Economic System of Quran by G A Parwez published by tulueislam

8/6/2019 Economic System of Quran by G A Parwez published by tulueislam

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ECONOMIC SYSTEM

OF THE HOLY QURAN

G. A. Parwez

IDARA TOLU-E-ISLAM (REGD.) 25-B, GULBERG-2, LAHORE-54660 PAKISTAN


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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Name of the PamphletAuthor

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Economic System of The Holy QUTanLate Ghulam Ahmad ParwezMiss Saleena KarimNottingham, UK.Idar. Tolu-e-lslam25-B. Gulberg 2. Lahore-S4660PAKlSTANPhone +9242 571 4546.Email: ldaralivtoluislam.comWebsite: bttp:llwww.toluislam.com

May. 2005Bazm Tolu-e-Islam London76 Park Road.Ilford Essex .IGI ISF UKPhone & Fax 44 208 553 1896Email: bf1Zm.londoDIQivirgin,nctWebsite: www,islam2Linfo
http:///reader/full/ldaralivtoluislam.comhttp:///reader/full/bttp:llwww.toluislam.comhttp:///reader/full/ldaralivtoluislam.comhttp:///reader/full/bttp:llwww.toluislam.com


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3conomic System of the Holy Quran

CONTENTS Preface .................................................................................5 Translator's Note ...............................................................10 Glossary of terms used in this booklet ............................... 12 Economic System of tbe Holy Quran .............................17 Prayer of Prophet Abraham (PBUH) ................................. 18 Iatroductory Principles ....................................................... 19 Milestone ...........................................................................20

FIRST STAGE Individual Life ...................................................................21 Individual AppeaJ ...............................................................21 Sadaqaat (alms) .................................................................22 Reforms in goods and wealth .............................................23 Agricultural reform ............................................................24

SECOND STAGE Towards a collective life ....................................................25

Riba (capital interest) is like a war against the Quranic

Collective administration of sadaqaat ...............................25 Reforms with regards to goods and wealth ........................27 Rights of the needy and the destitute .................................27 Plunder ...............................................................................28 Accumulation of wealth.....................................................29 System................................................................................29 Next step pertaining to land ...............................................31 Compensation oflabour.....................................................33 Control of land possession .................................................36


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THIRD STAGE Accomplishment of the work ............................................. 36 Justification for establishing the Islamic State ...................37 Covenant with Allah ..........................................................37 Variance of capability ........................................................38 Qaroonism (capitalism) ......................................................39 Qul-al a/aw (Surplus to your needs) .................................39 The land issue ................................................................... .40 The land belongs to Allah ..................................................41 Opposition to this system .................................................. .43 Al Hamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) ................................. ..44 Guidance of Wahi ..............................................................45 Human Personality .............................................................46 Believing in the Hereafter ................................................. .4 7 References..........................................................................54


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PrefaceIn 1980 C. Gordon Tether, a prolific columnist,wrote about thc plight of poor people in the Third World in

an article titled If the World belongs /0 everyone in theFinancial Times of London. We think it fit to print salientpoints of this to bring about the current thinking of thereformists about global economic reforms.

'Mr Maurice Strang, a high official of the UnitedNations certainly put the cat among the pigeons when hetold fellow Canadians during a recent visit to Ottawa thatthe time had come to start questioning the "sovereignrights" of countries to the resources that happen to belocated within their borders.'What he was proposing was that the developingdebate on "the sacred concepts of private property" shouldnow be extended to consider the proposition that "Theworld belongs to everyone" - that is to say, neither nationnor individuals are entitled to lay claim to adisproportionately large share of its riches.'There have been suggestions in oil consumingcountries in recent months that a situation where in the oilsheikhdoms of the Middle East with their miniaturepopulations command a large slice of the world's fuelsupplies is intolerable - so intolerable that some kind ofinternational trustee system should be set up

compulsorily, if it cannot he arranged on a voluntary basis- to develop these reserves "in the interests of the world asa whole."'Mr Strang's tour de force was concerned withpointing out that what is good for the Arabs might well he


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6conomic System of the Holy Quranheld to be equally good for those other countries thatgeography has treated in particularly indulgent fashion inthe resources sense. And he went on to indicate that Canadawith vast oil-coal and uranium reserves but less than onepercent of the world's population might well be "One of thefirst countries to be challenged if it adopted a policy ofnarrow and defensive nationalism." By way of justification,he pointed out that Values were changing and that just asthe "Once sacred concept of private property had beeneroded by the concept of benefiting the greatest numbers"so was the sovereign right of a country to its resources isnow being seriously questioned .

Needless to say, the idea is not going to go down atall well with those who happen to be among the "Haves"rather than the "Have nots". There is obviously room fordebate as to how far outsiders can be said to have alegitimate claim to property or other assets created by aman's or a nation's own efforts. Naturally, it is not so easyto defend individual or national claims to sovereignty overan unduly large share of "what came naturally" - the land,the sea, the energy and other resources located in thebowels of the earth .

Paying Tribute: Is it, lor example right that becausethe Creator chose to locate the great bulk of the world'smore accessible oil in the desert areas of the Persian Gulf,the impoverished millions of the poor countries should nowbe having to devote a significant part of their grosslyinadequate spending power to pay lor the fuel they need"?Again is it fair that because prices of the finished productshave multiplied in the affluent West in recent years, thecomparatively poor countries have 10 part with their meagreincomes to buy these products at exorbitant prices?


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'Ecologists have been arguing for some time that, ifwe want to ensure that the onward march of affluence doesnot soon put our civilisation in peril, we shall have toevolve global policies for the use of scant resourcesincluding land.

'Only in this way, they maintain and withconsiderable justification, can we make sure that we getboth balanced utilization and adequate conservation of theresources that are indispensable to the survival, let alonethe prosperity of the world's rapidly increasing population.'What the UN Chief is contending is that there isalso a need in some senses more urgent one for aparallel crusade. Its objective would be to bring about amore equitable sharing out of the ownership of all natural

resources at both national and international levels not onlyas an act of social justice but also to make the world a more.efficient and happier place to live in.'Over the past few years there has been a wind ofchange in economic thinking moving towards the typeshown in the above article. Many people in affluent

countries, who are now socially-conscious enough to thinkabout the fate of the poor countries, feel instinctively guiltyabout the extravagance, conspicuous consumption andwaste of scarce natural resources in the Western world. TheWest's affluence, after all, is bought with the sweat andsufferings of the world's exploited poor. In the words of exBritish Prime Minister Edward Heath, "it is theunacceptable ugly face of naked capitalism". The globalcapitalist system, whether in oil producing countries or theoil consuming West, is harming the conditions of tlie ThirdWorld's poor.


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This sentiment is also extended to the issue ofThirdWorld debt. Recently Gordon Brown. Chancellor of theExchequer British Government echoed the same feelingsthat the world must attend to the needs of the poor. In 2002,he and the International Monetary Fund's managingdirector. Horst Koehler, announced that a law should bepassed that would allow countries drowning in debt todeclare bankruptcy, aller which creditor countries would beforced to negotiate more lenient repayment terms.However, this proposal was fiercely opposed by largebanks in the US and other wealthy countries that loanmoney to developing nations. This is because any fiscalmonetary reforms by the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme would threaten the vital interests ofmultinationals based in the advanced capitalist world.

One must ask the question now of whether there isany plausible alternative system that would completelyremove or at least significantly reduce the poverty we seetoday. The answer is YES Islam provides anunambiguous Quranic commandment: "Lo! Allah enjoinsJustice and Indemnification (Al-Adl wal-Ihsan) (Al-QuranSura 16, verse 90). Translated onto economic plane, whileAI-Adl (justice) requires a delicate and just balance amongstthe production, consumption and distribution relationshipin the economy, Al-Ihsan (indemnification) enjoins aspecial concern for the economically downtrodden in thesociety. Hence, the basic objective oflhe Islamic economicphilosophy is the eradication of absolute poverty,feudalism, illiteracy, gross inequalities of income andwealth, widespread unemployment and disease.

The most important element of wealth is landedproperty, which is not only the source of inequity,but alsosocial tensions and moral degeneratiun in society.


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9conomic System of the Holy QuranIt is tberefore essential for a society to take strong

steps to regulate this institution in a manner, whichconfonns to the Quranic concept of Trusteeship rather thanthat of ownership as advocated above by the U.N.'s highofficial Maurice Strang. The concept of Trusteeship, orcollective ownership, is fully elucidated in the Holy Quran.Mr GhuIam Ahmad Parwez (1903-1985 ), founder

of Tolu-e-Islam Movement, Lahore, Pakistan and arenowned Islamic scholar, commentator and revolutionaryrefonner, authored almost forty-five voluminous books onvarious aspect of Islam. He in particular wrote extensivelyon the subject of economic theory from the QuranicPerspective. His voluminous work Nizaam-e-Rububiyyal(System of the Development and provision of UniversalSustenance) is a masterpiece on Islamic Economics. Hewrote many essays on the subject, which were printed in.pamphlets. One of his Urdu pamphlets, Quran Ka Mo'ashiNizaam (Economic System of Quran) has been renderedbeautifully and faithfully into English by Miss SaleenaKarim, SSc (Hon), daughter of Mr Fazal Karim, a wellknown poet and writer of Nottingham. We hope it willanswer fully the question of how to bring justice andequality in the disparaging world, and make it a paradise onearth.Maqbool Mahmood FarhatLondon


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10conomic System of the Holy Quran.

Translator's Note

My interest in Islam as a Deen began when I wasaround seventeen years old, and my father introduced me toParwez's work through Tolu-e-Islam's monthly magazine.What instantly attracted me to Totu-e-Islam's articles wasthe cogent and cohesive manner in which they werewritten. Over the years I learned that Islam is not merely areligion with the usual spiritual rhetoric. It is a System. It isthe blueprint for the development and organisation ofhumanity at the individual and the collective level,encompassing morality as well as practicality. It is truly theone and only Paragon.

As I have become increasingly familiar with theEnglish Exposition of the Holy Quran (published by Tolue-Islam Trust), and as I have learned the expoundedmeanings of Quranic terminology, my confidence in theveracity of Islam has continued to grow. I am thankful thatI no longer have blind faith.A brief introduction to this booklet

The management of economics has always beenin one form or another - a problematic issue of everysociety, affecting everyone. The same is true today, exceptthat it has become further complicated with the increasinginterdependence of the world's nations. Economicmanagement at 'the global level as well as at the nationallevel is now reaching a crisis point.

The Quran deals directly and conclusively witheconomics, providing a surprisingly simple solution to thiscomplex issue. The Almighty has designed the Quranicreforms in order to gradually reverse economic inequity


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I Iconomic System ofthc Holy Quranand restore balance. These reforms are expounded skilfullyby G.A Parwez in his booklet, Quran Ka Mo'ashi Nizaam(Economic System of the Quran).

Mr Maqbool Mahmood Farhat, the Coordinator ofLondon Bazm asked me and my father Fazal Karim torender this booklet into English. It is not a literaltranslation, but a running one, since both my father and Istrongly advocate the importance of translating meaning formeaning over word for word, That said, we have tried ourbest to keep as closely to the original wording as possible.Although the translation of this booklet is beingprimarily credited to me I could not have typed a singleword without my father. We are a team; English is my firstlanguage, and his is Urdu; we each make up for the other's

deficits, though to bc frank my Urdu is far weaker than ishis English.We hope that this translation does Mr G.A. Parwezjustice.

Saleena Karim, Nottingham, UK24lh March 2005

Please note that the original author (i.e. Parwez) isnot responsible Jor any ambiguities etc. that may appear inthis English rendering. All such responsibility fails on thetranslator.


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Glossary of terms used in this booklet

The reader may find the following explanations ofQuranic terms useful:Allah:

Deen:

Eiman:

Haram:

Arabic/Quranic reference to the One GodWho is the Lord God, the Creator andSustainer of the entire universe andeverything that is in it. Allah is not anexclusive name for a tribal deity of Muslimsas some Christians, Jews and other non Muslims erroneously believe. It is wrong toconsider Allah as a name for God as Godhas no name, only Attributes.(or Din) A term with no exact Englishequivalent, a 'Way of Life', and in theIslamic context, a social, political systembased on Quranic Values. Deen is generallytranslated incorrectly in English as religion.According to the Holy Quran, the convictionthat results from full mental acceptance andintellectual satisfaction. This kind ofconviction gives one a feeling of amn peace, inner contentment. In addition, aMomin is one who accepts the truth and actsin such a way that it ensures his. own peaceand helps him to safeguard the security ofthe rest of mankind. Amn, Eiman and Mominhave a common root.Unlawful, prohibited according to theQuran.


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13conomic System of the Holy QuranHalal Permissible by Allah. Halal is the antonym

ofHaram. While mentioning the word Halal,Quran also used the word Tayyab- whichmeans pleasant, pure, wholesome andnourishing.Kll'ba: Derived from the Arabic word Ka 'ab, whichliterally means cube. It is a cube shapedstone built structure wrapped in black cloth.

Into one comer of its wall the Hajr-e-Aswad(Black stone) is laid. It was built byAbraham (PBUH) and his son Ishmael(PBUH).Kafir/Kufr: Kafr (v.) is to reject; Kafir (n.) is thus arejecter, non-Muslim, or non-believer

according to the Holy Quran.Momin: One who accepts the truth in such a way thatit ensures his own peace and helps tosafeguard the peace and security of the rest

of mankind, AIm 'omin is one of theAttributes of Allah Himself. See also Eiman.Muhammad: (PBUH), the final Messenger of Allah.Makkah: The holiest of the holy cities is situated in adepression surrounded by barren stark hills.It is the birthplace of the last MessengerMuhammad (PBUH) and abode of thedescendents of Ishmael, son of Abraham

(PBUH).Nafs: It has many meanings including intellect,Personality, or Self, which may be termed asmind, or psyche. Quran uses this word for a


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14conomic System of the Holy Quranspecific thing called Human Personality,which in religious parlance is referred to asthe soul.

PBUH: When Muslims take the name of aMessenger in writing, they usually add thesalutation PBUH (Peace Be Upon Him). Thissalutation is not used in the Quran. It shouldbe implicitly understood that, as mentionedin Sura As-Saaffaat (The Ranks) (37:181),we do convey Peace upon all theMessengers of Allah, and Praise be to Allah,Sustainer of the Universe.

Quran: Holy Scripture of Muslims revealed by GodAlmighty to Messenger MOhammad (PBUH).Its literal meaning is collection, recitation.The Holy Quran is the last of the Divinebooks.Rabb: It is usually translated into English as theLord, which does not convey the realmeaning and significance of the Arabic

word. It means one who providesnourishment, to process a thing with newadditions, alterations or changes so that itshould reach its goal, to bring a thinggradually to perfection. One of God'sAttributes means Nourisher, Cherisher andSustainer.Rabubiyat: The process by which Allah providesnourishment or sustenance (derived fromRabb)


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15conomic System of the Holy QuranRazzakiyat:

Rasool:

RIzq:

Shariyat:

Shirk:

Wahi:

The process by which Allah providesnourishment or subsistence (derived fromRizq).A person chosen by Almighty who receivesDivine guidance and delivers this messagecontinuously. gently and softly to mankindwithout the slightest change or modification.In this pamphlet the use of this term hasbeen restricted for Muhammad (PBUH).The physical necessities of life according tothe Quran; subsistence.Islamic Law, Way of Life. Shariyal issynonymous with Deen.The only unpardonable oUence according tothe Quran. It is the association of partnerswith Allah (i.e. polytheism), whether it isanyone or anything in the human or physicalworld. or the obedience of laws thatcontradict those revealed in the Quran.People who do so are called Mushrikeen.This includes creating divisions within theMuslim community through sectarianism.Al-Wah(vo is a suggestion by a sign that isextremely quick and fast. It also means toinform quickly. to whisper. and also towrite. Wahl (Revelation) therefore is the lawthat Allah has given everything in theuniverse to follow. Whilst animals have nochoice in following the law, humans canchoose whether or not to follow it. However.whilst everything else in the universe


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16conomic System of the Holy Quranreceives the Wah; directly from Allah. inhumans He has only communicated theWah; directly to the Messengers (asRevelation),

Note:With reference to Quranic verses cited in this booklet: TheSura number is written first followed by the verse number.For example. (4:6) means Sura No 4. Verse 6.


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Economic System of the Holy QuranThe Quran is not a book containing religious adviceand counsel, nor does it teach the rituals of worship. Itcontains a complete code and practical guide for everyaspect of human life, with which humanity can estahlish asystem that creates the right conditions for human

development. At the present time in human history we areat the stage in which physical needs and means ofdevelopment are prioritised. The fact is that every(Quranic) code of ethics and civilisation, all precepts andcounsels, prayers and rites of Shariyat, (Islamic law) rightsand duties of an individual and community, and all othermatters pertaining to Deen, apply to living human heings.The dead body (i.e. corpse) is neither a Momin (believer)nor a Kajir (non believer), neither an innocent nor a sinner.It is free of all responsibilities, duties and rights. Accordingto the Holy Quran the living human is so precious thatunjustly killing just one innocent human being is as bad askilling the whole of humanity: and saving one life is asgood as saving the whole of humanity (5:32). This is \yhythe Quran prescribes the most severe punishment for amurderer (4:92-93). Clearly therefore if human lifepossesses so much significance, then it ig easy to imaginethe importance of meeting the needs required tor living.The Holy Quran has termed the needs of life as rizq (meansof subsistence), which in everyday tenns we call "bread'.Any study relating to the subject of 'bread' is temled'economics'. How much importance the Quran places ofthe issue of bread can be seen in the first Sura Al Falihah(The Opening) in which Muslims have been taught theprayer: 'Show us tbe straight way, the way of those onwhom You have bestowed Your Grace.' (1 :6- 7)


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In Sura Al Nahl (The Bee), it is written that peaceand ample sustenance are rewards from Allah, whereashunger and fear is the penalty (16: 112). The privileges ofAdam's paradise as described in the Quran include thecessation of hunger and thirst, and no shortage of shelterand clothing (20: 118). In addition every person wilt receivesustenance in abundance (2:25; 7:19). In Sura Ta-Ha (0'Addressee), it is stated clearly: 'Whosoever turns awayfrom Our laws, his sustenance will also be narroweddown.' It is further stated that such a person will also beraised blind on the Day of Judgement (20: 124). In anotherplace the Quran state that whosoever is 'blind' here onearth will be blind in the Hereafter as well (17:72). In SuraAI Maidah (The Table Spread) it is written: 'Had the Jewsand Christians followed the Torah and Bible they wouldhave been given abundant sustenance from earth andheaven' (5:66) i.e. the doors of blessings from earth andheaven would have been open to them (7:96).Prayer of Prophet Abraham (PBUH)

The significance of sustenance is also apparent fromthe prayer of Abraham (PBUH). When he completed theconstruction of the building of the K 'aba - the' First Houseof Allah on earth' - his first prayer to Allah was: '0Sustainer, make this a city of Peace (i.e. a place ofsanctuary for the oppressed), and feed its people with fruits(Le. grant the bounties of life in abundance) .. . ' (2:126).Messenger Abraham'S (PBUH) prayer is repeated in SuraIbrahim as well (14:37). The people of Makkah have beenreminded as to how Allah kept them 'in peace and securityagainst all danger, and how sustenance carne to them fromevery direction (28:57; 106:4).


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19conomic System of the Holy QuranIntroductory Principles

From the above it is clear how much emphasis theQuran places on the issue of sustenance. In fact this issue isso important that the Quran has not confined guidancethereof to a few mere injunctions. Rather it has provided acomprehensive practical system. To better understand thissystem there are a few fundamental points that must beidentified. Overlooking these points results incomplications such that a given economic system ends upbeing proclaimed Islamic by one group, and Kufr (rejected)by another.

To note the first point: the first nation to receive theguidance of the Holy Quran was at the time governed by asystem that was the exact opposite of the one the Quranordained. Obviously it was not possible to replace theexisting system with the Quranic one overnight. In order toachieve this objective a fundamental change had to bemade in the minds and hearts of the people in whose handsthis System to be established. The Quran brought about thischange over a span of twenty-three years, and thus took thepeople to the System gradually in phases, as was theobjective. Chaos can happen overnight, whereas it takes along time and gradual approach for any revolution to bebrought about. To understand the economic System of theQuran, people must learn and develop in stages along withthe establishment of the System itself and hence movetowards the destination (and this is what happened duringthe Rasool's (PBUH) lifetime).

It must also be noted that the final compiled form ofthe Quran that was given to the Muslims is not in thechronological order of revelation i.e. the Sura revealed firsthas not ultimately been placed as the first and the last oneto be revealed does not appear at the end. An in-depth study


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20conomic System of the Holy Quranof the Holy Book also reveals that not only is the finalsequence the best suited and ideal sequence, but that it wasessential to arrange the Suras in this particular sequence inorder that the Book would serve forever as a complete andpractical code of guidance for humankind. Now a questionarises thus: if the Quean's present compiled order is not thesame as the revelation order, then how can we put the Surasin the relevant order -- linking them from start to finish sowe can learn how the Islamic System was implementedduring the Rasool's (rBUH) lifetime? At first glance thisseems a difficult issue, but in fact it isn't. If the Quran isstudied in depth and with insight, the Suras can be arrangedfrom the first to the last link and can bring us to ourdestination without difficulty or hesitation_ I (Parwez) havestudied the Quran in this manner, and I can thusdemonstrate how easy it is to find the links in thefollowing;Milestone

Firstly, the Quran had clearly determined themilestone for the destination to which it wants to eventuallytake us. This milestone has been described in the first verseof Sura Al Fatiha with the words: All Hamd (Praise I) isfor Allah, the Sustainer of the worlds.' (I; I)

The reason for Allah's worthiness of Hamd is thatHe has provided everything for the maintenance, growthand development of all creation. This is called Rabubiyat-eaalameeni (sustenance for all worlds, or universe), andnone but Allah could or ever will be able to make thisprovision (35:3). How the Rabubiyat-e-aalameeni operatesin the external world (Le. beyond the human context) is notan issue we shall discuss here. Instead we shall draw ourattention to what the Quran states about living organismson earth: 'There is no living thing on the face of the earth


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21conomic System of the Holy Quranfor whom means of sustenance has not been provided byAllah.' (11 :6) With regards to humans Allah declares thatHe is responsible for providing sustenance for humanity aswell as for their children (6: 152; 17:31; 29:60). At the sametime He also makes it clear that this sustenance is not givendirectly (36:47). The responsibility of providing sustenanceis fulfilled at the hand of human beings. A human societythat fulfils this responsibility is termed an Islamic State andthe System they abide by is called the Economic System ofthe Quran. Such a State, which asserts that it has beenestablished in the name of Allah, is thus responsible forproviding sustenance for every individual in the society.Now we shall take a look at the verses and link themtogether to see how the System gradually takes hold.

FIRST STAGEIndividual life

The Quranic System - once it was revealed presented a challenge to the capitalist system that wasalready in effect in the Rasool's time. In this capitalistsystem there were two classes: the exceedingly rich and thedesperately poor. Firstly, an appeal was made to thewealthy class to arrange for the provision of sustenance tothe poor and needy. They were warned that failure to do sowould result in 'distressful wrath' from Allah (69:34-5;76:8-10).Individual appeal

We shall not discuss the consequences of ignoringthe poor here, suffice to say that the rich were told that ifthey did not change the present state of affairs then therewould be chaos. They would no longer have any respect


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22conomic System of the Holy Quranand in their bewilderment they would ask why thishappened to them. In fact the fixed law of Nature wouldanswer this for them, by showing them that is their ownmisdeeds that led to their downfall. At that time, they heldin high regard those with an abundance of wealth andgreater socio-political influence. Whoever was in theminority was not considered worthy of honour and respect;and no one would offer financial or other aid to anyonewhose business failed for whatever reason, nor would theyencourage others to help such a person (89: 17-20).

Those who agreed to join the call for the Revolutionalongside the Rasool (PBUH) became known as the Jamaale-Momineen (Party of Believers). They were also told thatby agreeing to join the Revolution, they were shouldering agreat responsibility. This responsibility included arrangingsustenance for the poor, the orphans, and captives, withoutexpectation of thanks or a favour in return (76:8-9). Theywere warned that this was a very difficult path to take(90: 11-16). Anyone who did not aet accordingly wouldfalsify his or her claim to having Eiman (Conviction)(107:1-3). Fulfilling the needs of the poor and destitutewould be the test for the truthfulness of their claim tohaving Eiman. The Quran calls this Sadaqah (usuallytranslated as 'giving alms').Sadaqaat (alms)

One should take up and fulfil the needs of everypoor person, helping others over family and close ones if itapplies (2:215; 30:38). Helping others in this way shouldnot be seen as doing them a favour; no one should be madeto feel indebted through receiving this help; and nor shouldthis help be given publicly for conceited reasons. Thisshould be done for as an obligatory service to humanity.


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Unfortunately common wisdom tells most people:"Why should we spend our money upon others withoutobliging them or attaining popularity in society?" TheQuran explains that whatever is spent in this cause shall notgo to waste. We should understand this with the analogythat a farmer who sows his seeds in the soil will not bewasting them. In return for every seed the farmer will getgrain in hundreds. Tlius fulfilling the duty of Sadaqaat willprovide the foundations for' a society in which human rightsare protected and its people are spared from the disasterthat arises from human error (2:26176; 14:31).Reforms in goods and wealth

The Quran directed the wealthier Arabs toindividually fulfil the needs of others and at the same timeprovided instructions on how to bring in economic reform(at the societal level).These instructions include:

Do not devour others' property wrongfully(2: 188; 4:29). Since religious leaders devour others' property, do not give them anything; thus encourage them to work to earn their living (9:34). Protect the property of the orphans (4:6; 6:153; 17:34). If women earn something, then lJIen cannot unjustifiably take it for themselves. A woman keeps whatever she earns and a man keeps whatever he earns (4:32). All matters pertaining to finance should be kept on written record. (2:282)


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24conomic System of the Holy QuranIf a debtor is penniless give him or hertime until it is easier to repay the loan, andif he/she is not in a position to pay backthe loan, then it should be nullified(2:280).One must prepare a will for the distributionof bequeathed property (2: 180; 5: 106) If ithappens that the deceased did not set up aor if the will does not fully accountfor all of hislher property, then the estateshould be distributed as per the directivesoutlined in the Quran (4:7; J1-12). Thesedirectives ensure that the property isdistributed fairly.In sales and purchases or financialrelations between employer andemployees, it is imperative that all mattersare dealt with fairly; measures and weightsshould be exact, and merchandise sold to apurchaser must be of good quality for theprice paid. Wages should be given toemployees as per rules and agreed terms(6:153; 7:85; 11:84; 17:35; 83:1-3).

Agricultural reformThe Arabs particularly' in Makkah - did not haveagriculture within their economic system, Hence emphasiswas placed upon trade and business reforms, However theQuranic directive with regards to earning included

agriculture as well as other trade: 'Give, from that whichyou have earned, and of the fruits of the earth (to fulfil theneeds of others).' (2:267). To give to others in this way isdescribed as the 'Right of Allah' in the Quran (6: [42).(This point shall be discussed further later). It has alreadybeen shown that with regards to 'alms' (Sadaqaat) the


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25conomic System of the Holy QuranQuran states that a failure to fulfil the needs of the poor willultimately lead to civil unrest, and positions of honour andprivilege shall become meaningless. Similarly with regardsto agriculture it is explained that if we fail to fulfil the'Right of Allah' to the poor and needy, our crops will beburnt to ashes (18:32-44; 68: 17-33), and our children toowill face severe disaster (2:266).

SECOND STAGETowards a collective life

In the first stage the emphasis of the instructionswere focused on individuals. During that period those whowere convinced by the veracity of the call gathered aroundthe Messcng.:r (i.e. the Rasool (PBUH and a new societystarted to emerge. This marked the second stage of theRevolution. At this stage reforms shifted focus fromindividual to the (collective) societal level. DUring the firststage, individuals were responsible for helping the needy attheir own will and this was interpreted as Sadaqaat. In thesecond stage however, Sadaqaat had to be collected at asocietal level.Collective administration ofSadaqaat

Since the Rasool (PBUH) was the first Head of theIslamic State, it was his responsibility to see to thecollection of the Sadaqaat (9: I 03), and to distrihute thecollections for the welfare of society as described in SuraAI Taubah (Atonement) (9:60).

The beneficiaries of this expenditure are (and were):1) the poor, 2) those who cannot earn for any reason, 3)those employed to administer the Sadaqaat, 4) those who


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wish to Jom the Divine order but cannot for financialreasons, 5) refugees of oppression, 6) those in debt, thosewho fight in the cause of Allah, and 7) stranded travellers.(Note: Today these items of Sadaqaal expenditure havebeen mistaken for Zakaat. The actual definition of Zakaalwill be elucidated later *).In the first stage individuals had been directed togive a debtor time to repay a loan, or nullitY it if necessary

(2:280). At this stage however the directive was: 'Givecredit to Allah' (57:18; 73:20), i.e. When the CentralAuthority (i.e. the Rasool (PBUH) appeals for help,everyone should offer whatever they can afford. TheCentral Authority will spend this 'loan' towards items forthe people's protection, and later, when the societybecomes established and strong, then whatever was givenin loan 'to Allah' will be returned completely (8:60).However if the people are miserly (out of selfishness), thenthey will be destroyed; therefore, they were warned not to'purchase destruction with their own hand' (2: 195). So howwill this destruction come about? They will be erased to bereplaced by another nation which will be unlike them(47:38). Individual selfishness (sometimes called'temptation by the Devil') will influence them in thinkingthey would be better off keeping their money forthemselves in case they should need it (2:268). In realityhowever this is a delusion, since if there is chaos in society,individual assets will neither help nor protect them; theywill be useless. Those who believe otherwise and theirfollowers will face disaster and destruction (4;37; 57:24;92:8-9). It must be remembered that whatever people givefor the benefit of humanity will not only give themprotection but will also enable them to grow anddevelopfurther (92:18). Humanity'S present struggle and efforts and

inevitably enable not only physical growth anddevelopment, but also that of the Self - which is the


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ultimate goal. Growth and development of the Self istermed 'Nearness to Allah' because the attributes of Allahmanifest (within human limits) in human beings. This'Nearness to Allah' is not achieved through theaccumulation of wealth; rather it is achieved by 'Giving toAllah' (34:37).Reforms with regards to goods and wealth

There is no doubt that the normal joys of life suchas building up wealth and having a family (i.e. wife andchildren) is something that attracts just about everybody.However if we allow these things to be prioritised overworking for the benefit of humanity, then both wealth andthe family can become a hindrance (64: 15). Hence theArabs were ~ a r n e d not to allow themselves to become thevictims of their own individual self-interest. If theybelieved that accumulating individual wealth would makethem self-sufficient regardless of the status of society, thenthey were sadly mistaken. In reality they were bound fordestruction (92:7-11). By heeding Allah's warning theywould be successful (64: 16-17).Rights of the needy and the destitute

In the first stage, individuals had been directed tohelp the needy --- those who never made a c1aiE:11 to asserttheir rights for themselves (i.e. this individual help wasgiven in goodwill). In the second stage however thedirective was that these people had a right to make theirclaim and thus meet their needs (51:19; 70:24-25). TheArabs were told that if they failed to give everyone theirdues, then the Order (government) would arrange to makeit so.


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28conomic System of the Holy QuranNote that by the second stage, Sadaqaat was no

longer a form of goodwill (or charity); it became a civilright. This is because a charitable action is damaging todignity (on both sides); the person who gives does so out ofa feeling of obligation, and the person who receives feelsobliged in return. However, when a person receives as amatter of righi, then neither does the receiver acquire aninferiority complex, nor does the giver acquire a superioritycomplex.Plunder

For the Arabs plunder was a big source of income,and it was customary in their society for soldiers to keepwhatever they seized from the enemy for themselves. TheQuran also brought a refornl in this practice when it statedthat plunder would not remain with individuals; it wouldhave to be deposited with the Central Authority. TheAuthority would apportion one part for distribution withinsociety, and the rest would be split between the soldiers(8: I; 8:41). With this reform not only did the issue ofplunder become a societal affair (as opposed to anindividual one), but the motivation for war alsosubsequently changed. Before the reform the motivatingfactor for individuals fighting in war was to acquire asmuch plunder as possible. Now however the motivationchanged into the protection of human rights. In Quranicternlinology this is called Qital fi sabeelillah i.e. 'war inthe path of Allah'. It should be noted that whatever is donein the interests of humanity, without expectation of wages,remuneration or reward is classified as fi sabeelillah (' inthe path of Allah').


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29conomic System of the Holy QuranAccumulation of wealth

Wealth serves its purpose only when it is in amobile state. The very word daulat (used for wealth) in factmeans the state of mobility. Greedy individuals howevertend to hoard money instead of keeping it mobile, andconsequently the entire economic system turns upsidedown. The Quran has emphatically stated that accumulatingand boarding wealth is a heinous crime. This wealth willultimately fuel the fire of Hell - and the hoarders will bescor,ped and burnt from it (9:34-35). These flames willengulf the hearts of such people (104:2-7). Despite theirefforts to escape from it, it will pull them and destroyeverything like the flow oflava from a volcano (70:5-18).The Quran also emphasised that the flow of wealth

should not be restricted to the rich class alone. It should becirculated throughout the body of society, as bloodcirculates through the human body (59:7).Riba (capital Interest) is like a war against the QuranicSystem

After lssuing many severe warnings againstaccumulating wealth, the Holy Quran issued acommandment that totally uprooted the motive forcontinuing the practice. Money is merely a means ofex.::hange for essential commodities. It does not produceanything by itself. To illustrate this point, if one hundreddollars are kept in a box and taken out after ten years, theamount remains the same - i.e. it does not grow. Obviouslyif the capacity of money is such that it remains the sameover time, then accumulating it and hoarding it isfoolishness. However if that hundred dollars are loaned onan interest basis, then it will bring more money with it uponits return. Hence your money has produced more money.


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Money that is made from money rather than by labour istermed as riba in the Quran. The Quran has clearly statedthat riba is unlawful (haram) and a serious crime; indeed itis regarded as a rebellion against the Islamic System. TheHoly Quran has warned those who establish a capitalist(riba) system (in spite of the Quran's warning) that theywill face war from God's side (2:275-79). Essentially it iswritten that under the system of riba, there is no doubt thatthe wealth of some individuals will increase but in the longterm the result will be that the wealth of the majority willdecline to a point where causes economic disaster. Theaffluent members of society, in wrongfully plundering thefruits of others' labour, not only become incapable ofworking for themselves, but end up with a lack of socialconscience (i.e. they do not concern themsel,!es with theplight of other less fortunate people). The rest of the peoplemeanwhile become increasingly destitute, having beendeprived of the fruits of their own labour; and as a result,they start with having hatred against humanity and seekvengeance (e.g. a symptom of this is rising crime) - and inthe end everyone pays the price (3: 129-30).

It may be noted that the Holy Quran has not simplydefined riba as money made from giving a toan withinterest to a needy person. It has categorically stated: thatany situation in which someone invests money with theintent of getting more than the original investment also fallsunder the definition of riba (30:34). In present dayterminology we know this as commercial interest, and itincludes sleeping partners in business, crop-sharingtenancies and leasing properties. The Quran provides afundamental Principle to avoid riba, and this is that peoplemust be paid for labour and not for their capital (53:59).This is because return for capital - in whatever form it maybe is in fact riba. By declaring riba to be unlawful, theQuran eliminated the motive for accumulating wealth.


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31conomic System of the Holy QuranNext step pertaining to land

In the human economy, the problem of land hasbeen made unnecessarily complicated, whereas in realitythe issue is so obvious and clear that it needs neither themind of Plato nor the logic of Aristotle to understand it.Allah calls Himself both AI-Hal (usually translated as 'theAlive') and also Al Qayyum (usually translated as 'the Self Subsisting'). These two Attributes of Allah refer to the factthat he has given life as well as the means to sustainrespectively. To maintain life, light heat, air, wat(;r andfood are required. He made these things available beforehumans were created. Light, heat, air and water are usuallyreadily available on earth; as for food, Allah states that itsreserves are in the earth in other words, it is producedfrom the earth by means of labour: 'And We have providedthe means of subsistence (on carth), for you and for those(i.e. all other living things) for whose sustenance you arenot responsible' (15:20). Note that the Quran has used theword rna 'eshat for sustenance. It is stated: 'Eat it(yourselves) and feed your livesiock' (20:54). At yetanother place the Book has called this Mala 'an 'nlakurn waIe-an aa-mekurn (79:33; 80:32), which means 'Provisionfor you and your livestock'.

Earlier it was mentioned that land and other meansof sustenance existed on earth before humans were evencreated. Taking this account, how then can anyone stake anindividual claim on anything, when it is clear that all theseresources were made freely available to sustain life? Todaysomeone might say: 'I purchased this land from such andsuch person', or 'I inherited this property from my father'.If we were to trace this sequence of events back and reachthe person who first claimed this land as hislher own, whodid he/she purchase or inherit this land from? The obviousanswer is that he/she in fact obtained this property


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32conomic System of the Holy Qurallunlawfully - in which case, how then can hisfhcrdescendants justify their 'lawful' possession of theproperty? The fact of the matter is that if anyone selfappoints himself as the owner of any particular means ofsustenance one that was intended to be freely availablefor all- then it is a major offence against humanity.

Up until the revelation of the Quran, this offensivecreed of ownership and inheritance had been deemedperfectly acceptable as part of a long-running tradition. TheHoly Quran put forth a sound argument in order to crasethis erroneous concept from the human mind. It addressesthe Believers thus: Howwallazi fissama 'e Ilahun wa filardellahun 'It is He Who is Allah in heaven and Allah on earth;and He is full of Wisdom and Knowledge.' (43:84) In otherwords, 'When you accept the authority of Allah in theheavens, won't you acknowledge the same is true over theland too?' At another place the Quran states: WaHowallaho fis samawate wa fil ard 'And He is Allah in theheavens and on earth.' (6:3). He has explicitly stated that itis overtly shirk (polytheist) to accept one god over heavenand another on earth (21 :21-22). In Sura Al Nahl( The Bee)it is stated: 'Take not two gods: for He is just One Allah .. .To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and on earth .. .(16:51-52). It is for this reason that we cannot humanbeings on a par with Allah by giving them ownership ofland (2:22). The true owner can only be that one Whocreated it and made it the source of sustenance for all livingthings (29:60-61).

After giving these clear arguments, Allah challengesthe non-believers thus: 'Say (to them, 0 Rasool!) To whomdoes the earth and all things therein belong?' (23:84). Thenon-believers - assuming they base their reply on intellect,know ledge and study of the earth - will have to concedethat everything belongs to Allah (23:85). Then, Allah tells


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33conomic System of the Holy Quranthe Rasool to ask them: If you have realised this, then whydo you avoid facing the reality that no human has the rightto claim ownership of land? (23 :85). Ifeveryone recognisesAllah as the true sovereign of the land, then He promisesthat the produce of the land will be lawful and good foreveryone to eat othefwiae everyone will be following inthe footsteps of the evil one, who has whispered that theycan become the owner of sustenance and thus deludedthem. (2:168).Compensation of labour

It has been mentioned earlier that there is adifference between the availability of land' versus otherfonns of sustenance (i.e. light, heat, air and water).Whereas most types of sustenance already exist in auseable fonn, food has to be produced from the land bymeans of labour. At different places the Holy Quran haseloquently stated that an individual's share in the produceacquired from land is detennined by the amount of labourthe individual has spent in the process of production; therest is the 'Right of Allah'. In manmade systems anindividual takes land on a crop-sharing basis from alandlord; one part of the produce is retained by the tiller, orfann worker, and the rest is given to the landlord, giventhat the landlord is the owner of the land. Similarly, in anIslamic System, the same rule applies; the tiller takeshislher share and gives the owner - i.e. Allah the rest. InSura Al Waqi'ah (The Inevitable ) (56:63-74), thisarrangement has been described in a very eloquent manner.This is given below (in expositional fonn, not literal) anddeserves full attention:

'For this purpose, you must think carefully over thisSystem according to which your growth and developmenttakes place. Does this happen according to Divine Law or


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34conomic System of the Holy Quranby the laws framed by you? For example in the cultivationof crops, how much is the role played by you and howmuch of it is down to Divine Law? You prepare the landand sow the seed. Who turns the seed into a crop? Is it youor our Laws?

'Once the crop has grown, who protects it? It ispossible that any calamity might occur and the flourishingcrop may be destroyed, leaving you to lament helplessly:'What a disaster has befallen us! We have been totallydeprived. Not only has the grain been lost, our labour andseed have gone to waste.

'Then consider the water upon which not only yourfarming but your very survival depends. Do you make therain fall from the clouds or does Our Law of sustenanceperform it?(Clouds develop from seawater which is so salinethat it can neither be used for drinking nor for irrigatingcrops). If the rain water remained saline, what could youhave done? It is strange that you don't consider suchsimple, straight, and clear matters and thus draw the correctconclusion. Why don't you appreciate the System thatAllah has set for (human) growth and development?Similarly, consider fire and the numerous purposesit serves when it is kindled. (These include purposes thatmay not be immediately obvious. For instance) ... tfiissource of heat 1 is concealed and packed in branches and

stems of green trees.'After this, the Quran asks the reader to seriouslyponder over the universal mechanisms that are engaged inproducing the means of sustenance and to think about whois responsible for initiating them. How much of it is


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35conomic System of the Holy Qurancontrolled by humans, and how much is controlled byAllah? However we look at it, we can only draw theconclusion that our only contribution is our labour; the restis down to the Divine System. Hence our rightful share tothe sustenance produced can only be in proportion to theamount of labour we put in. We cannot make a claim asabsolute owners of the entire produce. All these means ofsustenance exist by themselves. These are neither made norpurchased by us.

These examples are given in the 'Quran to serve as areminder that Allah has made them as a means ofsustenance for destitute people.In short, it means that labour is the responsibility ofthe humans and the means of production are theresponsibility of Allah. Thus humans can keep the share ofthe fruits of their labour, and give the rest to Allah. Now aquestion arises as to how we should consign Allah's shareto Him. The answer is that we must deliver this share to'those who are lost and hungry' (56:73). When the Islamicgovemment ensures that the means of sustenance reach thepoorest members of society, then it has fulfilled the

directive 'give the rest to Allah'. This fact is shown inverses (27:21; 67:30; 80:24-32).Subsequent to the revelation of the Quran. thenewly-formed Islamic government took practical action tolimit the amount ofland,owned by the affiuent class (whichup until that point had' become excessive). The obvious

standard was to allocate only enough land to individuals inorder to provide the means of sustenance for themselvesand their families. This is how the Quran initiated thescheme to abolish private ownership ofthe land.


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Control ofland possessionIn Sura Al Ra'd (The Thunder), it is said that a

thought struck the mind of the Rasool (PBUH): Would theRevolution for which he had spent so many years come tofruition during his lifetime? Allah replied: '(It doesn'tmatter) whether We shall show you part of what Wepromised them (within your life-time), or whether We takeyou from this world (before it is accomplished) your dutyis (simply) to make (the Message) reach them: it is Our partto call them to account. Don't they see that We graduallyreduce (their control of) the land from its outlying borders?(Where) Allah judges, there is none that can hinder it: andWe will call them to account very soon.' (13:41-42)

In Sura Al Anbiya (The Messengers) it is written:'For a long time We gave them and their ancestors themeans of sustenance (i .e. land from which to produce it);(but with the lapse of time they thought that no one wouldever take it away from them); Don't they see that Wegradually reduce (their control of) the land? Can they reallyexpect to win (in the long term)?' (21 :44) Hence the Quranindicates that any power that is acquired from landownership will eventually be abolished.

This is how Allah has advanced the second stage ofestablishing the System.

THIRD STAGEAccomplishment of the work

We are now in the third stage of this programme,Now the Islamic State has been established, and it is


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37conomic System ofthe Holy Quranfulfilling Allah's promise of Rabubiyat e a 'alammi (i.e. toprovide sustenance to all).Justification for establishing the Islamic State

The justification for establishing the Islamic State isgiven in Sura Al Hajj (The Pilgrimage), where it is stated:'(The Mamineen are the) ones who, if We establish them(i.e. the Islamic State) in the land, will fulfil theresponsibility of establishing the system of Salaat andZakaal' (22:41). (At this point, we will not go into the issueof Salaat; instead we shall keep the focus on Zakaat sincethis is specific to economics),

The Quran has said that it is the responsibility of theIslamic State to provide Zakaat. This requires some closeattention, The generally understood definition of Zakaat (asmentioned earlier *) is that the government takes a fix.edpercentage of wealth from the rich, and then allocates thesefunds to art:as wherever it deems fit. However this is notthe definition of Zakaat given in the Quran at aiL Neitherdoes the Quran mention that the government makes such acollection, nor does it mention how the governmentdistributes these funds. Instead the Quranic :verse (22:41)clearly states that the duty of the Islamic government is togive Zakaat, not take it (to do with as it pleases). In reality,'to give Zakaat' means that the Islamic government fulfilsAllah's responsibility - in effect - of Rabubiyat andRazzakiyat, 3 How the Islamic government fulfils thisresponsibility is given in the Quran in great detail, and thisis called the'Economic System of the Quran' .Covenant with Allah

It must be understood that whoever wishes tobecome a member of the Islamic Society (i.e. when he


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38conomic System of the Holy Qmanbecomes a Muslim) he must 'sign an agreement', thewording of which is: 'Allah has purchased from thebelievers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return)is the Garden (of Paradise), (9:111). In short, this meansthat whoever wishes to become a member of this societymust pledge his goods and his life to Allah (and thusswears allegiance to Allah), and in return Allah promiseshim paradise. Obviously in practice, this contract is madewith the Islamic State (48:10), and hence a Momin's lifeand possession end up under the custody of the IslamicSystem. In return he gets a heavenly life on earth as well asin the Hereafter, as Allah has promised several times in theQuran. Therefore in the Islamic System there is noindividual ownership of any. goods since it remains 'Allah'sproperty' (24:33). .Variance of capability

The Quran accepts that different individuals possessdifferent abilities in earning their livelihood - both in termsof talent type and capacity to work (We will not go intohow these differences between individuals develop andhow they can be minimised here). At this stage we willaccept that these differences exist, so our aim is merely toproject the Quranic viewpoint in this regard. The Quranstates that due to variations in individuals' abilities,different affairs of society are accomplished easily (43:32).However it also warns that people must not allow di fferentabilities to create economic inequality in the society. TheQuran has therefore explicitly stated in Sura Al Nahl (TheBee) that whilst differences exist in the abilities ofindividuals, this does not mean that those who possess ahigher capability to earn should be allowed to keep theirextra earnings as their own property. They must return anysurplus earnings to benefit other (less well-om assistingmembers of the community without whom they would not


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39conomic System of the Holy Quranhave earned a surplus in the first place. Many peopleoppose th.(s concept and say: 'How strange is this? Thisallows superiors and subordinates alike to become equal.'People who say this are deluded with the notion that thehigher capability they have is their own creation (i.e. theyfail to see that were endowed with their talents by Allah).However this capability is not their own creation; it is a giftgiven by Allah, and it is one they receive for free (16:53,16:71).Qaroonism (capitalism)'

The Quran shows that Qaroon (whom the Bookrefers to as a representative of capitalism) was also deludedby the same above notion when he said: 'This (wealth) hasbeen given to me because of a certain knowledge which Ihave.' (28:78) In other words, he is ,saying: My materialgoods and wealth are mine by virtue of my own knowledgeand capability. Why should I give Itito others?' The Quransays that the same mentality is the main root of evil andchaos (39:49). At yet another place the Book says a personof this mentality never seems realise that one day he willhave'to answer to Allah regarding the bounties he received(and kept for himself) on earth (102:8). Instead, he deludesothers as well as himself by saying: 'I give a small amountout of my wealth to charity in the name ofAllah. I am surethat in return I will receive the same bounties in theHereafter that I have received on earth.' However, theQuran warns that this type of thinking is kufr (rejection)and it results in a severe penalty (41 :50).Qul-al afaw (Surplus to your needs)

Further to the above warning, the Holy Quranprovides a directive that deals with the issue of wealthabsolutely and permanently. It is stated in Sura Al Baqarah


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(The Cow): 'They ask you (0 Rasool) how much (of theirincome) they should spend (for the benefit of others). Say:all that is surplus to your needs' (2:219). The remainingportion in its entirety must be used to fulfil the needs ofothers. The Quran also states that whenever there is anotherwhose needs are more pressing than yours, then you shouldprioritise meeting their needs over your own (59:9).

Due to the Qul-al afaw directive, surplus wealth nolonger remained with anyone, and thus the problems anddisasl.:r that arose from economic inequality came to anend. The difference between the creditor and the debtor, thelandlord and the tenant, the industrialist and the labourer,.and the rich and the poor was eliminated. Thus in the wordsof renowned Islamic philosopher and thinker, SirMuhammad Iqbal:

Mahmood and Ayaz* stood together in the samerow.

There remained neither any benefactor nor anybeneficiar),:The subordinates. the superiors. the impoverishedand the rich became one.When they reached You. then they all became one.(* Where Mahmood and Ayaz are the symbolicrepresentatives of the king and slave, or the high and the

low class. respectively)The land issue

As we have seen earlier, the Quran makes itexplicitly clear that the issue of private ownership on the


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41conomic System of the Holy Quranland does not come into question. This is because the landis the source of sustenance for all human beings (and infact, all living things) (55:\0). Therefore, there must be anarrangement in which this resource of sustenance is leftequally open to fulfil the needs of all (41 :40).This is the giftfrom Allah to all of humanity; and since it is a gift, no onehas the right to 'put up a barrier and divide it into sectionsto designate 'yours and mine' (17:20). The 'streams ofsustenance' are supposed to flow like running water so thateveryone can fulfil their needs without any obstructions.Unfortunately there are those who divert the flow toindulge themselves. They claim to be the upholders ofDeen, but in practice they belie it. Their prayers are thrownback in their faces. Note the thought-provoking manner inwhich the Quran describes this fact: 'Have you noticed theone who belies the Deen'! This is the one who turns theorphan away. He neither arranges nor encourages meetingthe needs of the needy. He thinks that by performingprayers he has fulfilled the duties of the Deen.' Thishowever is a delusion. For such worshippers, their prayersend in disaster they are unaware of the reality of Salamand remain ignorant of its aims and objectives. They thinkthat to fulfil Salam is simply to perform the physical act ofprayer, and that is sufficient for them. Hence they withholdthe means of sustenance instead of letting it flow like arunning stream (107:1-7). If this is not belying the Deen,then what is?The land belongs to Allah

The Quran has used the historical example of thepeople ofThamud. the inhabitants of Petra valley ( presentday Jordan) to elucidate the issue ofland in a most eloquentmanner. It states that cattle-rearing was the means oflivelihood of the people of Thamud. There were opengrazing lands and water springs available to them, but the


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42conomic System of the Holy Quranleaders of that nation had kept them under their individualcontrol. Hence cattle belonging to the lower classes used toremain hungry and thirsty. Saleh (PBUH) came to them as aMessenger, and he raised his voice against the oppressionand violence being committed by the leaders. When theleaders finally asked him what it was he wanted, heanswered that he wanted them to realise that the landbelongs to Allah, i.e. that it belonged to no human, and thesame was true for the cattle. Therefore these animals had tohave the freedom to graze on the Allah's land. What rightdid anyone have to fix up boundaries on arzullah (Allah'sland) and prevent his creatures from crossing them? (7:73;II :64) The leaders asked that if this was the case, then howcould the issue be resolved ? Messenger Saleh (PBUH)replied that the answer was simple: 'Fix the turns of theanimals so that all of them - irrespective of who theybelong to - shall all have their turn to drink.' (26: IS 5;91: 13) By using the e x p ~ s s i o n 'fix the turns', it is clearthat the water springs belong to no one and thus all have anequal right to access it.

Now what isthe meaning of'Allah's land'? This isnot a manmade concept or theory. It is the practicalfounding p'recept of the Quran's economic system: i.e. theland is the means of livelihood for all humankind, and itcannot become anyone's personal property. Believing inthis precept 'in theory' (i.e. purely in principle) butallowing private ownership ofland in practice, is shirk andkufr in Quranic terms and belies the Deen. Again in thewords of Sir Iqbal:

What is hidden ofAllah's land is obviousBut what is not apparent in reality is Rejection


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43conomic System of the Holy QuranOpposition to this system

As we have seen, the Quran presents an economicsystem for the prosperity and welfare of mankind. Anynumber of terms could be used to describe this system but Ichoose to call it Nizam-e-Rabubiyat (System ofSustenance). This is the same system that every Messengerhas presented to his people in his time, and each time hewas met with fierce opposition from the mutra/een economic parasites, which in today's terminology are thecapitalists. The Quran states: 'Never did it happen that wesent a Messenger to a nation, without facing oppositionfrom the wealthy class (capitalists)' (34:34). From this twothings become clear:

1) The system presented by the Messengerswas contrary to capitalism, and hence thecapitalist class opposed it2) The contlict between the Divine Orderand the capitalist system is not unique toour time, i.e. it is not merely an issue thathas arisen recently. It has been so sincethe beginning. The Quran also tells us thatif any group takes up this Divine Systemand dedicates itself to implementing it,then they will be successful no matterhow much money the capitalists spend totry and thwart them.

The Quran describes this fact in Sura AI An/al(Spoils of war, Plunder) (expositional account given): 'Theopponents of this system will spend huge amounts of theirwealth to try and hinder people coming towards the path ofAllah. They will continue to spend it like water in their evi Iefforts; but their wealth will serve no purpose. They willend up regretting their wasted expenditure, because


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44conomic System of the Holy Quranultimately they will face defeat' (8:36). Furthermore,spiritual leaders and priests also 'devour' the money spentin raising obstacles in the path of Allah, but this will notbring them fruitful results (9:34). These mutaffifeen(dealers in fraud) who collect their own dues completelybut never pay others their dues, will be removed easilyfrom the path of Allah (83: 1-4). Thus when humankindrises for the establishment of Rabubiyat-e-a'iamini (theprovision of sustenance for the universal growth anddevelopment of humanity) {83:5-6), the root of thesemutaffifeen will be severed (6:45).AI Hamdulillah (Praise be to Allah)

We shall bring in the first half of the above verse(6:45) shortly, but the second half is the invitation that alsoappears as the first line in the Quran: AI Hamdulillah-eRabbi! a'iameen which translates as: 'All Hamd ('praise')is due to Allah because of His Rabubiyat-e-a'lameeni(provision of sustenance to all creatures)'. As far ashumanity is concerned however, His provision ofsustenance (Rabubiyat) is not direct. Instead this process isestablished by human hands. On the same note it cannot beestablished until the root of the oppressors is severed. Untilthis is done neither can Rabubiyat-e-a'lameen! beestablished nor can humans feel the spontaneous urge toutter the words Al Hamdulillah-e-Rabbil a'lameen in aweof Him.

Now we bring in the first halfof the verse to view itin full: 'The last remnant of the wrong-doers was cut off.Praise be to Allah, the Sustainer of the worlds' (6:45). Thiswas the cl imax of the uprising that responded to the call forthe Revolution. 'This is how they will proclaim the Hamdof Allah the Nourisher of humanity' see Surah Yoonas(Jonah) (10:10).


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45conomic System of the Holy QuranGuidance ofWah;

Of course the economic system of the Quran cannotbe established without the guidance of Allah's Wahi(Revelation):This is not a mere statement ofbelief, rather itis a sound reality to which we must pay close attention. Justas any human issue must be dealt with taking all ofhumalllty into account, so must the economic system alsobe handled taking humankind into consideration as awhole.

Allah's Wahi provides a complete andcomprehensive set of Permanent Values (for every aspectof life) which, once implemented, will benefit theindividual as well as the collective society. It could be saidthat it is a complete comprehensive formula, and only whenit is implemented in totality will it bring about expectedresults. If some parts (or indeed a single part) are left out ofthe formula, then the expected results will not come about.

The same is true for the economics issue. I f onetries to resolve an issue in isolation from the rest of allother issues (i.e. without taking them into consideration),then it is liable to become complicated and thusproblematic. For instance, if the Quranic economic system- which has been outlined earlier - is introduced as is into asociety of idlers and thieves, then what will the result be? Or if abundance of food and wealth gets into the hands of amorally depraved nation (that revels in the luxuries andpleasures of life), then it is easy to imagine how muchchaos will ensue. According to the Quran: 'And how manypopulations We destroyed, which (once) revelled in theirlife (of ease and plenty)! Now those habitations of theirs,after them, are deserted '(28:58).


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46conomic System of the Holy QuranThere is no philosophy, or code of life (that deemshumans simply as physical machines), that can deal evenwith the issue of providing sustenance for humanity, letalone other issues. Thus there is no code of life (other thanthe Wahi) that enables the human caravan to reach itsdestination. The Quran is a complete code of Ii fe formankind, and the economic system is just one facet of it.The entire Deen is based on the principle that human life is

not limited to merely the physical body; besides the body,human life also has something else which is the Self (nafs)or human Personality.Human Personality

If the human Self is made to grow and developproperly, then in the life after death he is in a position tocontinue evolving. A person's Self grows and developswhen he leads his life in accordance with the PermanentValues given by the Divine Revelation. One of thePermanent Values asserts that the more one gives for thegrowth and development of others, the more his ownPersonality will grow and develop. The Quran states thus:'Those who spend their wealth (for the benefit of others) togrow in purity .. .' (92:18), i.e. the one who gives hismaterial possessions to benefit society ultimately developshis Personality. The famous psychologist of the present ageEric Fromm describes this fact in his own eloquent waywhen he says: 'The aim of life should not be 10 have, but 10be.' This is a condensed version of the Quranic explanationof the link between giving material possessions to societyand development of the human Personality. The goal oflifeis thus fixed as 'to be' which is contrary to 'to have'. Notethat as the level human knowledge increases, thetruthfulness of the Quranic precepts become manifest(41:53). Hence it is clear that the economic system of theQuran can be established only be people who believe in the


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47conomic System of the Holy QuranValues given through the Wahi and have Conviction of lifeafter death (This is called Eiman bi! Aakhirat - believing inthe Hereafter).Believing in the Hereafter

The Quran has stated that Eeta-e-Zakaat (provisionof sustenance for growth and development of others) canonly be done by those who believe in the Hereafter (27:3,31:4). Anyone who doesn't believe in the Hereafter cannotprovide Zakaat (41: 7). Whoever believes purely in aworldly existence (and that Ii fe ends at death) will alsobelieve that leading a pleasant life is the only goa\. For thistype of individual what incentive can there be to do anyhard work, retain only what he needs and give the rest forthe benefit of others? If there is an external reason thatcompels him to do so, it may remain with him for a while(as long as the external reason exists) but eventually it willdisappear, and he will revert to capitalism. Ultimately acapitalist does not believe in the Hereafter. This is thereason that Qaroon (the representative of capitalism) is toldthat he must give up the inhuman false system and replacewith a system in which he can only keep what he needs andthus enable him to be prosperous in the Hereafter (28:77).At the same time however, there are those (the Momineen)who willingly rise to promote the Economic System of theQuran, and they pray: '0 our Rabb! Give us good in thisworld and good in the Hereafter. .. ' (2:201). In my bookNizam-e-Rabubiyat, I elucidate in detail the reasons whythe systems of communism and socialism can neversucceed, because the proponents of these systems do nothave Conviction in the Wahi, and they don't believe in theHereafter. They do not have the foundation upon which tobuild as great a system as Islam. Even the Muslims will seesuccess only if they have a strong Conviction in theveracity of the Wahi and the certainty of life in the


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48conomic System of the Holy QuranHereafter. To achieve this objective, a psychologicalchange has to be brought about in the minds of theMuslims, because at present their Eiman is nothing morethan a formality.

To the best of my ability, I have described theprocess of the Quranic Economic System in sequence, fromthe point of initiation to its completion. Obviously theestablishment of this system is possible only in an IslamicState (i.e. one that runs its entire affairs within theframework of the Quranic Principles). Whenever andwherever an Islamic State is established, the preliminaryparliament must take the existing (social/intellectual)condition of its people into account when it decides whichlink of the sequence it shall implement first within itsconstitution so that the government (fully fledged DivineOrder) can establish itself successfully. Obviously the moreshort-sighted member of society may insist on gettingstraight to the final stage of the programme - but in realitytaking short-cuts would render the Islamic State a fantasy.On the other hand, there will be S0me who cannot visualizethe full implications of the Quranic Code of Life, and willthus deem it as being impractical and against human nature(just as today's covert proponents of capitalism tend tosay).Therefore, it will be necessary for the true proponentsof the System to insist on taking gradual steps towards itsestablishment, whilst keeping the final goal as theirultimate aim. The Economic System of the Quran wasestablished for the first time (i.e. during the Rasool's(PBUH) lifetime) in this fashion, and so it can be now aswell. However there is a difference between then and now:when the Rasool (PBUH) made the call for the Revolution,he was alone (as the first Muslim); the rest were nonbelievers. Now, the people in a contemporary Islamiccountry are all Muslims, so they can be told: 'This is theSystem of the Quran and you profess Eiman on its veracity.


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49conomic System of the Holy Quranso you should not have any objection on establishing theSystem.' One would expect that this should be a fairlystraightforward easy thing to do, but in fact the very samesituation may actually be problematic.

As it has been stated earlier, the Rasool (PBUH) wasthe first Muslim. Those who embraced Islam there after,did so after much contemplation and gaining properunderstanding. They pondered over every aspect of theDeen and thus became Muslims after fully satisfying theirhearts and minds. Hence when they were instructed toestablish the System, they did so willingly, since they werealready familiar with it. They had full Conviction in itsbeneficence and veracity. In today's world however, thereis not a single piece of land where Muslims have takenIslam with the same kind of Conviction that existed duringthe Rasool's (PBUH) time. Hence if any state wishes tointroduce this System, its Muslim population will(according to the Quran) have to be re-educated to becomeMuslims afresh (4: 136). Capitalists and religious leaderswill form an opposition front because they believe in theIslam that was created during the period when theCaliphate was transformed into monarchy. As far as theyare concerned, the authenticity of this Islam comes from the'tradition of the ancestors'. Any Muslim State thatovercomes these forces (i.e. capitalism and theocracy) willbe the one that successfully establishes the System.However if it fails to do so then any other nation will adoptit. The Quran has already stated: 'If you tum back (from thePath), He will substitute you with another people who willnot be like you' (47:38).

Following from this point, it must be stressed herethat when some people say that Russia or China has begunto adopt this System, then they mistaken, if not deluded.Neither have these nations initiated the System, nor can it


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50conomic System of the Holy Quranwork with them. Marx said that the solution ofhumankind's economic problem lies in the fundamentalprinciple: 'from each according to hislher ability, to eachaccording to hislher need.' However he couldn't find anincentive for which people would be willing to act uponthis principle. Therefore he decided to adopt socialism inplace of communism; and as a result people ended upbound in shackles tighter than those of capitalism. When abelief-system doesn't teach belief in God or in PermanentValues, in human Personal ity or the Hereafter, how canNizam-e-Rabubiyat be established'! Such a system has nopremise. Sir Iqbal wrote:

Ifyou wish to create a global social system,Can you provide a firm foundation for it?Just as with other systems, this System cannot beestablished via today's 'conventional Islam' which itself isthe product of capitalism. It can only be established throughthe Quran.

End Notes:

1 Hamd is usually translated as Praise, but this is avery simplistic translation. In fact Hamd is the expressionof the deep, intense feeling of appreciation invokedspontaneously when one sees an exceptionally beautifuland unique thing. The intention of uttering Hamd (i.e. tosay Al Hamdu/illah) is to acknowledge the greatness ofwhoever created the given object of admiration. There are,however, certain requirements or conditions imperative forthe object which is being appreciated.

I. The thing which is being appreciated mustbe perceptible. Anything which cannot beseen or felt cannot be appreciated by our


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2.

3.

4.

5.

senses or feelings, e.g., an artist cannot beappreciated without seeing his painting.The object of admiration should be theproduct of a deliberate, conscious act.Anything which just happens on its own orby chance is not worthy of Hamd. Forinstance, the Arabs did not use the wordHamd for a person who was born beautiful;for this they used the word Madah. If amachine is producing beautiful articles, themachine is not worthy ofHamd, but Madah.Similar is the case of a dancing peacock.The peacock deserves appreciation butHamd is due only to his creator - Allah.The person who is appreciating the givenobject should be doing so on his own,voluntarily and not under any compulsion orpretension, not hypocritically or to pleasesomeone; the feelings ofappreciation shouldcome forth abruptly, instantly andspontaneously.The person appreciating the object musthave definite knowledge about it.Appreciation cannot be expressed on thebasis of knowledge which is vague, hearsayor even slightly doubtful i.e. it cannotcome out of blind faith, deception orwhimsical feelings. Madah can be used forimaginary things but not Hamd.Things which are being appreciated becauseof their rare beauty, complete harmony andexceptional attraction, must have attainedabsolute perfection. They must be beneficialfor humanity and their benefits should betangible (Taj). A piece of art which is not


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52conomic System of the Holy Qurancomplete or not beneficial to mankind doesnot deserve Hamd.

So Hamd is the expression of such feelings with therequirements and conditions mentioned above. Even if oneelement is missing, it would not deserve Hamd but Madah.The Quran has used the word Hamd while appreciating allthe Attributes' or Creative Works of Allah; not even oncethe word Madah is used (13:13; 13:18; 17:/44; 6:45; 64:1).In fact the word Hamd is used exclusively for Allah. Inorder to appreciate all that is created by Allah, humans havebeen given knowledge about it (2:31). This enables him toexplore the universe further by doing research, and at thesame time remains under the guidance of Wahi. Thisenables him to reach the most exalted position, Maqam-eMahmood (17:79), without duress or any fear. It is aposition worth all the praise and appreciation, somethingthat the Rasool (PBUH) attained and became Ahmad andMuhammad (48:29), i.e., one who is worthy ofconstant andcontinuous praise and appreciation (Taj).

From the above therefore, it is evident that Hamddoes not come as a faith but as an expression ofappreciation. It is only after deep reflection and extensiveresearch that one can proclaim: Al-Hamd-o-lillah. - (Thisnote is adapted from Exposition of the Holy Quran, Englishedition)2 The 'source of heat' seems to be a reference tocarbon the fuel which would provide the heat uponcombustion. To quote the English Exposition of the Quranproduced by Tolu-e-Islam Trust online: 'Now say who it isthat conserves this heat energy inside the trees' (56:72.The general translation (Yusuf Ali) for this verse is: 'Is itye who grow the tree which feeds the fire, or do We grow

it?' (56:72)


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53conomic System of the Holy Quran3 'To give Zakaat' means that the Islamic

government ful.fils Allah's responsibility - in effect - ofRabubiyat and Razzakiyat. This is because Allah expectsthat if a government establishes itself in His name, then itmust also fulfil the responsibilities that He promised tofulfil for the benefit of humankind.END


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References:

Lane, E.W, Arabic-English Lexicon on CD-ROM. (2003).Thesaurus Islamicus FoundationParwez, G.A Islam: A Challenge to Religion (1968)(online version at http://www.tolueislam.com).Tolu-eIslam Trust Lahore PakistanParwez, G.A. Exposition of the Holy Quran (1990) (onlineversion at http://www.tolueislam.com).Tolu-e-lslam TrustParwez, G.A. Kitab-ul-Taqdeer (Book of Destiny), Englishtranslation (1997) (online version athttp://www.tolueislam.com). Tolu-e-Islam Trust.Translated by Khalid Mahmood Sayyed. ofPeterborough.UK

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http://www.tolueislam.com%29.tolu-e/http://www.tolueislam.com%29.tolu-e-lslam/http:///reader/full/http://www.tolueislam.comhttp://www.tolueislam.com%29.tolu-e/http://www.tolueislam.com%29.tolu-e-lslam/http:///reader/full/http://www.tolueislam.com


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Other BookletsIdara Tolu-c-Islam, Lahore, in cooperation with BazmLondon. has published the following pamphlets andbooklets in English:I. Family Planning2. How Can the Sects be Dissolved"3. Is Islam a Failurery4. Islamic Ideology5. Man and War6. Quranic Constitution in an Islamic State7. Quranic Permenent Values8. Who Arc The Ulema?9, Why Do We Celebrate Eid?10, Why Do We Lack Character?I I . Why Is Islam the Only True Decn?12. Women in the Light orQu'ran13. Human Fundamental Rights and The Holy Qur':il114. Individual or State!15. Man and GodContact the following availabi litv of the aboveliterature:Idara Tolu-c-islam Bazm London258 Gulberg Colony 2 76 Park RoadLahore 54660 !IfordPakistan Essex IG I ISfPh: 00 92 (42) 571 4546 & 575 Ph & fax: 0044 (208) 5533666 1896Email: idara(


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OTHER PUBLICATIONSISLAM: A CHALLENGE TO RELIGION

ByG. A. ParwezThe very name of the book strikes one as a paradox for it isuniversally accepted that Islam is one of the major religionsof the world. So how could a religion challenge the veryinstitution to which it subscribes? The author has indeedmade a successf

Economic System of Quran by G A Parwez published by tulueislam

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