Let us first address the issue of earning a living: The meticulous care that Islam takes in distinguishing between lawful and unlawful earnings cannot be found in any existing law in the world. It is considered illicit earnings any means by which a person earns a living by undermining the interests of others, or the interests of society as a whole, whether from a moral or material perspective. Islamic law absolutely prohibits the manufacture and trade of alcohol and other intoxicants, just as it prohibits adultery, professional dancing, gambling, speculation, and various types of lotteries.
It also prohibits fictitious and fraudulent deals, deals that inherently carry the germs of conflict between their parties, and transactions in which profit is guaranteed for one party while the other party is swayed by the wind, lacking trust, reassurance, and security. Islamic law also prohibits price manipulation by refraining from selling the necessities of life, and other such characteristics that harm the group's interests. Suppose you look closely at this aspect of Islamic economic laws. In that case, you will come across a long list of means that Islam has prohibited, most of which, if they had a place, would have provided many with the opportunity to grow up to be millions under the current capitalism. However, Islam prohibits all of these means in its law and guarantees freedom of earning within the limits of honorable means only through which the individual can provide the group with a real and beneficial service, and then he can demand fair and correct compensation for it.
While Islam grants the individual the right to own the wealth he earned lawfully, it does not limit these established rights. It calls on the individual to spend his lawful money lawfully and legitimately. It has placed restrictions on spending that prevent a person from squandering his wealth on luxury pleasures while living a decent life. Showing status and self-esteem are matters that a person should not exceed the limits to establish himself as a god above humans. Some forms of spending have been clearly and explicitly forbidden, while others, while not explicitly forbidden, the Islamic state has been granted the authority to prevent people from spending wealth on forbidden things.
In the first case, he must pay zakat on the money he accumulates that exceeds the prescribed minimum amount each year at a rate of a quarter of a tenth - 2.5 percent. However, if he wishes to invest his wealth in a facility, he may do so, but within the limits of permissible legitimate work. It is permissible for a person to undertake a legitimate business on his own, or to share in the profit and loss with others in return for providing his capital, which may be in the form of money or real estate, or in the form of tools and characteristics necessary for a profession. Within these limits, there is no blame on a person in Islam if his work reaches the peak of wealth, and this is even more likely to be considered a great favor from God. However, Islam here stipulates two things for the individual for the sake of the interests of the group as a unit: The first is to pay zakat on his commercial goods and a tenth of his agricultural production. The second is to oblige him to be fair in dealing with his partners in trade, industry, or agriculture, and with those who work under him. If an individual does not adhere to the duty of justice on his own, the Islamic State will force him to do so.
After these legal limits on the resources and expenditures of money, Islam does not leave the wealth accumulated after implementing these teachings to be concentrated in one hand for a long time. Through its law on inheritance, Islam scatters this wealth from generation to generation. The direction of Islam in this regard is contrary to the direction of other laws in the world.
All other laws work to keep the wealth that was accumulated one day concentrated generation after generation. As for Islam, it formulates its law in the complete opposite way. According to this law, it is obligatory for the wealth that a person accumulates during his life to be distributed among his closest relatives immediately after his death. If these are not present, it is the turn of the relatives to inherit according to what the law has decided for each one of them a prescribed share. If we also lack these, the right of inheritance is transferred to the entire Muslim community. It is unlikely that under this legislation, or that the owner of large sums of money or vast estates will escape from it. This last tax is sufficient to overthrow what may have passed despite the previous restrictions of the disadvantages of accumulation and concentration of wealth.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
