Post by Prince of Destiny on Jan 28, 2006 2:05:46 GMT -5
Economic System of Islam
Chapter One : Introduction to Economic System
This book of the economic system in Islam is a precious intellectual Islamic fortune, rarely matched. It is the first book which crystallizes, clearly and obviously, in this century, the reality of the economic system of Islam in this period in an explicit
fashion.
It explains the Islamic view of the economy and its objective, how to own property and increase it, how to spend and dispose of it, how to distribute the wealth amongst the citizens in society and how to establish a balance within it. It explains the types of properties (private, public and State property) including the property due to the Bait ul-Mal and the areas over which it is spent. It explains the rules of lands, whether 'Ushriyya or Kharajiyya, and what is obliged in them of the tithe ('Ushr) or land tax (Kharaj) and how to utilise, cultivate and allocate and also how to transfer them from one owner to another.
It also discusses the different types of currencies (Nuqud) and what occurs in them of Riba, exchange and what is obliged from them of Zakat. Finally it discusses the foreign trade and its rules. The sole sources in adopting the rules mentioned in this book are the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger _ and what they directed to, namely analogy and Ijma'a as-Sahabah. No other source is taken in adopting these economic rules. The book introduces the reality of the capitalist and socialist, including (communist) economic systems and their refutation, explaining their defects and contradiction with the economic system of Islam.
This book wasreviewed prior to printing the new edition with only minor corrections. Careful attention was spent in reviewing all the Ahadith mentioned which were proven according to their narrators in the books of Hadith. This book, to its credit, has created amongst Muslims a great awareness of the Economic System in Islam. We ask Allah that He
_ spreads its favour and enables Muslims to place its rules into action in a State ruling them exclusively with that which Allah _ has revealed.
Thoughts, in any nation, are the greatest fortune the nation gains in her life if the nation is newly born; and they are the greatest gift that any generation can receive from the preceding generation, provided the nation is deep-rooted in the enlightened thought. With regard to material wealth, scientific discoveries, industrial inventions and the like, all of these are of much lower importance than thoughts. In fact, to gain such matters depends on the thoughts, and preservation of these matters depends on the thoughts as well.
If the material wealth of a nation is destroyed, it is possible for it tobe restored quickly as long as the nation preserves its intellectual wealth. However, if the intellectual wealth collapses and the nation retains only its materialistic wealth, this wealth will soon shrink and the nation will fall down into poverty. Most of the scientific achievements, which the nation once made, can be regained, provided it does not lose its way of thinking. Whereas, if it lost the productive way of thinking, it would soon regress and lose its discoveries and inventions. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of the thoughts first. Based upon these thoughts, and according to the productive way of thinking, material wealth is gained, and the achievement of
scientific discoveries, industrial inventions and the like is sought.
What is meant by thoughts is the existence, within the nation, of the process of thinking in it's life affairs, such that the majority of its individuals use the information that they have when facing events, so as to judge on them. This means that they have thoughts which they contrive to use in life, and by using these thoughts frequently and successfully, a productive way of thinking results.
Ma-salama
Prince of Destiny