islamic economic renaissance 359security. Having referred to what Islam has guaranteed individuals
of levels of satisfaction that are beyond the level of sustenance, al-
Fangari starts by differentiating between social insurance, social sol-
idarity and social security. To emphasize the role of the state he
clarified that social insurance is a system that although organized by
the state involves the payment of a regular insurance premium by
the individual, while social solidarity is a voluntary arrangement
by individuals to help one another even if that may take a collectively
organized form. The role of the state in the latter is much less than
that of the former. In contrast, social security involves the financial
obligations of the state towards its citizens, by providing the neces-
sary help to the needy and old without necessary expected payments
from them towards these provisions. Al-Fangari argues that this oblig-
ation on the state is clearly stated in the Qur"àn and Sunnah in the
stipulation of the institution of Zakàh. This is a strong emphasis that
may, by implication, render a government as non-Islamic if it is not
providing a system of social security. Islam, the author ascertains
further, has provided for both systems: a system of social solidarity
through ordaining individuals to pay out of their own wealth to those
in need and a system of social security by obliging the state to estab-
lish the institution of Zakàh in the manner described in the primary
sources of the religion: the Qur"àn and Sunnah. Social security, the
author reiterates, is part and parcel of Islam and the right of indi-
viduals to it is above all rights as it is part of the blessing of God
for His subjects.
Al-Fangari concludes his study by salient recommendations. Two
of these are particularly prominent, first, the need to establish a
Ministry, Secretary, of Zakah in the cabinet of Islamic governments,
and the need to hold international conferences on Zakàh. Interestingly
enough, perhaps because his voice has been heard, it is not unusual
to see now ministries of Zakàh in the cabinets of some Islamic gov-
ernments, and also to observe the organization of international con-
ferences on Zakàh, the first of which was initiated by the Kuwait
Zakàh House in 1984 (El-Ashker and Haq, 1995).
The reason why we feel that one more book can be added to the
list of our discussion of books on Zakàh is that Abù-Saud’s
Contemporary Zakàh has unique coverage. The book was published
in both Arabic and English almost simultaneously, it was published
by a specialised publisher in the field, the Zakat Research Foundation,
and it was published in the United States. The reason for publishing