Wealth and Poverty in Islam

Islam gives great importance to the dignity of each individual human being. It therefore stands for the banishment of poverty and organisation of economic life in a manner that the basic needs of all human beings are met. Since Islam is opposed to regimentation it seeks to achieve this purpose through influencing the behaviour pattern of the members of the society in particular directions and activation of a number of the authorities to justly distribute wealth. Islam stands for the elimination of all class distinctions and equal regard for all human beings. This does not; however call for the elimination of all inequalities of income and wealth. In fact, inequalities serving a functional purpose are held to be fully justifiable.

Allah wants all humans to have the same rights; this was expressed through his prophets and messengers and also in the Quraan where he (SWT) said:

And we have sent our messengers with the truth and we have sent down with them the book and the scale so that people may be fair

This Ayah clearly shows that Allah gives humans rights and also the apparatus by which these rights are fulfilled and ensured.

These rights are many, some of which the UN has taken to be the rights of a human like the right to have a name for example. One of the rights Allah has given all humans is the right to get all basic needs (e.g. food, clothes etc.) from the money of the rich.

Islam requires the fulfilment of all basic needs for every human being in the society, irrespectable of their religion, culture or level in community. Allah (SWT) says:

And if you (man) count the blessings and provisions Allah has bestowed upon you will fail to count them all”

This Ayah clarifies that all blessings and provisions you may own or receive, they are but from Allah and they are too many to count.

These resources have been created by Allah as a gift to mankind as a whole and whatever comes into the possession of any single person is to be treated as a trust. This trust cannot have been justly used unless each and every person in the community has enough to satisfy at least his basic needs. To ensure the fulfilment of the basic needs of all, Islam gives the poor an obligatory ‘right’in the income and wealth of the well-off members of the community called ‘Zaka’.

Although Islam urges people to give charity to the poor and needy it shows us ways to do it that will not only be useful to the recipient once but to help him get out of their tight corner.

A man came up to the prophet (pbuh) and asked him for money to buy food for his family. The prophet did not give him money but went and bought him an axe. He then told him to go cut and sell wood and then to come back and see him after 15 days. The man came back after 15 days looking happy and told the prophet that he was now able to feed his family.

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From this Hadith we understand that by helping the poor person to help himself you are forevermore stopping him from humiliating both himself and his surrounding community.

Allah (SWT) says that he made night for rest and day for hard work. This means that night follows day to give rest for those who work for their livelihood during the day .Earning livelihood to feed oneself and family is considered a kind of worship in Islam. This shows the importance of productive work in Islam. The prophet (SAW) said:

If Allah provides one of you with an opportunity for ...

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