Justice forms an important element of Islamic social ethics. Islam enjoins to establish justice in all matters related to human society. Justice is perhaps the most important of the supreme values of Islam. The main purpose of the sharia is to secure the general good of the society and promoting it’s welfare (Maslaha) as individuals and as a collective body and also keeping harm or injury away from them. This it seeks to achieve in order of priority

1. Ensuring the vital needs (daruriyyath)

2. Caring for their requirements and exigencies (Hajjiyyath)

3. Allowing for betterment or enhancing in improvement in the quality of life (Thahsiniyyath)

It is the collective duty of the society to see none should remaind deprived of basic necessities of life. Islam seeks to ensure every individual basic need for a decent life. Poverty, deprivation and destitution are social ills that at times even erode the very foundations of the moral and spiritual life of the society. The prophet is reported to have stated that poverty and destitution have the tendency to lead one towards Kufr – rebellion against religion. Prophet him self sought protection from Allah from poverty and prayed to Allah

“Oh, Lord, I seek thy refuge from infidelity “Kufr and from poverty and destitution (Faqr) and seek thy refuge from paucity and humiliation (Dhillah). According to another tradion reported in ibn-majah prophet also had advised his companions to seek Allah’s protection from poverty scarcity and ignomity ‘

From Islamic view point poverty has it’s harmful impact on the individual and society in respect of faith and belief morality and character. one of the pious ancestors (Salaf us Salih) has refer to the linkage between poverty and Kufr as follows.

“If poverty goes to a town Kufr or unbelief will say to it please take me also”

There for one of the important elements of the mission of Islam is liberate man from all forms of bondage including poverty it aims to ensure a dignified life to every individual member of the society. In human society there exist differences and disparities among human beings, as there physical differences there also differences in the social hierarchy such as rich and poor. The life of this world is a form of trial for every human being according to the blessings and capabilities Allah has bestowed upon them.

“Allah has bestowed His gifts of sustenance more freely on some of you than on others” (Quran -16:71)

“It is He who hath made you the inheritors of the earth, He hath raised you in ranks, some above others that He may try you in the gifts He hath given you” (Quran – 6 : 165)

The existence of poverty or lack of means must not cause misery and suffering to those who are in dire state. According to Islam it is one’s duty to earn a livelihood to meet the basic needs of his family, but if he is unable to full fill this function he is entitled to social support and it is the duty of the rich to help the poor and the needy.

Islam considers poverty as a problem that demands solutions and it rejects the views of some who holds that poverty is the destiny of the poor, but Islam considers poverty as a social reality and has presented practical solutions to ensure social and economic justice, even before the establishment of the Islamic social order and Islamic state in Madinah Islam showed serious concern about the well being of the poor in the Makkan verses of the Quran the believers are urged to feed the hungry and those who failed to care for the poor were warned of severe chastisement on the hereafter. Quran went to the extend of equating this act to the denial of religion it self.

“Have you seen him who repudiates the faith? He it is repulses the   orphan and encourages not the feeling of the poor”   (Quran- 107:1-3)

The following traditions of the prophet also indicates the importance of caring for the needy and poor

“He is not a true Muslim who eats his full while his next door neighbor is hungry

“He who strives behalf of the widows and the poor is like one who fights in the cause of Allah and like one who rises to pray by night and fast by day”

Islam uses both moral exhortation and legal measures for the purposes alleviating poverty.

Quran categorically emphasizes that the poor has a right on the wealth of a rich.

“And those in whose wealth is a recognised right for the needy who asks and him who is deprived” (Quran- 70:24,25)    

“And in their wealth there is due share for the bagger and the deprived”  (Quran – 51:19)

Islam exhorts to go out in search of persons who are in need and who will not ask from others, charity must take into consideration those who are in need and prevented by some reason from asking because their may many factors that prevents a person from asking such as shame or a sense of safeguarding one’s honour, he may not be aware of the person who gives or he may be dumb or helpless therefore Islam says it’s the duty of truly charitable person to go out in search of person who deserves and who are in needy. The Quran also warns that charity become worthless in the eyes of God if it’s followed by any action which hurts the feelings of the recipient.

“Those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah and follow not up their gifts wit reminders of their generosity or with injury for them. Their reward is with their Lord on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve” (Quran – 2 : 262)

“Kind words and covering of faults are better than charity followed by injury Allah is free for all wants and he is most forbearing” (Quran – 2 : 263)

“O ye who believe! cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury – like those who spend their wealth to be seen of men, but believe neither in Allah nor in the last day they are in parable like a hard barren rock, on which is a little soil on it, falls heavy rain, which leaves it a bare stone they will be able to do nothing with aught they have earned. And Allah guideth not those who reject faith” (Quran – 2 : 274)

“(Charity is) for those in need, who, in Allah’s cause are restricted (from travel) and cannot move about in the land, seeking the ignorant man thinks, because of their modesty, that they are free from want. Thou shalt know them by their mark: they bag not importunately from all and sundry. And whatever of good ye give, be assured Allah knoweth it well” (Quran – 2 : 273)

The obligation to help the poor is based on the principle that God alone is the owner of wealth and it has been bestowed on the wealthy as a trust for which they are accountable to Allah, it is by spending on the path of Allah that one full fills this trust and his duty to his fellow human beings, in facts the money one spend on the path of Allah he considers as a long to Allah which will be repaid manifold.

“Say : Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the sustenance to such of his servants as he pleases, and nothing do ye spend in the least but he replaces it : for he is the best of those who grant sustenance” (Quran-34:39)

To refrain from spending in the path of Allah leads to destructions

“Expend freely in the way of Allah and do not hand your selves to destructions” Quarn –

The destructions involve the individual and the society. The individual by this act is exposing himself to the punishment of Allah hereafter. Due to lack of care for the poor and increasing disparity in wealth the social structure become subjected to conflict and social tension, from the Islamic view point spending on the poor not only alleviates poverty but also promote social harmony, reduces   social conflict and leads to peace.

The generosity that found expression in the people of Madinah when they received the emigrants who gave them shelter, sharing with them their property their houses in the sprit of brotherhood is described in the Quran as follows.

“And those who before them had homes (in Madinah) and had adopted the faith, show their affection to such as came to them for refuge and certain no desire in their hearts for things given to the (Latter), but give them preference over themselves even though poverty was their (own lot). And those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones that achieve property”(Quran – 59 : 09)  

Quarn condemns in very strong terms those who hoard wealth and refrain from spending on charity and warns them of severe punishment in the hereafter.

“As for those who have heaped up for themselves treasures of gold and silver and who do not expend them in the way of Allah announce for them a painful punishment. On that day the treasures which you heaped up for your selves will be branded heated in the fire of hell and they will be branded with on their foreheads, their sides and their backs. These are the treasures which you heaped up for your selves so taste now of what you have heaped up” Quran –

While discussing the concept of economic justice in Islam Zakath or the obligatory charity must found an important plays. Zakath is the corner stone of the Islamic social security system. Islam makes Zakath an obligatory claim on the property of the wealthy in favour of the poor and it is earmarked for specific purposes.

“Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds). For those whose hearts have been reconciled (to truth). For those in bondage and in debt, in the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer. Ordained by Allah. Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom” (Quran 9 : 60)

 There general consensus that the firs priority in the use of Zakath funds has to be accorded to the alleviation of poverty and the needy. The terms “Fuqara and Masakeen” in the above verse refer to the poor and the needy respectively. According to some jurists the Fuqara are those who deserve help but do not go out in to seek it but masakeen are those who seek help from others, according to some other jurist Fuqara are those who are in utter destitution while Masakeen are those who have some resources but not enough to meet all there basic needs. The manner in which Zakath should be used to help the poor and the needy has been discussed extensively by Muslim jurist.

Islam envisages for the successful implementation of the system of Zakath an organized institution or body in the Islamic state the institution of Baithulmal played this important role in the past. In non Muslim countries the institution of Baithulmal must play an important role in mobilizing the Zakath fund in its distribution in an organized manner. The establishment of Baithulmal in Sri Lanka 50 years ago was an important step in this direction.

References :

• Yousuf Al-Qqradawi, Mushkilathul faqr wa kaifa alajagaha islam.
• Seyyid Qutb , Social justice in Islam
• Ziauddin Ahmed, Islam poverty and income distribution