Fighting poverty is an Islamic obligation

• The Muslim world posses the elements of production that keep it away from poverty, and make it one of the richest nations.

• Islamic economic integration for fighting poverty, food crisis, and other economic crises is an Islamic obligation and a necessity of life.

• Elements of production are distributed among Muslim countries in order to achieve integration and cooperation in between.

• It is necessary to revive the value of work in the Muslim community, and to increase the charity and production of a Muslim.

Fighting poverty and need in the Muslim world and securing food for every person in the Islamic nation is one of the Islamic obligations in this time, especially after the spread of poverty and emergence of negativism in many Muslim countries which resulted in the spread of ignorance and diseases as well as the backwardness of Muslims from civilization and progress.

The issue of food security according to the Muslim world is one of the most important issues that occupy the thinking of scientists, thinkers, and economy experts. This issue appears in this particular stage because the nation depends largely in its food on non-Muslim countries. This percentage may reach 70% in some countries which makes it a huge catastrophe. It is shameful that happens in the Muslim nation in which elements of production, growth, and advancement are available and their religion exhorts them to work, advancement, and material and spiritual superiority to all nations.

How can this nation be satisfied to be subservient to others in the most necessities of life, which is food?! How does it turn over the destiny of its people to the western and eastern countries to control them as they like?!

There is neither security nor stability for an individual, a group of people, or a nation that depend on others for food. There is no freedom for people who do not produce food by themselves and depend on others for food.

The sufficiency of Muslim nations' resources:

No doubt, the wide gap between our needs and our local production of food is one of the most dangerous current crises that are facing the Muslim community whether in their economic, social, or political dimensions. The thing which increases this problem is not facing it seriously until now!

One of the established facts which scientists and economy experts agree to is: The Arabic and Islamic nation has enough resources and goods which in fact exceeds its needs but it needs to well-manage these resources. The production elements are distributed among the Muslim World in order to achieve integration and cooperation in between. To have enough food for the Muslim world, we have to put priorities in the field of agriculture production and increasing the cultivated area in the Muslim nation.

Dr. Muhammad Shawqy Al Fangary —a Professor of Islamic economy at the Universities of Al-Azhar and Riyadh— confirms that the Arab and Muslim nation does not lack the requirements for achieving food security because they have enough natural resources and manpower. These resources are represented in a land ready for cultivation, manpower which does not find a chance for work and large investment surpluses, besides the economic development constituents to produce the needed strategic commodities, foodstuff, and services which provide an honorable life for every individual inside the Muslim nation but the issue is: the nation does not use its production resources.

It is possible to achieve the food security for the entire Islamic nation by work, production, and using the wealth in their hands. From the wisdom of Allah (Glory be to Him) that He distributed riches to the Islamic countries as a whole. The Muslim world as a whole in which there are the production elements which drive the nation away from poverty and make it one of the richest nations. These elements are: Work, capital, natural resources, and the organizer or the administrative. These elements are not available for one country but they are distributed among the Arab and Muslim countries.

In Egypt, we find plenty of manpower but it lacks capitals. We find capitals in the Gulf States but they lack manpower. In Sudan, we find unlimited resources more than 200 million acre ready for cultivation but it lacks capitals and manpower. However, if the Sudanese land invested in agriculture, it will be a breadbasket for the whole world and not only for the countries of the nation. A country like Egypt with its large population lives only on 5 million acres ready for cultivation in a time where the area ready for cultivation in Sudan equals 40-fold the area ready for cultivation in Egypt! Perhaps this distribution has a great wisdom from Allah (Glory be to Him), this wisdom requires the necessity of cooperation and integration between Muslim countries because what a country needs exits in another Muslim country.

Integration is an Islamic obligation:

Prof. Husayn Shihatah, professor of Islamic Economy in Al-Azhar University, confirms that the integration of Islamic economy for fighting poverty and facing the food crisis and other economic crises is an obligatory act and a necessity of life. Allah (Glory be to Him) described the Muslim nation of being one nation and commanded it to worship Him. "Truly, this, your Ummah [Shari‘ah or religion (Islâmic Monotheism)] is one religion, and I am your Lord, therefore worship Me (Alone)." [Surat Al Anbiya':92], and commanded us with cooperation in all aspects of life. Moreover, He ordained a portion of rich Muslims' monies that encompasses the needs of all poor.

In order to achieve the economic integration process, several steps should be taken, of which:

Priority of dealing with Muslim countries according to the Fiqh of priorities, investment of Muslims' monies in Muslim countries, and achieving the legal security for money to perform their function for which it was invented. The priority for job opportunities is for Muslims in order to solve the problem of unemployment, lifting the business constraints between the Muslim countries, establishing the major economic units by the contribution of the Muslim countries, and graduation in developing and unification of economic, monetary, and financial policies between the Islamic countries, establishing the system of economic information and networks of economic communications between Islamic countries, and thinking in releasing currencies in the Muslim countries from the dependency of US dollar.

It is confirming that Islamic thinking and heritage included forms of Islamic economic integration systems. These forms can be revived to play its contemporary role in achieving economic integration among Arab and Islamic countries, such as: the mutual Islamic market system, partnerships in the most important economic projects, donations and economic aids systems, the system of Zakah, loans, charitable endowments, compensations in crises times, among others.

The revival of work value:

Besides the economic integration, it is necessary to revive the work value in the Muslim community, which is considered an act of worship in Islam, and to increase the charity and production of a Muslim and his moderation in consumption so that its consumption exceeds its production and not the opposite which we see today in our Muslim countries where the work value is wasted, production is decrease, and consumption increases!

Work is the first defense line against poverty and need, as it is the first mean to gain a living and the first element in inhabiting the earth which Allah nominated man as a successor and commanded him to inhabit it. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "He brought you forth from the earth and settled you therein.” [Surat Hud: 61].

Work in Islam has occupied a status that cannot be compared. There is no religion whatsoever stressed the value of work and the value of the working individual as Islam did. Islam considered work an obligation on every person no matter how high or low he is. Furthermore, it has decided since the beginning of its call that faith is "what has been settled in the heart and confirmed by actions." "It is a saying by the tongue, confirmation by the heart, and actions." Hence, there is a connection and a correlation between faith and work in many Ayahs of the Qur'an. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "Verily, as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, certainly We shall not make the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner to be lost." [Surat Al Kahf: 30]. Allah says: "Verily, those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh) and do righteous deeds, shall have the Gardens of Al-Firdaus (Paradise) for their entertainment." [Surat Al Kahf: 107]. Allah says: "Verily, those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, their Lord will guide them through their Faith." [Surat Yunus: 9].

So, there is no faith but by pious actions which confirms this faith practically through exerting efforts and searching for sustenance and construction of earth.

There are many Hadiths to show the merit of work, earning, and eating from one's handmade. Al Miqdam ibn Ma`dy Karib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor." In urging for agriculture and planting, Al Bukhari reported from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "There is no Muslim grows or plants something of which a bird, a human, or an animal eats except he (the planter) will have a reward for it."

If fighting poverty, need and securing food for the Muslim world requires economic integration as a religious duty in Islam and the revival of work value among individuals of the nation, much of the problem of poverty in the Muslim world is related to this category of the poor and the needy who are unable to provide sustenance for themselves, either because of weakness, or inability for work, or sickness, or because of old age, or the lack of work opportunities.

Here, another Islamic obligations is highlighted, which is the social solidarity, which is achieved through Zakat and other charities. Islam does not leave a class in the community exposed to hunger, poverty, and loss without instructing the people how to solve it. Islam has established a complete solidarity system in which it maintained moderation between the demands which communism, socialism, feudalism, and capitalism called for to ensure the safety of wealth distribution, which in turn achieves the balance for a healthy society, living in a decent living standard, and is based primarily on Zakat and charity.

We shall speak in detail about the "Providing adequacy for a poor Muslim" as an approach adopted by Islamic economy in another article with the will  of Allah.