The Economic System of Islam — Page 64
64 supporting the welfare of the poor and the public at large cannot be expected to use unlawful means to earn money. The Islamic economic system is thus naturally furnished with pruning devices that come into action if someone starts to have excessive amounts of wealth. The excess capital starts to go to the government, or is distributed among other people, or gets dis- tributed among the descendents. Under this system, no one can remain rich forever and no family can maintain its financial dominance generation after generation or be able to subjugate the poorer sections of the society. It is regrettable that Muslims have not fully followed Islamic guidance on this matter. The teaching about zakat is there but it is ignored. Extravagance is prohibited but they continue to indulge in it. The laws of inheritance are not strictly followed. Nevertheless, there is some partial observance, and consequently, the gap between the rich and poor is less extreme in Islamic countries than in other. It is still possible that the above-mentioned Islamic injunctions would not fully address the problem of economic inequity. In par- ticular, it is possible that the money that the government collects is diverted back to the rich upper class in various ways. The Holy Quran also addresses this issue and restricts the ways in which gov- ernment revenue can be spent.