394 chapter nine
main concern, for him was what economic system is the most suit-
able for economic development, and that was the basis of his eval-
uation of, and comparison between Marxism and capitalist on the
one hand and Islamic economics on the other. Al-Sadr was under no
illusion as to when, and to what extend, an economic system may or
may not be workable. Cautiously, and objectively, we find him stating
that the comparison between economic systems should not be based
only on the conceptual framework of these systems or their theoretical
philosophy and principles, but should be based instead on the degree
of the suitability of the system to the economy being studied and
the society which the system is designed to serve. This is a demon-
strable example of objectivity.
Even further, we find al-Sadr providing what could almost be
justification for the adoption of capitalism by the European com-
munity. He looked into the historical development of the European
society, explaining, in a philosophically historical manner, how cap-
italism was chosen by such a society in their pursuit of economic
development. The pursuit of profit and materialistic gains became
the main drive of such a society, particularly when the belief in man
and his ability was perceived as more visible than the ability of an
unseen divine power. In that he comes to the conclusion, that despite
the suitability of capitalism to a European community, capitalism is
not a suitable economic system to spur economic development in a
Muslim society that is based on the belief in God, in the unfore-
seen and a divine code of conduct.
It is interesting to notice the emphasis of al-Sadr on the role of
man in economic development. And in Islamic economics, the Muslim
man will have a paramount role in the process of economic devel-
opment. No successful Islamic system, and in this regard an Islamic
economic system generally, can be perceived without a Muslim man.
The Islamic society with all its Islamic ingredients and beliefs is a
pre-requisite for the application of an Islamic economic system suc-
cessfully. The Islamic economic system and the sound Islamic, not
only Muslim, society are inseparable, and there is no guarantee that
the former will be successful without the latter. This emphasizes the
need to have a well structured Islamic society in order to have a
thriving Islamic economic system.
On the importance of man in economic development, we find al-
Sadr confirming from the early pages of Iqtisàduna that the needs
of an economic system are not confined to the need for a social