The study investigates how the current Islamist regime in Sudan influences the Zakat Chamber to control the Zakat collection and distribution. It argues that these reforms are founded on the extension of fiqh sources introducing modern interpretations of Zakat and based on the prioritization between the Zakat categories according to their definition of 'the public interest'. Thus, the Zakat Chamber funds service projects such as water services for the poor. The study is the first in-depth empirical research on the politics of the Zakat Chamber in Sudan. It gives a novel understanding of internal dynamics of the state and civil society in Sudan.