Islamic
Solution
Question:-
It has been claimed that Islam is the
solution to all World Problems. Indeed that is why it came. What do you think
would be an Islamic solution to the economic and political crisis that now exists
in Britain (2009)?
Answer:-
I think the Political and Economic systems
are not independent of each other or of the rest of the social and cultural
system and the ideological, ethical and psychological condition of people. The
whole of it requires reformation otherwise reform in only one aspect would be
neutralised by influences coming from the other aspects.
The Political reformation would be based on
verses such as:-
"And those who respond to their Lord
and establish prayer, and whose conduct their affairs by mutual consultation,
and who spend out of what We have given them; and those who, when great wrong
afflicts them, defend themselves. And the recompense of evil is punishment like
it, but whoever forgives and amends, he shall have his reward from Allah;
surely He does not love the unjust. And whoever defends himself after he has
been wronged (or been oppressed), for such there is no blame against them. The
blame is only against those who oppress men and revolt (insolently exceed all
bounds) in the earth unjustly; these shall have a painful punishment."
42:38-42
Economic Reformation would be based on verses
such as:-
"Those who devour usury shall not
rise again, save as he rises whom Satan hath paralyzed with a touch; and that
is because they say "trade is only like usury," but Allah has made
selling (or trade) lawful and usury unlawful; and he to whom the admonition
from his Lord has come, if he desists, he can keep his past gains: his matter
is in Allah's hands. But whoever returns (to usury) these are the Fellows of
the Fire, and they shall dwell therein. Allah has cursed usury, but made
charity fruitful, for Allah loves not the ungrateful and faithless."
2:275-276 And see 30:39
As for Politics:- Each village or local area
of town and city should have a Community Centre where an Assembly of the
citizens can be held to discuss and deal with all the affairs of that
community. All members of community will have the right to attend and bring
their problems, grievances, suggestions, and ideas for discussion and all will
also be responsible and answerable to that Assembly. This includes all the
various professional officials that are given various responsibilities, and all
can be summoned to provide information or given instructions. The Assembly will
also chose its leaders that can be sent to a Higher District Assembly which can
deal with the affairs that concern that district and negotiate with the Local
Assemblies. And so on to the Supreme Assembly that also chooses its leaders.
There is division into separate political parties or other interest groups. All
matters affecting the Nation should be discussed and decided on fully and
openly in the Supreme Assembly which will be open to the media of communication
and the public.
The Supreme Leaders
(Heads of the State) will be elected by the whole population from among the
candidates nominated by the Supreme Assembly. That Leader will be advised by
the Supreme Assembly and the two other Houses, but he can also select a Cabinet
of special advisers from the various interest and opinion groups and several
sub-committees to deal expertly with different subjects. He is responsible to
the Supreme Assembly which can veto his decisions. However, the responsibility
of the Supreme Leader is to supervise and ensure that all aspects of the nation
run ethically and efficiently based on the Principles of Justice, Compassion
and Truth. This means that it is the experts (those who have the correct
knowledge, ability and motivation in the various fields that carry out the
actual work.
Everyone within the district will be responsible
and answerable to that Assembly. In each case the leaders or representatives
can be replaced at any time if they fail to perform the functions expected of
them. Otherwise they remain in position until replaced. This should ensure
continuity and gradual change without confusing self-contradictions due to
sudden changes in direction. Their duties should be regarded as part of their
ordinary professional paid work, rather than a separate paid career.
The citizens must have rights as well as
duties and their privileges should be proportional to their functions. There is
no freedom of speech, expression or action, nor freedom of secrecy, censorship
and restriction, but all citizens have the responsibility to discriminate
between what is good and evil, true and false, useful and wasteful, beautiful
and ugly and to act accordingly. They should be treated, and expect to be
treated accordingly.
The Supreme Assembly will have a supervisory
function and will form a Third House of Parliament to which the other two
Houses will be responsible.
The present House of Lords (or Senate) should
be reformed to contain only various experts and specialists that have achieved
excellence in some field such as science, technology, art, diplomacy, religion,
law, social and charitable works etc. The members should be selected by the
Head of the State in consultation with the Supreme Assembly and the relevant
expert organisations. They can make plans and policies and act as advisers to
the Assembly. The function of this House should be to have an educational,
cultural and coordinating effect on the community.
The House of Commons (or Representatives)
should be reformed to contain only those who have been selected and appointed
by the various interest groups, industries, professions, specialist societies
and pressure groups. This includes representatives of the various Political
parties. It should represent all aspects of life and all kinds of opinions.
Either the number of representatives should reflect the number of supporters or
the voting power of individual representatives should reflect the number of
supporters. They can be appointed or dismissed by the groups whom they
represent at any time or prosecuted for misdemeanours. What is known as
"politicking" (intrigues, subversions, mud-slinging, spin doctoring,
demonisation, conspiracies, secret deals, self-serving etc) will be regarded as
criminal activities that will be severely punished.
As for the professional Politicians, they
should be appointed by the various Assemblies. They should have offices
(Surgeries) where the public can bring their problems, difficulties,
injustices, malfunctions, and grievances etc. The task of these politicians
should be to investigate, rectify, advise, arbitrate, negotiate, improve
conditions and provide ideas and suggestions. They function on behalf of the
Assemblies to which they are answerable.
The Laws, based on research not whim and
self-interest, will be made by wholly independent Law makers who are
professional Judges that are also experts in various fields. As the Law should
be based on Ethics, it should not be necessary that there should be specific
formal laws for every misdemeanour that allows miscreants to escape because of
loopholes or innovations. Every case judged by locally appointed judges will
have to be referred back to an Assembly of Judges for final Judgement.
Lawmakers and Judges must, like everyone else, remain accountable to the
Assembly.
The Assembly can create Ministries or
Departments to deal with various matters that are to be run by experts in each
field but accountable to the Assembly. The function of these Departments is to
supervise, coordinate and regulate. The Heads and their assistants collectively
form another Assembly. One of these departments will have the responsibility of
gathering all information, distributing it, and making it available to the
Assembly. It will consist of specially licensed journalists who might be
specialists in various fields and can be relied on to provide well researched
impartial and balanced information and should all be fully independent. They
should form an organisation as part of a Department of Information with
responsibility to investigate and report on all institutions that deal with or
concern the public and to interview and question all public figures and they
have a duty to give an account of their activities. Obvious selectivity to
produce prejudice, incite hysterics and emotional extremism, promote gossip and
scandals, polemics and speculation and attempts at brainwashing the public will
be prosecutable. The function of journalists should be to inform and not to
create and manipulate public opinion. However, it should also have
responsibility for Public Education such as in matters that concern
environmental and community physical, mental or spiritual health. It should be
part of the Department of Education.
There will be Departments of (i) Economics,
(ii) Justice, Ethics and Law, (iii) Art and Culture, (iv) Science and
Education, (v) Environment, (vi) Defence and (vii) Politics, all needing their
experts and all interlinked in mutual consultation. Politicians will then
require their own specialist knowledge and expertise and form just one of the
Departments among others.
As for Economics:- Usury and gambling of all
kinds, especially on the stock exchange or by Banks should be forbidden and
should be replaced with investments and just exchange. People will keep their
money in Banks which will deal in investments on behalf of the savers and
itself. Investments will have a time limit. The function of Banks should be to
balance the private and national accounts, investment and insurance and they
must be answerable to those who bank with them.
All the workers in the various industries
will be deemed to be partners in the companies, though there will be degrees of
partnership according to the various functions and skills. That is, they will
have various amounts of Shares and will have the right to discuss and control
the affairs of the company and appoint various officials. This means that the
Profit of the Company will be distributed among all the workers and the
investors according to their shares. The Profit will be calculated as the
returns from Sales (of goods, services and facilities) minus the cost of
materials etc. There will be no gambling on the Stock Exchange. All profits
will depend on services rendered. A Department of Justice, Ethics and Law
should supervise all contracts and exchanges.
No industrial secrecy will be permitted in
any affair that concerns the Public and everything will be open to Public
scrutiny. But strictly private matters will be protected through the right of
privacy. There can be no takeovers of one company by another though
co-operation and amalgamations can take place. Compartmentalisation and separation
can also take place. Competition is maintained in that the members of the
company can set up independent companies or sub-companies using their shares
and new innovations. The company will be responsible for diversification and
education and retraining of its members as required. It will also undertake
research and development, though this might be done by a special Department
funded by the Government. As information is to be free, there are no patent
rights, but inventers could be paid by the State and the money recovered by a
percentage charge on every item that is produced using the invention for a
period.
Goods could be sold on the instalment basis
over a period. It is not at all necessary that money should be borrowed to do
this and industry does not need to be dependent on whether or not Banks will
lend. A company can obtain a steady income by selling as it produces and adjust
its rate of production accordingly. Initially, of course, Capital is required
to set up new Industries before production and sales can begin. This can be
obtained from private investors or from Banks. Banks will distribute their
investments over the whole of Industry and all citizens will have Bank accounts
that give them shares in it.
There should be no advertisements, propaganda
or pressure salesmanship to persuade people to buy what they might not require,
but there will be a "Directory of Goods, Services and Facilities"
that will be distributed like a Telephone directory. It will contain
independently researched information. Consumers will be encouraged by the
Educational and Cultural services to distinguish between Real Value and Demand,
Real value being defined as the profit which results when real benefits
(physical, mental and spiritual) outweigh the Real Cost or sacrifices made to
obtain the benefits. Real Benefits are obtained when there is a surplus of
advantages over disadvantages. This applies to what is beneficial to the
individual himself, to others, the community and the environment. There should
be equitable exchange - that is earnings must be proportional to services
rendered. There is no right to earn as much as one can by any means.
The Shops that mediate between consumers and
manufacturers should be organised to form an "Institute of Manufacture, Retail and Consumer Affairs" which is part of the Department of
Economics and should have the function of gathering information about needs and
requirements and provide advise to manufacturers and consumers, thereby having
a coordinating effect. It will produce the Directory.
The question is: What is the function of
Religion in the life of the nation and its relevance to the Political ,
Economic and Cultural systems? From the Islamic point of view, this is based on
verses such as the following:-
"And the soul and Who fashioned it,
and enlightened it with what is wrong and right for it! He indeed is successful
who causes it to grow (or purifies it)! And he indeed is a failure who corrupts
it!."91:7-10
"There is no compulsion in religion;
the right way is henceforth distinct from the wrong. And whoever rejects Taghut
(false deities) and believes in Allah, he has grasped a firm handle which will
not break; but Allah is both Hearer and Knower. Allah is the patron of those
who believe, He brings them forth from darkness into light. But those who
disbelieve, their patrons are false deities; these bring them forth from light
to darkness. Such are fellows of the Fire, they will dwell therein."
2:256-257
"Say: "Obey Allah and obey the
Messenger; but if you turn away then it is for him to do only that wherewith he
has been charged, and for you to do only that wherewith you have been charged.
If you obey him, you are rightly guided. But the Messenger has no other charge
but to convey the message plainly." 24:54
"These are the verses of the Quran, a
book that clarifies; a guidance and glad tidings to the believers." 27:1-2
See also 2:38, 41:44
"It is He who has sent down to you
the Scripture with truth, confirming what was revealed before it, and has
revealed the Torah and the Gospel before this for the guidance of mankind, and
has revealed the Discrimination (Criterion)." 3:3
"Unto every nation have We given
sacred rites which they are to perform; so let them not then dispute about the
matter, but summon you unto your Lord; verily, you (Muhammad) indeed follow
right guidance." 22:67
"And those who seek guidance, Allah
will increase their guidance. And enduring good works are best with your Lord
for a reward, and best for restoration (or eventual returns)." 19:76
"And unto you (Muhammad) have We
revealed the Book in truth, verifying what was before it, and preserving it.
Judge then between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their lusts
(prejudices, fantasies), turning away from what is given to you of the truth.
For each of you have We appointed a Law and a traced out Path. Had Allah
pleased He would have made you one nation, but that He may try you by that
which He has given you. Therefore, vie with one another in virtue. Unto Allah
will you all return, and He will then inform you concerning that wherein you
dispute." 5:48
"And follow (or pursue) not that of
which you have no knowledge; verily, the hearing, the sight, and the heart, of
all of these it shall be asked (to give an account)." 17:36
Religion concerns human welfare and
development. It provides the values, purposes, ideals and culture and it has an
educational, guiding and coordinating function over the whole nation in all its
aspects. It provides the consciousness, the spirit that informs the age and the
nation, the psychological environment that gives the self image and function of
man with respect to the rest of Reality. We do not live in isolation but live
in interaction with the rest of the Cosmos on which we are dependent. We live not
only by facts such as Science provides and by meanings that interpret and use
the facts and drive the economy, but also by values and it is religion that
coordinates, or ought to coordinate the three. As for values it is necessary to
be able to assess three things, namely (i) Capabilities, (ii) Real Benefits or
Satisfaction and (iii) Function or Significance of entities in the scheme of
things.
Each religion has its own organisation and
they should form an "Assembly of Religions" to which each can send
representatives. In general the members of each religion should already be
distributed in all the various departments. As far as Islam is concerned, it
has no organised Church, but those who have achieved high standards of
spiritual development in scholarship, virtue, and ability are recognised,
honoured and emulated by the rest of the population whom they also guide. It
should not be possible to accept the opinions about religion from anyone who
has not undergone the religious discipline and achieve spiritual excellence.
These are, of course, only general
suggestions that can be amended as practical considerations require.
Question:-
There appears to be a Political crisis in Iran, which is regarded as having a system based on Islam.
What do Muslims think about what is happening there?
Answer:-
The fact is that Iranians, as in other so
called Muslim countries, are Muslim to various degrees in knowledge,
understanding and practice, most in name only. This is particularly the case
with the educated classes and the young students who have been exposed to
Western influence via the Internet. The Educational system is wholly
westernised and people are not receiving any Islamic education. The result is
that there is not much in depth knowledge and understanding of Islam.
But the government claims to be Muslim. It
seems, however, that those who have been educated in Islamic studies, a
minority, tend to be old fashioned and outdated - they have not kept up with
modern developments in science, technology, economic and cultural conditions
and have not adapted Islam to changing world conditions. They have not
reinterpreted Islam in the light of these developments, but follow the scholars
and commentators of centuries ago. But they still have influence among the majority
of the less educated people.
There is, therefore, an inevitable clash
between the religious and the secular section of the population.
It is evident that the kind of Political
process Iran has is a mixture of religious authoritarianism and
Democracy taken from the West where electioneering is a confrontational event
because only one of the Political parties gets all the power if it gets a
majority of the vote though this might be a small fraction of the whole
population. The majority of the population is then ignored. The political party
that wins is the one that can get the most financial support from the rich in
order to mount propaganda campaigns and can gain most publicity from the media
which forms public opinion. It is not real Democracy (government of the people)
though intense Western propaganda by those in whose interest it is claims to be
so. And the population in Western countries having been conditioned to this
state of affairs accepts it as not just inevitable but also good, to be imposed
on foreign people.
In Iran people have not been conditioned to accept this, and
the conflicts between the different points of view then inevitably erupts into
demonstrations and probably violence.
But there would have been no trouble at all
if Iran had established a Political system on Islamic
principles where "mutual consultation" governed all affairs. The type
of Political system that should have been established would have been something
on the lines that was proposed in the articles "Islamic Solutions".
But we see that the publication of this was sabotaged.
We see the same kind of failures lead to
troubles in Pakistan and will lead to similar or worse troubles in Iraq and other Muslim countries.
We are living in a World that is undergoing a
transitional period and the process of adjustment to a balanced future is
inevitably traumatic for people trapped in habits that dull their intelligence.
As predicted the world must undergo a period of increasing troubles and
suffering before real reformation and spiritual awakening begins.
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