economic thought in the qur"àn and sunnah 61Economic Resources: Economic Development and Production
Economic Efficiency
Islam has a strong stand on economic efficiency. Uneconomic use
of resources, or wastage, is emphatically condemned in the strongest
possible language. Wasters, al-Mubaûûirìn, are regarded as, “brethren
to Satan, and Satan is the worst unbeliever” (Qur"àn 17:27). Wastage
in consumption is reprimanded, and wastage of economic resources
even in pursuit of quite a legitimate purpose, such as in the pursuit
of economic development, is equally condemned. Wastage in this
concept extends beyond the misuse of resources to stretch to the
level of the excessive use of the resources even to achieve purposes
that may be quite legitimate. In emphasizing the concept of eco-
nomic efficiency, the reason behind equating wasters to being brethren
of Satan, it seems, is that Satan has a mission to destroy the earth
and its economic resources on which human beings are living.
Humans, after all, are Satan’s enemies. The enmity in Islamic and
other religious ideology began when Satan refused to obey God in
prostrating to Adam in Paradise; then he misled Adam, tempted him
to eat from the Forbidden Tree, and drove him and Eve out of
Paradise. Wastage, therefore, is a form of destruction of earth and
its natural resources on which Adam and his heirs live.
Objectives of Production
Islam places great importance on the utilisation of economic resources.
Indeed, the utilisation of these resources is regarded as one of the
main sacred tasks which man is ordained to fulfill, “It is He who
has subdued the earth to you, so walk about its regions (utilise them)
and eat of His provisions” (Qur"àn, 67:15). Once more, this is tied
up with the concept of viceregency of man on earth, “It was He
who made you from the earth and gave you the right to utilise it”
(Our"an, 11:61). Economic development with all economic activities
it may incorporate could be said, therefore, to be the overall objec-
tive of production. The most eloquent example of the Prophet’s
sayings in encouraging Muslims to save no effort on economic devel-
opment is, “If the Day of Judgment came to you while one of you
has a small plant to plant, let him plant it”, (flaœìœal-Bukhari).
The implication of the concept of ownership by trusteeship intro-
duces a further dimension to the above objective of production: social