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The Emergence of the Islamic Economy
Author : Dr. Safwan Odaybat
Date Added : 01-02-2023

The Emergence of the Islamic Economy

Reflecting on the terms used in the definition of the Islamic economy-to which we have referred earlier-in terms of wealth, money, monetization, ownership, spending, production, investment, services, savings, and issues concerning richness and poverty, shows that Muslims are among the first to care for and write thousands of books about economic issues.

This leads us to differentiate between two terms:

First: The Islamic Economic Doctrine

It represents the general principles contained in the texts of Sharia (Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah). These principles are immutable and as a whole, they constitute rules governing the economic life with its totalities. It is fit to say that they are the holistic rules for the diverse applications and the detailed particulars of the vocabulary of the Islamic economy.

Second: The Islamic Economic System

It represents the applied aspect with its subdivisions, which vary with time and place, and is the subject of the Ijtihad (process of legal reasoning and hermeneutics through which the jurist-mujtahid derives or rationalizes law based on the Qur'an and the Sunna) of the scholars as well as the consideration of the jurists. In fact, the ruling on emerging issues of Islamic jurisprudence/Fiqh, contemporary issues of financial transactions, and the economy is only one form of the Islamic economic system.

It is therefore fit to say: "The Islamic economy is divine in terms of doctrine and secular in terms of system or application" (see the book entitled "The Subjectivity of Islamic Economic Policy and the Importance of the Islamic Economy " by Dr. Mohammed Shawki Al-Finjri,pp.18).

If we dwell on the Islamic economic doctrine, we realize that Islam is the first to determine the general principles and the holistic rules on which the economic system, with its various applications, is built. 

The rules of justice, the prohibition of Riba (Usury/interest), injustice, grave deception, fraud, even the rules of ownership, consumption, production, distribution, etc., are all found in the Holy Quran, the Prophetic Sunnah, exegesis, Hadith, and Fiqh.

Allah Commands working to earn a livelihood and this represents production in its most obvious form. He, The Almighty Says (What means): "It is He Who has made the earth manageable for you, so traverse ye through its tracts and enjoy of the Sustenance which He furnishes: but unto Him is the Resurrection." {Al-Mulk/15}.

The Holy Sunnah has highlighted the issue of public property. A man of the Companions narrated: I went on an expedition with the Prophet (PBUH) and heard him say, "People are partners in three things: grazing, pasture, water and fire." {Sunan Abi Dawoud}. 

As for private property, verses on inheritance represent a clear case and form of its applications. Abu Hurra ar-Raqashi on his paternal uncle’s authority reported God’s Messenger as saying: “You must not act oppressively, and a man’s property may not be taken except with his goodwill.” {Al-Sunan Al-Kubra of Al-Baihaqhi}. This Hadith clearly reflects the right to private ownership.

The holy Sunnah also addresses the economic balance in society and ways of achieving it by prohibiting monopoly, Riba and injustice. This is also clearly reflected in the following verse: "What God has bestowed on His Apostle (and taken away) from the people of the townships,- belongs to God,- to His Apostle and to kindred and orphans, the needy and the wayfarer; In order that it may not (merely) make a circuit between the wealthy among you." {Al-Hashir/7}. This verse contains several wisdoms behind Zakah (Obligatory charity), spending, operating funds instead of sufficing with saving them, prohibiting monopoly and Riba. In total, these make up the natural economic balance and this is what the Muslim community should be like.

If we examine all the examples taken from the texts of Sharia in clarifying the vocabulary of the Islamic economy, a great deal of time will be needed. Therefore, we will suffice with what has been referred to.

If we look at the Islamic economic system and its practical aspects and partial branches, we will find a number of specialized books in some branches of the Islamic economy, in addition to the scattered economic knowledge in the details of transactions in the different books of Fiqh, Hadith and exegesis.

Rather, we find "The writings of Ibn Khaldoun, Megrezi, Ayeni and Dalji in the late 14th and 15th centuries as the starting point of the scientific school in modern economics" (The Brief in the Islamic Economy by Dr. Mohammed Shawki Finjri, P. 27).

Dr. Zaki Mahmoud Shabana, former deputy of Azhar University, establishes that Ibn Khaldoun's book/ The Muqaddimah (Introduction), which appeared in 784 AH, is similar to the book (Wealth of Nations) by Adam Smith whom some call the Father of Modern Economics. The latter wrote this book in 1776 while Ibn Khaldoun wrote his book five centuries ago. (Wealth of Nations) is even considered a distorted image of Ibn Khaldoun's Muqaddimah and only differs from it environmentally and temporally. (Al-Wajiz by Fanjri, p. 27, and The Islamic Economic System by Dr. Mahmoud Al-Khatib, p. 16).

A closer look at Ibn Khaldoun's book reflects the volume of specialized economic knowledge found in this cultural treasure. It also paves the way for modern and advanced economic theories, such as economic growth, population theory and state economic activity. (Muslims and Economics: Ibn Khaldoun Founder of Economics, by Dr. Shawqi Ahmad Dunya, P.6)

This is in addition to other books about the various vocabularies of Islamic Economics in the early Hijri centuries. For example, Kitab al-Kharaj by Abu Yusuf who died 182 AH, Al-Kharaj by Adam Al-Qurashi who died in 203 AH, and Al-Amwal by Obeid who died in 224 AH, in addition to many other books.

In the second half of the twentieth century, after the emergence of modern secular economic doctrines and development of modern economic systems, Islamic economic studies began to emerge, and the Islamic economy began, as a science and thought, through international conferences. The latter were introduced by the First Conference of Islamic Economics in Makkah in 1976. Afterwards, specialized conferences and seminars were held and Islamic economics was singled out as a specialization in Sharia colleges and departments. Moreover, scholars began writing books on the Islamic Economics. The most notable scholars to write on this field were Prof. Mohammad Baqer al-Sadr, Ali Abdul-Rasoul and Dr. Mohammed Al-Mubarak, Dr. Ahmed Al-Najjar, Dr. Ref`at Al-Awadhi, and many others...

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

When is the prayer considered *adāʾ* (performed within its time): upon rising from the bowing (*rukūʿ*), or after rising from the prostration (*sujūd*)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
Whoever catches one complete rakʿah within the prayer's time has caught the prayer as an on-time (adāʾ) prayer. The rakʿah is complete when the worshipper raises his head from the second prostration (sajdah), even if he has not yet reached the degree of standing in which the recitation is valid.
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj (Vol.1/p.378): "What is meant by the rakʿah is the completion of all of it, with its two prostrations." End quote.
And in Ḥāshiyat al-Shabrāmallisī: "(His saying: 'a rakʿah') means that he raises his head from the second prostration, even if he has not reached the degree in which the recitation is valid." And Allah Almighty knows best.
________________________________________
Note on terminology: Adāʾ refers to performing the prayer within its prescribed time, as opposed to qaḍāʾ (making it up after its time has ended).

What are the conditions for a valid Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
First: The age of the animal must meet the Sharia requirements. These requirements vary depending on the type of sacrifice:
 
Camels: Must have completed five years and entered their sixth.
 
Cows: Must have completed two years and entered their third.
 
Goats: Must have completed two years and entered their third. As for Sheep, they must have completed one year and entered their second.
 
Some scholars have permitted goats that have completed one year and entered their second.
 
The Hanafi school, along with an opinion in the Maliki school, permits sacrificing sheep that are at least six months old, provided they are healthy and physically substantial. According to the Shafi’i school, it is permissible if the sheep sheds its front teeth (ajdha') before reaching one year [Al-Iqna’, by Al-Shirbini (Vol.2/P.588)].
 
Second: Soundness and freedom from defects. The animal must be free from any defect that causes a decrease in its meat or market value. This is based on the hadith narrated by Al-Bara' bin 'Azib, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
 
"Four [defects] are not permissible in sacrifices: A one-eyed animal whose blindness is evident, a sick animal whose illness is evident, a lame animal whose lameness is evident, and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones." [Reported by Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi, who graded it as authentic].
 
These defects are detailed as follows:
 
Evident Lameness: It is not permissible to sacrifice a lame animal if the lameness is severe enough to prevent it from walking to the pasture or seeking food, as this leads to a decrease in its meat. However, slight lameness that does not hinder its grazing is overlooked.
 
Evident Blindness (One-eyed): It is not permissible to sacrifice a sheep, cow, or camel that has a white film over its eye blocking light, or one that has lost an eye entirely. Weak vision that does not affect its ability to eat does not prevent the sacrifice from being valid.
 
Evident Illness: An animal with a clear sickness that prevents it from eating or moving is not valid. This includes severe mange (Jarab) that spoils the meat.
 
Extreme Emaciation: An animal so thin that there is no marrow left in its bones is invalid. The standard for emaciation that invalidates the sacrifice is that which spoils the quality of the meat to the point that people would find it undesirable even in times of plenty.
 
Additional Considerations:
These are the defects mentioned in the Prophetic tradition, and any defect that causes emaciation or reduces the meat or value is compared to them by analogy. This includes animals that are mentally unstable (diseased), those with mange, or those with a missing ear. In contrast, a slit or pierced ear does not affect the validity of the sacrifice. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

I hired a private tutor for my son through an academy that sends teachers [to families] and takes a percentage [of their pay]. At the start of the [new] school year, I arranged directly with that same teacher, without the academy's knowledge. What is the ruling on this?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The ruling on this matter depends on knowing the specific terms of the agreement and contract concluded with the academy. If the agreement stipulates that no arrangement may be made with any of the students except through the academy itself, then it is not permissible for you to breach the terms of this contract, based on the words of our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: "Muslims are bound by their conditions." (Related by al-Bukhārī)
However, if the agreement pertains only to teaching a specific subject, and the agreement concludes once that subject is finished, then there is no objection to arranging with the teacher to teach other subjects after the contract period has ended, outside of the academy.
Whatever the case maybe, the teacher must uphold the terms of his contract with the academy. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

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