What Are the Reasons of Economic Injustice? (4)

Consumption

The major third factor conducive to the economic injustice and perpetuating the spread of poverty and destruction of human resources is ill-consumption, which the misuse of wealth and the non-usage of assets that could preserve and satisfy human demands in a calculated balanced way.

Like all other fields, Islam has a unique diagnosis for consumption in its particularly caring way of embracing a complete formula for life. Its guidelines show the following steps:

Limiting Consumption

Consumption is the most critical stage in dealing with the wealth and making use of it and Islam did not neglect this vital area but set a system with clear moral aspects that controls the process, utilizing the graces and favours bestowed on man by Allah.

So that man would not act excessively or unreasonably in regard to consuming life’s resources, Islam projects a well-laid system, calculated and in accordance with its message and its distinctive way of handling matters at man’s disposal.

Prohibition of Extravagance and Wastefulness

Extravagance and wastefulness are nothing but harmful misusages of wealth. Islam exhorted man to confine himself to the necessities of life and to keep his lusts, avarice and the untoward behaviors in check.

Allah, the Exalted, says:

“O children of Adam! attend to your embellishments at every time of prayer, and eat and drink and be not extravagant; surely He does not love the extravagant.” Holy Qur’an (7:31)

“And they who when they spend, are neither extravagant nor parsimonious, and (keep) between these the just mean.” Holy Qur’an (25:67)

“And give to the near of kin his due and (to) the needy and the wayfarer, and do not squander wastefully. Surely the squanderers are the brothers of the Satan and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.” Holy Qur’an (17:26-27)

“And do not make your hand to be shackled to your neck nor stretch it forth to the utmost (limit) of its stretching forth, lest you should (afterwards) sit down blamed, stripped off.” Holy Qur’an (17:29)

These exhortation and restrictions were purely to keep a balanced economy perfectly organized. If wealth is employed in the interest of man, used as it was ordained and planned by Allah, all human needs were met.

Islam, in its legislation and perceptions, erect a structure of logical bases compatible with human make-up and instinctive needs.

Because man cannot always handle wealth, Allah’s given services and favours are bestowed upon him in a strategically productive way, Islam puts before him the way according to which he can utilize and consume wealth efficiently and justly. If, however, these are ignored and neglected, the specific objective outlined by Allah will be lost to man with disastrous consequences as can be seen by the widespread plight of people all over the world.

All activities, including commodities and services, are put into two categories that best suit their nature, halal (lawful) and the haram (unlawful). Wine, gambling, revelry, debauchery, wasteful entertainment … etc, are strictly prohibited because they only dissipate man’s wealth.

Instead of being wasted in vain, such huge sums of money should be spent in the services of human society to satisfy fundamental human needs and preserve wealth from being squandered and lost. It is an ailment that plagued all societies who lack the sound planning Islam presents to man.

Thousands of millions of dollars are wasted daily on wine, gambling, extravagant entertainment, debauchery, as well as on accumulating weapons of mass destruction and annihilation for wars and terrorizing other nations, whilst millions of people are straddled with hunger, deprivation and misery.

Islam makes such perverse and corrupt consumption haram because its aims are to employ wealth in fields that secure welfare for humanity.

With its exact and perfectly planned economic system, Islam has placed in the hands of mankind the economic gifts of securing the cure of all financial woes and salvaging an equitable world from the abyss of poverty, deprivation and injustice in which millions still painfully suffer from and seemingly will continue to do so with ill-founded man-made equivalents.

Source: Economic Distribution in Islam. Presented by: Al-Balagh Foundation