Honesty is the foundation of the Islamic system of economics

First currency accepted by Muslim was issued by Byzantine Empire, How we can say that a currency issued by Byzantine Empire has anything to do with Shari’ah. It was the need of the time for international trade that is why it was accepted.
World fiat monetary system is not collapsing because it is fiat system. Real reasons behind collapse are following;
1-It is interest based.
2-People who are running the fiat system are corrupt and they are moving the world financial system toward one world currency which they will control. Basically system is created to benefit the few super rich elites of the world.
3-Speculative derivative and stock market which is mainly responsible for the start of current financial crisis in 2008.
In Islamic banking system, we will have completely opposite of that where
1- It will not be interest based system
2-People who will be running the system will be honest people. No matter how great system we have if the people running it are corrupt the system will fail.
3- Speculative and bets are haram in Islam. So we have no problem at all.
In presence of that system there will not be any collapse ever.
Any gold you possess in form of jewelry, ornaments and antiques is also come under zakat rulings. People used to store gold so Zakat can be taken from that source.
This is a technical problem more than an Islamic one, It was good for trade for Muslims and non-Muslim at least better than barter trade that is why Holy Prophet (SAWA) accepted gold bezant and silver dirham accepted it.
The gold values are highly unstable and easily manipulated in the international trade today. You can neither eat; drink neither wear gold nor live in it. It’s the people perception which gives the gold so much value. The most precious commodity in the world is neither nor gold nor silver its honesty which is the foundation of the Islamic system of economics.
Majority of the countries of the world neither have gold mines nor reserves how these countries will implement this gold standard. Since Islam is a religion for all humanity and country so there will be a problem. So There Is Not Enough Gold (Or Silver) In The World To Serve As Money.
Secondly, gold-backed money would put the brakes on the healthy growth of the economy. For example if a country want to make 20 dams or airplane or any scientific discovery in the country should they go on to find or mine the gold and then built the dam.
Gold standard (as in American constitution) is needed only because basic assumption that human beings are corrupt and quote ‘absolute power corrupt absolutely’. But in Islamic system which is working to serve Allah that assumption is not true.
When anything is taken as a standard of measure, it has to be ‘pure’ and simple so that people can easily relate to it. Length, for example, is measured by kilometer”.
In my opinion, all these standards does not require transactions I mean if you measure trillion kilometer or meter, it has nothing to do with actual kilometer or meter There is no give or take.
Every commodity in the world has unstable value in the world whether its metals or any other thing. It depends on many factors like scarcity, supply and demand, natural disasters. So the currency pegged to any of these things will not be stable.
The stability and power of currency come from the government itself which is very powerful entity, like private property will not exist if there is no government, because simply there will be no registration office to register the property. So a legitimate government is needed for that purpose. Same is the case with currency
The honesty of the ruling class and their sincerity to serve Allah is good enough for stable economic system.
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The cause of this global economic oppression

What is the cause of this global economic oppression? It is Riba! A predatory global elite centered in the Zionist-controlled banking centers in the West, but also present around the world, is constantly sucking the wealth and the blood of mankind and impoverishing the laboring masses through Riba. The oppressor creates political, legislative, judicial and legal systems, the media etc., with consummate deception, and he ensures that they all fulfill the basic function of preserving the system of economic oppression. The film industry, television, the internet, modern music, designer clothing, etc., are used to transport the masses to fantasy-land so that they remain in a state of blissful ignorance while Riba is used to control and enslave them.
The Noble Qur’an not only explains the world today, but also explains its economic oppression. The Holy Qur’an, which is a book of ‘wisdom’ (and this includes economic wisdom), has established rules ensuring that wealth does not circulate only amongst the wealthy. Allah has permitted business and forbidden Riba.
“What Allah has bestowed on His Messenger (and taken away) from the people of the townships, belongs to Allah, to His Messenger and to kindred and orphans, the needy and the wayfarer; in order that it (i.e., wealth) may not (only) circulate amongst the wealthy among you. So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear Allah; for Allah is strict in punishment.” (The Holy Qur’an, al-Hashr, 59:7)
A basic characteristic of the economy around the world today is that wealth no longer circulates throughout the economy. Rather wealth now circulates only amongst the wealthy. In consequence around the world the rich are now permanently rich and the poor are imprisoned in permanent poverty. Secondly, the rich keep on growing richer as they literally suck the blood of the masses, while the poor descend into such destitution as brings in its wake anarchy, violence, immense suffering and the destruction of faith and values. Imagine all of mankind to be aboard a ship. A small minority who are permanently rich and who are constantly growing richer, are traveling ‘first class’ in unprecedented luxury and security. They have permanent ‘first class’ tickets. The rich rule the ship. They use their wealth to control politics.
Democracy on board that ship becomes the rule of the rich and for the rich in what amounts to financial prostitution. But the rich do not themselves, directly rule. Rather they do it by proxy and deception in the form of support that they extend to popular politicians and political parties over whom they then exercise invisible control. That is a true description of the political economy of the world today. And it is the European Ashkenazi Jews in Britain and USA who have perfected this method of gaining power and control over the people. To his credit Henry Ford was able to recognize this sinister development in human history.
Most of the rest of mankind are imprisoned in permanent poverty and are condemned to travel below the deck down in the hold of the ship in ever-increasing squalor, poverty, destitution, misery and suffering. They are condemned to work for slave wages so that others may live off their sweat. They also live in ever-increasing insecurity with constant burglaries, violence, shootings, killings and rape of women in neighborhoods infested with drugs and drug dealers.
Those traveling ‘first class’ have access to clean drinking water and to the best medical health services that money can buy. Those below deck, down in the hold, are forced to drink polluted water full of bacteria. They are forced to eat food and drink milk laced with chemicals and hormones. Increasingly they must also eat genetically altered food. They fall ill but cannot afford the cost of medical treatment. They live miserable lives and die miserable deaths. In fact the world economy is a new sophisticated form of economic slavery. But it operates by way of awesome deception.
First of all, although those who control the economy around the world preach a gospel of the ‘free and fair market’, they themselves violate the ‘free market’ by imposing legal obligations on people to accept the use of fraudulent artificial paper money as legal tender. And paper money constantly loses value! As poverty increases and deepens they impose price controls on basic necessities such as food etc., and minimum wage legislation upon the labor market. They do so in order to avert the possibility that the hungry suffering masses would rise up in rebellion against the government and the predatory elite. They also do so in order to avert the possibility that the masses would recognize their new slavery.
“In consequence of the wickedness and injustice of the Jews We made unlawful for them certain (foods), good and wholesome, which had been lawful for them. (We have also done so because) they obstructed so many from Allah’s way, and (because) they took usury (Riba) though they were forbidden to do so, and (in doing so) they wrongfully took the wealth of others. (Because of these evil deeds) We have prepared for those among them who reject Faith a terrible punishment.” (The Holy Qur’an, al-Nisa, 4:160-1)
Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) gave to the world an economic order that was free from economic injustice and oppression. No one worked for slave wages.Wealth did not circulate only amongst the wealthy but, rather, throughout the economy. The rich were not permanently rich and the poor were not permanently poor.
The market was a free and a fair market. No one could ‘reap’ without ‘planting’. Money had intrinsic value and so it could not be manipulated by banks and by a predatory elite to reduce its value. In consequence, such a market and economy never experienced ‘inflation’. No prices were fixed, including the price of labor. Social welfare was achieved in the form of a compulsory tax on wealth that was used to provide for those who did not possess the basic necessities of life. But the value system of the society ensured that the effort would be made, by those who were capable of such effort, to extricate themselves from having to live off that charity.
The Holy Prophet (sallalahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) succeeded where every government in the world today has failed. He succeeded because he enforced the divine prohibition of Riba (usury or lending and borrowing money on interest) and he maintained the integrity of money by using real money (rather than artificial money i.e., paper and plastic money). In addition he enforced a penal code that gave deterrent punishment to those found guilty of theft. But the world rejected him, and Muslims abandoned his economic Sunnah.
We consider ‘paper money’ to be Haram and would be taking steps to encourage Muslims to return to the use of gold and silver coins as money which can be used in the market as legal tender. Real money has intrinsic value, while paper money has none. Its only value is that conferred upon it by market forces.
We should not forget, nor allow the world to forget, the dramatic, ominous, and unprecedented collapse of the US dollar in January 1980 when the value of the dollar relative to gold fell to approximately $850 for one ounce! (In 1971 it was $35 an ounce. Its present ‘managed’ value is kept within the range of $280 - $380 per once.) This collapse of the dollar took place in the immediate wake of the successful anti-Western Islamic revolution in Iran that gave control of the vast oil resources of Iran to an Islamic government. A similar collapse occurred in 1973 just after the Arab-Israeli war and the imposition of an Arab oil embargo on USA. The US dollar fell in value by a massive 400% from US$40 for an ounce of gold to US$160.
In fact the collapse of the International Monetary System would occur when the Zionists consider it opportune to bring down the US dollar. The Zionist could then replace USA as the new ruling state in the world, while controlling the new electronic money-system of the world that would then totally replace paper-money.
Our thesis is that the same people who engineered the political transformation of European civilization and, through imitation, the rest of the world, into an essentially godless world, are the same people who seduced the non-European Jews into supporting the Zionist regime. They are the people who increasingly control the wealth of the world through their evil genius in controlling and manipulating the fraudulent international monetary system and the Riba-based banking and insurance system around the world.
Those who have real money will survive the economic meltdown, while those speculators who successfully exploit the collapse will make the greatest profits ever. The masses will lose their wealth and be enslaved. They will be caught with worthless paper parading as money. That is the financial holocaust that is certain to occur in the nearest future.But the currency market is now controlled by the most vicious of all speculative forces, forces fueled by compelling greed with no loyalties.
Banks are the major actors at work in forcing a decrease in the value of money, and banks make the most profit when such occurs. As money loses value, the value of everything is decreased. Prices rise, and wages lose value. Labor is then imprisoned in slave wages. We want to direct Muslims’ attention to the fact that the Zionists control the banking system around the world today.
Today's so-called free market is, in fact, a ‘den of thieves’, in which the strong exploit the weak. The success of Euro-Jewish bankers in targeting the Ottoman Caliph was a classic example of the financial imperialism, which is made possible through Riba. Henry Kissinger was the author of the same strategy that eventually led to the collapse of a super-power in modern times, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). That event should have opened the eyes of the ‘Ulama of Islam. It did not! As a consequence the same strategy continues to be pursued by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and by so many others.
The Ottoman Caliph, for example, had borrowed considerable sums of money on interest from Europe. His financial and economic difficulties grew to such an extent that he was forced, as a desperate means of preventing the collapse of the Empire, to seek membership in the new European secular State system. He achieved this in the Paris Peace Agreement of 1856. But the price he had to pay was to succumb to European/Jewish financial blackmail that extracted from him the abolition of Jizyah and Ahl al-Dhimmah in all the territories of the Ottoman Empire.
Up to 1924 the Riba-based capitalist European economy could not succeed in penetrating the economy and the market of the Muslim world.
R. W. Tawney wrote a classic book in 1935 entitled “Religion and the Rise of Capitalism” in which he described the prolonged Euro-Christian opposition to Riba. William Shakespeare also did the same in his classic play, “The Merchant of Venice”.
Riba in Islam (as in medieval Christianity) is the lending of money on interest, regardless of the rate of interest. When a ‘money lender’ lends money on interest, then money by itself, independent of any labor or effort or the assumption of any risk by the investor, increases over time. The increase is realized by deception through the exploitation of labor, goods and property. This becomes clear when attention is directed to that which Allah has unambiguously declared in the Qur’an: “ . . . man is entitled to nothing except that for which he labored.” (The Holy Qur’an, al-Najm, 53:39)
Reference:
Jerusalem in the Holy Qur’an
By: Maulana Imran Nazar Husain (Trinidad)
Published by Masjid Dar al-Quran,
Long Island, New York, USA,
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The Prohibition of Interest and its Effect on the Distribution of Wealth

As the foregoing discussion has made clear, one of the basic differences between the Islâmic system and the Capitalist system with regard to the distribution of wealth is that Capitalism allows interest, while Islâm forbids it. Now, it would be proper to have a cursory glance at another aspect of the problem too - what are the consequences that follow from the interdiction placed upon interest?
In fact, the prohibition of interest has very far-reaching, beneficial, and profound effects on the whole system of the production of wealth itself. But this discussion would lead us far beyond the subject of this article. So, for the moment, we shall only summarily indicate the effects which Islâmic injunctions do have on the system of the distribution of wealth. A very simple consequence of the prohibition of interest is that it produces a balance and uniformity in the distribution of wealth. The necessary characteristic of the economy based on interest is that the profit of one of the parties (i.e., Capital) is assured in a fixed form under all circumstances, but, contrarily, the profit of the other party (i.e. Labor) remains uncertain and doubtful. Big commercial enterprises, no matter how profitable they become, can never be considered immune from risk. In fact, while the "risks" of big business have been decreased because the means of production are available in an adequate measure, they have at the same time been increased by certain external factors. The bigger is the enterprise, the greater these risks are. So, under the Capitalist economy, the balance of the distribution of wealth becomes very unsteady. Sometimes the debtor has to bear severe loss, while the creditor goes on minting money. Sometimes, on the other hand, the entrepreneur earns a huge profit, while the man who has provided the capital gets only an insignificant share from it.
Contrary to it, since Islâm prohibits interest, it would in practice allow only two forms of investing capital in the modern world- "Partnership" and "Cooperation". Both these forms are completely free from this injustice and imbalance in the distribution of wealth. Under these two forms of investment, if there is a loss, it has to be borne by both the parties, and if there is a profit, both have a proportionate share in it. This mode of investment to a great extent serves as an effective check on the concentration of wealth, which is the greatest evil of the Capitalist economy. Wealth, instead of becoming accumulated in the hands of a few, is so distributed over a very large number of individuals in the society that no injustice is done to anyone. Under the Capitalist system, economy being based on interest, Capitalists come not only to own the greater part of national wealth, but also to control the whole market and to run it in their own selfish interest. As a result of this, the system of "the supply of commodities" and that of "prices" can no longer function in a natural manner, but becomes artificial in so nefarious a way that no sphere of life, from economy, manners and morals to politics, can escape its evil influences.
By prohibiting interest, Islâm has struck at the very root of these evils. Under the Islâmic system, every one who invests his money has a share in the enterprise and its policy, bears the responsibility of profit and loss both, and thus he is no longer allowed to have his own way in business.
A Doubt and its Clarification
It is necessary to clarify a doubt that may arise here. In discussing the evils of the economy based on interest, we have said that it produces an imbalance in the distribution of wealth, and that one of the two parties in a business enterprise is necessarily affected by it. Some people are quite likely to raise the objection that the man who suffers a loss in a transaction based on interest, suffers it through his own choice - if he deliberately exposes himself to such risk, why should the law of the Shari\'ah interfere with his right to do so?
Even a little reflection would easily solve this problem. A slight acquaintance with the Islâmic way of life should be sufficient to bring out the principle that, according to Islâm, the mutual consent of two parties does not always justify a certain transaction. If a man is willing to get murdered by another man, this fact would not absolve the murderer of his crime. Even in the case of fornication, which the West in its shortsightedness considers to be a private affair of the individual, mutual consent of the two parties cannot absolve the criminals. The question of the distribution of wealth and economic welfare goes much beyond this. We have already explained, with due quotations from the Holy Qur\'ân, that wealth is in principle the property of Allâh Himself, and that the ownership He has bestowed upon man is, far from being unconditional and unbridled, subject to certain principles laid down by Allâh Himself. That is the reason Islâm does not allow the mutual consent of the parties concerned to be treated as a justification for a transaction which Islâm regards as intrinsically unjust or which can prove to be detrimental to the collective welfare of society. This is the raison d\'être behind the strong prohibition, in the tradition of the Holy Prophet ( ), of (buying grain from the caravans coming from the country-side before they reach a town), of (buying goods brought from the country-side through a middle man in the days of famine), of (exchanging grain that is yet in the ears for grain that has already been harvested), of (exchanging fruits on a tree for plucked fruits), and of (taking a fixed amount of grain from the harvest of a land given on lease), inspite of their being based on the mutual agreement of the parties involved. Hence, the mere fact that the parties involved have agreed upon it, cannot serve as a valid justification for a transaction based on interest.
In the early days of Islâm, the objection which people bred in the pre-Islâmic ways generally raised against the prohibition of interest was this: "Trade is exactly like interest." (2:275)
The Holy Qur\'ân refutes this argument in a concise phrase: "And Allâh has permitted trade, and forbidden interest." (2:275)
It is worth noticing here that, in refuting this objection, Allâh the Exalted has not enunciated any principle or purpose of the prohibition of interest, but has, so to say, simply indicated that since Allâh has declared trade lawful and interest unlawful, one shall have to abide by this commandment, whether one understands its raison d\'être or not. Instead of elucidating the justifying principles in this place, the Holy Qur\'ân has adopted the mode of authority, which cuts off the very root of all objections to the prohibition of interest.
In short, the prohibition of interest by Islâm is the wisest solution of the problem which, on the one hand, eliminates many evils of the Capitalist economy, and, on the other, leaves no need for the adoption of the tyrannical and unnatural economic system of Socialism. This is the middle way which alone can save the modern world from the two extremes of license and servitude, and lead it towards a balanced and equitable economic system. The French orientalist Louis Massignon has said something very pertinent on this point: "In the conflict between Capitalism and Socialism, only that culture can be assured of a secure and bright future which not only prohibits interest but also makes people abide by this prohibition."
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The Sources of Islamic Economics

As a complete way of life, Islam has provided guidelines and rules for every sphere of life and society. Naturally, a functioning economic system is vital for a healthy society, as the consumption of goods and services, and the facilitation of this by a common medium of exchange, play a major role in allowing people to realize their material and other goals in life.
Islam has set some standards, based on justice and practicality, for such economic systems to be established. These standards aim to prevent the enmity that often occurs between different socioeconomic sections. Of course, it is true that the gathering of money concerns almost every human being who participates in transactions with others. Yet, while these standards recognize money as being among the most important elements in society, they do not lose sight of the fact that its position is secondary to the real purpose of human existence, which is the worship of God.
An Islamic economic system is not necessarily concerned with the precise amount of financial income and expenditure, imports and exports, and other economic statistics. While such matters are no doubt important, Islam is more concerned with the spirit of the economic system.
A society that implements Islamic laws and promotes Islamic manners will find that it bring together all the systems – social, economic, and so forth – that it deals with. Islam teaches that God has created provision for every person who He has brought to life. Therefore, the competition for natural resources that is presumed to exist among the nations of the world is an illusion. While the earth has sufficient bounty to satisfy the needs of mankind, the challenge for humans lies in discovering, extracting, processing, and distributing these resources to those who need them.
Islam consists of a set of beliefs which organizes the relationship between the individual and his Creator; between the person and other human beings; between the person and universe; and even the relationship of the person to himself. In that sense, Islam regulates human behavior, and one type of human behavior is economic behavior. Economic behavior is dealt by Muslims as a means of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. In Islam, human behavior -whether in the economic area or others - is not value free; nor is it value neutral. It is connected with the ideological foundation of the faith.
The Sources of Islamic Economics
The fundamental sources of Islam - the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet[1]- provide guidelines for economic behavior and a blueprint of how the economic system of a society should be organized. Therefore, the values and objectives of all “Islamic” economic systems must necessarily conform to, and comply with, the principles derived from these fundamental sources. The purpose of these articles is to outline the most salient characteristics of an economic system based on the fundamental sources of Islam. The focus here is on the principal features of the Islamic system.
The Islamic economic system is defined by a network of rules called the Shariah. The rules which are contained in the Shariah are both constitutive and regulative, meaning that they either lay the rules for the creation of economic entities and systems, as well the rules which regulate existing one. As an integral part of the revelation, the Shariah is the guide for human action which encompasses every aspect of life – spiritual, individual, social, political, cultural, and economic. It provides a scale by which all actions, whether on the part of the individual agents, society, and the state, are classified in regards to their legality. Thus there are five types of actions recognized, namely: obligatory; recommended; permissible; discouraged; and forbidden. This classification is also inclusive of economic behavior.
The basic source of the Shariah in Islam is the Quran and the Sunnah, which include all the necessary rules of the Shariah as guidance for mankind. The Sunnah further explains these rules by the practical application of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him. The expansion of the regulative rules of the Shariah and their extensions to new situations in later times was accomplished with the aid of consensus of the scholars, analogical reasoning - which derived rules by discerning an analogy between new problems and those existing in the primary sources - and finally, through textual reasoning of scholars specialized in the Shariah. These five sources - the Quran, the Sunnah, consensus of the scholars, analogical reasoning, and textual reasoning - constitute the components of the Shariah, and these components are also used as a basis for governing economic affairs.
Justice
In summary, we can say that the Islamic Economic system is based upon the notion of justice It is through justice that the existence of the rules governing the economic behavior of the individual and economic institutions in Islam can be understood. Justice in Islam is a multifaceted concept, and there several words exist to define it. The most common word in usage which refers to the overall concept of justice is the Arabic word “adl”. This word and its many synonyms imply the concepts of “right”, as equivalent to fairness, “putting things in their proper place”, “equality”, “equalizing”, “balance”, “temperance” and “moderation.” In practice, justice is defined as acting in accordance with the Shariah, which, in turn, contains both substantive and procedural justice[2]covering economic issues. Substantive justice consists of those elements of justice contained in the substance of the Shariah, while procedural justice consists of rules of procedure assuring the attainment of justice contained in the substance of the Law. The notion of economic justice, and its attendant concept of distributive justice,[3]is particularly important as an identifying characteristic of the Islamic economic system. The rules governing permissible and forbidden economic behavior on the part of consumers, producers and government, as well as questions of property rights, and of the production and distribution of wealth, are all based on the Islamic view of justice.
The following topics will be discussed in the following articles:
(a) individual obligations, rights, and self-interest;
(b) property rights;
(c) importance of contracts;
(d) work and wealth;
(e) the concept of barakah;
(f) economic justice;
(g) prohibition of interest (riba);
(h) competition and cooperation; and
(i) the role of the state.
Footnotes:
[1] The Sunnah is general body of narrations of the speech, deeds, and tacit approvals of the Prophet.
[2] “Substantive justice means reaching the ‘right’ result. Procedural justice means getting the result in the ‘right’ way.” (A speech entitled “Effective Arbitration Techniques in a Global Context” delivered by the Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong ,Ms Elsie Leung)
[3] “Normative principles designed to allocate goods in limited supply relative to demand.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/justice-distributive/)
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Spiritual Life and Economy in Islam

Islam envisages for man a discipline for his life as a whole, material as well as spiritual. But there is no denying the fact that owing to differences of individual temperaments, certain people would specialize in certain specialties and not in others. Even if one were to concentrate on the spiritual side of one\'s existence, he would still remain more or less attached to the other occupations of life for his nourishment, for the sake of society of which he is a member, and so on.
200. In his celebrated exposé of his teaching on faith and submission and the best method of these two, the Prophet Muhammad defined this last point in the following terms: "As to the embellishment (ihsan) of conduct, so render thy service unto God as if thou seest Him: even though thou doest not see Him, yet He seeth thee." This beautification, the best and most beautiful method of devotion or service unto God, is the spiritual culture of Islam. "Service unto God" is a most comprehensive term, and includes not merely the cult, but also relates to human conduct throughout life. The most cultured from the spiritual point of view, are those who abide most closely by the will of God in all their acts, thoughts and beliefs.
201. Questions concerning this discipline form the subject matter of mysticism. The term \'mysticism\' has several synonyms in Islam: Ihsan(which we find also used in the above-mentioned exposé of the Prophet), Qurb(or approaching God), Tariqat(road, i.e., of the journey unto God), Suluk(journey, i.e. unto God),Tasawwuf(which etymologically means: to put on a woollen cloth). This last term is, curiously enough, the most currently used.
202. It is true that Muslim mystics - even as their counterparts in other civilizations - are not very eager to divulge their practices and their peculiarities to those outside the restricted circle of their disciples or confreres. This is not because there are scandalous secrets, but probably because of the fear that the man in the street may not understand why they undergo so much "useless" pain by renouncing the amenities of life; and also because ordinary people do not believe in the personal experiences of the mystics. So the mystics think, it is better to conceal them from those who are unable to appreciate them. Incidentally it also happens that if a thing is enshrouded in secrecy, it becomes so much more cherished by those who ignore it, yet are in search of it.
203. Differences of individual temperaments have existed in the human race at all times. It goes to the credit of Islam that it has discovered certain things which it could impose on each and every person, irrespective of temperament, a minimum necessary to be shared and practised in common. This minimum necessity simultaneously not only touches spiritual but also material needs. In order to understand it well, it may be noted that all agree that the best Muslims are the immediate disciples of the Prophet, namely his companions. A study of their lives shows that from the very start they were possessed of a variety of temperaments. There was Khalid, a warrior, an intrepid soldier, on whom the Prophet was pleased, in admiration, to confer the title of "the Sword of God". There were \'Uthman and Ibn \'Awf, who were rich merchants, and the Prophet had announced the good tidings that they too belonged to the people of the Paradise. There was also Abu Dharr who detested all property, and preferred an ascetic life of mortification. We may recall a Bedouin nomad, who had visited the Prophet one day, in order to learn what were the minimum duties to merit Paradise. The Prophet had replied: Faith in the One God, prayers five times a day, fast during the whole month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage and payment of zakat-tax if one had means thereto.The Bedouin embraced Islam, and burst forth: By God! I shall do nothing more and nothing less. When he departed, the Prophet remarked: Whoever wishes to see a man of Paradise, let him look at him! (cf. Bukhari and Muslim). Be it the warrior Khalid, or the wealthy \'Uthman, they never neglected the essential duties of Islam and its spirituality. Similarly Abu Dharr, Salman, Abu\'d-Darda\' and others who liked asceticism, did not obtain permission from the Prophet to lead, for instance, lives of recluses, to fast perpetually, to get castrated in horror of carnal pleasures, etc. On the contrary, the Prophet enjoined them to marry, and added:Thou hast obligations even with regard to thy own body.\' (cf. lbn Hanbal), According to Islam, one does not belong to one\'s self, but to God; and it is not permitted to misuse the trust which God has reposed in us in the shape of our persons.
The Suffah
204. In the grand mosque of Madinah, there was in the time of the Prophet a special area called \'Suffah\' somewhat away from the prayer hall. This was a centre of training and education, functioning under the personal supervision of the Prophet himself. A considerable number of Muslims occupied it. They devoted part of their time, during the day, to learn the Islamic way of life, not only in matters of man\'s relation with God, but also with other members of society. They also worked to earn their bare necessaries of life, so that they might not become parasites and a burden on others. During the night, they passed their time, like the best mystics, in the observance of supererogatory (nafal) prayers and in meditation on God. Whether one calls this institute a convent (a Tekkeh, a Khanqah) or by any other name, there is no doubt that the inmates of the Suffahwere more attached to spiritual practices than to material avocations. Perhaps one will not be able to know the details of the practices which the Prophet had enjoined on these early Muslim mystics, which practices must have varied according to the temperament and capacities of each individual. Yet the object being determined, there was enough liberty to select lawful means leading thereto. It may be recalled, by the way, that the Prophet once said: "Wisdom is the lost-property of the believer; wherever he should find it, he should recover it" (cf. Tirmidhi, lbn Majah).
The Essence of Mysticism
205. Through mysticism, Islam envisages a rectitude of beliefs, embellishment or beautification of the acts of devotion, taking the life of the Prophet as a model to be followed in all activities of life, the amelioration of personal conduct, and the accomplishment of duties imposed by Islam.
206. It has nothing to do with the power to know invisible things, with performing miracles, or imposing one\'s will on others by mysterious psychic means; not even with asceticism, mortification, seclusion, meditation and the consequent sensations (which may sometimes be means, yet not ends; or even with certain beliefs regarding the person of God (pantheism, etc); much less with what the charlatans assert, that a mystic is above the Islamic law and the necessary minimum duties imposed by it.
207. For want of a better term, one might use the word \'mysticism\' which in Islam means the method of the best individual behaviour, i.e., the means by which one acquires control over one\'s own self, the sincerity, the realization of the constant presence of God in all one\'s acts and thoughts, seeking to love God more and more.
208. In the Islamic teachings, there are certain \'external\' duties, such as prayer-service, fast, charity, abstaining from evil and wickedness, etc. There are also \'internal\' duties, such as faith, gratitude to God, sincerity, and freedom from egoism. Mysticism is a training for this latter aspect of life. However, even the motivation of external duties are for the purification of the spirit, which is the only means of eternal salvation. In general, the mystic develops by his spiritual practices certain of his faculties and talents, which appear to the average person as miraculous; but the mystic does not seek them - he even despises them. To know invisible things, even if that becomes possible for certain persons by certain practices, is not desirable for the mystic, for these constitute the secrets of God and their premature divulgation is harmful to man in the long run. That is why the mystic does not utilize such powers even if he comes to acquire them; his aim remains always the purification of the spirit, in order to become more agreeable to the Lord. The perfect man is he who beautifies not only his outer but also his inner self, or (as mystics say) his body and his heart. For the external aspect, there is the Fiqhor body of Muslim law which consists of rules for one\'s entire outer life, such as cult, contractual relations, penalties, etc. It is however the internal aspect which is the true subject matter of mysticism. The acts of prayer- service belong to the realm of Fiqh, but sincerity and devotion are inner things, and belong to mysticism. Let us recall in this connection two verses of the Qur\'an: "Successful indeed are the believers who are devout in their prayer-service" (23 : 1-2), and "Lo the hypocrites. . . when they stand up to worship they perform it languidly and in ostentation so as to be observed by men" (4:142). The good and bad services of worship, indicated therein, give us a clue to the understanding of what Islam requires of its adherents in all activities of life.
208/ a. Islamic tradition reserves to the caliph or the head of the Muslim State not only politics (including administration of justice). but also cult, i.e., the outward practice of the religion, such as service of worship, fasting, pilgrimage. All this falls under the purview of Fiqh(Muslim law) developed by the different schools. In this realm, monopoly of power has been jealously imposed, although this concerns the rather less important part of our life. Sectarian differences exist among Muslims, since the death of the Prophet, as to who had the right to succeed to the Prophet in the exercise of the power regarding politics and cult. Let us leave the decision to God on the Day of Judgement, and let us occupy ourselves with our future and the defence against the enemies of God. As to the inner life, which alone determines the salvation in the everlasting Hereafter, in this sphere there are no jealousies - several persons could and did succeed the Prophet simultaneously. If the Naqshbandiyah Order of mystics seeks its authority from the Prophet through Abu Bakr, the Qadiriyah and Suhrawardiyah orders for instance, do the same through \'Ali, and all this among the Sunnis to whom Abu Bakr alone was the immediate successor of the Prophet in the political field. This spiritual Realm, which unites Sunnis and Shi\'as, is no vapid abstraction - it has its own full fledged administrative organisation. The existence of abdaland autad or spiritual governors and administrators is known on the authority of the Prophet himself, as we read by as early an author as Ibn Sa\'d. A monograph of Suyuti has collected all the traditions of the Prophet on the subject of qutb, abdaland autad. One need not enter into details here.
Pleasure of God
209. The common folk desire that God should love them in a sort of one way traffic without their loving Him - that He should give them well-being without their obeying Him. The Qur\'an (2:165) teaches: ". . .those who believe are stauncher in their love for God." Again, it indicates the traits of the best men and says (5:54): " . . . a people whom He loveth and who love Him."
210. Obtaining Divine pleasure is not analogous to the enjoyment of material comforts, which God may give a man in order to test his gratefulness. Sometimes a man remains deprived of these comforts so that his endurance and constancy may be tested. In both cases man must show his devotion and attachment to God. This necessitates, on the one hand, abnegation of the ego by getting absorbed in the will of God, and on the other, a constant feeling of the effective presence of God.
211. The philosophic conception of pantheism emanates from the necessity of "self-abnegation in God." For a mystic, the mere affirmation of this belief has no value, he aspires to assimilate it and feel it as a reality. Thus it is that the learned distinctions between pantheism in the sense of the unity of existence, and that of the unity of vision, or any other, are for a true mystic mere logomachy, [verbal disputation] which makes the eager traveller lose his track, and retards his arrival at his destination.
212. It may be recalled here that the Islamic notion of pantheism does not lead to the reunification of man with God. However close a man may approach God, there is still a distinction, a separation, and a distance between the Creator and the created. One abnegates one\'s ego, but not one\'s person. The higher the level we attain, the more does God speak with our tongue, act with our hand, and desire with our heart (1)(cf. Bukhari). There is an ascension and a journey of man towards God, but there is never a confusion between the two. Thus it is that a Muslim does not use the term \'communion,\' which may imply a union and a confusion. The Muslims designate the spiritual journey by the term mir\'aj,which means a ladder, an ascension, which varies according to individuals and their capacities. The highest imaginable level a human being can attain is the one that has been reached by the holy Prophet Muhammad. And this experience of his is also called mi\'raj.So, in a state of consciousness and wakefulness, the Prophet had the vision (ru\'ya) of being transported to heaven and graced with the honour of the Divine Presence. Even there, in this state beyond time and space, the Qur\'an (53:9) indicates formally that the distance between God and the Prophet, "was of two bows\' length or even nearer," and this graphic description lays emphasis simultaneously on the closeness of proximity as well as the distinction between the two. The Prophet himself employed the term mi\'raj in connection with the common faithful, when he indicated that "The service of worship is the mi\'rajof the believer." Evidently to each according to his capacity and his merit.
213. The spiritual journey has a whole series of stages, and it is only gradually that one traverses them. In the life of the Prophet Muhammad, we see that he began with retreats in the cave of Hira: then came the Meccan period, in which there was in store for him suffering and self-abnegation for the sake of the Divine cause. It is only after the Hijrahthat he permits himself (under Divine instructions always) to oppose injustice with force. It is quite possible that someone, who pretends to be a dervish, should only be so in appearance, being in reality a wolf disguised as a sheep. Similarly it is quite possible that a king, with all the powers and treasures accumulated in his hands, should still be in practice a saint, who does not at all profit by these things, but makes a great self-sacrifice, in the course of accomplishing his duties, by renouncing his personal comforts.
214. To break the ego, the first requirement is a feeling of humility, which should be developed. Pride is considered to be a sin against God. Based on a Hadith, al-Ghazali says, "ostentation is the worship of self, therefore it is really a kind of polytheism."
215. Temperaments differ, that is why the roads also are numerous. One insists on the need of a guide and master. One who has studied medicine privately, without passing through a period of apprenticeship or even attending the courses of study with proficient doctors, is not allowed to practise medicine. The cases are rare where one sees all one\'s defects. Rarer still are instances of people who correct themselves immediately. A master is necessary in the first instance to indicate to us our defects and also the way in which these are to be removed. There is a constant development and a perpetual evolution in the individual, and the master spares us a great deal of unnecessary effort. If one were not to profit by experiences of the past, and if each newborn were to recommence each new task by falling back on his own individual self, there would be no growth of culture and civilization - which may be defined as the accumulated knowledge and practice of generations of our ancestors. The pupil has a regard for the judgement and counsel of his master, that he never has for his comrades and equals. After theoretical studies, one passes through a probationary period, for learning their practical application. This is as true of the material sciences as of the spiritual ones. There are many things which one can never learn by mere reading or listening; their practical application under the supervision of an experienced master is always useful, if not indispensable. Furthermore, mere knowledge does not suffice, it should be assimilated and become second nature.
216. Mystics recommend four practices: eat less, sleep less, speak less and frequent people less. "Less" does not mean complete abnegation, which is sometimes impossible (such as is eating and sleeping), and always undesirable; there must always be moderation. One should eat to live, not live to eat. To eat for the purpose of obtaining the energy to accomplish the will and the commandments of God, is an act of devotion. And to diminish nourishment and become weakened to the extent of diminishing spiritual productivity is a sin. Sleep is necessary for health, and is a duty imposed on man. But laziness, which causes us to remain in bed too long, affects our spiritual progress. Sleeping less does not mean spending more time attaining material needs, but in finding more time for the practices of devotion and piety. Speaking less means diminishing frivolous talk, and avoidance, if possible, of all evil talk. It is often our habit to give good counsel to others, but to forget to practise it ourselves. Frequenting people less, means refraining from unnecessary talk and wasting time in needless contacts. To do a good turn to others, and to be occupied with the realization of things which could procure the pleasure of the Lord are rather desirable frequentations. However, it should not be forgotten that the needs of the individuals differ according to their stage of evolution; one does not give the same advice to an expert master as to a young novice. Mundane frequentations often occasion temptations, wasting useful time, and the forgetting of our more important obligations. It may be permitted to add a fifth counsel: spend less, meaning on luxuries, flirtation, and personal pleasures. The amount thus saved could be used for purposes dear to us but for which we have no money (in our spend-thrift habits) to contribute our two cents. The five counsels may constitute five principles of economy in Islam, both spiritual and material.
Special Practices
217. One has to remember God at all times. The essential feature is remembering by the heart. But concentration not being constant one employs physical methods for strengthening the presence of the spirit, and focusing of thought on the Divine person. The Qur\'an (33:41-2) says: "O ye who believe! Remember God with much remembrance. And glorify Him early and late." Again (3:191): "such as remember God, standing, sitting and reclining and meditate on the creation of the heavens and the earth (and say:) our Lord, Thou createdst not this in vain; glory be to Thee; Preserve us from the doom of Fire." There are litanies, in which some formulas are repeated a number of times; there are prayers which one pronounces every day as a habit. This is done aloud or in a low voice, but all should be related invariably and always to God, to His person or to His attributes, and never to created beings. Even if the subject be the Prophet Muhammad, for gratitude and admiration, the approach should be always through God, and never praying to Muhammad himself independently to do something for us. For instance "O God, incline to Muhammad and take him into Thy protection," or "O God resuscitate Muhammad in the glorious place which Thou hast promised him, and accept his intercession in our favour," etc. For developing concentration of thought, the mystics sometimes live in seclusion, or retreat, stop respiration for moments, close the eyes, and concentrate on the throbbing of the heart while thinking of God, etc. They also say that there are three grades of remembrance of God - to remember only His name, to remember His person by means of and through His name, and to remember His person without having the need of His name or any other means. That these practices were recommended by the Prophet himself and that they are not of a foreign origin, it may be recalled that Abu Hurairah had a rosary, made of a thread, with 2,000 knots to serve as many beads, and he repeated a certain prayer on it every night, (Ibn Fadlallah al-\'Umari, Masalik al-Absar, vol. 5 MS. of Istanbul).
218. Among other practices, one may mention a life of asceticism, self-mortification, and meditation particularly on death and the final judgement. For Islam these are not ends, but only the means, rather temporary and provisional, for the purpose of mastering and breaking the ego. Everything that one permits to one\'s self in this world is divided into two categories - necessities and luxuries. One can never renounce the necessities, for that would be suicide. To commit suicide is religiously forbidden in Islam, for we do not belong to ourselves, but to God; and to destroy something before its full-fledged realization is to go against the will of God. As for luxuries, if they are not made the aim of our existence in this world, they are lawful. One can renounce them in order to dominate over one\'s animality. One can also do so in order to help those who do not possess even the necessities of life, or perhaps as a penitence. But it is not permitted to act in an exaggerated manner or out of all proportion. A virile man who makes an effort to lead a chaste life has greater merit than the one who destroys his desires by means, for instance, of a surgical operation. One who has no capacity for evil has no merit in comparison with the one who has the most perfect capacity for it and yet abstains voluntarily from it, for fear of God.
219. Self-mortification, abstinence and other spiritual practices enhance certain faculties, yet the acquisition of such faculties, however miraculous they might be, is not the aim of one who travels toward God. One seeks to realize acts, but not the sensations which are produced thereby automatically. Even an infidel may acquire certain of the faculties of saints, yet without the ultimate salvation. The mystic is continually directed towards his destination, and does not think of, much less profit by, these incidents of the saintly journey.
220. The life of a Sufi, dervish or mystic begins with repentance for past sins and the reparation, as far as possible, of harms done to other people. God pardons harms done to His own rights, but not those to the rights of other creatures; it is these latter who alone can pardon. It is only then that one can march on the path leading to the Lord. It is not the monopoly of any person or class or caste. It is within the reach of everybody, and it is the duty of each and everyone to take this road. The provisions for this journey are two-fold -- obedience to God and constantly remembering Him. Obedience is easier in the sense that one knows what one has to do and what the will of the Lord is. He has revealed His will and His prescriptions through His chosen prophets, in order that they communicate them to the common folk.
221. God has sent innumerable prophets. If their teachings differ in detail, it is not because God has changed His opinion, but only because, in His mercy and wisdom, the evolution or deterioration of the human capacities necessitated a change in the rules of conduct and in the details. Although in the essentials of their teachings, particularly in those which concern the relation of man with God, prophets do not differ, (and the Qur\'an lays a strong emphasis on it) it is part of the obedience of man to God\'s orders to abide by the latest disposition of His will. If God taught men something through the prophet Abraham, for instance, it will not be disobedience to abandon it for abiding by the teachings of the prophet Moses, because he brought in his time the latest disposition of the orders of the same Law-giver. What is more, to neglect the directions of Moses and continue to practise the teachings of Abraham would be flagrant disobedience to God. It is thus that man should practise, turn by turn, the messages of God brought by successive prophets, the latest of whom being Muhammad. It is thus that with all his respect for the previous prophets, a Muslim cannot abide except by the latest disposition of the will of God communicated to man. A Muslim venerates the Torah, the Psalter and the Gospel as the word of God, yet he abides by the latest and the most recent of the words of God, namely the Qur\'an. Whoever remains attached to the preceding laws, cannot be considered, by the Legislator, as law-abiding and obedient.
Conclusion
222. Man being composed simultaneously of body and soul, of an outer and an inner existence, the harmonious progress and balanced evolution towards perfection require that attention should be paid to both these aspects of man. Mysticism or spiritual culture in Islam envisages the diminution of the Ego and the ever increasing realization of the presence of God. To be absorbed in the will of God does not at all mean an immobility; far from that. In innumerable verses, the Qur\'an urges man to action and even to compete in the search for the Divine pleasure by means of good actions. Not to follow one\'s own evil desires, but to abide by the will of God alone, does not lead to inaction. Only that happens which God wills. Yet not knowing the will of God, which remains concealed from men, man must always continue his effort, even though failure follows failure, when trying to attain the goal which he conscientiously believes to be good and in conformity with the revealed commandments of God. This notion of a dynamic predestination, which urges one to action and resignation to the will of God, is well explained in the following verses of the Qur\'an (57: 22-2?): "Naught of disaster befalleth on the earth or in your souls but it is in a Book (Prescription) before We bring in into being - lo! that is easy for God - that ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor ye exult because of that which ye had been given; God loveth not prideful boasters." Man should always think of the grandeur of God, and vis-à-vis this, of his own humility, as well as of the day of the Resurrection when the Lord will demand individual accounts. The Qur\'an says (29:69): "As for those who strive in Us, We
Imam reza network

The Ideological Basis of Economic Activity

The ideological basis in Islam may be summarized into six basic principles: The cornerstone is that everything has to start from the belief in God as the Creator, Lord, and Sovereign of the universe. This implies willingness to submit to God’s will, to accept His guidance, and to have complete and unqualified servitude to Him. This means that Muslims - individually and collectively - should not imitate or emulate any other system if it differs from their particular principles, for example, the system of usury or interest.
The second basic principle is that Islam, as a religion, is a complete way of life; something that guides a person’s life in all its aspects: the moral, social, ethical, economic, political, etc. All of these aspects are based on the guidance of God. Therefore, it is not a question of the person’s acceptance of God’s teaching in one matter and the refusal of acceptance in another. Everything has to be within that basic guidance.
“…And we have revealed to you in stages this book, a clarification of all things, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings…” (Quran 16:89)
A third principle is that God created human beings on earth as His trustees, which means that everyone is created to fulfill a certain responsibility on this earth. God has entrusted human beings with free will in order that they live their lives according to the moral and ethical values that He Himself provided. In addition, Islam provides an opportunity in material progress, thereby combining moral, social, and material progress, all interlinked in harmony.
The fourth principle is that God, in order to help humankind to fulfill the responsibility of trusteeship, has made everything in this universe subservient to them. There are many verses in the Quran that suggest this meaning, such as: “God is He Who made subservient to you the sea that the ships may run therein by His command, and that you may seek of His grace, and that you may give thanks.” (Quran 45:12)
This does not mean, however, that humans are given free reign to use and abuse the resources God has provided us however we choose. Rather, there are many verses that urge humankind to harness the various resources that God has made available to them on this earth responsibly. Humans are encouraged to enjoy of the good things that God has created, but they are to do so within the boundaries that He has given. Doing so is not regarded as sinful as long as it follows His path and does not transgress His limits. God says: “It is He Who produces gardens, with trellises and without, and dates, and tilth with produce of all kinds, and olives and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in variety): eat of their fruit in their season, but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess: for God loves not those who waste.” (Quran 6:141)
The fifth principle is the principle of accountability in the Hereafter. God has given human beings trusteeship and resources. This means that every single person will be questioned on the Day of Judgment as to how he or she behaved whilst enjoying his or her earthly life. This, of course, includes our economic behavior. God says: “And then on that Day (the Day of Resurrection) you will be called to account for every comfort and delight [we bestowed upon you].” (Quran 102:8)
The sixth principle is that the variation in wealth among people in itself does not give a person either inferiority or superiority. Rather, poverty and affluence are in the total control of God Who, out of His Infinite Justice and Wisdom, has specified these things for whom he chooses.
“Indeed God increases provision to whom He pleases and straitens it [in regards to others]…” (Quran 13:26)
Affluence, like poverty, is also seen as a trial from God, one through which it is seen what one will do with their wealth – indulge oneself or use constructively in ways legislated in the religion, God says: “Your wealthand your children are only a trial, whereas God! With Him is a great reward (Paradise).”(Quran 64:15)
After being bestowed with numerous gifts and bounties and a kingdom incomparable to any other on the earth, God in the Quran narrates that Solomon said: “…This is from the bounties of my Lord, to test me whether I will be thankful or ungrateful…” (Quran 27:40)
God is not concerned with the amount of wealth a person may have amassed, their beauty or color, but rather, His measure of honor is the piety of the hearts. God says: “On humankind! Indeed We created you from a male and female, and we made you different nations and tribes, that you may come to know one other. Indeed the most honored amongst you are the most God-conscious.” (Quran 49:13)
The Prophet also said: “Indeed God is not concerned with your appearances nor your wealth, but rather your hearts and deeds.” (Saheeh Muslim)
As one can immediately surmise from these principles that the Islamic economic system is radically different from others, due to the difference of the values upon which it is based. In a capitalist society, one may see certain rules of economics which take precedence over moral and ethical values due to the intrinsic nature and values of that system. The same may be seen in communist, socialist and other societies as well. From the principles mentioned in these articles does the Islamic system of economics spring, striking balance between personal benefit and the benefit of society as a whole, as well as mundane profits and spiritual gains, all which ensure that one gain the Pleasure of the Lord of the Worlds.
Imam reza network

An Introduction to Islam and Economics

Economics, or finance, can be defined as the branch of social science that deals with production, distribution and consumption of wealth. Every country or doctrine has their own form of economic system, with the two main forms being capitalism and socialism.

Capitalism is an economic situation where private ownership holds the key. It is the adherence to the concept of private ownership in an unlimited form which signifies that the capitalist is the one who is the owner of the capital. Capitalism entertains the ownership of the natural resources (for example land) and capital goods (for example raw materials for any industry) but ignores the ownership of the labor. Thus the bridge between the rich and the poor widens as it is very visible in most of economic systems that follow capitalism. Socialism or communism on the other hand constitutes the principle of ownership of the state or public. It centralizes the public ownership through production and distribution of the wealth, which is exactly the opposite of capitalism. In socialism, there is lack of incentive for people to gain financial advantage and the finance system becomes depreciated, unstable, non competitive and without any common goal.

More extensive analysis of capitalism, socialism or Marxism can be found in the highly acclaimed book Iqtisaduna (Our Economics) by Martyr Ayatollah Baqir al-Sadr.

What does Islam say about Economics?

Islam is a comprehensive school that offers both social and spiritual teachings in life. Islamic economy is not a separate study but rather a part of the general Islamic system of organizing different aspects of life in the society. The economic structure of Islam preserves the rights of the individual and instructs social behavior. As other economic systems boast about social equality, the feature of social justice in Islam differs from all other systems in the core of its concepts.

That everything which exists belongs to Allah, is the essence of the Islamic economic system. As the Qur'an states, "To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth." (2:284) Nevertheless, Allah has allowed us to own the wealth of this world and be a private owner. The Qur'an states, "He has created for you whatever that is in the earth." (2:29) Islam recognizes the rights of the private owner but it has also limited the ways of acquiring and collecting excessive wealth, thereby regulating finance in the society and constituting a variety of forms of ownership. Allah says, "And the man shall gain nothing but what he strives for" (53:39), indicating that man should only seek what he deserves from his hard work. Islam seeks to decrease the gap between the rich and the poor, and while it is not pragmatic to get rid of poverty completely, an overall equilibrium can be reached between the poor and the rich. This is why Islam has its complete way of economic life and principles.

Martyr Baqir al-Sadr writes in Iqtisaduna that the variety of the forms of ownership in Islam is only an expression of an original religious planning which is based on certain ideological basis and which lies in a special framework of values and meanings, contrary to the bases, values and meanings on which are based free Capitalism and Socialism. He critically explains each of the two economic systems and in contrast, describes the perfect economic laws in Islam.

In a journal of Islamic studies, Message of the Thaqalayn, the various Islamic economic ideologies are discussed by Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Taskhiri. He discussed the flexibility of the economic system in Islam by explaining that the existence of different leading jurists (Mujtahids) and their constant openness represents one of the flexibility elements, without which one cannot know the effect of the development on the nature of the rules.

The Wonders of Islamic Economic Principles

Islam has laid down some exquisite principles about handling wealth in a society or individually. A few of the exceptional principles follow:

Real ownership belongs to Allah.
Islamic law (Shari'ah) has banned certain economic and social acts which are against Islamic values, such as usury and monopolization.
The legal power of the head of the Islamic government (Waliy al-Amr) to supervise and control the flow of the wealth in the country is with a view to maintain the public interests. The head of the government can restrict the freedom of certain individuals to perform or not to perform certain activities within the Islamic law. The Qur'an states, "O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority among you." (4:59)
Elimination of the basic needs (hajat) of individuals and uplifting the needy people to the stage of being free from want (ghani).
Financial punishments and methods that are developed by Islam to transfer private properties to the public ownership as with respect to mawqufat (endowments), or the lands the inhabitants of which perished, or the dead without heirs and so forth.
Prohibition of wasting and squandering (israf).
Prohibition of every action that leads to the misuse of any property, and to amusement (lahw).
Constant remembrance of Islamic ethical concepts such as honesty, wisdom, piety and self-sacrifice during any financial transaction.
Preserving the rights and money of the people. Once Abdullah ibn Zamaah came to Imam Ali (peace be upon him) during the time of his caliphate and asked for some money from the treasury. Imam Ali said, "This money is neither for me nor for you, but it is the collective property of the Muslims and the acquisition of their swords. If you had taken part with them in their fighting you would have a share equal to theirs, otherwise the earning of their hands cannot be for other than their mouths." (Sermon 232, Nahj al-Balagha)
Implementation of various taxes in various conditions such Khums, Zakat, Fitrah, Khiraj etc.
Thanking Allah for the blessings and all kinds of resources (natural or man-made).
Remaining humble in charity. Allah says: "O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth (only) to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day." (2:264)
Justifying economic equality, Islam believes in the concept of charity (sadaqa and infaq). There are a number of verses in the Qur'an on charity: "…and spend (in charity) out of what We have provided for them." (2:3)

Concept of Islamic Taxes

The main taxes that are obligatory for capable individuals in Islam are Zakat and Khums. Zakat is not a commonly used tax as it is imposed on only nine items; gold and silver coins, camels, cows and sheep, wheat, barley, dates and raisins. Khums, however, is the obligatory tax which applies to most Muslims. In his book Khums: the Islamic Tax, the renowned scholar Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi explains the philosophy and rulings about Khums. It literally means one-fifth of certain items which a person acquires as wealth, which should be paid as an Islamic tax. About Khums, the Qur'an states: "Know that whatever of a thing you acquire, a fifth of it is for Allah, for the Messenger, for the near relatives, and the orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer..." (8:41)

From the Qur'anic verse, Khums is divided into two equal shares. The first half is for Allah, His Messenger (peace be upon him and his progeny) and our Living Imam (may Allah hasted his reappearance) while the second half is for the orphans, the needy and the travellers from the family of the Prophet. The first is known as the share of the Imam (Sahm al-Imam) and the second the share of the Sayyids (Sahm al-Saada) who descend from Lady Fatima (peace be upon her). The share of the present Imam goes to the Religious Authorities (Maraja Taqleed) and is used in propagating the religion of Islam, establishing schools, academic and household expenses of religious scholars etc.

What is the Cause of Global Economic Problems?

As all economic systems of the world have faced several problems, Marxist is of the view that the problem lies between the variation in production and distribution relations, whereas capitalists believe that the major economic problem lies in nature and scarcity in natural resources. In Our Economics, Ayatollah Baqir al-Sadr condemns this variation and magnificently explains how Islam has the solution. He states that Islam disagrees with both of the beliefs above as it is of the view that nature, being self-sufficient, can ensure all the necessities of life. The problem lies in man himself.

It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rain from the sky and produced thereby some fruits as provision for you and subjected for you the ships to sail through the sea by His command and subjected for you the rivers.And He subjected for you the sun and the moon, continuous (in orbit), and subjected for you the night and the day. And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is (generally) most unjust and ungrateful.(14:32-34)

With these holy verses, it is clearly visible that Allah has provided all the necessities and resources to man and it is man himself that has created troubles in the society. Man's thanklessness and unjust, selfish behavior towards himself and the society are the real causes of the economic problems present in the world. Financial problems can indeed be solved by properly following the Islamic laws concerning economics and finance, which incorporates every necessary aspect of production and distribution of wealth.

Islamic Insights

Basics of Islamic Economy

As the prosperity and moral and material well-being of the community is not possible without a rich and healthy economy, Islam, as a progressive religious system, has included this question in its program.
Zakat
Islam, in order to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, has legislated the law of zakat, and ordered the rich to pay a just share of their money and individual income as zakat to the public treasury .The money, so collected, constitutes a very large amount which can play an important role in combating poverty, narrowing class gap and ensuring an over-all development. The leaders of Islam have said that the amount of zakat has been so precisely determined that if all those on whom zakat is due, pay it honestly, poverty can be totally uprooted. Poverty exists only because a large number of people evade the obligation of this vital duty of theirs. The eight categories prescribed for the expenditure of the zakat money fully illustrate the aim and importance of this Islamic Law and throw light on its role in the formation of a healthy society.
The details of these eight categories have been given in the Holy Quran. “Zakat is only for the poor, the needy and the officials appointed over them, those whose hearts are made to include (to truth) and the ransoming of the captives and those in debt and in the way of Allah, and the way farers; an ordinance from Allah and Allah is All knowing and All wise.”
It is to be noted that the term, in the way of Allah is very wide and covers all development projects as well as such items as education, health and construction of bridges, roads, hospitals and schools.
Khums
“Khums” means payment of 20 percent of surplus income in a year, i.e. 20 per cent of what is left of the total annual income after meeting all expenses of that year. It is an Islamic tax which is levied to meet the requirements of collective life such as help to the needy, eradication of poverty, propagation of Islam and all other material and moral needs of the Muslim society. Khums is due only on the surplus and not the entire income. Hence, those whose expenditure is more than or equal to their income do not have to pay anything on this account. Only those whose income exceeds their expenditure should pay 20 per cent of the surplus to the public treasury .The money so realized comes to a considerable amount and enables the Muslims to solve many of their religious, social and material problems.
Khums is not confined to the earned income only. It is also levied on what is obtained from mines, what is extracted from the sea by means of diving and on buried treasure dug out of the earth and not owned by anybody. It is also due on spoils of war . In all these cases it is levied on the total income. Only production expenses are deducted. The details of the way how income derived from khums is to be distributed and the categories of its expenditure are given in the Islamic jurisprudence and are beyond the scope of this book.
Charity
Spending in the way of Allah is not obligatory , but Islam has attached much importance to it. There are many verses in the Holy Quran on this subject.
Charity is one of the factors which help in the equitable distribution of wealth and eradication of poverty. Alms may be given for individuals or charitable objects. Distribution of alms through charitable institutions according to a well-laid out program and under the supervision of God-fearing people is an effective way of helping the poor .
Wakf (Endowment)
Creation of endowments helps in the equitable distribution of wealth and prevents its concentration in the hands of a few. There are two kinds of endowments:
1. Public
2. Private
In the case of private endowments the beneficiaries are only a few individuals or a limited class such as the children or descendants of the grantor .
In the case of public endowments, which are far more common, the corpus of the donated property is transferred to the public or a large class of society and becomes a part of public property. Islam has encouraged the creation of endowments and the Imams themselves have set an example in this respect. Through endowments a large portion of Private property is turned into public property and thus it becomes available for the service of the masses. This in itself is a big step towards just and even distribution of wealth.
How Wealth is Created?
From the Islamic point of view the true and absolute ownership of all things belongs to Allah alone.
He owns everything that exists in the universe. His ownership is real and has creative aspect, because He is the Creator and Sustainer of everything. “Whatever exists in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him.”
Hence others can become owners only with His permission and in accordance with His laws and commands.
Private Ownership
Islam respects private ownership and considers that everybody is the owner of the fruits of his own labor. It recognizes labor as the basis of ownership This is a natural law which has been endorsed by Islam. Everybody is the natural owner of his self and his mental and physical faculties. As his products are in reality only a crystallization of his existing faculties, he is the owner of the products of his labor.
Rehabilitation and Acquisition
“He, who brings barren land under cultivation, is the owner of it.” This is a saying of the Holy Prophet.
Acquiring minerals and other natural resources before anybody else discovers them is another cause of ownership. According to Islamic law, he who acquires it, is the owner. As bringing barren land under cultivation and acquiring natural resources involve labor, it is clear that labor is the main factor in creating wealth.
Of course, the Islamic government has a right to arrange the cultivation of barren land and the excavation of mineral resources on its own and to utilize the return for the benefit of the general public.
Islam attaches great importance to the right of the workers. According to Islamic traditions, ignoring the rights of a worker is an unpardonable sin. A well-known tradition says that the Holy Prophet raised a worker's hand which had swollen as the result of hard work and said: “This is the hand which is liked by Allah and His Prophet.”
Circulation of Wealth
Islam has imposed special taxes on the stagnant wealth, which is not in circulation (such as Zakat on coined gold and silver after the completion of one year), and thus has taken a practical step to encourage circulation of wealth. The Holy Quran has condemned the hoarders and those who keep their wealth stagnant and do not utilize it for the benefit of the people.
Further, the Islamic traditions much encourage commerce, agriculture, cattle breeding and setting up of industries. In authentic books of Hadith, many traditions are found which clearly show that Islam aims at the maximum mobilization of all human and financial resources for the benefit of the people on the whole.
Usury and Interest- Free Loan
To stimulate productivity, Islam strictly forbids usury so that no body may live on interest without doing any productive work.
Usury upsets the balance of wealth and widens the gap between the haves and have-nots. It makes the rich richer and the poor poorer . lam says that usury is a mortal sin, and nobody an become the owner of the money earned through practicing it. The money thus earned must be returned to its rightful owner .
There are two kinds of usury and both of them are forbidden.
1. Loan Usury
2. Trade Usury
Lending money on the condition that it will be aid back with something added to it, is called usury. It is immaterial whether the rate of Interest is large or small, or whether it is paid in cash or in kind. Anyhow, there is no harm if the debtor willingly pays anything out of goodwill without any prior condition.
Trade means selling of a thing in exchange for another of the same kind, but with a difference in quantity. For example to sell 10 kilograms of good quality wheat in exchange for 12 kilograms of medium quality wheat will constitute usury .Detailed conditions of such forbidden deals are given in books of Islamic law.
Interest -Free Loan
Islam exhorts people to give as much interest free Loan as is possible. According to certain traditions, this is such an act of virtue that its reward will be more than that of alms (free aid in the way of Allah). Probably the reason is that many of those who seek loans are respectable people who. Even when they are badly in need of money, do not condescend to accept free aid or alm, because they consider doing that, below their dignity and position, whereas the persons who accept do not have such scruples. For this reason, giving interest-free loan is considered more rewarding. At the same time, Islam allows the creditors to require the deposit of adequate security with them up to the full value of the loan. In case a debtor fails to pay up the loan, the creditor is allowed to deduct an equal amount from the security and return the remainder to its owner. Giving interest-free loans is effective in the cultivation of friendship and love and in removing complexes which often exist between high income and low-income individuals. This is the simplest form of service which the well- off people can render to the les fortunate.
Ref: ImamReza.net

Basics of Islamic Economy

As the prosperity and moral and material well-being of the community is not possible without a rich and healthy economy, Islam, as a progressive religious system, has included this question in its program.
Zakat
Islam, in order to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, has legislated the law of zakat, and ordered the rich to pay a just share of their money and individual income as zakat to the public treasury .The money, so collected, constitutes a very large amount which can play an important role in combating poverty, narrowing class gap and ensuring an over-all development. The leaders of Islam have said that the amount of zakat has been so precisely determined that if all those on whom zakat is due, pay it honestly, poverty can be totally uprooted. Poverty exists only because a large number of people evade the obligation of this vital duty of theirs. The eight categories prescribed for the expenditure of the zakat money fully illustrate the aim and importance of this Islamic Law and throw light on its role in the formation of a healthy society.
The details of these eight categories have been given in the Holy Quran. “Zakat is only for the poor, the needy and the officials appointed over them, those whose hearts are made to include (to truth) and the ransoming of the captives and those in debt and in the way of Allah, and the way farers; an ordinance from Allah and Allah is All knowing and All wise.”
It is to be noted that the term, in the way of Allah is very wide and covers all development projects as well as such items as education, health and construction of bridges, roads, hospitals and schools.
Khums
“Khums” means payment of 20 percent of surplus income in a year, i.e. 20 per cent of what is left of the total annual income after meeting all expenses of that year. It is an Islamic tax which is levied to meet the requirements of collective life such as help to the needy, eradication of poverty, propagation of Islam and all other material and moral needs of the Muslim society. Khums is due only on the surplus and not the entire income. Hence, those whose expenditure is more than or equal to their income do not have to pay anything on this account. Only those whose income exceeds their expenditure should pay 20 per cent of the surplus to the public treasury .The money so realized comes to a considerable amount and enables the Muslims to solve many of their religious, social and material problems.
Khums is not confined to the earned income only. It is also levied on what is obtained from mines, what is extracted from the sea by means of diving and on buried treasure dug out of the earth and not owned by anybody. It is also due on spoils of war . In all these cases it is levied on the total income. Only production expenses are deducted. The details of the way how income derived from khums is to be distributed and the categories of its expenditure are given in the Islamic jurisprudence and are beyond the scope of this book.
Charity
Spending in the way of Allah is not obligatory , but Islam has attached much importance to it. There are many verses in the Holy Quran on this subject.
Charity is one of the factors which help in the equitable distribution of wealth and eradication of poverty. Alms may be given for individuals or charitable objects. Distribution of alms through charitable institutions according to a well-laid out program and under the supervision of God-fearing people is an effective way of helping the poor .
Wakf (Endowment)
Creation of endowments helps in the equitable distribution of wealth and prevents its concentration in the hands of a few. There are two kinds of endowments:
1. Public
2. Private
In the case of private endowments the beneficiaries are only a few individuals or a limited class such as the children or descendants of the grantor .
In the case of public endowments, which are far more common, the corpus of the donated property is transferred to the public or a large class of society and becomes a part of public property. Islam has encouraged the creation of endowments and the Imams themselves have set an example in this respect. Through endowments a large portion of Private property is turned into public property and thus it becomes available for the service of the masses. This in itself is a big step towards just and even distribution of wealth.
How Wealth is Created?
From the Islamic point of view the true and absolute ownership of all things belongs to Allah alone.
He owns everything that exists in the universe. His ownership is real and has creative aspect, because He is the Creator and Sustainer of everything. “Whatever exists in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him.”
Hence others can become owners only with His permission and in accordance with His laws and commands.
Private Ownership
Islam respects private ownership and considers that everybody is the owner of the fruits of his own labor. It recognizes labor as the basis of ownership This is a natural law which has been endorsed by Islam. Everybody is the natural owner of his self and his mental and physical faculties. As his products are in reality only a crystallization of his existing faculties, he is the owner of the products of his labor.
Rehabilitation and Acquisition
“He, who brings barren land under cultivation, is the owner of it.” This is a saying of the Holy Prophet.
Acquiring minerals and other natural resources before anybody else discovers them is another cause of ownership. According to Islamic law, he who acquires it, is the owner. As bringing barren land under cultivation and acquiring natural resources involve labor, it is clear that labor is the main factor in creating wealth.
Of course, the Islamic government has a right to arrange the cultivation of barren land and the excavation of mineral resources on its own and to utilize the return for the benefit of the general public.
Islam attaches great importance to the right of the workers. According to Islamic traditions, ignoring the rights of a worker is an unpardonable sin. A well-known tradition says that the Holy Prophet raised a worker's hand which had swollen as the result of hard work and said: “This is the hand which is liked by Allah and His Prophet.”
Circulation of Wealth
Islam has imposed special taxes on the stagnant wealth, which is not in circulation (such as Zakat on coined gold and silver after the completion of one year), and thus has taken a practical step to encourage circulation of wealth. The Holy Quran has condemned the hoarders and those who keep their wealth stagnant and do not utilize it for the benefit of the people.
Further, the Islamic traditions much encourage commerce, agriculture, cattle breeding and setting up of industries. In authentic books of Hadith, many traditions are found which clearly show that Islam aims at the maximum mobilization of all human and financial resources for the benefit of the people on the whole.
Usury and Interest- Free Loan
To stimulate productivity, Islam strictly forbids usury so that no body may live on interest without doing any productive work.
Usury upsets the balance of wealth and widens the gap between the haves and have-nots. It makes the rich richer and the poor poorer . lam says that usury is a mortal sin, and nobody an become the owner of the money earned through practicing it. The money thus earned must be returned to its rightful owner .
There are two kinds of usury and both of them are forbidden.
1. Loan Usury
2. Trade Usury
Lending money on the condition that it will be aid back with something added to it, is called usury. It is immaterial whether the rate of Interest is large or small, or whether it is paid in cash or in kind. Anyhow, there is no harm if the debtor willingly pays anything out of goodwill without any prior condition.
Trade means selling of a thing in exchange for another of the same kind, but with a difference in quantity. For example to sell 10 kilograms of good quality wheat in exchange for 12 kilograms of medium quality wheat will constitute usury .Detailed conditions of such forbidden deals are given in books of Islamic law.
Interest -Free Loan
Islam exhorts people to give as much interest free Loan as is possible. According to certain traditions, this is such an act of virtue that its reward will be more than that of alms (free aid in the way of Allah). Probably the reason is that many of those who seek loans are respectable people who. Even when they are badly in need of money, do not condescend to accept free aid or alm, because they consider doing that, below their dignity and position, whereas the persons who accept do not have such scruples. For this reason, giving interest-free loan is considered more rewarding. At the same time, Islam allows the creditors to require the deposit of adequate security with them up to the full value of the loan. In case a debtor fails to pay up the loan, the creditor is allowed to deduct an equal amount from the security and return the remainder to its owner. Giving interest-free loans is effective in the cultivation of friendship and love and in removing complexes which often exist between high income and low-income individuals. This is the simplest form of service which the well- off people can render to the les fortunate.
Ref: Imam Reza Network

Islamic Economic System

By: Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi
1. The Middle Path
Islam is a complete way of life. It is not only concerned with the spiritual upliftment of human beings, it is equally concerned about their material and physical wellbeing. Islam guides its followers in financial and economic matters, in social and political affairs, and also in moral and personal spheres of human life.
In this lesson, I will briefly describe the economic system. However, one must always remember that the Islamic economic system is not in itself complete; it is a part of the overall system of life. Islam is a compact system of life in which all its aspects (religious, ideological, social, political and ethical) are well synchronized. Muslims will succeed only if they put the whole system into work, and not just choose and pick from it according to their likes and dislikes.
Anyhow, for this lesson, the simplest way to describe the Islamic economic system is by highlighting its differences with capitalism and communism.
Capitalism is an economic doctrine based on the idea of private ownership of the means of production and distribution. It is a system in which the capitalist is given a free hand; and government does not regulate anything for the benefit of the workers. For example, there is no minimum or fair wage. Everything is left on the principle of supply and demand. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Poverty is equated to idleness; personal shortcomings are considered the chief cause of poverty. Hence, in its ideal system, capitalism has no room for compassion and benevolence towards the poor and the needy.
A similar mentality also existed among some aristocrats of Mecca. The Qur'ân says, “When it is said to them, `Give charity from what God has given to you,' the unbelievers say to the believers, `Should we feed the person whom God, if He wished, could feed?'” (36:47)
It was to remedy this situation that some thinkers of the West promoted the ideas of communism. The economic doctrine of communism is based on the idea of centralized public ownership of the means of production and distribution. The communists went to the other extreme and completely denied the concept of private ownership. Communism was a reaction to the vices of capitalism; but a reaction which tried to completely supress a concept ingrained in us by nature, that is, private ownership. Naturally, as soon as the masses were given political freedom, they rebelled against communism. The collapse of this system in Soviet Union and Eastern Europe is a living testamony to this fact.
Although communism has failed, it had quite an impact on the economic policies of many countries. Quite a few Western capitalist countries, to prevent the spread of communism, modified their economic system and created what is now known as welfare states. A welfare state allowes provisions to prevent exploitation of the workers and to provide for the basic needs of each citizen.
Islam is “a straight path;” and naturally, its economic system is based on very balanced standards. Islam, in contrary to communism, recognises the concept of private ownership. But, in contrary to capitalism, Islam has limited the means of acquiring wealth to prevent the excessive accumulation of wealth in a minor quarter of the society.
The Islamic economic system is based upon the belief that only Allah is the real and actual owner of everything. But God has also implanted the concept of ownership in our nature; and thus, we are allowed to “own” the wealth of this world. The Qur'ân says, “Whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah.” (2:284) Allah is the owner of the whole universe. It is in this capacity that He has allowed us to own the blessings of this world by saying, “He has created for you whatever that is in the earth.”(2:29)
However, Islam also wants to prevent the excessive accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few people so the society may not fall into two classes: one is overstuffing, while the other is starving. The chance of such a situation is very real. A look at one of the richest nation in the world, the United States of America, and its problem of the poor, hungry and homeless people will bear us out. The Qur'ân justifies the concept of tax by saying, “...so that (the wealth) may not become a monopoly of the rich among you.” (59:7)
In the early period of the Islamic history, such a situation actually occured. When `Uthmân bin `Affân became caliph, he handled the public wealth in such a manner that within a short time, his tribe, the Umayyads, became the richest people in the Muslim empire. Imam ‘Ali bin Abi Tâlib, in a famous sermon, explains the reasons why he was reluctant to accept the caliphate after `Uthmân's murder. The Imam says, “Had it not been for the pledge of Allah with the learned people that they should not be indifferent to the gluttony of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed, I would have cast the rein of caliphate on its shoulders...”[30] Top in the list of priorites of Imam ‘Ali's caliphate was the re-establishment of social justice in the Muslim community. And it this same agenda which created strong opposition to ‘Ali among those who were used to special privileges during the previous caliphate.
Islam does not only teach equality of the Muslims in the eyes of Allah, but it also promotes equality in economic sphere. However, “equality” in Islam does not mean “similarity”. Islam aims to elevate all its followers to the level of ghina—being free from want. It is this equality which Islam strives for in its economic system.
2. The Economic Equality
To bring about this equality in the economic condition of the people, Islam has introduced various methods. An important method is the transferring of the excess wealth from the fortunate sector of the society to its less fortunate members. This is done on two different levels: on an individual level and on a collective level.
On Individual Level:
Economic equality is pursued through the moral and ethical teachings of charity. In Arabic, this is known as sadaqa and infâq. There are many verses in the Qur'ân which command the Muslims to help others voluntarily. There are more verses dealing with voluntary charity than the obligatory dues. Every one is morally obliged to help others according to his or her own means and resources.
First level of charity: They ask you (O Muhammad) as to what they should spend (in way of charity). Say, “Whatever can be spared (from your wealth after your own expenses).” (2:219)
Second level of charity: ...The pious (are) those who...spend (in charity) from whatever We have given to them. (2:3)
Third level of charity: The pious people (are) those who spend (benevolently) in good and bad days. (3:134)
In all these levels, one must remember to follow the path of moderation: neither keep your hand shackled to your neck (out of greed), nor outspread it completely open—otherwise you will sit reproached and denuded. (17:29)
Someone asked Imam Ja`far as-Sâdiq about a group of people who are prosperous while their Muslim brothers are in severe need. Is it right for the rich people to eat and drink satisfactorily while their brothers are hungry, especially during the difficult days? The Imam said, “Surely a Muslim is brother of a Muslim; he does not oppress his brother, neither abandons him nor deprives him. The Muslims are obliged to work hard for their brother, to relate to him, to help him, and to be charitable towards the needy people.”
On Collective Level:
Economic equality is guaranteed through the obligatory taxes on the excess wealth of every Muslim. In an ideal Islamic society, the Islamic government is responsible for enforcing the laws of Islamic taxes like khums, zakât, fitrah, khirâj, etc. For example, while explaining the role of an Imam in his capacity as a leader, Imam Musa al-Kâdhim says, “The Imam is the heir of a person who has no heir, and he is the provider of a person who has no provider.”
This economic security is to be extended to all the subjects of an Islamic state, even if they are non-Muslims. Once Imam ‘Ali passed by an old man who was begging on the side of the road. The Imam asked, “What is this?” The people said, “O Amîru 'l-mu'minîn, he is a Christian.” The Imam said, “You have used him until he became old and is unable (to work any longer), and then you have deprived him (of his basic needs)!! Provide for him from the public treasury.”
In short, Islam aims at eliminating the “need” (hâjat), and elevating the needy people to the level of being “free from want” (ghani).
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