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Modern welfare states provide social benefits to their poor citizens, but Islam preceded all nations in establishing social security services.\u00a0 Islamic law set up financial provisions for needy Muslims through zakah (obligatory charity) and sadaqa (voluntary charity).\u00a0 Zakah was made obligatory on wealthy Muslims to take care of the poor, whereas sadaqa was left on individual discretion to help the needy.\u00a0 Social security provided by Islam includes non-Muslims as well.\u00a0 Islamic Law requires the state to provide for its citizens with disabilities \u2013 Muslim or non-Muslim – that prevent them from employment.\u00a0 They are provided for by the public treasury and the ruler is negligent if he does not do so.\u00a0 Many instances of Muslims providing social security to the non-Muslim citizens are recorded in history.\u00a0 Umar ibn al-Khattab the second caliph of Islam, once passed by a old, blind man begging in front of a house.\u00a0 Umar asked him which religious community he belonged to.\u00a0 The man said he was Jewish.\u00a0 Umar then asked him, \u2018What has brought you to this?\u2019 The old man said, \u2018Do not ask me; ask \u2026poverty, and old age.\u2019 \u00a0Umar took the man to his own home, helped him from his personal money, and then ordered the head of the treasury, \u2018You must look after this man and others like him.\u00a0 We have not treated him fairly.\u00a0 He should not have spent the best years of his life among us to find misery in his old age.\u2019 \u00a0Umar also relieved him and others in his situation of paying the jizya.[1]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Another example is found in Khalid ibn al-Walid\u2019s letter to the people of the Iraqi city of Hira.\u00a0 It contains the terms of truce he offered them:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u2018If God gives us victory, the people of the covenant will be protected.\u00a0 They have rights promised to them by God.\u00a0 It is the strictest covenant God has made incumbent on any of His prophets.\u00a0 They are also held by the duties that it places upon them and must not violate it.\u00a0 If they are conquered, they will live comfortably with everything due to them.\u00a0 I am commanded to exempt from jizya the elderly who cannot work, the disabled, or the poor who receive charity from their own community.\u00a0 The treasury will provide for them and their dependants as long as they live in Muslim lands or in the communities of Muslim emigrants.\u00a0 If they move outside of Muslim lands, neither they nor their dependants shall be entitled to any benefits.\u2019[2]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In another instance, Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Muslim Caliph, was visiting Damascus.\u00a0 He passed by a group of Christian lepers.\u00a0 He ordered that they be given charity and regular stipends for food.[3]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz, another Muslim Caliph, wrote to his agent in Basra, Iraq, \u2018Search for the people of the covenant in your area who may have grown old, and are unable to earn, and provide them with regular stipends from the treasury to take care of their needs.\u2019[4]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Some of the early Muslims[5] used to distribute part of their post-Ramadan charity (zakat ul-fitr) to Christian monks, based on their understanding of the verse of Quran:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGod does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes \u2013 from dealing kindly and justly with them.\u00a0 Indeed, God loves those who act justly.\u00a0 God only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion \u2013 (forbids) that you make allies of them.\u00a0 And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.\u201d(<\/span><\/span><\/strong>Quran 60:8-9)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Finally, there are other rights that we have not discussed here, because of the assumption that they are elementary and taken for granted, such as the right to work, housing, transportation, education, and so forth.[6] However, before concluding, I would like to make the following observation.\u00a0 Our discussion has clarified how non-Muslims living in Muslim countries enjoy rights that they might not be granted in non-Muslim countries.\u00a0 Some readers may respond with the objection that these rights might have existed in history, but the experience of non-Muslims living in Muslim countries today is different.\u00a0 The author\u2019s personal observation is that non-Muslims still enjoy many of these same rights today, perhaps even more.\u00a0 Allah Almighty has commanded us to be truthful, in the verse:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cO you who believe! \u00a0Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, God is a Better Protector to both (than you).\u00a0 So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you avoid justice; and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do.\u201d<\/span><\/strong>(Quran 4:135)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Further, when we compare the conditions of non-Muslims living in Muslim countries to the status of Muslim minorities living in non-Muslim countries, whether now or in history, we see a profound difference.\u00a0 What happened to Muslims during the Crusades, under the Spanish Inquisition, in Communist China, or the Soviet Union? What is happening to them today in the Balkans, Russia, Palestine, and India? It would be worthwhile to reflect in order to give an answer based on fairness and declaration of truth and justice.\u00a0 Allah is the best of Judges, and He states:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cO you who believe! \u00a0Stand out firmly for God as just witnesses; and let not the enmity hatred of others make you avoid justice.\u00a0 Be just: that is nearer to piety; and fear God.\u00a0 Verily, God is Well-Acquainted with what you do.\u201d<\/span><\/strong>(Quran 5:8)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Footnotes:<\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n [1] Abu Yusuf, Kitab al-Kharaj<\/em>, p. 136<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [2] Abu Yusuf, Kitab al-Kharaj<\/em>, p. 155-156<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [3] Qaradawi, Yusuf, \u2018Ghayr al-Muslimeen fil-Mujtama\u2019 al-Islami,\u2019<\/em> p. 17<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [4] Abu Ubayd, al-Amwaal<\/em>, p. 805<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [5] Sarkhasi, \u2018al-Mabsut,\u2019<\/em> vol 2, p. 202<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jassas, \u2018al-Ahkam ul-Quran,\u2019<\/em> vol. 3, p. 215<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [6] Public Regulations Relevant to non-Muslims<\/em>, p. 43-58.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Modern welfare states provide social benefits to their poor citizens, but Islam preceded all nations in establishing social security services.\u00a0 Islamic law set up financial provisions… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":1366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christianity"],"yoast_head":"\n
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