[mitiaycatq]

However, if the idea is to try to conceive how an Islamic society could function today, then the matter has to be what are the sources of revenues and expenditures of the government as defined by the Hukm Sharii. Like it or not, but the article by Abdur Raheem is based in Shariah. And like it or not, but Shariah defines natural resources as public: oil, gas, water. So we are encumbered to imagine or forecast such a society in a given reality- whether it be in North Africa, or Arabia, or Asia- and should calculate the exploitation of the natural resources by the state therein as a major source of government revenue for public expenditures, including health, military, and education.

[LindaSmithXV]

We are not talking about oil rich countries or even a Islamic Union where a pledge that all natural resources belong to all Muslims not only to saudis or iranians or malaysians. However for the modern nation state currently we need to think out a tax system to save lives and reduce sufferings. Zakat by itself without wealth and resource distribution wont fulfill the needs. Only the concept that Zakat + wealth/resource belongs to all needy Muslims is the only solution to avoid taxation. Until then we have to tax well-off people or avoid that immoral act and let people die/suffer (another immoral act). Choose which one you prefer.

Interestingly, contrary to popular misconception the UAE economy has long since stopped being 'oil riches' and is now more reliant upon trade, other forms of business activity and tourism.

Its not just Zakaat that the Shariah establishes as revenues for an Islamic government its ....

These revenues that Shar'a has defined are:

Fa'i,

Jizya,

Kharaj,

Ushur,

and income from Public properties. in many countries these alone would be adequate to provide basic services.

this section was interesting;

Wealth Tax

Taxes are levied on the wealth of the Muslims which is in excess of their basic needs and their luxuries according to normal standards of living. Taxes are only collected from those who have surplus wealth and nothing is taken from those who have no surplus wealth. This is because the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "The best Sadaqah is that given out of richness."

The richness here means what the person can afford after satisfying his needs.

It was narrated from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "Start with yourself when giving Sadaqah. If there remains any excess, then to your family. If there remains any excess, then to your relatives. If there remains any excess, then do like this, give those in front of you and those to your right and those to your left." [Muslim]

He (saw) deferred the obligation of spending upon anyone else until after spending upon oneself. Taxes are similar to this as they are like financial maintenance and Sadaqah.

Allah (swt) says:

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ

"They ask you what they should give: say, ‘Give what you can spare.'" [TMQ Al-Baqarah 2:219]

In other words, spending which causes no hardship and which is extra to one's needs. There is no concept of income tax in Islam as we find in western capitalist countries. Taxes are only levied on excess wealth and not on income.

The State is also not allowed to impose indirect taxes such as sales taxes on goods and services. Nor can it impose taxes in the form of court fees, fees on petitions forwarded to the State, sale or registration of land, buildings or measurements or other types of taxes other than those in the shar'iah. This is because imposing oppressive or illegal taxation is one of the prohibited injustices about which the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "He who imposes maks (custom duty) would not enter paradise." [Ad-Darimi, Ahmed and Abu ‘Ubayd]

In western capitalist countries their taxation penalises the poor and vulnerable in society. Clever accounting and offshore Swiss bank accounts ensure the rich in western societies can avoid paying the majority of taxes altogether. In the UK for example, the Queen is one of the richest people in Britain yet she pays no income tax, whereas a poor single mother or an old age pensioner must pay income tax. With regressive taxes like the sales taxes on goods and services these hurt the poor more than the rich since the tax rates are the same for both.

Unfortunately, the Muslim governments today see adopting the western capitalist system as the only way to achieve economic progress. We therefore find the same oppressive taxation introduced into Muslim countries such as the General Sales Tax (GST) in Pakistan.

This is not to mention the endemic corruption where tax revenues are diverted from the State Treasury into the personal bank accounts of the rulers and other government officials.


Taxes in Islam are only collected to raise the amount necessary to cover the deficit in the obligatory expenditure of the Bait ul-Mal. When imposing taxation, no consideration is given to the notion of preventing the increase of wealth, or preventing richness or increasing the revenues of the Bait ul-Mal. Consideration is only given to fulfilling the required expenditure on the obligatory needs and interests on the State.


If any taxes are taken over and above the obligatory expenditure then this is considered a mazlama (injustice). The Court of Unjust Acts (mahkamat ul-mazalim) has the power to investigate any excessive taxation. If after the court's investigation the tax or tax-rate is deemed to indeed be a mazlama then the court can oblige the State to abolish or lower the tax and return any excess money to the Muslims.


Therefore, the shar'iah has resolved the problem of financing the expenditure on the Ummah's needs and interests in a 21st century Khilafah. These are good points.

One important one being to tax the excess riches of the rich (rather than a general income tax),

but only if there is a shortfall in the Bayt al Mal (treasury of the state)

and only for Islamically legitimate things,

not for vanity projects and unneeded things like much tax in the Western world is spent upon.

Hadhrat Umar (raa) considered doing that at one time I believe, and as we know he was rightly guided in his rule.

[gkihueonhjh]

Part of the reason why the cost of things like healthcare have become so exorbitant is because they are subsidized by the government using tax money. The same goes for university education. If enough people can't afford the service at a certain price, then the drop in demand will force service providers to adjust their pricing to stay competitive. The amount of waste that goes on in government is unbelievable. If there were less "free money" available to them, they would be more responsible.

In any case, this is all theoretical. The only way to really find out how much tax is needed is to actually have a state and see how far zakat money gets you.

[boltondd]

ASWW
Brother, When did the Prophet SAW or the Sahaba RA introduce a tax? Zakaat was enough to distribute to the poor and the needy and there was a lot more left over too!! Even for the running the affairs of the state!!

Zakat cannot be used to run the affairs of the country. Zakat is obligatory charity and the govt. just serves to distribute it. Its not a tax for the government.

[D6Ri5u13]

Taxing the rich is communism not Islam. All this was highlighted in books refuting modernist notions of caliphate in that book "religious reformers in islam".

[xquFzpNw]

This article is relevant to this thread, have a read if you get a chance:

http://roma38.wordpress.com/2012/08/...f-the-economy/

We seem to be stuck as Muslims. None of us are coming up with ways in which Islam can be implemented as a complete deen (no secularism) at government level. Those who do speak about it are a very tiny minority.

Hoarding up wealth is haram, the kuffar have hoarded up all the gold and silver and locked them up in their underground vaults. They have forced us to use their paper currencies which they control and which they can give to their favoured groups. It is theft. The early Muslims went to the empires of Persia and Rome to free this hoarded wealth and to make it circulate and recreate wealth.

[Wrencytet]

no income tax in UAE and some other countries

They have their oil. Let us say Sweden was an Islamic state. How would they finance themselves?

[arrendabomnem]

They have their oil. Let us say Sweden was an Islamic state. How would they finance themselves?

What are they financing schools, hospitals, lots of government workers? If they are financing a small government and no more, then obviously fewer people will depend on this.

[Maribellin]

Taxing the rich is communism not Islam. All this was highlighted in books refuting modernist notions of caliphate in that book "religious reformers in islam".

Hadhrat Umar (raa) considered it, and he was not a communist

[QzVyZbTg]

"religious reformers in islam".

Salaams is this book on Pdf online?

[Gabbavnf]

Salaams is this book on Pdf online?

only html with portions in pdf see the download section for this. It looks like a brelwi site.


http://www.hizmetbooks.org/Religion_Reformers_in_Islam/

[Nakforappealp]

only html with portions in pdf see the download section for this. It looks like a brelwi site.


http://www.hizmetbooks.org/Religion_Reformers_in_Islam/

yes I seem to remember that it is Turkish but linked Barelvis.

mm that book holds Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) and Tabilighi Jamaat in very low esteem.

a bit off putting.

[2CNWXAqN]

yes I seem to remember that it is Turkish but linked Barelvis.

mm that book holds Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) and Tabilighi Jamaat in very low esteem.

a bit off putting.

Yet Sayid Qutub one of the Ikwani Muslimeen founders was obviously influenced by the fascist catholic doctor Alex Carrel who he quotes and agrees with all the time. Fascists it must be remembered like communists will say and do anything to get into power. Once in power they set about creating their totalitarian state, telling everyone its for their own good/benefit. Statists love creating a powerful state it is intoxicating for the nafs to play 'god', and whoever sits in the driving seat then gets to control everything. At least in a more de-centralized and distributed country it is very difficult for a control freak tyrant to take control of the country, he finds the driving seat, but the controls and gears do not work. This is preferable and amenable to deen. The Ikhwanis are trying to recreate a 19th and 20th century state...when we all know that power does not reside in politics..it resides in the 'international' bankers.

[Lapsinuibense]

[QUOTE=Abu Zakir;806872 The Ikhwanis are trying to recreate a 19th and 20th century state...when we all know that power does not reside in politics..it resides in the 'international' bankers.[/QUOTE]

maybe they are trying to create something that isn't in the history books, give them a break brother.

[gopsbousperie]

Please read the text below. It is by an HT activist. Personally I would advise people not to join them or associate with them politically for a number of reasons, but on issues like this exact one they have a strong understanding of how to approach it Islamically in a sensible way. In general terms this article makes a great deal of sense.

Habib. This article has enlightened me greatly. I am refering to your post 17 and the extract from Abdul Kaleem's book. It answers alot of questions. There are still some important unanswered questions from my quick read of it and inshAllah I will critically read this book. However it makes it clear that there is an additional obligatory financial duty upon Muslims beyond what is Zakat and other revenue options of Bait-ul Mal to meet a concept called the obligatory expenditure of the nation. Thus Tax, albeit very different from western taxation structure, has not only been termed a valid concept in Islam, It infact has been made obligatory by this Scholar's opinions and analysis. If you read the obligatory expenditure I was thinking mainly about basic health care/education but this Habibi author, may Allah increase his welfare concerns, includes so many things - water supplies, roads, famines, disasters, mosques, payment for teachers and other things.

Saying all this I wont be surprised the communist blanket label falls upon this Scholar.

[FliveGell]

maybe they are trying to create something that isn't in the history books, give them a break brother.

Giving them a break will lead to pain for the umma, their origins are based on a subconscious and resentful admiration of the west and its methods....so while they criticise the west, they want Muslims to adopt its ways...And western nation-states are in decline...national governments have very little power to control international bankers. International bankers love nation-states ruled by secular democracy because it gives them total command over the nation while protected and veiled by the national politicians.

[Kragh]

Giving them a break will lead to pain for the umma

no it wont InshaAllah, it will just stop you going on and on about how they are a tool of the bankers on Sunniforum .

Eid Mubarak brother!