Economics- Its Concept and Purpose in Islam: Part 1
Nawaz
It is my little effort to share what i have gone through in order to
understand economics. The word economics though having only 9 letters
but we all are witnessing its impact throughout the history of
mankind. The Islam has its own economic principle according to the
divine laws of Allah Almighty mentioned in Quran. But here i shall
tell you one thing there is not a single place in this world where
economic cocept of Quran has been practised even in the so called
muslim countries. Well you have an option to read this article and
then see !;
Economics- Its Concept and Purpose in Islam: Part 1
====================================================
The economics of zakah and its relevance to modern times is a hotly
debated issue among both religious and liberal Muslims. This series of
articles will attempt to explain the concept of zakah in the light of
only the Quran and the faithful implementation of this concept by our
Prophet (pbuh). We will see how a similarly implemented system can
solve the current economic problems of not just Muslims, but of the
whole world.
Real Economics- Zakah, First Universal Welfare System:
======================================================
Contrary to the beliefs of both religious and secular Muslims, the
Prophet's achievements were based not on ephemeral but on the
permanent values of the Quran. He brought about the greatest
revolution - even an economic and political miracle - in human history
(see Michael Hart, THE 100, pages 3-10). In a very short time after
the prophet migrated to Medina and implemented the system of salaah
and zakah, the economic condition of the people changed. (For a
detailed discussion about the system of salaah, see a two part article
in MONITOR, pages 6-10, September/October 1998, and pages 7-12,
december1998/January 1999)
The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said: If a single person were
to sleep hungry in a town, then God's protection is lifted from such a
town. [ Masnad Imam Ahmad ] This hadith emphasizes that no one (Muslim
or non-Muslim) under this system should go hungry. Thus this zakah
system created the first universal welfare system in human history. It
also gradually transformed the existing slave-based economy to a
universal welfare-based economy. By the end of the Prophet's period,
the entire Arabian Peninsula enjoyed economic as well as political
security. This system reached its pinnacle during Khalifa 'Umar's time
(again, see Michael Hart, THE 100, pages 261-265), a time when,
history tells us, hardly anyone was in need of charity.
What has occurred then in the intervening years that the Muslim masses
are suffering economic deprivation even though they live in areas with
plenty of natural resources?
What Happened Then ?
====================
Muslims and non-Muslims alike ask the question: If the system
implemented by our Prophet (pbuh) and Sahabaa (r) was so good, why did
it not continue? The answer is simple: we changed or abandoned the
system implemented by the Prophet. Instead of deciding matters with
open consultation, as the Quran requires, the Ummayad and Abbasid
dynastic rulers created a dictatorship under the guise of " Shari'iah
" and " Ijma'a ". This was a ploy to fool the people. The rulers first
acquired illegal political authority, and then delegated religious
authority to Imams appointed by themselves.
Thus they hijacked the train of Islam from the track of our Prophet
(pbuh) and his Sahabba (r) and put it on a new track called " Shari'ah
." Since then, a minority of the rich and powerful has been riding
this train and entertaining their friends while exploiting the vast
majority of Muslims along the way. Consequently, common Muslims have
continued to live in poverty and to suffer intergenerational economic
misery. Islam's system of zakah has had nothing to do with this sad
state of affairs.
Our Present Approach to Zakah
=============================
Today, we are taught that zakah is one of the pillars of Islam. zakah
is generally translated as charity or poor-due and it is required to
be distributed according to the details given in the Shari'ah .
However, the descendents of the Prophet (pbuh), generally known as
"Syeds" in the Indian subcontinent, are forbidden to take zakah
according to this Shari'ah . No matter how poor, they are considered
superior by birth compared to other Muslims due to their supposed
relationship with the Prophet (pbuh). Obviously, this is against our
Prophet's Sunnah since he proclaimed justice, fairness, and equality
for all, regardless of family or blood relationship.
The dispensation of zakah is regulated by different rates (called
shar'h ) for different items (called nisaab ) whose details are given
in books of hadith and Fiqh . Zakah on money is 2.5% of the savings
over a period of one year according to the Shari'ah . There are many
conditions attached to the giving and receiving of zakah. There is no
uniformity even among the Sunnis in the restrictions, rates, and even
the items of zakah.
In addition, there are different books of Fiqh and Shari'ah for
different Muslim sects or schools of thought! Although Islamic
scholars know about these differences in zakah among the Muslim sects,
they rarely bring them out into the open, since it is in the interest
of these scholars to keep the people ignorant.
The differences in zakah among the four Sunni Imams are not as major
as among the Sunni and Shi'ia Imams. For example, in Fiqh Jaffariah ,
there is no zakah on paper currency. So, for the followers of this
Fiqh there is no Zakah on bank accounts. When General Zia-ul-Haq, the
Pakistani military ruler instituted compulsory zakah in Pakistan, the
Shi'ia 'Ulema revolted against it and refused to abide by the
government's zakah ordinance. Ultimately, the government excluded
Shi'ias from the yearly bank account deductions. This led many Sunnis
to declare themselves Shi'ias on their bank forms to avoid paying
zakah on their bank accounts.
Conclusion
==========
Dear sisters and brothers! We must re-turn to the true spirit of the
Quran; we must have the courage to follow the Islam of our Prophet
(pbuh), which requires real sacrifice and a drastic change in our
lifestyles. We must go back to the Quran as the primary source, and
not to the rulings of Islamic scholars from the time of the Ummayad
and Abbasid rulers.
In Part 2 of this article we will look at the real meaning and
significance of zakah - the Arabic word zakah with its root z-k-w ,
which means growth and development, not charity or poor-due. Keeping
this meaning in full view, zakah is supposed to ultimately lead to
growth and development of all human beings; it is supposed to remove
the need for charity or poor-due in the long term. We will see how
zakah not only leads to the economic progress of individuals and all
human beings, but to their spiritual progress as well. We will also
note the difference between Sadaqaa and Zakah.
Source: http://www.parvez-video.comislam/economy/page1/index.asp
Thanks & Regards
Nawaz