Our God — Page 211
Refutation of Arguments Supporting Atheism 211 wealth of the country is justly distributed and does not accumu- late in a few hands. Second, Islam forbids interest or usury. In addition to other ills associated with it, interest is a major cause of unjust distri- bution of wealth. By forbidding it, Islam has closed the door on accumulation of wealth in a few hands. Currently, because of the widespread use of interest, it may appear impossible to manage without it. But this is merely an illusion created by the current atmosphere. When Muslims ruled more than half the world, all trade was carried out without interest and so it shall be in future, God willing. Third, Islam also declared gambling unlawful because that also opens the door for unjust distribution of wealth. It promotes waste of time and dependence on a lucky break instead of earning one’s livelihood through dint of hard work, effort, and skill. Fourth, Islam forbids hoarding of money; it should be invested in trade and industry to create jobs for the unemployed. Fifth, Islam levies a heavy tax on the wealth of the rich in the form of Zak a t, to be distributed among the poor, the needy and the jobless who have a skill but lack the means to benefit from it. Islam has determined the purpose of the system of Zak a t as follows: تُوْخَذ ُ مِن ْ اَغْنِیَآءِھِم ْ وَتُرَد ُّ اِلٰی فُقَرَآءِھِمْ. Meaning: The proper use of Zak a t is to take a part from the wealth of rich people and distribute it among the poor and the needy. ( Sa hih al-Bukh a r i , Kit a buz-Zak a t )