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The Muslim community has no such system through which poor Muslims can be saved from the clutches of exploitative money lenders. The concept and practice of Zakat has been reduced to a lifeless ritual.
• Rabia Bi, 32, is a domestic help working in the house of a Muslim multi-millionaire since the last seven years. She is paying 10 per cent interest to a money lender every month as she has borrowed money for the treatment of her son.
• Zakir, 47, is working as helper in a Muslim business house on a salary of Rs 8000 since eleven years. He has to borrow Rs 10,000 from the Pathan at an exorbitant rate of 12 per cent per month for the marriage of his daughter.
• Abbas Khan, 38, is struggling to educate his four children despite the fact that his blood brother is one of the richest Muslims in Mumbai.
Ramadan has just gone by. Millions of rupees in Zakat and Sadaqa is distributed by Muslims. Ironically many of those who give Zakat do not even think about their own poor relatives or needy employees. In fact, they either give Zakat to institutions or glossy projects. Individuals are most of the time neglected.
The concept and practice of Zakat has been reduced to a lifeless ritual by means of which the rich believe they can gain entry into Heaven in the Hereafter. Muslims influenced by hard core capitalism and contributing to the growth of global economic imbalance have refused, in their greed, to believe in the basic economic principle of Zakat: unrestricted flow of resources to all human beings.
In the Qur’an Allah says, “He is the Allah Almighty who has made arrangements for nurturing all human beings in the universe. For this purpose, He has placed towering mountains on the surface of the earth (from where continuously water comes out) and ingrained means of growing various commodities in it. The rotation of the four seasons has determined the set timings for different crops, for the people to get their food. This produce from earth should remain open for every person according to his need; and its doors should not be closed on anyone.” (Surah Fussilat 9-10).
Muslims too, have abandoned the Qur’anic Zakat, which is Allah’s assured challenge to this naked exploitation of the weak by the strong. Allama Iqbal beautifully captured this mentality of the rich and powerful when he said: “Hai wo sultan ghair ki kheti pe ho jiski nazar.” (The master is one who always has an eye on others’ lands.). What options do poor Muslims in India have? Often option for these poor Muslims is to approach local money lenders, who charge them anywhere between 10 to 12 per cent monthly interest. Once the poor Muslims get caught in the web of the local money lender, it is impossible for them to come out of that curse.
The community has no system through which poor Muslims can be saved from the clutches of exploitative money lenders. Many times, the amount borrowed is as low as Rs 500, but interest paid every month is as high as Rs 100. Rabia Bi has taken Rs 3000 for the treatment of her son three years ago and, till today, every month she has to pay Rs 300 as interest. She is working as a domestic help in the house of a Muslim multi-millionaire, but they do not have the time nor heart to ponder over her problems.
Ironically this multi-millionaire in Mumbai sponsors many charitable institutions and distributes Zakat worth crores. People generally equate poverty with the tangible dimensions of deprivation that is lack of access to food, nutrition, clothing, shelter, water and basic education and use food deprivation, in particular, to identify the poor from the non- poor.
Islam questions the narrow equation of poverty with material deprivation. It also examines deprivation in terms of creativity, freedom, dignity, self-esteem and the respect for others.
What then, is the position of the Qur’an on the Economic World Order that should prevail, in other words, Zakat? The Qur’an emphasizes the importance of economics in human life. While describing the life of Heaven, the Qur’an says there will be no hunger and no misery there.
In Surah Al Ankabut Allah talks about the Economic World Order “(Tell those who have any such uncertainty to just look at the universe). How many living beings are there (on the earth), which store their food or carry it on their backs?” (29:60).
Also in Surah Hud, Allah says, “There is no moving creature on earth, but its sustenance dependeth on Allah: He knoweth the time and place of its definite abode and its temporary deposit: All is in a clear Record”. (11:06). The real culprit is not poverty, but hoarding of wealth by the rich and not giving the poor their due share.
No doubt Zakat is distributed by the rich. Unfortunately poor relatives and needy individuals are left out. There is an important trend which is discernable in the Muslim community. Muslim youth today are becoming pro-active and are contributing in terms of planning and creativity. There are groups formed in Mumbai by Muslim youth who are focusing on poor individuals and families, as well as Mumbai.
Safi Shaikh, 26, an architect, and his group collect zakat and provide financial assistance to slum dwellers in Bandra, besides focusing on establishing basic amenities.
According to the Qur’an, everyone gets his or her sustenance as per the universal Divine Law of nourishment. Accordingly, if people also establish such a system in their society (and stop individual plunder or hoarding), they will also get nourishment from Allah. This is because He hears all and is aware of everyone’s needs. No one is outside His view. It is society’s unjust system which has created such economic imbalances and disorders.
(The writer can be reached at mhl@rediffmail.com)
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