Rethinking Welfare Deciles: A Tafsir-Informed Conceptual Framework for Assessing Material Sufficiency

Welfare deciles in Indonesia's National Integrated Social and Economic Data (DTSEN) indicated households' relative socioeconomic positions but did not independently determine whether their material needs were adequately met. This study aimed to develop a tafsir-informed conceptual framework of material sufficiency that complemented decile information, particularly for needs assessment by zakat institutions. Using qualitative library research, the study combined documentary analysis of welfare measures, thematic readings and selective comparisons of six Qur'anic commentaries, and conceptual synthesis. The analysis identified accessible resources, recognized needs, dependents, financial obligations, and disposable surplus as key considerations in assessing material conditions. Based on these considerations, the study proposed four levels: severe deprivation, partial deprivation, sufficiency, and surplus. These levels were distinguished by the urgency of unmet needs, the fulfillment of recognized needs, and the availability of surplus after relevant obligations and justified reserves. The concept of ḥadd al-kifāyah informed the assessment of recognized needs, while the maqāṣid hierarchy provided supplementary guidance on their urgency. The framework remained a conceptual reconstruction requiring further empirical validation