We’re at a fork in the road: use zakat to fund lobbying, or build the infrastructure the right way. When Muslims in the Yookay (yes, I know I tease them sometimes) needed halal meat, they could’ve compromised but instead did the hard work, and now halal meat is everywhere (mashaAllah). Shortcuts feel efficient, but they can cripple you long-term. Are we really so spiritually bankrupt that we have to bankroll politics with charity meant for the poor?