Moral Principles as the Basis of Islamic Culture — Page 5
produce different metals and through smelting and refining and other proeesses prepare them for various kinds of uses. These prpcesses may be of the. nature of agriculture or 'industrial or manufacturing activities or other forms of. application of science or skill to primary materials. This second category of creation or art has been left by God. in the hands of man. But He ordains thft ib. an, &ing His Vice- gerent, sJiould exercise dominion over all primary materials and forces in accordance with principles which are based upon and reflect divine attributes. For greater facility of regulation and for stimulation of ·initiative and enterprise and ensuring diligence and perseverence Islam recog- nizes indiVidual ownership, out subjects all ownership to a moral trust whidl. makes it obligatory. upon the individual to use all property in the most beneficent manner for the service of mankind. God has~ created 'rivers but has not restricted the use of their waters for, the. ' benefit of any section of mankind. He has made oceans and has thrown them open to all His creatures. He has set up mountains and h'ls not excluded any class from their benefits. He has. 1ade arable. land fit for cultivation and has created no monopoly of itS use. The same principle should govern the exploitation of natural resources by m. 111. There is, however, this distinction: man is dependent, for the purpose of fulfilling his own needs and the needs of those for whom he is responsible, upon the utilization of these very natural. resources and has, therefore, been permitted the appropriation of a certain portion of the fruits of his labour and the application of his skill for this pur- pose. ~ince, however, all ultimate sources of wealth are common to the whole of mankind,· Islam enjoins it as a duty upon the individual that the utilization of these resources should lead to the widest and most beneficent distribution of the benefits resulting from such utili- zation so that in this respect man should reflect, through his acts and conduct, the divine attrib1. :te of Providence. The principles that regulate a people's culture are based to a much larger degree upon moral and intellectual rather than upon 'material C<?OSiderations. The rules governing sociai life r;egulate only its materi- al aspects· while culture emphasizes the intellectual angle of approach