Contemporary Vision of Poverty and Islamic Strategy for Poverty Alleviation

Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 62 - 73, 31.07.2018

Ömer Keskin

https://doi.org/10.25272/ijisef.452611

Abstract

Currently, irrespective of one’s religious, ideological, and political inclination, poverty is seen as a destructive force in all aspects. Subsequently, various strategies have been formulated to alleviate poverty. But what are actually the components of the destructive force of poverty in the vision of contemporary Muslim scholars? What kind of Islamic strategies have they formulated out of this vision? This article seeks to answer these two main questions by first investigating into the contemporary vision of poverty that has been adopted by Muslim scholars, followed second by an investigation into the strategies for poverty alleviation they proposed, and third, by critically analyzing their vision of poverty and strategies from an Islamic perspective. Based on a textual analysis of references, this article displays an inadequacy of the vision and strategies of the contemporary Muslim scholars for ignoring material-spiritual definition of poverty, as well as for formulating strategies for poverty alleviation using an exogenous, top-down approach. In a nutshell, this article attempts to provide a justification for rescrutinization of the vision of poverty from an Islamic perspective, and for a reconstruction of the poverty alleviation strategies based on the faith of the Muslim communities themselves.

Keywords

Poverty, Islamic Vision of Poverty, Poverty Alleviation Strategy

Çağdaş Yoksulluk Görüşü ve Yoksulluğu Azaltmaya Yönelik İslami Strateji

Abstract

Günümüzde bir kişinin dinine, ideolojik ve siyasi eğilimine bakmaksızın yoksulluk, her yönüyle yıkıcı bir güç olarak görülmektedir. Bu sebeple yoksulluğun azaltılmasına yönelik çeşitli stratejiler oluşturulmuştur. Fakat çağdaş Müslüman düşünürlerin görüşlerinde yoksulluğun yıkıcı gücünün unsurları gerçekte nelerdir? Bu görüşlerden ne tür stratejiler geliştirmişlerdir? Bu makale, ilk olarak Müslüman düşünürler tarafından benimsenen çağdaş yoksulluk görüşlerini araştırarak, daha sonra düşünürlerin önerdikleri yoksulluğu azaltmaya yönelik stratejileri sorgulayarak ve son olarak da İslami bir bakış açısıyla düşünürlerin yoksulluk görüşlerini ve stratejilerini eleştirel bir şekilde analiz ederek yukarıdaki iki temel soruyu cevaplamayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu makale, metin çözümlemesi analizine dayalı olarak, çağdaş Müslüman düşünürlerin yoksulluğun maddi manevi tanımını görmezden gelmelerinin yanı sıra, dışsal, tepeden inmeci bir yaklaşım kullanarak yoksulluğun azaltılması için stratejiler oluşturmaya yönelik görüşlerinin ve stratejilerinin yetersiz olduğunu göstermektedir. Kısaca bu makalede, İslami bir bakış açısıyla yoksulluk sorununun yeniden irdelenmesine ve Müslüman toplumların kendi inançlarına dayanan yoksullukla mücadele stratejilerinin yeniden inşasına yönelik bir gerekçe sağlanmaya çalışılmaktadır.

References

• Abdullah, H. (Ed.). (1984). Kemiskinan dan kehidupan golongan ber- pendapatan rendah [Poverty and the life of low income group]. Bangi, Selangor: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Ahmad, Z. (1991). Islam, poverty and income distribution. Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Ahmed, H. (2004). Role of zakah and awqaf in poverty alleviation. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank. al Qaradawi, Y. (2002). Zakah role in curing social and economic malaises. In M. Kahf (Ed.), Economics of zakah-A book of readings (2nd ed., pp. 569-620). Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank. al Qardhawi, S. Y. (1980). Problema kemiskinan: Apa konsep Islam [The problems of poverty: What is Islamic concept] (U. Fanany, Trans.). Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia: Penerbitan Pena Mas. Alhabshi, S. O. (1993). Tidakkah Islam menggalakkan kita meng- umpul harta? [Is it not that Islam encourages us to accumulate wealth?] In N. M. H. Nik Hassan & S. F. Abdul Rahman (Eds.), Islam, budaya kerja dan pembangunan masyarakat - Satu kefa- haman [Islam, working culture and societal development - An Islamic understanding], (pp. 127-135). Kuala Lumpur: Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia. Alhabshi, S. O. (1996). Poverty eradication from Islamic perspectives. Amiel, Y., & Cowell, F. (1997). The measurement of poverty: An experimental questionnaire investigation. Empirical Economics, 22, 571-588. Ariff, M. (1988). Comments on M.A. Mannan’s “The economics of poverty in Islam with special reference to Muslim countries.” In M. Iqbal (Ed.), Distributive justice and need fulfilment in an Islamic economy (Rev. ed., pp. 336-341). Islamabad, Pakistan: International Institute of Islamic Economics. Bakar, M. D. (2002). The problem of risk and insurable interest in takaful: A jurisprudential analysis. In M. Iqbal (Ed.), Islamic economic institutions and the elimination of poverty (pp. 233- 262). Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Chapra, M. U. (1980). Islamic welfare state and its role in the econ- omy. In K. Ahmad (Ed.), Studies in Islamic economics (pp. 143-169). Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Chapra, M. U. (2008). The Islamic vision of development in the light of the maqasid al-shari`ah. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank. Cizakca, M. (2002). Latest developments in the Western non-profit sector and the implications for Islamic awqaf. In M. Iqbal (Ed.), Islamic economic institutions and the elimination of pov- erty (pp. 263-296). Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Fadhil, S. (1992). Minda Melayu baru [New Malay mind]. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Institute Kajian Dasar. Hassan, M. K., & Alamgir, D. A. H. (2002). Microfinancial services and poverty alleviation in Bangladesh: A comparative analysis of secular and Islamic NGOs. In M. Iqbal (Ed.), Islamic eco- nomic institutions and the elimination of poverty (pp. 113-168). Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Huq, A. (1996). Poverty, inequality and role of some of the Islamic economic institutions. In M. A. Mannan & M. Ahmad (Eds.), Economic development in an Islamic framework (pp. 224- 261). Islamabad, Pakistan: International Institute of Islamic Economics, International Islamic University. Ibrahim, A. (1984). Kemiskinan dari perspektif agama dan politik [Poverty from religious and political perspective]. Kuala Lumpur: Institut Pertanian Malaysia. (Original work published 1983) Iqbal, M. (2002). Introduction. In M. Iqbal (Ed.), Islamic economic institutions and the elimination of poverty (pp. 1-24). Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Islamic Development Bank. (2006a). Strategic plan (1426H-1430H) (Rajab 1425H / September 2004). Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Islamic Development Bank. Islamic Development Bank. (2006b). Vision 1440H: A vision for human dignity. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Islamic Development Bank. Kahf, M. (2002). Introduction to the study of the economics of zakah. In M. Kahf (Ed.), Economics of zakah: A book of readings (2nd ed., pp. 15-57). Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank. Khan, M. F. (1995). Essays in Islamic economics. Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Khan, Z. A. (n.d.). Causes of poverty and role of citizen in alleviat- ing it from Islamic perspective. Mannan, M. A. (1988). The economics of poverty in Islam with special reference to Muslim countries. In M. Iqbal (Ed.), Distributive justice and need fulfilment in an Islamic economy (Rev. ed., pp. 305-335). Islamabad, Pakistan: International Institute of Islamic Economics. Naqvi, S. N. H. (1994). Ethics and economics: An Islamic synthesis. Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Nofal, A. E. (1984). Al-Zakat (the poor due) (translated from Arabic by T. Tawfik). Cairo, Egypt: The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. Obaidullah, M. (2008a). Introduction to Islamic microfinance. Hyderabad, India: International Institute of Islamic Business and Finance. Obaidullah, M. (2008b). Role of microfinance in poverty alle- viation: Lessons from experience in selected IDB member countries. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Islamic Development Bank. Obaidullah, M., & Khan, T. (2008). Islamic microfinance development: Challenges and initiatives (Dialogue Paper No. 2). Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank. Patel, Z. A. (Ed.). (1983). Small kindnesses: Poverty and Muslim charity. Nuneaton, UK: Muslim Venture Publications. Rahman, A. (1974). Economic doctrines of Islam (Vol. 1). Lahore, Pakistan: Islamic Publications. Sadeq, A. A. (1994). A survey of the institution of zakat (Cataloging- in-Publication Data). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: King Fahd National Library. Sadeq, A. A. (2002). A survey of the institution of zakah: Issues, theories and administration (2nd ed.). Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank. Salih, S. A. (1999). The challenges of poverty alleviation in IDB member countries. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Economic Policy and Strategic Planning Department, Islamic Development Bank. Salleh, M. S., & Md. Yusoff, O. (1997). The poor people’s percep- tion of poverty and its implications on the realization of Islamic development in Kelantan, Malaysia, Humanomics, 13(3/4), 215-244. Sirageldin, I. (2002). The elimination of poverty: Challenges and Islamic strategies. In M. Iqbal (Ed.), Islamic economic institu- tions and the elimination of poverty (pp. 25-46). Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Tag el & Din, S. E. D. I. (2002). The elimination of riba: A mea- sure truly dedicated to poverty alleviation. In M. Iqbal (Ed.), Islamic economic institutions and the elimination of poverty (pp. 187-232). Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Yasin, H. M., & Tahir, S. (2002). Poverty elimination in an Islamic perspective: An applied general equilibrium approach. In M. Iqbal (Ed.), Islamic economic institutions and the elimination of poverty (pp. 47-112). Leicester, UK: The Islamic Foundation. Zaim, S. (1985). Recent interpretations of the economic aspects of zakah. Paper read at Management of Zakah in Modern Muslim Society, 02–12 Sha’aban 1405 H (22 April-02 May 1985), at Karachi, Pakistan.