The Economic System of Islam — Page 81
81 Islam in social and economic activities. All these are branches of study that cannot be ignored without turning Islam into a dead letter, and no Muslim worth the name could ever be reconciled to such a state of affairs. But there is no place for such scholars or their students under Communism. The State would consider them unproductive and grant them no allowances. People themselves would have no means for supporting them through voluntary private donations—as is the experience in countries like India, China and Arabia. The truth is that between Islam and the other religions, on one side, and Communism, on the other, there is a fundamental difference in the conception of what constitutes work. Our view is that a machine operator, a person propagating or teaching religion, and a recipient of religious education are all en- gaged in useful work. Communism, however, accords this status only to a machine operator, while those teaching or learning relig- ion are regarded as parasites. To teach the alphabet is useful work according to the Communist view but to teach the profound truth— ‘There is none worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger’—is waste of time and energy. Thus, while we are in accord with Communism that only use- ful workers may have their labour rewarded, we cannot accept at all that no work is to be considered useful unless the Commu- nists so certify. In the estimation of Communists, to work for the betterment of one’s spiritual life is no work at all; to teach or learn the Holy Quran, hadith , fiqah , tafs i r , ta s awwuf , and to teach morality is no work. In the eyes of a Muslim, on the other hand, these things are far more precious than life itself. To ensure proper study of religion and adequate effort is made for its