Historical economic facts!

The first fact is:

`Abdur-Rahman Ibn Khaldun —one of the eight AH scholars (i.e., the fourteenth century AD)— preceded most economists with at least four centuries and was considered the pioneer of economics to the extent that Dr. Zaky Mahmoud Shabana [1] in his lectures about economic systems decided that Al Muqadimmah [i.e., the introduction the book] of Ibn Khaldun which appeared in 784 AH (i.e., between the thirteenth and the fourteenth centuries AD) was a similar copy of (The wealth of nations) book which was written by the father of modern economy Adam Smith in 1776 AD. Although Ibn Khaldun preceded Adam Smith with five centuries, he discussed in that book topics on Civilization and its formation, production of wealth and the types of economic activity, the theories of value, distribution, and population, and both books are only different in environment.

This opinion which one of the Arab economist expressed was confirmed by the modern French economist (Louis Boudin) [2]who said: It is really amazing the scientific way adopted by Ibn Khaldun which was based on the law of causation and the new ideas in his time which he mentioned and analyzed before Adam Smith who was titled by the father of the modern economy with 400 years. He explained the division of work, specialty, money, value, population, and other economic theories; it is not an exaggeration to consider him one of the first greatest economists.

Furthermore, the economy expert, Klozio [3] said: If the theories of Ibn Khaldun about the life of the society made him on the top of history philosophers, his understanding of the role of work, ownership, and wages made him at the top of the modern economic experts.

The second fact is:

There is a great resemblance between the book of At-Tabaqat Al Kubra of Ibn Sa`d who died in 230 AH and the book of "the Capital" of Carl Marxis who died in 1883 AD as Dr. Salahuddin Namiq mentioned in his introduction to the book of Economic principles in Islam which Dr. Ali `Abdur-Rasul wrote and was published by Dar Al Fikr Al `Araby in Cairo in 1968.

The third fact is:

The book of (Huid Noon) who was specialized in the studies of taxation and public finance, issued in 1936, corresponding to 1356 AH, was identical to the book of Al kharaj (land tax) of Abu Yusuf who died in 193 AH.

It is enough to mention these three facts then let us ask some logical questions: Why is this ignorance for the Islamic economy and the Muslim economists, but rather, why did the modern economists ascribe to themselves the honor which the former accomplished?!

The answer is provided by Dr. Ibrahim At-Tahawy[4], who believes that the effort of the European economists did not exceed the limits of translating these books from Arabic into other languages, then attributed them to themselves, depending on the ignorance of their fellow citizens of the Arabic language from one hand, and inattention of Muslims to keep track of such quotations on the other hand.