Mouood Mouood English Edition
The same is true in case of many other societies, with their overall regulatory or facilitation framework based on, and reflected in, individual conduct of business, or approach to work. However, where Islamic Laws emphasize promotion of wholesome individual procedures, these do necessarily provide for a salutary basis of transactions, such as loan financing and employing others, or getting oneself employed. This implies salutary effects on the society, too. Thus, the laws affect both the individual and his society.
Accordingly, if we wish to separate an individual program from the social program, we will be definitely contradicting ourselves. Islam, in stipulating and enhancing the quality of human behaviour, determines or covers all aspects of Man’s work, confirming the existence of a societal regulatory system in its legal and ideological framework. I fail to comprehend those who are skeptical about the existence of an Islamic framework for economy and its suitability for solving the economic difficulties. What do they say about the early Islamic period when the socio-economic problems were successfully tackled by the Muslims, so as to result in positive improvements?
Islam and the Prophet of Islam (S) were instrumental in bringing about the congenial socio-economic (and political) conditions. They had answers to the production and distribution aspects of the economy and society.
It is impossible to imagine a society during the Prophet’s time without an economic system. It is impossible that the society did not possess a system in order to improve economic life, and distribute wealth among the people in a just manner. On the other hand, it is inconceivable to imagine an economic system separate and unrelated to Islam and the Prophet of Islam (S).
No doubt, Islam and the Prophet of Islam (S) found the solutions which led to the Islamic socioeconomic system. In other words, they established the basis of Islamic socio-economic policy.
The above explanations may be sufficient for anyone to accept the fact of the Islamic coverage of economic matters. However, it is notable that the Islamic commandments, principles, traditions and laws, although clear in themselves, require to be collected, collated, analysed and consolidated, so as to constitute a distinctive ideological and legal framework for any socio-economic policy- making.
For, instance the Islamic commandments prescribe human brotherhood, justice and equal rights for practice by Muslims in particular, even in the socio-economic sectors of production and distribution of wealth. Then, there are specific legal provisions concerning matters of detail, such as reviving (cultivable) land, extraction of minerals, Rent. Mozarebeh (capitalist-labour Joint enterprise), usury (or interest), taxes (e.g. Zakat, Khoms, Kharraj), and public financing under Bait al-Maal.
In the above context, it is quite possible that any Islamic researcher may not find anything specifically opposed to economic freedom in principle, as implied in capitalism. On the other hand, he will surely find contrasting evidence (signifying moral conditioning of the freedom), in terms of prohibition of usury, legal provisions against owning land(with agricultural/mining potential) without making it productive, and the Shari’a authority to fix commodity and other prices,’ among similar other legal provisions,
The Moral Basis of Economics in Islam
Sometimes it is argued that the socioeconomic aspects of Islam represent only a part of its overall ethical code, rather than any specific methodology of economic significance, since, morality constitutes the basis of the Islamic teachings.
This argument treats the Islamic teachings as no more significant than passive moralizations normal for all religions. It presupposes that the practical significance of the Islamic teachings is confined to their promotion of morality in and among individuals.
Further, it implies that the Muslims’ sublime rapport with God and their brotherhood with the co-religionists do not extend to any regulation of the social welfare aspect. In short, the skeptics give an impression that the Islamic teachings serve as mere recommendations. In their judgment, these differ from any secular economic methodology, in the same way as a moralist’s exhortation of individuals towards mutually establishing salutary human relationships does from a social reformers planned improvement of his people’s conditions and seeking to determine their social rights!
In support of the above argument, the skeptics acknowledge that Islam teaches Muslims to unite and practise human brotherhood. They recognize that Islam enjoins its adherents from doing anything contrary to the divine prescriptions of rectitude, truthfulness, honesty, moderation, consideration, patience, and similar other virtues, on the part of the individual Muslims, or even mankind as a whole.
The alleged absence of systematic content of economic significance in Islam is not borne out by the actual position. The skeptical interpretation in this regard seeks to reduce the idea of an Islamic economy from its real position of a school of thought to an imaginary level of recommendatory, moral exhortations.
No doubt, morality permeates Islam. It’s essentially moral teachings are comprehensive enough to render the individual and societal conditions, including the economic status, wholesome; this is made possible through mutually salutary human relationships in the appropriate societal conditions envisaged in Islam.
Islam commands its followers to abstain from and oppose any kind of oppression, selfish exploitation and injustice. The socio-economic aspect of Zakat, for example, is treated not only in quantitative terms of taxation, but in the qualitative terms of its salutary effects on the tax payer and the beneficiaries. What is more significant is the fact that Zakat has been religiously prescribed as an obligatory act of devotion to God, at par with Namaz (Prayer), the Ramadan fast and the Haj. Moreover, the Islamic teachings repeatedly emphasize that .the rich and the affluent must always support and enhance the status of the poor and the needy.
Clearly, the Islamic teachings (commandments, exhortations and guidelines) aim at strengthening the morale of individuals. These are action-oriented and, as such, go beyond any passive moralizations. Accordingly, their comprehensive scope and legal significance extends to realization of a systematic Islamic economy, consistent with their socioeconomic implications.
Yet, it does not mean that Islamic role is that of an advisor only, so that it is incapable of formulating a method and system for society in all its aspects, including the economic.
Islam forbids man’s injustice to man, or any persecution arising from violation of human rights. In doing so, it invites people to be righteous and just in honouring each other’s rights, This it does by first conceptualizing justice (and human values) in its own ideological perspective, so that the enlightened Muslims can clearly distinguish between what is right and lawful in Islam and what is wrong and unlawful or unjust. Thus, they are meaningfully induced not to exceed the (moral, ideological and legal) limits determined by Islam.
Islam does neither allow others to interpret the moral concepts, human values or rights , nor advocate any’ existing ones, as advisers normally do, Islam clarifies what it means by justice, and states the general rules concerning matters, such as production and distribution of, and transactions in, wealth. It also explains what it considers to be unjust. or an oppression.
