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The Islamic View Of Wealth - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
The Islamic View Of Wealth
By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Dear Muslims:
Islâm views the
economic activities of man as quite lawful, meritorious, and sometimes even
obligatory and necessary. It approves of the economic progress of man, and
considers lawful or righteous livelihood as an obligation. Notwithstanding all
this, it is no less a truth that islam does not consider economic activity to
be the basic problem of man, nor does it view economic progress as the be-all
and end-all of human life.
The Holy Qur’ân
has enunciated this basic truth very precisely in a brief verse: "Seek the
other world by means of what Allâh has bestowed upon you" (28:77).
According to the
elucidation of the Holy Qur’ân itself, “wealth” in all its possible forms is a
thing created by Allâh (SWT), and is, in principle, His “property”. The right
of property over a thing which accrues to man is delegated to him by Allâh
(SWT). The Holy Qur’ân explicitly says: “Give to them from the property of
Allâh which he has bestowed upon you.” (24:33). All that man can do is to
invest his labor into the process of production. But Allâh (SWT) alone, and no
one else, can cause this endeavor to be fruitful and actually productive. Man
can do no more than to sow a seed in the soil, but to bring out a seedling from
the seed and make the seedling grow into a tree is not the work of man. The
Holy Qur’ân says:
“Have you
considered what you till? Is it you yourselves who make it grow, or is it We
(Allah) who make it grow?” (56:63). And in another verse: “Have they not seen
that, among the things made by Our own hands, We have created cattle for them,
and thus they acquired the right of property over them?” (36:71).
All these verses
throw ample light on the fundamental point that “wealth”, no matterwhat its
form, is in principle “the property” of Allâh, and it is He (SWT) who has
bestowed upon man the right to exploit it. So, Allâh (SWT) has the right to
demand that man should subordinate his exploitation of this wealth to the
commandments of Allâh. Thus man has the “right of property” over the things he
exploits, but this right is not absolute or arbitrary or boundless– it carries
along with it certain limitations and restrictions which have been imposed by
the real owner of the “wealth”. We must spend it where He (SWT) has commanded
it to be spent, and refrain from spending where He (SWT) has forbidden. This
point has been elucidated more explicitly in the following verse: “Seek the
other world by means of what Allâh has bestowed upon you, and do not be
negligent about your share in this world. And do good as Allâh has done good by
you, and do not seek to spread disorder on the earth.” (28:77). This verse
fully explains the Islâmic point of view on the question of property.
Dear Muslims: Allâh (SWT) may command man to convey a specified
portion of “wealth” to another. This commandment must be obeyed, because Allâh
(SWT) has done good by you, so He (SWT) may command you to do good by another
and He (SWT) may forbid you to use this “wealth” in a specified way.
According to the
Islâmic point of view, not only those who have directly participated in the
production of wealth but those too whom Allâh has made it obligatory upon
others to help, are the legitimate sharers in
wealth. Hence, the
poor, helpless, the needy, the paupers, and the destitute–they too have a right
to wealth. For, Allâh has made it obligatory on all those producers of wealth
among whom wealth is in the first place distributed that they should pass on to
them some part of their wealth. And the Holy Qur’ân makes it quite clear that
in doing so they would not be obliging the poor and the needy in any way, but
only discharging their obligation, for the poor and the needy are entitled to a
share in wealth as a matter of right. Says the Holy Qur’ân: “In their wealth
there is a known right for those who ask for it and those who have need for
it.”
(70:24-25). In
certain verses, this right has been defined as the right of Allâh (SWT). For
example, this verse in connection with harvests: “and pay what is rightfully
due to Him (Allah) on the day of harvesting.” (6:142). The word “right” in
these two verses makes it clear that participation in the process of production
is not the only source of the right to wealth, and that the needy and the poor
have as good a right to wealth as do its primary owners.
Dear Muslims:
The Holy Qur’ân
has mentioned Zakât in numerous places along with Salât (the daily prayers).
With regard to the man who does not fulfil this obligation, the Holy Qur’ân has
this to say: “Those who treasure up gold and silver, and do not spend them in
the way of Allâh, give them tidings of painful chastisement, the day this
(wealth) shall be heated in the fire of Hell, and their foreheads, their sides,
and their backs shall be branded with it. (It will be said to them,) ‘This is
what you had treasured up for yourselves; now taste of what you
were
treasuring.’”(9:34 -35). The
Holy Qur’ân itself has laid down eight items where this Zakât is to be spent.
By prescribing
these eight items of expenditure under the single head of Zakât, the Holy
Qur’ân has opened the way to the widest possible circulation of wealth.
The common factor
among these items of expenditure for Zakât which entitles a person to receive
it is “poverty” and “neediness”. And this head (Zakât) is chiefly meant for the
eradication of poverty.
Dear Muslims:
Islâm proposes to
distribute wealth in such a manner that all those who have taken a part in
production should receive the reward for their contribution to the production
of wealth, and then all those too should receive their share whom Allâh has
given a right to wealth.
Wealth, instead of
becoming concentrated in a few hands, should be allowed to circulate in the
society as widely as possible, so that the distinction between the rich and the
poor should be narrowed down as far as is natural and practicable. The attitude
of Islâm in this respect is that it has not permitted any individual or group
to have a monopoly over the primary sources of wealth, but has given every
member of the society an equal right to derive benefit from them. Mines,
forests, un-owned barren lands, hunting and fishing, wild grass, rivers, seas,
etc., all these are primary sources of wealth. With respect to them, every
individual is entitled to make use of them according to his abilities and his
labor without anyone being allowed to have any kind of monopoly over them. “So
that this wealth should not become confined only to the rich amongst you.”
(59:7).
Beyond this,
wherever human intervention is needed for the production of wealth and a man
produces some kind of wealth by deploying his resources and labor, Islâm gives
due consideration to the resources and labor thus deployed, and recognizes that
man’s right of property in the wealth produced. Everyone shall get his share
according to the labor and resources invested by him. Says the Holy Qur’ân:
“We have
distributed their livelihood among them in worldly life, and have raised some
above others in the matter of social degrees, so that some of them may utilize
the services of others in their work.” (43:32).
But in spite of
this difference among social degrees or ranks certain injunctions have been
laid down in order to keep this distinction within such limits as are necessary
for the establishment of a practicable system of economy, so that wealth should
not become concentrated in a few hands.
Dear Muslims:
Although Islâm does admit the principle
of supply and demand as affecting, to a certain extent, the relationship
between the employer and employee, yet it has at the same time imposed certain
restrictions on the supply as well as the demand of labor in such a manner that
their business relationship no longer remains merely mechanical, but becomes
almost fraternal. As to what should the attitude of the employer be towards the
employee, the Holy Qur’ân has made it quite explicit in a short but
comprehensive phrase, while citing the words of Hazrat Shu’aib. Hazrat Shu’aib
stood in the position of the employer for Hazrat Musa and said: “I do not
desire to lay (an undue) burden of labor on you. If Allâh wills, you will
certainly find me to be one of the righteous.” (28:27).
This verse makes
it quite clear that an employer who is a Muslim and whose ultimate goal in life
is hence to become “righteous”, cannot be “righteous” until and unless he has
the desire to protect his employee from the burden of unnecessary labor.
The Holy Prophet
(PBUH) has elucidated this point further in explicit terms:
“Your brethren are
your servants whom Allâh has made your subordinate. So, the man who has his
brother as his subordinate, should give him to eat from what he himself eats,
and to wear what he himself wears. And do not put on them the burden of any
labor which may exhaust them. And if you have to put any such burden on them,
then help them yourselves (in this work).” (al-Bukhari & Ahmed).
Another tradition
says: “Pay the worker his wage before his sweat gets dried.” (Ibn Majah).
May Allah (SWT) make us from those who are the best in attitude and
character, help us to do whatever pleases Him, bless, guide and forgive us all.
(Ameen).
