The New World Order of Islam — Page 116
New World Order 116 been weaned. I have stopped suckling the child to draw an allowance on his behalf; so, that is why he is crying. " Hadrat ‘Umar ra —and he himself related this incident—says that on hearing this, he blamed himself strongly lest by laying down this rule he may have interfered seriously with the physical growth of the next generation. He immediately issued a direction that an allowance should be payable in respect of every child as soon as born. This was the arrangement in ‘Umar’s ra time and again it was quite adequate having regard to the circumstances at that time. It is true that at that time the gulf between riches and poverty was not as wide as it is today. Zakat, voluntary contributions made to the State for the purpose, and private charity, these three afforded adequate and timely relief to the poor. There was no industrialization, and commercial competition was not as keen as it is in modern times. Powerful States did not exploit weaker States as they do today. The system that proved adequate in those times would prove inadequate and ineffective today. But this does not detract from the excellence of the Islamic teaching on the subject. At that time the object of this teaching could be fulfilled by means of Zakat and voluntary contributions, and it did not become necessary to have recourse to anything further. Today Zakat and voluntary contributions do not seem to suffice and some thing more is called for.