عربي
Home


Articles

Articles

The Islamic Economy and its Connection with the Project of Civilizational Islam: The Malaysian Experience
Author : Dr. Safwan Odaybat
Date Added : 29-01-2023

The Islamic Economy and its Connection with the Project of Civilizational Islam: The Malaysian Experience

 

Islam is the seal of religions and Allah sent Prophet Mohammad, blessings and peace be upon him, to give the good news of the arrival of this religion, which fits in every time and place. Almighty Allah says {What means}: "We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings, and warning them (against sin), but most men understand not." {Saba`/28} and He, The Most Exalted Said (What means): "Say: "O men! I am sent unto you all, as the Apostle of God," {Al-`Araf/158}. The Glorious Quran came in perfect harmony with the nature of this divine religion, which is characterized as comprehensive, balanced, and realistic. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "One day We shall raise from all Peoples a witness against them, from amongst themselves: and We shall bring thee as a witness against these (thy people): and We have sent down to thee the Book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy, and Glad Tidings to Muslims." {An-Nahil/89}.

 

The Quran`s comprehensiveness of the religious, political, economic, and social aspects of life stands out via its total and partial provisions. Some rulings that aren`t affected by change in time, place, and individuals are shown in a detailed manner not amenable to nullification nor change, as reflected in provisions concerning inheritance and prescribed penalties. As for the general issues, which change with change in time, place, and individuals, general criteria and total controllers were formulated to regulate how they are applied and acted upon, as in financial transactions, economic as well as political issues. This is confirmed and explained in detail by the Prophetic Sunnah. In addition, the Prophetic guidance on dealing with various political, economic, and social issues represents a flexible and balanced Islamic approach and a role model in dealing with life affairs in light of constants and variables. 

 

Islam came to establish a civilizational project that aims to build, not destroy; unite, not divide; urbanize, not backward. However, it respects human mind, grants it freedom, but regulates the latter with the teachings of the religion, code of ethics, and values.

 

The civilized models of different countries where complete integration and blind imitation have taken place along with divesting from the fundamentals of the Islamic civilization in all aspects of life, may give future generations the impression that our religion is unfit for establishing an advanced urban civilization and that it is merely a set of religious rites, hymns and songs. In the labyrinth of this darkness and loss, we are in need for a contemporary experiment that annuls this understanding and proves, through practical application, Islam`s ability to advance human civilization in light of respecting other civilizations through science, work, and values.

 

The Malaysian Prime Minister, Ahmad Badawi, has submitted the project, (Civilizational Islam), in 2003, to make the Malaysian society return to the truth and essence of Islam, focus on the moral and social values and employ them in developing the human capital to arrive at sustainable development in the state of Malaysia. This is knowing that the spirit of this project was acted upon since the fifties; immediately (1) after the independence.

 

The Malaysian experience provided conclusive evidence for the need to link between the aspects of culture and value on the one hand and any civilizational developmental political, economic or social projects on the other.

 

Malaysia used to suffer from enormous problems concerning the intellectual and civilizational construction, multi ethnicity, how to manage them as well as the economic and political aspects. Therefore, the Malaysian society was restructured via plans and strategies to reduce the ethnic gaps between its members. Moreover, Islamic values were translated into a roadmap to elevate the Malaysian society to the rank of societies that respect time, appreciate its value, and work with integrity and honesty to form a nucleus of a strong state competitive in all fields.

 

In addition, the Islamic economy was restructured in Malaysia through its management and the employment of Islamic values to form a positive motivation to advance the Malaysian society. As a result, the Hajj Fund, which is considered one of the most successful cooperative institutions of Malaysia, was established forming an investment opportunity for the state of Malaysia. Afterwards, Islamic economic institutions were established in simulation of Islamic values. Amongst the most important of these institutions are (BERD) and (IIUM). (2) 

 

Briefly, the project, Civilizational Islam, is beautifully expressed by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Badawi, who said: "Civilizational Islam isn`t  a new religion or school of Islamic law; rather, it is an attempt and a vision to bring the nation back to the foundations of rue Islam, which emanate from the Quran and the Sunnah. If these are translated and understood correctly and clearly, Muslims will never deviate from the straight path…Civilizational Islam came to advance Muslims in the third millennium and help integrate them into modern economy. Civilizational Islam fits to be the cure for extremism and exaggeration in religion since it encourages tolerance, understanding, moderation, and peace….." (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) The Democratic Arab Centre for Strategic, Political & Economic Studies; Berlin, Germany, 2019, published an authoritative book entitled: "The Dimensions of the Malaysian Experiment: An Analytical Study on the Backgrounds, Foundations, and Horizons." The book contained a set of valuable research papers that clearly unveiled the Malaysian experiment in development and indicated the key of the economic, political, and social renaissance in Malaysia and its reliance on the project of Civilizational Islam.

 

(2) Adapted from the research entitled: "The Project of Civilizational Islam and the Malaysian Experiment: A Study on the Role of Islamic Values in Development." This research was conducted by Bin Hittah Elias, University of Algeria, from a series of the research papers of the authoritative book issued by The Democratic Arab Centre for Strategic, Political & Economic Studies; Berlin. First Edition, 2019.

(3)(Ibid.P.16-18). 

هذا المقال يعبر عن رأي كاتبه، ولا يعبر بالضرورة عن رأي دائرة الإفتاء العام

Article Number [ Previous | Next ]

Read for Author




Comments


Captcha


Warning: this window is not dedicated to receive religious questions, but to comment on topics published for the benefit of the site administrators—and not for publication. We are pleased to receive religious questions in the section "Send Your Question". So we apologize to readers for not answering any questions through this window of "Comments" for the sake of work organization. Thank you.




Summarized Fatawaa

Is it allowed to use ants as part of a prescription to remove extra hair?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of The Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
This isn`t allowed because animals shouldn`t be killed unless they are harmful or slaughtered to be eaten. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

I had my menstrual period at the beginning of Ramadan for six days, then it ended and I became pure. After four days, I started noticing some blood again, which has lasted for two days now, but it is not as heavy as menstrual blood. Is this blood considered menstrual blood, and what is the ruling regarding my prayers, fasting, and reading the Quran during this period?
 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad.
The minimum duration of menstruation is one day and one night, and its maximum is fifteen days. Any blood beyond this period is considered irregular bleeding (Istihada). Since the bleeding did not exceed fifteen days, it is considered menstrual blood within the regular cycle. Therefore, you should not pray or fast until the bleeding stops and the signs of purity appear. If the bleeding stops before fifteen days from when it first started, then all the blood you saw is considered menstrual blood, and you must make up the fasts, but not the prayers. If it exceeds fifteen days, then the first six days are menstrual blood, and the blood that follows is considered irregular bleeding. Your prayers and fasting are valid, and there is no issue with them. And Allah Knows Best."
 
*This answer was updated on [18/5/2023].

What husband's stand should be, if his wife disagrees with his mother?

Both the mother and the wife have rights on you (Questioner); therefore, you are obliged to treat both justly, resort to wisdom to please both and intiate reestablishing cordial relations among them. And Allah Knows Best.

1- A young man whose father and grandfather are dead. Unfortuntly, he passedaway leaving a mother, two sisters and a brother. Do his paternal uncles inherit him? 2- A man died leaving daughters, a wife, brothers, a mother or no mother. It is well known that the daughters inherit two thirds and the wife one eighth. To whom does the rest of the estate go and what is the evidence on that from the texts of Sharia?

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
1- The full brother or the paternal half-sibling disinherits the paternal uncles. The paternal half-sibling takes one sixth and because they are from the Asabah (Male relatives on the father`s side) of the deceased they take the rest of the estate. The proof of this is that Ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah Be Pleased with them) reported God’s Messenger (PBUH) as saying: "Give the shares to those who are entitled to them, and what remains over goes to the nearest male heir." [Agreed upon]. In this case, nothing is left to them.
2- The brothers take the rest of the deceased`s estate and the full brother disinherits the paternal half-sibling, and the proof of this is the aforementioned narration. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

See More