202 chapter five
Messengers who had vocational occupations and argued that these
occupations could not have been inferior to others and, on the con-
trary, they must have been blessed by God. On a more worldly
ground he went on to explain how each sector of production activ-
ity is important to fulfill the purpose and functions of the others,
which would lead to making these sectors of the economy well inte-
grated. Production sectors are complimentary with each other, he
stated. To appreciate the novelty of al-Shaibànì’s thinking his view
should be seen within the context of the prevailing thinking at the
time. As a source of earnings, and a production sector, trade was
regarded as superior to any other profession, it is the profession that
is referred to in the Qur"àn and stressed favorably by the Prophet.
Still on industry, al-Shaibànìstressed the importance of speciali-
sation and division of labour. By specialisation, he stated, skill could
effectively be gained and the profession be better performed. Looking
at it from a micro angle he stressed that if one endevours to learn
all required skills, one would come to the end of his life without
achieving that; life would have gone but the skills would not have
come. People should learn a skill related to what they feel they can
do best, depending upon their ability given by God, and should rely
on the skills of others in meeting their needs. With this, the variety
of skills of individuals and the variety of gifts bestowed on people
by the divine force, jobs would be better performed and the com-
munity becomes more integrated. Believers to each other, in a quo-
tation from the Sunnah, are “like one building in which parts
strengthen one another”. When al-Shaibànì’s argument is extended
to the macro level, it could be established that specialisation speeds
up the process of gaining skill, or technology, and helps increase
integration among sectors of the economy.
Agriculture
In contrast to his contemporaries, al-Shaibànìdefended agriculture
vigorously. Even further, for him it is the far superior production
activity to all others; hiring-out, trade and industry. His defense of
agriculture should be viewed within the context of a œadìthreported
about what the Prophet said when he saw some tilling articles in a
house. He was reported to have said that these instruments would
only bring humiliation to their people. In interpreting the œadìth, al-
Shaibànìelucidated that the œadìthwas meant to discourage Muslims
from settling in rural areas and deserting military expeditions, jihàd.