Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 284
284 class; all classes are afforded equal opportunities of attaining to the highest positions and dignities, and wealth and power do not become the hereditary mo- nopolies of any particular class, and ( e ) the needs of all classes continue to be satisfied. These directions are as follows: (1) Islam teaches that all things in the universe being the common property of all mankind, there can be no absolute ownership of anything. A is the owner of his property, not in the sense that nobody else has any right in it, but in the sense that A’s share in it is larger than that of anybody else, for he has acquired it with his labour. Islam describes the share of the poor in the wealth of the rich as a right. For instance, the Holy Quran says, 'In the wealth of the rich, those who can express their wants and those who cannot (e. g. , animals) have a right. ' 138 Again, ' Render to your relatives, the needy and the wayfarer their rights. ' 139 Islam enjoins the distribution and circulation of wealth and prohibits hoarding, for, this deprives people of their rights. Money must be spent or invested; in either case it would be circulated to the benefit of the community, especially of the poorer classes. Concerning those who hoard money, the Holy Quran says: 138 Al-Dh a riy a t, 51: 20. 139 Al-R u m, 30:38.