Elevating Human Development in Muslim Countries: Need Fulfillment versus Basic Income Provision

Abstract

The expression ‘human development’ is differently understood around the world. It has both mundane and moral dimensions. The moral dimension is internal to human beings. It is difficult to quantify or isolate the moral aspect from the mundane. Thus, global discussions on the subject ignore the moral aspect of the expression and conceive of it in material terms. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) introduced a new approach to the expression making human development measurable; its annual reports publish human development indexes (HDIs) for countries and regions. Most OIC countries fall in low human development groupings. The main reason is the poverty of the masses in most countries. This paper examines whether fulfillment of basic needs of the poor or the providing them a basic income would be a better measure to improve human development?

Keywords

• human development
• basic needs
• universal basic income
• islamic perspective