Articles

Development of the Islamic Economics
Author : Dr. Safwan Odaybat
Date Added : 02-02-2023

Development of the Islamic Economics

 

As a science, Islamic Economics witnessed an accelerating dynamic development in the second half of the twentieth century. Al-Azhar University was the first to include Islamic Economics as an independent scientific course in 1961, followed by King Abdulaziz University in 1964, and Omdurman University in Sudan in 1966 (Al-Wajiz in Islamic Economics by Dr. Mohammed Shawqi Al-Finjri, pp.5-7, and Contemporary Financial Transactions in Islamic Fiqh by Dr. Mohammed Osman Shabir, pp.257).

 

One of the recommendations of the seventh Muslim Scholars Conference held in Cairo in 1972 was the necessity of teaching the course, Islamic Economics, in all universities of the Muslim world. This recommendation constituted the first nucleus for the establishment of Islamic Economics Departments and the emergence of institutes specializing in Islamic Economics and Banking. This is especially after the First World Conference on Islamic Economics held in Mecca in 1976. (Al-Wajiz by Al-Finjri, pp.5-7).

 

The experience of the Islamic banks developed following the development of the Islamic Economics. The first experience of the Islamic Bank was (Meteghumar Experience in Upper Egypt) in 1963, which was established as a local savings bank operating under the provisions of Islamic Shari 'a (Zero-Interest Banks by Ahmed Abdel Aziz Al-Najjar, pp.67).

 

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) were established in 1975. Moreover, in 1977, three Islamic banks were established: Faisal Islamic Bank of Sudan, Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt, Kuwait Finance House, Jordan Islamic Bank in 1978, and Islamic International Arab Bank in 1998.

 

After this long journey of giving and innovation and according to the latest global economic reports, Islamic banking-as part of the Islamic Economics-has achieved world records. Among the key findings of the Global Islamic Economy Reality Report of 2018 produced by Thomson Reuters in cooperation with Dinar Standard:

 

1. The size of the Islamic finance sector in 2017 was $2.438 billion, and is expected to reach $3.809 billion in 2023, with a growth rate of 7.7%.

 

2. The volume of significant investments in the Islamic economy- disclosed in private equity or venture capital funds for the years (2015-2018)-reaches $745 million.

 

3. A major trade movement in the Islamic economy lifestyle products with imports of up to $271.8 billion and exports of up to $210.5 billion. This is according to the Islamic countries data in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for the year 2017.

 

4. The size of the 2017 Islamic economy market reaches $2.107 billion and is expected to reach $3.007 billion in 2023.

 

5. The funding available for investment in the OIC countries reaches $4.9 trillion.

 

6. Islamic financing is undergoing change since digital banking and financial technology are in full swing in this sector reaching $12.6 million available for Islamic Fintech.

 

These recent results indicate the significant and continuous development in the finance and investment sector in various areas of the Islamic economy, including Islamic banks. This indicates the accelerated global trend towards the Islamic economy and the Islamic exchange in particular. Iran takes center stage in terms of Islamic finance market assets amounting to $578 billion; followed by Saudi Arabia then Malaysia. At the same time, we find a growing interest in the Islamic economy by European countries, America and East Asia. For example, Britain is establishing an Islamic Fintech Committee to take the lead position in this field in 2017. In France, Islamic transactions are taught in addition to introducing the specialization-Islamic Economics and Islamic Banks-in dozens of international universities in Europe, America and other countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

I work overtime after regular working hours and may become occupied with my phone or the work computer for personal matters — what is the ruling on this?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory upon an employee to abide by the instructions and regulations governing overtime hours, and equally obligatory to uphold honesty and avoid all forms of deception and dishonesty. Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "O you who have believed, be mindful of Allah and be with the truthful." [Al-Tawbah/ 119]
Whoever is assigned to work overtime must be present at his workplace — even if he has no specific tasks to carry out at that time. In such a case, he should strive as best he can to spend that time in a manner that benefits the institution he works for. If there is genuinely no work for him to do, there is no objection to occupying his time with something beneficial — such as reciting the Holy Qurʾān, reading, or listening to educational lessons — provided he has already completed all the responsibilities assigned to him.
If, however, he does have work to complete, he must spend that time fulfilling it. He may attend to phone calls or other personal matters to the extent that is customarily acceptable, as long as this does not result in delaying or postponing his work. If he delays his work on account of personal preoccupations, the wages he received for that wasted time are not lawfully his to keep, and he is obliged to return the equivalent amount to the institution by whatever means available to him. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What are the categories of the livestock permissible for Udhiyah?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
An Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is only valid if it is selected from Al-An'am (livestock), which includes: camels, cattle, and sheep or goats—whether male or female, and even if castrated. Allah Almighty says {what means}: "And for all religion We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] livestock." (Al-Hajj/ 34)
 
In terms of preference, camels are considered the best choice, followed by cattle, then sheep, and finally goats.
A single sheep or goat is valid as a sacrifice on behalf of one person. However, a single camel or cow can be shared by up to seven people. This is based on the narration of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "In the year of Al-Hudaybiyah, we sacrificed along with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) a camel on behalf of seven people, and a cow on behalf of seven people." (Narrated by Muslim)
 
(Note: The term "Badanah" used in the original Arabic text specifically refers to a camel in this context). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is the ruling on praying seated due to severe obesity, given that I experience hardship in performing the prayer — especially when rising from the ground after sujūd to perform the next rak‘ah?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Standing, when one is able to do so, is a pillar of the prayer. However, whoever would experience severe, intolerable hardship, or fears harm to himself or to a limb due to obesity, or finds that standing causes him to lose his khushū‘ (humble focus and concentration) in prayer, then there is no objection to his praying seated on a chair or on the ground, performing rukū‘ (bowing) and sujūd (prostration) through gesture — provided that the gesture for sujūd is made lower than that for rukū‘. Whoever is able, at any point, to properly perform any one of these pillars, is obligated to perform it in full; for omitting it is a concession that applies only in cases of genuine inability. The Prophet ﷺ said: "When I command you to do something, do of it whatever you are able." (Related by al-Bukhārī). As the scholars of fiqh have established: what remains possible is not waived on account of what is difficult.
The criterion for determining genuine inability, as chosen by Imam al-Ḥaramayn al-Juwaynī (raḥimahullāh), is that the worshipper experiences hardship that causes him to lose his khushū‘.
As for voluntary (nafl) prayer, there is no objection to performing it while seated, even if one is able to stand. However, rukū‘ and sujūd must still be performed [in their proper physical form] by anyone who is able to do so. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on sending blessings and peace upon the prophet (PBUH) after the Adhan?

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is a Sunnah to send blessings and peace (As-Salat wa al-Salam) upon the Prophet ﷺ after the Adhan and the Iqamah, for both the caller (Mu’adhin) and the listener. It is permissible to do so aloud after the conclusion of the Adhan. However, it is preferable to maintain a brief pause between the words of the Adhan and the prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ, so that people do not mistakenly assume that sending blessings upon him is an integral part of the Adhan itself. And Allah the Exalted knows best.