Social Inequality and Islam

Today, when I am writing this article, is the 19th of Ramdan. A day when one of the leading Islamic figures and household members of the Prophet (P.B.U.H) was attacked by a group that had different views on the role of a person on Islamic Sharia. More than fourteen centuries have passed but the majority of our community still believe in the same way of solving the issues or at least in the case of some social status by criticizing personally rather than indulging in inductive arguments. For a person like me who looks at some prominent persons in the field of education and literacy for playing their part in the evolution of society, it is very sad and tragic to see that no doubt there are many ‘literate’ people in our society, but sadly, very few are educated Ones. People who should have set an example of “how to differ gracefully” are themselves are using characterization and intrusion of opponents for sake of proving their point of view.

Nowadays a most debatable issue seems to open some business ventures by religious scholars. I am thankful to “HumSub” for providing me with a platform to present my thoughts and I would like to invite whoever has any contradictory opinion with me to come to this platform and have an argument gracefully.

Islam introduces itself as a natural code of life. Therefore, it does not limit itself surrounding religious practices. It respects humankind and accepts the various aspects of human needs in a social environment. That is the reason that numerous functions e.g., economic, political, social, and political, are not independent of each other but interlinked under Sharia law.

Unfortunately, most of our religious scholars emphasize beliefs and Ibadats and completely ignore the social needs of today’s Muslim. From that our common public who is used to hear only about how to do ibadat in these Ulma’s sermons take every practice of a public figure against Islam which in reality comes under ‘Mumilat e Duniya’,

In our society, most people think that the capitalist economic system is an Islamic economic system with exception of the prohibited products. But according to sharia law, the Islamic market system is the free market system where the government is in no position of setting the price or the products unless there is market manipulation. That means in the economic context, prices are manifested in the supply and demand mechanism in the market existing among prospective buyers and sellers of any product.

That general principle of the free market is based on hadith e tas’ir reported by Hazrat Anas (R.A) that “one person came to the Prophet (P.B.U.H) and requested him to fix prices in the market but he refused. Another man came and made the same request; the Prophet (P.B.U.H) said it is Allah who pushes prices up or down, I do not want to face Him with a burden of injustice”. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, in Kitabul buyu).

In the early days of Islam, religious scholars used to teach fi sabililah (for free to please Allah) and had other professions for livelihood, then time changed the majority of religious scholars devoted their lives to spreading Islam and looked for the society for social support so they can focus only on religious work.

If today any religious scholar is looking for his distinction between his preaching and his earning for me that is an ideal initiative and others should pursue him. We should understand that every business which is not prohibited is legitimate. If he is not involved in deceit, cheating, or hoarding he has the right to compete freely in the market and earn using his social status as most of us are already doing. Islam permits every legitimate business as Quran tells us, “O you who believe: Eat not up to your property among yourselves unjustly except it may be traded among you by mutual consent” (4:29.)