One Ummah Network
Fri, 18 Aug 2000 18:37:22 -0700
Submission by: Tavis Adibudeen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Topic: Al-Islam and Economic Unity
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Text:
With the Name of Allah, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer
"And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for
you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude
Allah's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in
love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of
the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His Signs
clear to you: That ye may be guided. Let there arise out of you a band of
people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and
forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity. Be not like
those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after
receiving Clear Signs: For them is a dreadful penalty." (al-Qur'an
3:103-105)
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Al-Islam and Economic Unity
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One of the biggest concerns facing Muslim societies today is their
economies. The majority of Muslim countries have an irregularly large
population of citizens below the poverty line, and the numbers are always
growing. Millions of Muslim children go to bed hungry every night in
places such as Iraq, Kashmir, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and many other
countries. Muslims all over the globe are faced with endless hardships and
suffering. Children starve, women are abused and raped, families torn
apart, and the masses of people are uneducated and illiterate.
We are happy to acknowledge that there are Muslim organizations that are
sponsoring relief efforts for our suffering brothers and sisters. It
pleases us, and hopefully, pleases Allah that these Muslims have risen to
take on the challenges that face our Ummah. In the big picture, however,
their efforts are not enough. The backwardness that many of these
countries face is often due to some form of "punishment" that has been
handed to them by the United States and/or other western powers, Iraq being
the prime example.
Naturally, many countries where Muslims are the majority have decided to
protect their people's interests at any cost. Usually, this protection of
interests involves some sort of allegiance to the United States, whether it
is expressed verbally or simply through actions. In essence, such an
allegiance does not necessarily have to be negative if those giving it are
devoting their allegiance to the principles of justice and equality that
are the framework of the United States. Unfortunately, this is not the
case. Although the framework is in place, those who have the ability to
exercise power do not exercise it according to these righteous principles
of justice and equality but rather based on the principle of capital gain.
Capitalism, in its most diabolical form has become the state religion in
the United States and its ally countries. While Muslims are quick to point
out the names of such allies as Britain and Israel, they fail to mention
that countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan fall into this same
category. It is for this reason that the Ummah has been divided along
economic lines in addition to the political ones. A leader of a Muslim
country now feels proud when he is able to state truthfully that the United
Nations has not imposed any economic sanctions on his country. Countries
that are victimized by sanctions are looked down upon by the new elitist
group of "Muslim" nationalists.
What is the significance of this economic disunity and is there any basis
for it within the teachings of Islam? To answer this, we should look to
the Book of Allah, the Qur'an, and also to the life example of the Prophet
Muhammad (saaws).
Allah says in the Qur'an:
"Wert thou to follow the common run of those on earth, they will lead you
away from the Way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture, they do
nothing but lie." (6:116)
If one assumes that this statement from the Qur'an is true, which in fact
it is, then we must accept that the common people on this earth follow
nothing but conjecture. This is possibly more true now than ever. It is
easier than ever for people to believe what they see on TV, what they read
in newspapers, and what they hear by word of mouth than it is for them to
believe the words of Allah in the Qur'an. A tool such as the Internet,
which could be used to transmit enormous amounts of positive information,
has also been used as a tool to mold the minds of the people. We are
bombarded with images of material wealth and capital gain. The idea of
spending more than you actually possess has become so common that many
institutions accept or reject applications for loans and purchases based on
your ability to do so.
It is therefore no wonder that many Muslim countries find security in
supporting the biggest capitalist nations. They feel trapped. Either they
go along with what the United States wants or they face the possibility of
being slapped with economic sanctions (Iraq, Iran, and now recently
Afghanistan testify to that fact). How can we as an Ummah escape this
trap? Again we must turn to our sources for consultation.
Looking at the life of the last Prophet (saaws), it is obvious that
economics played an important role in the lives of the people of Makkah
prior to the call to Islam. The holy kaba, originally built by prophet
Abraham (a.s.) had then become a house of idolatry containing a reported
360 different false gods. Even the more ignorant Arabs at that time did
not worship all 360 gods. Most did not even know which gods had come or
gone, when they were placed in the kaba, or to whom they originally
belonged. For the people of Makkah, however, the gods were better than a
gold mine. People from far-off distant lands came to Makkah to place their
gods in the kaba and spend their wealth in the city. Thus Makkah became
known for its ability to do business with foreigners. When the Prophet
came with the Qur'an, calling people to worship One God only, it threatened
the very economic foundation of Makkah. The pagan arabs rejected him not
because his call did not make sense to them, but rather because of their
greed and love of this life.
How well history repeats itself is undoubtedly a sign from Allah. The
Ummah is once again weary to accept Islam wholeheartedly for fear that they
will become poor and suffer hardships. They have instead chosen a form
idolatry called materialism. It is as if they have not heard the words of
Allah when He says:
"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted
of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost
(All spiritual good)." (3:85)
We, as Muslims, therefore cannot assume that Allah will come to our aide
and deliver us from poverty and economic disunity while we are unwilling to
put our trust in Him and accept Islam wholeheartedly.
Allah says:
"...Never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change
what is in themselves." (13:11)
We as Muslims must not feel that we are forced to go against our nature,
Islam, because we are threatened with economic sanctions or any other kind
of material or physical threat. These threats should not be our fears, but
rather we should fear only Allah.
"Shaytan threatens you with poverty and bids you to conduct unseemly. Allah
promiseth you His forgiveness and bounties. And Allah careth for all and He
knoweth all things." (2.268)
When we turn to Allah in forgiveness, and truly seek His aide alone, we can
be victorious. If we look to what Allah has given us instead of looking to
what Allah has given others, we will see that our Ummah is already rich.
We are blessed with millions of knowledgeable scholars, bright children,
oil rich countries, gold, diamonds, and anything that is in the world with
which Allah has blessed us.
"It is He Who has made you the inheritors of the earth: He has raised you
in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He has given
you..." (6:165)
Oh Muslims, our Ummah is a rich Ummah. It is One Ummah that should serve
Allah only and not look to the unbelievers and People of the Book to be our
providers and protectors. Instead we should turn to Allah and seek his
help and forgiveness and then use the tools that He has given us to
strengthen the Ummah. We should pool our resources to build Masajid,
Islamic schools, universities, hospitals, and financial institutions. We
should educate our people so that they can create businesses and jobs for
each other without having to work for non-muslim companies. Allah has
given us the tools, but we must now use then to strengthen us individually
and ultimately strengthen us as an Ummah.
"And whoever takes Allah and His messenger and those who believe for a
guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be
triumphant." (5:56)
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