Poverty In The Muslim World

Poverty is the biggest moral challenge of this humankind. It is a historical fact that Majority of people lives in Poverty It is estimated that the ten Islamic countries at the bottom account for more than 600 million of the worlds poor.

Poverty in Islam

Poverty in Islam related with the concept of necessities & who does not possess sufficient necessities to fulfill his basic needs is poor. The Term used in Islamic literature for a poor Person is Faqeer & word faqeer is mention in Quran 12 times. Poverty is also associated with the concept of nisab & Nisab is a certain minimum quantum of any good or wealth that must be possessed before that good or wealth is subject to zakah.

The issue of poverty is spoken more comprehensively in the hadiths but there is not even a single verse or Hadith that advocates poverty. The authentic hadiths related to the Prophet indicate that poverty is danger and threat for both individuals and societies. The Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) used to pray That(O my Allah, I refuge to you from the evils of poverty, )

Islam Solves World Poverty and Hunger

Islam is the religion and way of life that was revealed to humanity by our creator, Allah. Islam give us peace and happiness in our lives here on earth and in the afterlife. . Islam was revealed as a practical religion that covers all aspects of our lives. Islam provides solutions to all problems that are faced by humanity. One of the most widespread and dangerous problems faced by humanity is that of poverty, hunger and starvation The majority of the world population today lives in poverty.

If Islam is implemented in the world today, the problem of poverty, hunger and starvation would be completely eliminated within a year. It will be solves by several method.

Zakat The Arabic word "Zakat" means both

Sources of Funds for the Poor

'purification' and 'growth. It is the fourth of five pillars of Islam and hence is obligatory on every Muslim to pay a certain "tax", called Zakat, on their accumulated wealth. The money collected from this Zakat is to be distributed among the poor and needy. Zakat is due on accumulated wealth that has been in the possession of a person for at least one year. Our wealth is purified by setting aside a proportion of his wealth.

The Zakat is to be distributed among people of the following categories (The Destitute, The Poor, The Indebted, Stranded Traveler, To Free Slaves, New Muslims, In the Path of Allah, Zakat Workers)

Optional Charity

Islam greatly encourages Muslims to give extra charity. For example, the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) once said that the person who sleeps full while his neighbor sleeps hungry is not a true believer. Islam always encourages charity in all situations. For example, for the persons who are not able to fast in Ramadan, they are required to feed some poor people for each day they do not fast.

When the messenger of Allah, Mohammad (PBUH), sent one of his companions to call the people of Yemen to Islam, he asked him to tell them the basics of Islam, among which was: "... that Allah has made obligatory on them a charity that is taken from their rich and given to their poor...

Charitable Trusts or Endowments (Al Awqaf)

Charitable trusts transfer wealth from private ownership to beneficial, social, collective ownership. Islam does not make this practice obligatory but has strongly encouraged it and left it to voluntary initiatives of individuals. The Muslims accepted it wholeheartedly and created charitable trusts, since the period of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) for important social and economic functions.

Gifts (Al Maniha)

Al Minha and Al Maniha are special kinds of gifts. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) in his various traditions used this method to provide some assistance to the early Muslim migrants from Mecca to Madinah who were in real need of some help. Al Maniha means the granting of the usufruct of a productive asset to a needy person for a specific period. These gifts as mentioned in the various Prophetic traditions, include money (cash), riding animals, dairy animals, agricultural land, fruit bearing trees, houses, etc

Al Fay'

Al Fay' is the wealth that Muslims acquire from the enemy without actual fighting. The recipients of fay' are for the Prophet (s.a.w.), his family, the orphans, the needy and the wayfarer .

Spoils of War (Al Ghanimah)

Al Ghanimah is the wealth acquired from enemy by force during war. One-fifth of the al ghanimah is to be distributed to all the recipients of the fay' and the remaining four-fifths go to the soldiers who participated in the war. Rikaz is buried wealth found in land which has no owner. The finder will have to pay 20% or onefifth of the wealth. The opinions of the jurists on the recipients of this one-fifth of the wealth are divided. Some are of the opinion that it should be distributed to the recipients of the fay'

Treasure (Rikaz)

Distribution of Wealth in Islam

The distribution of wealth is one of the most important and most controversial subjects concerning the economic life of man. Whatever wealth man does possess has been received from Allh- Allh has bestowed upon you. Man has to use it in such a way that his ultimate purpose should be the other world- seek the other world Since wealth has been received from Allh, its exploitation by man must necessarily be subject to the commandment of Allh

Now the Divine Commandment has taken two forms.

Allah may command man to convey a specified portion of wealth to another. This Commandment must be obeyed, because Allh has done good by you. do good as Allh has done good by you . He may forbid you to use this wealth in a specified way. He has every right to do so, because He cannot allow you to use wealth in a way which spread disorder on the earth

Now we are in a position to draw clear boundary lines that separate Islam, Capitalism, and Socialism from one another

Capitalism affirms an absolute and unconditional right to private property. Socialism totally denies the right to private property Islam admits the right to private property but does not consider it to be an absolute and unconditional right which is bound to cause disorder on the earth

The Objects of the Distribution of Wealth According to Islam

(a) The establishment of a practical system of economy

The first object of the distribution of wealth is that it would be the means of establishing in the world a system of economy which is natural and practicable, and which, without using any compulsion or force, allows every individual to function in a normal way according to his ability, his aptitude, his own choice and liking.

In Quran
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.

Enabling everyone to get what is rightfully due to him

The second object of the Islamic system of the distribution of wealth is to enable everyone to get what is rightfully his. Under materialistic economic systems, there is only one way of acquiring the right to wealth, and that is a direct participation in the process of production. The basic principle of Islam in this respect is that wealth is in principle the property of Allah Himself and He alone can lay down the rules as to how it is to be used. So, according to the Islamic point of view, not only those who have directly participated in the production of wealth but those too whom Allah has made it obligatory upon others to help, are the legitimate sharers in wealth. Hence, the poor, helpless, the needy,and the destitute they too have a right to wealth.

Eradicating the concentration of wealth

The third object of the distribution of wealth, which Islam considers to be very important, is that 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. 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, spoils of war, etc

The Capitalist View of the Distribution of Wealth

Wealth should be distributed only over those who have taken a part in producing it, and who are described in the terminology of economics as the factors of production.( capital, land, labor, Entrepreneur or Organization) The wealth produced by the cooperation of these four factors is distributed over these four factors like this: one share is given to capital in the shape of interest, the second share to labor in the shape of wages, the third share to land in the shape of rent (or revenue), and the fourth share is reserved for the entrepreneur in the shape of profit.

The Socialist View of the Distribution of Wealth

In the Socialist economy, the capital and land, instead of being private property, are considered to be national or collective property. So, the question of interest or rent does not arise at all under the philosophy of this system. Socialist system, the entrepreneur too is not an individual but the state itself. Now, there remains only one factor namely, labor. And labor alone is con-sidered to have a right to wealth under the Socialist system, which it gets in the shape of wages.

The Islamic View of the Distribution of Wealth

From the Islamic point of view, there are two kinds of people who have a right to wealth: (1) Those who have a primary right who take directly participation in the process of production. (2) Those who have a secondary right who have not taken a direct part in the process of production, but it has been enjoined upon the producers to make them co-sharers in their wealth.