Economic Facilities for Non-Muslims in a Muslim Country In the Light of Quran and Sunnah

Abstract

The question of economic facilities for non-Muslims in a Muslim country has been one of the most important questions in the Muslim and non-Muslim world. It has been highlighted by some economists and jurists about their economic facilities. This paper is intended to discuss the economic facilities for non-Muslims in a Muslim country in the light of Quran and Sunnah and the Islamic history. It is the topmost responsibility of the Islamic state/Muslim country to fulfill the basic needs of human life and to encourage voluntary services for the welfare of the poor, to promote equal opportunities in a Muslim country, to enforce social and economic justice in Islam, to provide social security and basic economic facilities, and to give a fair share of economic rights to all citizens. The Government should also provide employment (services), Jizyah and to impose tax on non-Muslims. It will be shown that in Muslim countries, all non-Muslims have equal economic opportunities and rights as other Islamic citizens and also the same status in terms of Islamic economy. This paper may also throw some light on the Islamic Philosophy of economy in the contemporary Muslim world and explore the constituents and effects of an Islamic/Muslim anti-economy policy. This paper will conclude by providing some suggestions on ways of solving contemporary non–Muslim economic problems in Muslim countries nowadays.