspective Criteria for an Optimal Model of Government–Charity Relations in Livelihood Provision: An Islamic Perspective 736694 10.22096/esp.2026.2079310.1851 FA Mostafa Kazemi Najaf Abadi Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Institute for Social Sciences, Research Institute of Hawzeh and University, Qom, Iran. 0000-0003-2271-2714 Journal Article 2025 11 29 <span>Using a descriptive-analytical method and drawing on Shi‘a jurisprudential sources and the Prophetic tradition (Sīra), this study extracts five key criteria for assessing the optimal model of government relations with the livelihood charity sector from an Islamic perspective. The first criterion, distributive justice, is interpreted through the distribution of zakāt—not strictly equal but needs-based and oriented toward public interest—which obligates the government to conduct comprehensive needs assessments via information systems. The second is social welfare and effectiveness, aimed at securing livelihood sufficiency (ma‘ūna) or lifting the needy to the societal average, while emphasizing that government intervention should be limited to the sufficiency level. Transparency and accountability constitute the third criterion, mandating governmental oversight to prevent misuse and enhance public trust. The fourth, public participation and charity autonomy, is grounded in the Islamic principle of takāful (social solidarity), which assigns primary agency to the individual, family, and community, thereby restricting the state to a complementary and facilitative role. The final criterion, ethics-centricity and voluntarism, prioritizes preserving the divine intention and the innate human disposition (fiṭra) to give (infāq) and avoiding artificial incentives such as tax pressures. Together, these criteria provide a foundation for designing the optimal government–charity relationship and serve as a benchmark for comparing proposed models through Islamic indicators.</span> <span>Using a descriptive-analytical method and drawing on Shi‘a jurisprudential sources and the Prophetic tradition (Sīra), this study extracts five key criteria for assessing the optimal model of government relations with the livelihood charity sector from an Islamic perspective. The first criterion, distributive justice, is interpreted through the distribution of zakāt—not strictly equal but needs-based and oriented toward public interest—which obligates the government to conduct comprehensive needs assessments via information systems. The second is social welfare and effectiveness, aimed at securing livelihood sufficiency (ma‘ūna) or lifting the needy to the societal average, while emphasizing that government intervention should be limited to the sufficiency level. Transparency and accountability constitute the third criterion, mandating governmental oversight to prevent misuse and enhance public trust. The fourth, public participation and charity autonomy, is grounded in the Islamic principle of takāful (social solidarity), which assigns primary agency to the individual, family, and community, thereby restricting the state to a complementary and facilitative role. The final criterion, ethics-centricity and voluntarism, prioritizes preserving the divine intention and the innate human disposition (fiṭra) to give (infāq) and avoiding artificial incentives such as tax pressures. Together, these criteria provide a foundation for designing the optimal government–charity relationship and serve as a benchmark for comparing proposed models through Islamic indicators.</span>