Our Responsibilities in the Post-Covid Economic Crisis
The results of a system can be seen only once it has been established, but the results of a movement begin to show right from the day it is launched. It is for this reason that we would focus on the Islamic movement for poverty eradication in this essay, while throwing a cursory glance on the salient features of the Islamic system of poverty eradication.
It should be known that the Islamic movement for poverty eradication had begun in Makkah the day Islam began spreading in Makkah. Rather, more emphasis has been laid on this subject in the surahs revealed in Makkah as compared to the later ones. Most of the Madinan ayaat which deal with charity pertain to spending money in the cause of Jihad, while those which have been revealed in Makkah deal primarily with spending on charity out of empathy and compassion for the poor and downtrodden.
It is important to note that during the Makkan phase, Muslims had to face severe trials and tribulations. Despite this, freeing the slaves and feeding the destitute was an integral part of their call.
The movement for poverty eradication that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had initiated in Makkah serves as an example and precedent for us, and is in itself a vital part of our Dawah in contemporary India.
Ignorance and neglect towards Tauheed (monotheism) allows materialism to thrive. This materialism drives people to loot people to the point of sucking out the very last drop of blood from their bodies. This gives rise to a heartless, morally dead and selfish society.
The Islamic call of Tauheed puts an end to materialism and instead promotes the spiritual quality of empathy. Empathising with the poor is the most conspicuous act of the Islamic creed and the noblest feature of Muslim society.
Although magnanimity was a quality that the Arabs used to pride upon, and Arab poets used to show off their magnanimity to others through their poems, we know from the Qur’ān that most Arabs were not only polytheists, they were also quite stingy. Hence, while enlisting the major sins of the polytheists, the Makkan surahs repeatedly point out their abject lack of concern for the poverty prevalent in their society. In fact, the Qur’ān mentions this attitude of theirs just next to the sins of polytheism and disbelief.
“Indeed, he never used to believe in Allah, the Most Great. Nor did he encourage the feeding of the poor.” [Surah alHaqqah, ayaat 33-34]
This movement of poverty eradication that was launched in Makkah had completely disrobed polytheism and shown very clearly how Islam stands out from polytheism. This must have helped the cause of Islam in a big way.
When the Islamic State of Madinah was established, its citizens were mostly poor folk. The usury-based policies of the Jews, the incessant warfare and the influx of already poor emigrants from Makkah had crippled their finances. But this poverty soon got eradicated. Neither were the rich people restricted from earning more, nor were the poor placated by telling them about the merits and virtues of remaining poor. Instead, a movement for poverty eradication was launched under the express guidance of the Qur’ān. The responsibility of this movement was placed on the shoulders of the rich; they were encouraged to earn more and contribute to the cause of poverty eradication. At the same time, the poor people were asked to put in all possible efforts to come out of poverty at the earliest.
This is the most defining feature of Islamic finance, wherein wealth creation is encouraged to eradicate poverty faster.
ISLAM FOSTERS A HEALTHY DESIRE TO BECOME RICH
The status of zakat and charity has been glorified so much in the Qur’ān, and these have been mentioned so many times therein that every Muslim naturally develops a desire to become wealthy, so as to offer Zakat and spend as much money as he can in charity.
The interesting part is that those who offer Zakat have not been presented as some elite class in the Qur’ān. Nowhere does the Qur’ān say that ‘wealthy’ Muslims should offer Zakat and spend in charity. Rather, the same style of address has been used for Zakat as the one used for Salat. In other words, all the Believers have been addressed and called upon to offer Zakat and charity, and this has been presented as a desirable quality of all Believers.
“Establish Salat and offer Zakat and obey the Messenger; that you may receive mercy.” [Surah anNoor, ayat 56]
“(The Qur’ān is a) guide and glad tidings for the Believers, who establish Salat and offer Zakat, and also have complete assurance of the hereafter.” [Surah anNaml, ayaat 2 and 3]
Some very important arguments can be unearthed from this style of address. They allude to the fact that Islam desires all Believers to become wealthy, and that all Believers should partake in offering Zakat and charity, just as each of them is expected to offer Salat.
We do not find any permanent rich or poor class in Islam. It is not that some people would always offer Zakat and another class of people would always be its recipient. Rather, Islam espouses a society where everyone offers Zakat. When the Muslim society achieves that level, it becomes a source of goodness and mercy for the rest of the world; it plays its part in eradicating poverty from other communities as well.
WE SHOULD TREAT THE POOR AS OUR OWN RELATIVES
When it comes to excellence in conduct, various passages of the Qur’ān speak of relatives and the poor in the same breath. This shows that the poor deserve the same compassion and empathy as our own close relatives do.
SOME SPECIAL STEPS FOR POVERTY ERADICATION
When we study the Qur’ān, we come to know that we are required to remember the poor in every instance of being wealthy. The Qur’ānic idea of being wealthy is incomplete without compassion for the poor.
- The poor are to be taken into consideration during the distribution of inheritance.
“And if relatives and orphans and the needy are present at the time of division, then provide for them out of the estate and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.”
[Surah anNisa’, ayat 8]
The inheritors of a deceased person’s estate are expected to keep a part of their share aside for poverty eradication.
- The poor are to be taken into consideration during the distribution of spoils of war.
“And know that out of all the booty that you may acquire in a war, a fifth share is assigned to Allah and to the Messenger and to near relatives, orphans, the needy and the wayfarer.”
[Surah alAnfal, ayat 41]
In pre-Islamic days, only warriors were entitled to the spoils of war. Islamic law mandated that 20% of these spoils should be used for poverty eradication.
- The poor are to be taken into consideration during harvest.
“Eat of its fruit when it yields, and give its due (charity) on the day of its harvest.”
[Surah alAn’am, ayat 141]
Whenever crops are harvested from fields or fruit from orchards, the farmer becomes a wealthy man. They are being reminded at that juncture that they are expected to give the poor their due from the bounties showered upon them by their Lord. Surah alQalam paints a vivid picture of those who refused to share their harvest with the poor and bore the consequences thereof.
- The poor are to be taken into consideration during sacrifice of animals.
“(Once the animal has been sacrificed), then eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar.”
[Surah alHajj, ayat 36]
Tens of thousands of animals are sacrificed during Hajj and Eid al-Adha. Wealth is created at these times in the form of meat. Allotting a share for the poor helps in the mission of poverty eradication.
- Wealth should always be channelised towards the deprived sections of society.
“Zakat is for the poor and the needy and for those employed to collect the Zakat and for those whose hearts have been recently reconciled to Islam and for freeing captives or slaves and for those in debt and in the cause of Allah and for the stranded traveller – thus is it ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.”
[Surah atTaubah, ayat 60]
Apart from the occasions previously mentioned above, Zakat has been ordained as a permanent means of poverty eradication. By mentioning the poor and the needy, this ayat tells us that the primary purpose of instituting the system of Zakat is poverty eradication.
- Wealth obtained from public property should be reserved for the poor.
“Whatever Allah has bestowed on His Messenger (and taken away) from the people of the townships belongs to Allah, to His Messenger and to the kindred and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer. This is so that it may not merely make a circuit between the wealthy among you.”
[Surah alHashr, ayat 7]
This ayat talks about fi’. This is that property which the enemy leaves behind without a fight, for which no soldier was required to shed his blood or sweat. This is as good as public property, and the primary beneficiaries of this public property are the needy, the orphans and the homeless.
The Qur’ānic stand on fi’ has helped us deduce Islam’s stand on public properties, which is that all the public property present in the state would be used for the cause of poverty eradication. If this is not done, all the wealth of the land would keep circulating among the rich and wealthy. The best way to prevent this is to prevent their domination over public properties and to designate them for the poor and needy.
For instance, if a province is rich in mineral resources, the revenue obtained from those minerals would be directed towards the welfare of the poor. It would be distributed among the population not equally but equitably.
If we analyse closely, we realise that the very cause of economic disparity in society is the domination of the wealthy over the natural resources of the state.
Equal distribution of public property is not sufficient; it should necessarily be directed towards the welfare of the deprived. (to be continued)
[The writer is Editor of Urdu monthly Zindagi-e-Nau. Translated from Urdu by Dr. Parvez Mandviwala.]