The world, through its countries and international and local institutions, raises the banner of development in its various forms, whether economic, comprehensive, human, or sustainable. Yet, our Arab countries still talk about the wheel of development, which has rusted waiting for generations to achieve it, but the outcome has been nothing but backwardness and dependence on others to meet our needs.
In a historic meeting written in gold between the esteemed companion Rabe'i ibn Amer (may Allah be pleased with him) and Rostam, the Persian commander during the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, Rostam asked him, “What brought you here?” He replied, “Allah has sent us to rescue people from the worship of other people to the worship of the Lord of all people, from the narrowness of this world to the vastness of this world and the Hereafter, and from the oppression of other religions to the justice of Islam.”
In Rabe'i’s concise and profound answer, from an economic perspective, he addressed three principles essential for any economy: freedom, development, and justice. There is no development without two wings: freedom and justice, with justice being the best regulator of freedom. Absolute freedom leads to absolute corruption, as established by the capitalist system, and suppressing people's freedoms and enslaving them is destructive corruption.
The Islamic economic system views the wing of freedom, which drives development and innovation, as an Islamic obligation. No economy can grow without it, as human freedom is the foundation of any development, and economic development cannot be achieved without human development.
Freedom in the Islamic economic system is regulated by justice, succession, and dual monitoring by both the individual and the state.
Self-monitoring, stemming from a conscious inner self connected to the Hereafter, guides economic behavior within the circle of what is halal (permissible) and avoids what is haram (forbidden), adhering strictly to ethical values like brotherhood, altruism, gentleness, tolerance, justice, mercy, and compassion, while rejecting exploitation, selfishness, and individualism in practical life.
The economic oversight role of the state in regulating economic freedom according to the principles and objectives of Sharia helps in achieving optimal resource allocation by attracting benefits and repelling harm.
Islamic Economic Moderation
The moderation of the Islamic economic system is evident in its establishment of economic freedom, giving individuals a wide scope to move within their choices, to practice economic activities that fulfill their role on earth, which is to worship Allah and cultivate the earth, while seeking His assistance: “It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” (Al-Fatihah: 5) Thus, it does not recognize absolute or near-absolute economic freedom, which leads to absolute corruption, as is the case in the capitalist system.
This is a guided and regulated freedom aimed at achieving human well-being and avoiding arrogance and worldly triviality.
It also rejects absolute economic equality, which the communists dream of and for which they enslaved people who were born free, binding them with the shackles of oppression and giving them mere crumbs to live on, as if satisfying the stomach and filling it with cheap food is the ultimate requirement for people's happiness. If this were true, then prisoners would be the happiest people, given that they receive regular meals from prison administration every day. People under socialism are indeed in a large prison, and the truth is that regulated economic freedom is the secret to that happiness, providing creativity, innovation, and desirable competition in ownership, work, and production.
Individual economic freedom in the Islamic economic system is a responsible freedom that is limited by society. An individual's interest is bound by the community's interest, and their economic behavior should be employed for the benefit of both themselves and the society around them. Thus, the Islamic economic system reconciles the interests of the individual with those of the community, refusing to let economic freedom turn into harm to others or achieve individual interests at the expense of the community. If individual interest conflicts with community interest, community interest is prioritized with compensation to the individual for any harm they may incur, according to the Sharia principle, “a greater harm is avoided by enduring a lesser harm,” and “preventing harm takes precedence over bringing benefits.”
Social Responsibility
The Islamic economic system views economic freedom as bearing social responsibility, vastly different from the capitalist economic system, which operates on predatory freedom. Leaving economic freedom without ethical and faith-based values in everything under the slogan “let him work, let him pass,” from the freedom of ownership, contract, production, price determination, exchange, and consumption to the freedom of income and wealth, has turned humans into commodities sold at times for a price and at other times for nothing. This has led to the unjust consumption of others' wealth that preys on the weak, grows the strong, and destroys equal opportunities through monopoly, gambling, fraud, usury, and successive crises, among other issues.
Individual freedom is responsible and is limited by society. The individual's interest is bound by the community's interest.
The difference is stark between the Islamic economic system and the socialist economic system, which itself is a crisis, for disbelieving in God’s authority and for the party and its men monopolization over wealth and power, distributing poverty to the masses, suppressing people's freedom through terror and force, and depriving them of their right to their work as ownership and profit, making it hard for them to even breathe.
The Islamic economic system thereby establishes a clear truth that creation and command belong to Allah alone: “Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command.” (Al-A'raf: 54), whereas the capitalist economic system attributes creation to Allah but commands to humans, and the socialist economic system attributes both creation and command to humans.
Economic freedom in the Islamic economic system is a guided and regulated freedom to achieve human well-being, avoiding human arrogance and worldly triviality, as did the people of 'Ad before: “Do you construct on every elevation a sign, amusing yourselves? And take for yourselves palaces and fortresses that you might abide eternally? And when you strike, you strike as tyrants. So fear Allah and obey me.” (Ash-Shu'ara: 128-131)
The story of Prophet Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) also reveals Allah's method of regulating economic freedom with divine values. He called his people to monotheism and coupled it with fairness in dealings and not depriving people of their rights. They were astonished by the doctrinal and ethical constraints on their actions and wealth, believing they had complete freedom and will over them. “And to [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He said, 'O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. And do not decrease from the measure and the scale. Indeed, I see you in prosperity, but indeed I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day. And O my people, give full measure and weight in justice and do not deprive the people of their due and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption. What remains [lawful] from Allah is best for you, if you should be believers. But I am not a guardian over you.' They said, 'O Shu'ayb, does your prayer command you that we should leave what our forefathers worship or not do with our wealth what we please? Indeed, you are the forbearing, the discerning!'” (Hud: 84-87)
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