The Economic System of Islam — Page 45
45 directs all believers to desist from all such useless ( laghw ) pursuits. Accordingly, idleness, gossiping among friends or other useless ac- tivities are not approved in Islam. Indolent life style is also regarded as laghw. Consider the case of a son who inherits considerable wealth from his father, but then spends his entire day with friends in idle gossip. His friends drop in for friendly chats. They come and go, flattering him with all manner of titles, and this continues all day. Such ‘friends’ are always there to entice him into other evil ways, involving women, gambling, alcohol and other extravagances. And the heir, of course, entertains them, offering tea with things to eat or sumptuous dinners, depending on the size of his wealth. How- ever, these people are fed not because they are poor or need help, but because this is just a way of whiling away the time. Islam strictly prohibits such forms of recreation, and Muslims are admonished to stay away from pursuits that yield nothing worthwhile. A man who lives off the income or inheritance of his parents and does not engage himself in useful work must weigh what bene- fit he or his country is deriving from his idleness. Certainly, his idle existence does no good to anyone—himself, his nation, or the world at large. Islam enjoins such a person to not waste his time, but rather put his resources in the service of humanity and not allow his personal capabilities to go waste. If he has no need to work for a living, he might volunteer himself to help humanity, his country or his relig- ion. He can thereby avoid wasting his time and, by spending time beneficially, he can turn into a useful member of society. In short, Islam forbids activities that waste time and do not con- tribute to the betterment of one’s life. It is for this reason that the