Islam and Social Well-Being: Maintaining Economic Security and Beyond

Abstract

The main features of the socio-economic security system in the early period of Islamic administration can be enumerated as follows: Head of the State was conscious about the social economic security of the citizens, institution of Zakahand Bait- al-Malwas effectively used for people’s benefit and financial/material safeguard assistance system was implemented for all the citizens irrespective of class and creed. Triggered by the phenomena of contemporary Muslim countries, relative lack of social economic security coverage, especially for non-contributory groups, slows the rate of poverty reduction, causes social instability and raises social justice concerns. This paper argues that the state ability to provide means for social economic security, contributes to sustaining long term stability because the provision of services reduces by offsetting the effect of poverty and inequality in society. Meanwhile, social security programmes have become part and parcel of the socio-economic fabric of all the industrialised nations and of most others as well. However, the paper argues that economic security does not represent overall human needs. The paper explores the conceptual links between economic security with the fulfilment of non-economic needs which despite the recent surge of critical views about welfare state and its social security agenda, most of social welfare advocates do not often talk about. Hence the aim of this paper is twofold: first, to offer a summary compilation of the Qur’anic and Sunnatic model of social well-being through economic safeguard measure which consisted of both contributory and non-contributory schemes, second, to provide a framework for action in achieving social well-being through fulfilment of human needs. The central question asked in this paper: (i) what is the Islamic scheme for social economic security? and (ii) is there any curative measure that must be taken to cure the present deterioration within the modern social welfare system? Answers to the questions will provide pertinent and relevant insight for better understanding of the comprehensive perspective of social well-being in its relation to social economic security.