The Economic System of Islam — Page 49
49 hundreds of thousands of people, which might have also been beneficial for their health. Thus Islam does not stop us from spending money on people’s genuine needs. It only restricts individuals from wasteful expendi- tures that come about by neglecting the rights of public at-large. If a multi-story building is built with hundreds of offices for the use of thousands of people, it is a legitimate expense. However, if an indi- vidual builds a house with large number of rooms to show off his wealth, then that expenditure would be considered extravagant and not legitimate in Islam. Such a person would be answerable before God on the day of judgement to explain why he did not spend money for the benefit of mankind? The example of the Taj Mahal is close to home. This fine mau- soleum is renowned all over the world, attracting admirers from far and wide. I myself have visited it a number of times, and it is un- doubtedly a marvellous structure, exquisite in form, grace and beauty. But it is in fact no more than a personal monument built by an emperor to immortalise his love for his queen. From the Islamic point of view, the enormous amount of money spent on it was not well spent. If the same money had been spent for the betterment of the poor, the downtrodden and the orphans, hundreds of thou- sands of people could have benefitted for a long time to come. It would have been a better use of wealth if such people could have been provided resources for food, clothing and shelter. There is no doubt that from a technical and engineering per- spective, the Taj Mahal is a work of art. We all appreciate it and like to visit it. However, the reality is that we must also recognise that such magnificent buildings, which are built for the benefit of a few individuals alone, are not permitted in Islam. On the other hand,