The Holy Qur'an derives its fundamental strength from two main aspects: first, providing solutions to social problems; and second, shaping an individual capable of improving, developing, and transforming their reality, society, and world.

However, the social researcher has lost a true and effective connection with the Qur'an as a societal framework and as a source for creating suitable social solutions to improve and reform the reality of the Ummah. If this connection had occurred, the social researcher could have produced knowledge, created intellectual innovations, and contributed socially to developing a social theory that would rescue society from the disasters and critical civilizational turns it is currently facing, whose effects are increasing day by day.

The exclusion of the Qur'an from the ummah's activities and movements has burned away the ummah's energy and human and material resources, dissipated the system of ideas that drives life and society, and replaced it with a handful of ashes from this burning. This substitution no longer serves the truth.

The Qur'an, indeed, and not merely figuratively, is "clarification of all things" (An-Nahl: 89), offering humanity two essential and necessary elements for its social movement: first, a revealing and motivating idea that clarifies the nature of the journey, its requirements, warnings, and preferences, serving as a reference, guide, motivator, and support, providing reassurance in the nature of one's striving and effort.

Second, it provides a standard to judge the phenomena and events encountered in this journey. The function of this standard is to enable a person to have a balanced and just measuring tool, allowing them to issue balanced and fair judgments: to accept or reject, to love or hate, to advance or hold back, to emulate or correct, to destroy or reform.

In its fundamental guidance, the Qur'an provides humanity with these two elements: the revealing, guiding idea and the balanced standard of measurement. Its verses are clear in their unique condensation of these two clarifications.

Work and Unemployment

The Ummah has replaced its reliance on the capitalist economic system with the Qur'anic economic system, which emphasizes maintaining employment levels and the necessary workforce to ensure the stability of commodity prices and control over production quantities. The capitalist system only increases production based on its own decisions, leading to rising unemployment, especially in resource-rich countries that could be self-sufficient. However, their subordination to capitalist dependency prevents them from deviating from prescribed work nature and workforce numbers, all within the framework of foreign investment, privatization, and franchises that mortgage the Ummah's economies to Western capitalism.

In contrast, the Qur'anic approach values all forms of work, whether manual or intellectual, and does not tolerate unemployment or idleness among its people. It condemns idleness and considers it a deviation from worshipping Allah on Earth, contrary to the principle of human vicegerency and stewardship, which are among the most important divine purposes of creation. Allah says: "He has produced you from the earth and settled you in it" (Hud: 61).

The concept of work in the Qur'anic vision encompasses the simplest forms of activity, from using the mind to employing hands and senses. This model laid the foundation for a civilization where work continues until the last moment, not only in an individual's life but in the life of the entire universe. This was encapsulated by Malik in his definition of work: learning three letters of the alphabet is work, teaching these letters is work, removing harm from the road is work, planting a tree is work, and utilizing our free time to help others is work, and so on. Directing work means harmonizing all these efforts to change the human condition and create a new environment ⁽¹⁾.

Directing work during the formative stage of society means aligning collective efforts in one direction, including the efforts of the questioner and the shepherd, the craftsman, the merchant, the student, the scholar, the woman, the intellectual, and the farmer, so that each of them places a new brick in the building every day ⁽²⁾.

Economic activity undertaken by a Muslim falls within the scope of worship in its essential sense, provided it meets two conditions: first, that the activity achieves the purposes of Sharia in creation and development, and second, that it is done sincerely for Allah's sake, followed by the necessary condition of ihsan (excellence) in the work, whether mental or physical.

The principle of faith in the Qur'anic model links belief with work. There is no faith without work, and work without faith is like a mirage in a desert. The combination of work and faith realizes the practical methodology of Islamic thought, imbuing the Muslim character with positivity. There is no monasticism in Islam, no withdrawal from reality or society, but participation, initiative, and daring to achieve development.

In this context, the Qur'anic model establishes several principles to connect humans with their reality and various social and humanitarian activities. These principles lie between human capacity and nature's adaptability through the Qur'anic principle of subjugation. Both the soul and nature are prepared for work and development. The monotheistic methodology encourages humans to work at all times until the end of the universe. If this end comes and a person can perform a simple act like planting a sapling, they should do it.

This appreciation for the nature of work and its sanctification is aimed at elevating human skills, developing life, and fulfilling one's role. Therefore, scholars have linked faith to two aspects: verbal acknowledgment and heartfelt belief, and the aspect of work or physical and bodily affirmation.

Moreover, the value of good or beneficial work, central to the Qur'anic guidance, is not limited to benefiting the community of believers who receive these works or enjoy their benefits. Instead, it is offered to all people in fulfillment of the goodness that the Ummah brought forth for mankind. Therefore, the welfare envisioned in the Qur'anic social system is not exclusive to the Muslim community, as the capitalist system does for capitalists and their social circles, creating two conflicting classes (the rich and the poor). Instead, the standard of sufficiency and self-sufficiency is the foundation of the Qur'anic economic view of society.

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