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Social Welfare System

Tools & Means To Alleviate Poverty In Islam

Most of present day poverty definitions in research have originated in Western countries. However, in the Qu’ran verses and hadiths from the 7th century are found poverty definitions and concepts which are valuable also for modern poverty research.

Poverty, in the Islamic perspective, is the state of inadequacy of goods, means or both, that are necessary for the continued well being of the human being. It implies a state of the individual whereby resources are lacking to meet the needs necessary, not only for continued survival but also for a healthy and productive survival.

The definition of poverty in Islam embraces a wide range of categories of needy people who fail to meet their sufficiency level due to numerous temporary or permanent causes. The Islamic notion of poverty stated in the Qu’ran verses and hadiths includes the objective view of these writings, the subjective feeling of the poor himself/herself, and the views of the beneficiaries of the solidarity institutions in the Islamic society.

The Qu’ran describes two levels of poverty which virtually cover all groups of poor individuals in the economy - those who are living at the poverty level: the destitute poor, al fuqara, and those living below the poverty level: the needy poor, al masakin.

Al fuqara are persons who lack material means, possessions or income to support themselves. The destitute or indigent poor, sing. fakir, finds himself/herself in involuntary poverty, unable to satisfy his/her necessary needs. He/she may be disabled or handicapped, unable to fend for himself/herself, without assets or incomes, without capital for trade or self-employment, landless, unskilled, old, orphan or a poor widow.

Masakin are the working poor, the under-employed who work long and hard hours, or the non-working but income-possessing individuals, yet facing inadequacy of income/assets due to a large number of dependants or low-level productivity. The needy poor, sing. miskin, is in misery, dependent on others, either unable to work or not earning enough to maintain himself /herself and the family, humble but in straitened circumstances.

Both these groups can not survive healthily without monetary or in kind assistance, temporarily or permanently, to fill the inadequacy gap and to help ensure their need fulfilment with dignity.

While the state of being a miskin implies a state of involuntary poverty, the Qu’ran mentions one category of masakin who chose poverty voluntary. Those were the people, who, in the Prophet’s time, had completely devoted themselves to learning, teaching and meeting priority social needs. As a consequence, they could not work and support themselves. They were entitled to be helped to reach their sufficiency level, considering the importance Islam attaches to the elimination of ignorance through literacy and education, to the cultivation of ethics, values and skills and to the infrastructure of education in general.

Other groups who need temporarily monetary assistance are identified by the Qu’ran. They fall below their sufficiency level due to hazardous unexpected causes. Those are the overburdened and wayfarer.

Al gharimun, the overburdened, include two kinds: The first are those overwhelmed by debts contracted in good faith, for consumption needs or for business needs, and which they are subsequently unable to redeem, or simply those who are in chronic debt. They become poor and get poorer while trying to pay back their debts. The second are those who lose their properties due to natural catastrophes: inundation, fire, agricultural epidemic, etc. Loosing their properties get them below the sufficiency level, to join the poor.

Ibn al sabil, (literally son of the road), the wayfarer denotes any person far from home who lacks sufficient means to meet his/her needs on the journey or stay, and consequently faces hardship. Nowadays, the wayfarer is the category of people who, for some valid reason, are unable to return home, temporarily or permanently. Thus, they are unable to use their resources to meet their needs. This would include people facing religious or racial persecution, political exiles or refugees and those pursuing knowledge or education. They are considered permanently or temporary poor till they reach their means to fulfil their sufficiency level.

In Islam, the sufficiency level is the level for adequate human life in a given place and time. It is different from the subsistence or minimum level. Many passages of the Qu’ran point to the universal needs of Man which are known in Islam as utilities, masalih. They include: physiological needs, safety and security needs for a continued healthy existence, and social needs. These universal needs define the well being of Man in his life and in the hereafter. They aim to meet the five objectives of Islam, el makased el khams: protection of religion, life, mind, property (wealth), and posterity (offspring).

The socio-economic Islamic system was settled more than fourteen centuries ago, not to merely alleviate poverty, but to ensure the Islamic basic right of a sufficiency level for all the members of the Muslim society, throughout their whole life. It is a universal system with multiple institutions and measures to confront all forms of poverty and deprivation and carry on social development throughout time and space. Its preventive, curative and complementary system of work does not wait for cases of poverty to happen and declare themselves, it anticipates them and covers their many aspects. Resources are developed through zakah - sadaqat - waqf, and society/state supervision. Zakah, one of the five pillars of Islam, constitutes a monetary levy on all forms of every Muslim’s wealth, and is calculated as a fixed percentage on each of these forms of wealth.

The designated beneficiaries of the proceeds of zakah are the poor, the needy, those who collect zakah, those whose hearts are to be won over, for the freeing of human beings from bondage, for the assistance of the overburdened, for the cause of God (all priority social needs) and for the wayfarer.

The poor are entitled to take their share in zakah till they realise their sufficiency level. But this does not mean that zakah is meant to support, and thereby create, a permanent class of welfare recipients. It is largely a temporary relief measure aimed at meeting two purposes. The first is to meet the immediate needs; the second is to help people stand on their own feet, to move out of poverty toward the sufficiency level and to be socially and economically productive. The Prophet has made it clear that charity is unacceptable for healthy adults, unless they are in severe distress, and only to the extent of satisfying their pressing needs; they should make all attempts to be self-supporting through self-employment and remunerative work.

Sadaqat is an act of sharing one’s resources with one’s closest relatives or next of kin, as well with other members of the human community, including those of other faiths. The Qu’ran flourishes with verses that urge sadaqat-giving, as an act of the greatest value in the hierarchy of values of Islam.

Awqaf, (sing waqf) is the giving away of a Muslim’s assets or wealth in favour of a category of people or a kind of social service, which serves for ever. The Prophet encouraged this kind of wealth dedication to support social. These awqaf usually provide goods and services that help deeply in poverty alleviation and social development through meeting educational, health, infrastructure and general welfare purposes. They used to cover an extremely wide range of social foods and services, providing a prosperous, highly developed society, throughout a long period of the flourishing of the Islamic state. Sadaqat can play an important role by providing necessary funds for these awqaf, known in the West as charitable trusts and foundations.

The role of the state/government promotes elements of the Islamic system aimed at alleviating poverty and enhancing social development. For instance, where poverty is widespread and deep, Islam calls for comprehensive strategy to help the poor through a targeted program of transfers and safety nets. Similarly, where lack of work opportunities prevail, Islam argues for provision of capital through grants and loans so as to enable the unemployed/underemployed to become adequate income-earning members of society. Meanwhile, Islam argues for a sufficiency wage-structure and equalisation of work and educational opportunities and a policy that leads to increased income potential and opportunities.

This comprehensive Islamic system to promote the quality of life through providing sufficiency level for each and every member of the society, is further enhanced by Islamic doctrines on poverty eradication and social development. These doctrines include social, political and economic factors that lead to an enlightened, healthy society and contribute towards long-term social stability and development.

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