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Lecture given on 02nd February 2005 at Musolla al Zahrawi as part of the Islamic Awareness Week by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule
INTRODUCTION
A Muslim society is characterized by 6 social institutions: the family, the masjid, ukhuwwat, takaful. Shuura, and maal. These are the pillars on which the Muslim society stands. It fails when the pillars are broken.
THE MASJID
The mosque is the center of the community around which all community activities take place. It is open and active during salat and during non-salat times for community activities. The masjid is built on the basis of taqwa. Ibadat especially salat manifests taqwa. Ibadat activities include salat, i’itikaaf, and dhikr. Regular masjid attendance is a sign of spiritual health and is necessary for community building. The masjid is a forum for tarbiyat and leadership training. The following social services can be provided at the masjid: medical care, health education, disease screening, primary health care, child care, and elderly care. Community administrative affairs can be carried out in the mosque such as muhakamaat and li’aan.
UKHUWWAT
Brotherhood is the basis for positive relations among people. The prescribed duties of brotherhood taught by the Prophet (PBUH) are: returning greetings, visiting the sick, following the funeral procession, accepting invitations, and responding to the sneezer. These represent the minimum that a brother must do for his brother.
The general duties of brotherhood are taking care of the weak, ibraar al qasam, nasiihat for every Muslim, tolerance of differences, overlooking minor injustices, flexibility, forgiving when annoyed, reconciling between people, loving good for other Muslims, helping the weak and the oppressed, solving problems, fulfilling needs, compassion, kindness, caring giving moral support to others and helping them fight shaitan, protecting the honor of Muslims and not broadcasting their weaknesses, keeping secrets, concealing faults of other Muslims as long as there is no dhulm, fulfilling promises and commitments, good behavior and good manners even with evil people, interdependence, maintaining relations, humility, mutual respect, respect for the elderly, respecting leaders of other people, and respecting cultural and personal differences as long as they are within bounds of the Law.
The special rights of love and respect are for scholars, parents, relations, neighbors, guests, the poor, the needy, the weak, and the traveler. The following should also be respected in a special way: colleagues, those devoted to Islam, and those with opposing views.
TAKAFUL
Mutual social support in the family includes good treatment of parents, giving help to relatives, child care, and inheritance to assure financial support for surviving members of the family. The Islamic system of inheritance makes sure that the wealth of the deceased is distributed among as many relatives as is possible so that excessive wealth accumulation can not be transferred from generation to generation. Believers are like walls of a building that support one another. A person cannot be a true believer until he likes for his brother what he loves for himself. A believer who relieves stress from a Muslim will have his stress relieved on the last day. Kindness and empathy are enjoined. Charity is given to the needy who ask and those who do not ask.
Some social groups require more support and attention than others. Orphans must be taken care of and their wealth must not be embezzled. The widow and orphan are weak members of society who have a right to relief. Orphans should be fed and clothed. Travelers are often in need of help when they are far from their communities. Indebted Muslims also need relief when they have no other way of clearing their debts. The community must help the poor in order to establish social justice. Feeding the poor is expiation of sins. Working to help the maskin is like engagement in jihad. Those who feed the maskin have strength of heart. Clothing the maskiin is a great action. Zakat is taken from the rich and is given to the poor. Poverty can be relieved by zakat and sadaqat.
SHUURA
Shurat al jama is used by the community uses to reach decisions binding on the leaders and individuals. It is a legal obligation with its rules and procedures. Tashawur is discussion of different views to select what is the best without being binding. Being advisory it is neither obligatory nor binding. The prophet consulted his followers. He taught that he who consults does not regret and does not go wrong. The scope of shuura was limited in the lifetime of the prophet because wahy was available. The khukafa al rashiddin used shuura extensively in reaching decisions. With the end of the rightly guided khilafat, shuura was suppressed by the dynastic dictatorships. The decline of the early Islamic state after the khilafat rashidat can be directly linked to weakening of shura. Return of shura is heralding the contemporary Islamic revival. Shura is very important in the community for the following reasons. Decisions reached through consultation are likely to be correct decisions. Shuura decisions that have the support of the people. They ensure unity of the ummah. They are easier to implement than imposed solutions.
MAAL
Maal, mentioned 76 times in the Qur’an, can be maal mubaah or maal haraam. It is a means and not an end. It can be used to do good or to do bad. Maal is as exchange in buying and selling to fulfill basic human needs, as compensation for work, as a means to political power, and as the basis for the husband’s leadership in the family. Collection of maal is a human instinct. Humans are happy with maal and are proud because of it. Some people love maal. Others have renounced maal. Maal is fitnat (temptation) and is a test (ibtilaau). It can keep people too preoccupied and they do not undertake jihad or remembrance of Allah.
The relationship between amount of maal and feeling rich is complex and involves spiritual and psychological factors. Some with plenty of maal may feel poor because they aspire for more. Some own very maal may feel rich because they are satisfied with what they have.
All maal is from Allah. Maal is a trust from Allah. The human is a custodian of mal; the real owner is Allah. The human is just a vicegerent in maal. The needy have a right in a Muslim’s property. Maal should not be given to the foolhardy, safiih, who will waste it. Ultimately the only permanent benefit for a human from his or her maal is the thawaab from sadaqat. The Law prescribes sanctity of maal, hurmat al maal. Maal cannot be destroyed. The maal of a Muslim is protected by Law. Special emphasis is placed on the wealth of the orphan, maal al yatiim.Islam asserts the right to private property that is transferable to others by gift, sale, or inheritance.
Allah enjoined humans to exploit the earth. Earning one’s livelihood was better than dependency but the community must support those incapable of working. Economic activity within a moral context leads to success on earth and the hereafter, international brotherhood, equity, justice, equal opportunity, social welfare, and economic efficiency. It must fulfil the 5 purposes of the Law (maqasid al sharia) and strengthen jihad capabilities. The haraam is defined leaving the rest as mubaah. The Law allows free markets, the profit incentive, private property, and free enterprise within a moral context and limits of the Law. Fabrication of a utopian economic system and imposing it in the name of Islam is very dangerous. The Law allows people the initiative and creativity to experiment and find the best system for their time and place within the regulations of the Law.
Humans differ in rizq. Some inequality is needed for motivation and maintenance of a dynamic economy. The Law ensures equity and equality of opportunity but cannot guarantee equality of actual achievements. Excessive accumulation of maal leads to corruption, exploitation, hyper-consumption, and waste. Excessive accumulation of maal by one individual is restricted by limiting economic activity to the halaal goods and services, prohibition of dishonest transactions, encouragement of giving, imposition of zakat, financial support of the family and relatives, and a system of inheritance that distributes the estate of the deceased among several inheritors.