Labda kipengele kinachojitokeza zaidi katika uchumi wa kisiasa ni kile kinachobainisha umiliki wa mali katika jamii. Umiliki binafsi ulitambuliwa kuwa sifa bainifu ya ubepari. Umiliki wa umma wa njia za uzalishaji ndio sifa kuu ya ujamaa. Uchumi wa kisiasa wa Kiislamu unatambua aina tatu za umiliki, yaani, umiliki binafsi, umiliki wa umma, na umiliki wa dola. Upeo wa kila moja ya aina hizi za umiliki umebainishwa kwa uwazi kabisa.

Perhaps the most outstanding feature of political economies is that which defines property ownership in the society. Private ownership was recognized as the distinctive feature of capitalism. Public ownership of the means of production is the main characteristic of socialism. The Islamic political economy recognizes three forms of ownership, namely, the private ownership, the public ownership, and the state ownership. The scope of each of these forms of ownership is exclusively defined.

Kabla ya kueleza aina hizi za umiliki, inapaswa kutambuliwa kwamba wala ujamaa wala ubepari haukuweza kushikilia kikamilifu ufafanuzi wao wa umiliki. Watawala wa kisoshalisti katika Umoja wa Kisovieti walilazimika kulegeza msimamo wao mkali wa umiliki wa umma na kufungua mlango wa umiliki binafsi wa kiasi, hasa katika sekta ya kilimo. Vivyo hivyo, wasoshalisti wa Kichina pia wamekubali umiliki binafsi wa kiasi katika sekta ya utengenezaji. Ndani ya ulimwengu wa ubepari, utaifishaji wa mali binafsi kwa sababu mbalimbali ni jambo la kawaida zaidi ya kawaida. Serikali kuchukua udhibiti wa benki, kampuni za bima na viwanda vya magari nchini Marekani na baadhi ya nchi za Ulaya kumekuwa jibu linalokubalika kwa mgogoro wa kifedha na matatizo ya kiuchumi. Wigo wa umiliki wa mali katika ulimwengu unaotawaliwa na mawazo ya ujamaa na ubepari unaweza kuonyeshwa kama ilivyo kwenye mchoro katika kielelezo 31. Uchumi wa nchi unaotegemea umiliki binafsi huishia kuongeza umiliki wa umma katika mifumo yao; zile zenye umiliki wa umma wa mali huishia kuongeza umiliki binafsi.

Before proceeding to explain these forms of ownership, it should be noted that neither socialism nor capitalism was able to exclusively stand by their definitions of ownership. The socialist rulers in the Soviet Union were forced to relax their strict view of public ownership and open the door for limited private ownership, especially in the farming industry. By the same token, the Chinese socialists have also allowed a limited private ownership in the manufacturing industry. Within the world of capitalism, nationalization of private property for different reasons is more than common. The government takeover of banks, insurance companies, and auto industries in the United States and some European countries has become an acceptable response to financial crisis and economic problems. The scope of property ownership in a world dominated by the ideas of socialism and capitalism can be visualized as shown in the diagram in figure 31. State economies based on private ownership end up adding public ownership to their systems; those with public property ownerships end up adding private ownerships.

Kiutendaji, hii inaonyesha kwamba uchumi wa kisiasaulio bora na thabiti ni ule unaotumia zaidi ya aina moja ya umiliki. Mchanganyiko sahihi wa umiliki na upeo wa kile kinachokuwa umiliki binafsi na kile kinachofanya umiliki wa umma hauwezi kupatikana kwa mchakato wa majaribio na makosa, wa kusubiri na kuona. Mchanganyiko huu unapaswa kufafanuliwa kwa njia rasmi zaidi, ili uchumi wa kisiasa unaotokana nao uwe thabiti na uweze kufikia malengo yanayotakiwa ya kuondoa umaskini na njaa.

Practically this shows that optimal and stable political economies are the ones that deploy more than one form of ownership. The proper mix of ownerships and the scope of what constitute a private and what makes a public ownership cannot be obtained through a trial-and-error, wait-and-see kind of process. This mix should be more formally defined so that the resulting political economy can be a stable one and can lead to the desired objectives of resolving poverty and hunger.

Kinachobainisha mchanganyiko sahihi wa umiliki ni namna jamii inavyoundwa na kutazamwa na itikadi mbalimbali. Ikiwa jamii inachukuliwa kuwa kundi la watu binafsi, basi ni jambo la kawaida kusisitiza umiliki binafsi wa watu, na kuyatenga kwa sehemu au kabisa aina nyingine za umiliki. Ikiwa jamii inachukuliwa kuwa kitengo kimoja cha kimaada, ambapo watu binafsi ni sehemu tu za kitengo hicho chote, basi ni jambo la kawaida kusisitiza umiliki wa pamoja katika jamii. Hata hivyo, ikiwa jamii inachukuliwa kuwa muundo unaojumuisha vipengele tofauti na huru, basi umiliki wa mali utatofautiana kulingana na utofauti wa vipengele hivyo.

What defines the proper mix of ownerships is the way the society is formed and viewed by different ideologies. If the society is perceived as being as a group of individuals, then it is natural to emphasize the private ownerships of individuals and to partially or completely exclude other ownerships. If the society is perceived to be as a single material unit with individuals being only as parts of the whole unit, then it is natural to emphasize the collective ownership in the society. However, if the society is perceived as a structure composed of distinct and independent components, then property ownerships will diverse according to the diversity of its components.

Mtazamo wa Kiislamu kuhusu jamii ni kwamba jamii ina sehemu tatu tofauti. Kila moja ina mahitaji yake maalum ambayo ni tofauti na mahitaji ya sehemu nyingine. Sehemu ya kwanza kati ya hizi ni binadamu binafsi, ambaye ana silika na mahitaji ya kibaolojia maalum yanayohitaji kutimizwa kila wakati. Kila mtu katika jamii ana mahitaji yake ya chakula, makazi, afya, pumziko, kujamiiana, ibada, na kuzaliana. Ili kutimiza mahitaji haya, mtu binafsi lazima amiliki njia na zana zinazohitajika kutimiza kila moja ya mahitaji haya. Pale njia na zana zinapomilikiwa na mtu mmoja, au na jamii nzima kwa pamoja, hakutakuwepo na uhakika kwamba mahitaji ya mtu mwingine asiyezimiliki yatatimizwa. Kwa mfano, ikiwa John, Ali, na Adam kila mmoja ana mkate mmoja, lakini Sam hana chochote, basi Sam anaweza kubaki na njaa wakati John, Ali, na Adam wameshiba. Vivyo hivyo, ikiwa mikate minne inamilikiwa kwa pamoja na John, Ali, Adam, na Sam, basi inawezekana mmoja wao naye akabaki na njaa. Ili kuhakikisha mahitaji ya msingi ya mtu binafsi yanatimizwa, mtu binafsi lazima aweze kumiliki bidhaa na zana zinazohitajika kutimiza mahitaji haya.

The Islamic view of society is such that the society has three distinct components. Each has its specific needs which are different form the needs of the other ones. The first of these components is the individual human being who possesses specific instincts and biological needs which need to be satisfied on a continuous basis. Each individual in the society has his own needs for food, shelter, health, rest, mating, worshiping, and breeding. In order to satisfy these needs, the individual must own the means and tools necessary to satisfy each of these needs. When the means and tools are owned by one person, or by the community at large, there will be no guarantee that the needs of another person who does not own them will be satisfied. For example, if John, Ali, and Adam each has a loaf of bread, but Sam does not have any, then Sam may go hungry while John, Ali, and Adam are full. By the same token, if four loaves of bread are collectively owned by John, Ali, Adam, and Sam, then it is possible that one of them can go hungry as well. To guarantee the satisfaction of the individual basic needs, the individual must be able to own the commodities and tools which are necessary to fulfill these needs.

Katika ulimwengu unaotawaliwa na itikadi ya kibepari, umiliki binafsi wa bidhaa, mali, na njia za uzalishaji ndio kanuni ya msingi ya umiliki. Hata hivyo, katika ulimwengu wa ujamaa, umiliki binafsi unachukuliwa kuwa kinyume na kanuni. Nilipoishi Umoja wa Kisovieti katikati ya miaka ya 1970, nilipata shida kuwashawishi wenzangu kwamba umiliki binafsi ni tabia ya kawaida ya binadamu. Haikuwa rahisi kwa mtu kuwa wa dini kama Uislamu, ambao unalinda umiliki binafsi kiasi kwamba unatoa adhabu kali kabisa kwa kosa dhidi ya umiliki wa mali binafsi. Uzoefu wangu katika ulimwengu wa kibepari ulikuwa kinyume kabisa; mali binafsi ilikuwa kanuni, na kitu kingine chochote kilikuwa ubaguzi.

In a world dominated by the capitalist ideology, the private ownership of commodities, goods, and means of production is the default norm of ownership. However, within the realm of socialism, private ownership is considered to be against the norm. When I lived in the Soviet Union in the mid-1970s, I had a hard time convincing my colleagues that private ownership was a normal human behavior. It was not easy to belong to a religion, like Islam, which protects private ownership to the extent that it invokes the harshest punishment against the crime against the private property ownership. My experience in the capitalist world was totally the opposite; private property was the norm, and anything else was the exception.

Tofauti na ujamaa, Uislamu unatambua tabia ya ndani kabisa ya binadamu inayomsukuma kutafuta mali na njia za kuzalisha mali. Lakini pia unatofautiana na ubepari kwa kuwa unapunguza wigo na upeo ambao umiliki binafsi unaruhusiwa kufanya kazi. Uislamu hauruhusu mtu binafsi kumiliki au kuzalisha vitu ambavyo vimeainishwa kuwa bidhaa zilizokatazwa katika Uislamu. Kwa mfano, chini ya Uislamu hairuhusiwi kuzalisha au kumiliki dawa za kulevya, vinywaji vya kilevi, au kasino. Uislamu pia unawazuia watu binafsi kupata mali inayochukuliwa kuwa mali ya umma, kama vile visima vya mafuta, misitu, au mito.

Unlike socialism, Islam recognizes the innermost characteristic of a human which calls for the acquisition of wealth and the means to produce wealth. But it also differs with capitalism in the sense that it restricts the scope and the range in which private ownership is allowed to operate. Islam does not allow an individual to own or produce things which are categorized as prohibited goods in Islam. For example, it is not allowed under Islam to produce or own drugs, alcoholic drinks, or a casino. Islam also restricts individuals from acquiring property which is considered to be a public property such as oil fields, forests, or rivers.

Kwa ufupi, Uislamu unatambua tabia ya asili ya binadamu na unakubali kwamba umiliki binafsi ni udhihirisho wa asili wa silika ya binadamu ya kuishi. Wakati huo huo, unatambua kwamba mali fulani inapaswa kubaki mikononi mwa umma kwa ujumla ili kuzuia usawa uliovurugika unaosababishwa na tofauti za uwezo wa watu binafsi katika kupata utajiri. Si jambo la ajabu kwa baadhi ya watu katika jamii kuwa na ujuzi zaidi kuliko wengine, au baadhi ya watu kuwa na hamasa kubwa zaidi ya kupata utajiri, au hata baadhi ya watu kuwa na ulemavu fulani unaowazuia kupata utajiri wa kutosha kukidhi mahitaji yao. Hali mbalimbali kama vile vita na machafuko ya ndani, majanga ya asili kama matetemeko ya ardhi na tsunami, utumwa na ubaguzi, pamoja na dhuluma za kisiasa na kiuchumi, pia vinaweza kuchangia hali ya baadhi ya watu kubaki nyuma katika suala la umiliki.

Kazi ya binadamu ndiyo njia ya kwanza na kuu ya kupata mali. Kwa kutumia kazi ya mwili au ya akili, mwanamume au mwanamke anaweza kuunda mali halisi inayokuwa mali yake binafsi, inayolindwa na sheria na kutekelezwa na serikali. Imepokewa kwamba Mtume Muhammad ﷺ alisema: "Mwenye kulima ardhi iliyokufa, basi hiyo ni yake."100 Kauli hii ya Mtume ﷺ inahusu ardhi tupu ambayo haijawahi kutumiwa kwa namna yoyote hapo awali na haikumilikiwa na watu wowote. Kwa kulima kipande cha ardhi na kukigeuza kuwa kipande chenye manufaa kwa kilimo au maendeleo, mtu huwa mmiliki pekee wa ardhi hiyo.

Human labor is the first and foremost means of wealth acquisition. Using physical or mental labor, a man or woman can create an original wealth which becomes his or her private property, protected by law and enforced by the state. It is reported that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) had said, “Whoever cultivated a dead land, it becomes his.”100 This statement of the Prophet applies to bare land that has never been used in any form before and had not been owned by any people. By cultivating a piece of land and converting it into a useful piece for farming or development, one becomes the sole owner of the land.

Uislamu pia umemruhusu mtu binafsi kumiliki kile anachoweza kukitoa chini ya ardhi, kama mawe na marumaru, kutoka baharini, kama lulu ya thamani,101 au kutoka angani, kama oksijeni na nitrojeni. Ubaguzi ni madini yaliyopo katika migodi mikubwa, kwa kuwa madini haya yanajulikana kuwa mali ya umma. Vivyo hivyo, mali inaweza kupatikana kwa kuwinda ndege, wanyama, samaki na mazao mengine ya baharini. Qur'ani inasema katika Suratu Al-Ma'idah (sura ya 5, aya ya 96): {Mmehalalishiwa (uwindaji) wa baharini na chakula chake.} Katika sehemu nyingine, Qur'ani inazungumzia uwindaji wa nchi kavu kama njia ya kumiliki.102

Islam also allowed the individual to own what he can extract from beneath the ground such as stones and marbles, from the sea such as precious pearl,101 or from the air such as oxygen and nitrogen. An exception would be the minerals which exist in large mines since these minerals are known to be the property of the public. By the same token, wealth acquisition can be attained by hunting of birds, animals, fish, and other sea products. The Quran says in Surah Al-Mai’dah (chapter 5, verse 96), “Lawful to you is (the pursuit of) sea hunting and its use for food.” In another location, the Quran speaks of hunting on the land as a means of possession.102

Watu wanaweza kutumia nguvu zao za akili na za mwili kusuluhisha mikataba ya kisheria kati ya washirika wa biashara; zingatia kwamba wafanyabiashara ndio wenye mali ya asili, ilhali mpatanishi anatumia kazi yake kumiliki sehemu ya mali hiyo. Pia watu wanaweza kushiriki katika aina maalum ya ushirikiano uitwao "Mudharaba." Katika aina hii ya ushirikiano, upande mmoja hutoa fedha na upande mwingine hutoa kazi pekee. Yule anayeshiriki kwa kazi yake huunda mali kwa ajili yake mwenyewe. Aina hii ya ushirikiano inaweza kupanuliwa hadi kwenye kilimo pia.

Njia ya pili ya kupata mali ni urithi. Urithi katika Uislamu ni utaratibu ulio wazi na uliobainishwa vizuri, ambapo mali ya mtu aliyefariki hugawanywa miongoni mwa watoto, wazazi, wenza wa ndoa, ndugu wa kiume na wa kike, kwa mujibu wa kanuni maalum. Kanuni za urithi katika Uislamu huruhusu mali kugawanywa na kusambazwa baada ya kifo cha mmiliki wa mali. Katika mchakato wa ukuaji wa kiuchumi, inawezekana mali kujilimbikiza mikononi mwa watu wachache wakati wa uhai wao. Kanuni za urithi kisha hutumika kuvunja mwelekeo huo na kusababisha mali izunguke miongoni mwa watu kadhaa. Kuna visa vitatu tofauti vya urithi katika Uislamu:

The second means of wealth acquisition is inheritance. Inheritance in Islam is a well-defined process, whereby the wealth of a deceased person is distributed among the children, parents, spouses, brothers, and sisters according to a certain formula. Inheritance rules in Islam allow the wealth to be broken and distributed after the death of the wealth owner. It is possible in the process of economic growth for wealth to accumulate in the hands of a few individuals during their life. The rules of inheritance are then used to break this tendency and cause the wealth to be recycled among several individuals. There are three distinct cases of inheritance in Islam:

1. Kisa cha kwanza ni pale warithi wanapochukua mali yote ya urithi kulingana na sheria za urithi, ambapo mali yote inagawanywa miongoni mwao.

1. The first case is when the inheritors take the whole inheritance according to the laws of inheritance, whereby all the wealth is distributed amongst them.

Kisa cha pili ni pale warithi wanapostahiki sehemu ya urithi pekee. Kwa mfano, marehemu ameacha mwenza wake pekee (mume au mke). Katika hali hizi ni robo au nusu ya mali pekee ndiyo inayorithiwa, na sehemu iliyobaki ya urithi huenda kwa serikali.

The second case is when the inheritors are entitled for part of the 2. inheritance only. For example, the deceased leaves behind only the spouse (husband or wife). In these cases only a quarter or half of the wealth is inherited, while the rest of the inheritance goes to the state.

Kesi ya tatu ni pale marehemu anapoacha hakuna mrithi; katika kesi hii mali yote yote huenda kwa serikali.

The third case is when the deceased leaves no inheritor behind; in 3. this case the whole property goes to the state.

Hivyo mali inagawanywa na mali inahamishiwa kwa warithi, ambapo ubadilishanaji wa mali unaendelea katika mzunguko wa kiuchumi miongoni mwa watu. Mali haibaki mikononi mwa mtu fulani ambako utajiri hujilimbikiza. Urithi ni njia ya kisheria ya kumiliki mali, kwa hiyo yeyote anayerithi kitu anakimiliki kisheria. Hivyo urithi ni mojawapo ya njia za kumiliki mali, ambazo Shari'ah ya Kiislamu imeziruhusu.

Licha ya hatua zote zilizochukuliwa ili kuondoa umaskini katika jamii, inatarajiwa kwamba baadhi ya watu watajikuta katika hali ya umaskini kwa sababu za aina mbalimbali. Ili kuyashughulikia mahitaji ya watu hawa, Uislamu umeiagiza dola kutoa fursa inayofaa ya ajira kwa wale ambao hawawezi kupata ajira kwa juhudi zao wenyewe. Mtume ﷺ alisema: "Imamu (kiongozi wa dola) ni mchungaji, na yeye ndiye anayewajibika kwa raia wake."108 Ajira humwezesha mtu kutumia nguvu zake za kazi ili kupata mali. Iwapo haiwezekani kupata kazi kutokana na hali ya soko, au mtu anakuwa hawezi kufanya kazi kwa sababu ya umri, ugonjwa au ulemavu, basi kumtegemeza na kumpatia riziki yake kunakuwa wajibu na jukumu la jamaa zake wa karibu, kama watoto wa kiume, baba, na mume, ikidhaniwa kwamba watu hao wanaweza kutoa msaada unaohitajika. Hili limeelezwa katika vitabu vya fiqhi ya Kiislamu chini ya sehemu ya "Nafaqah" (matumizi ya lazima kwa ajili ya mahitaji ya msingi).

Despite all measures taken to relieve the society from poverty, it is expected that some individuals will end up in a state of poverty for all types of reasons. In order to attend for the needs of these individuals, Islam recommended the state to provide a suitable opportunity for the employment of those who could not find employment on their own. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “The Imam (head of state) is a Shepard, and he is responsible for his subjects.”108 Employment enables individuals to use their labor to acquire wealth. In case it is not possible to find a job due to market conditions, or the person becomes unable to work due to age, sickness, or disability, then his support and sustenance becomes the duty and responsibility of his next of kin such as sons, father, and husband assuming that these parties are able to provide the required support. This is outlined in the books of Islamic jurisprudence under the section of “Nafaqah” (alimony).

Ikiwa jamaa wa karibu wa mtu hawawezi kutoa matumizi ya lazima ya maisha, basi jukumu hupanda hadi kwa serikali. Serikali hutumia fedha zinazopatikana kutokana na mapato ya mali ya umma pamoja na zakat. Zakat ni kiasi maalum cha mali kinachotolewa kutoka kwenye mali ya matajiri na kupelekwa kwa maskini. Katika Surat Al-Ma'arij (sura ya 70, aya ya 24-25), na Al-Tawba (sura ya 9, aya ya 103), Allah anasema:

If the immediate relatives are unable to maintain the required alimony, then responsibility is escalated up to the state. The state uses the funds available from the revenues of the public properties as well as from the Zakah. The Zakah is a specific amount of wealth taken out of the property of the rich and relayed to the poor. In Surah Al-Ma’arij (chapter 70, verse 24-25), and Al-Tauba (chapter 9, verse 103), Allah says,

[70:24] Na wale ambao katika mali zao kuna haki iliyojulikana; kwa ajili ya mwombaji na aliyenyimwa.

Dola ya Kiislamu inaruhusiwa kutoa ruzuku kwa watu katika jamii kwa lengo la kuchochea uzalishaji na kuwawezesha watu kukuza biashara zao hadi kufikia hatua ya faida. Dola hutumia mali ya serikali pamoja na mali ya umma kutoa ruzuku za kuchochea uchumi. Imesimuliwa kwamba khalifa wa pili Omar bin Al-Khattab alitoa fedha za kuchochea kwa wakulima wa Iraq ili kuwasaidia kulima mashamba yao. Msaada huo ulikuwa kwa njia ya ruzuku ya serikali, badala ya mikopo.

The Islamic state is allowed to provide grants for people in the society for the purpose of stimulating productivity and enabling people to grow their business to a profitable stage. The state uses both state as well as public property to issue stimulus grants. It is narrated that the second caliph Omar Bin Al-Khattab provided stimulus money for the farmers in Iraq to help them cultivate their farms. The help was in a form of state grant, rather than loans.

Inasemekana kwamba Mtume Muhammad ﷺ alitoa ardhi kwa Abu Bakr na Omar baada ya Hijra kwenda Madina. Pia alimpa Al-Zubair kipande cha ardhi. Baada ya kifo cha Muhammad ﷺ, makhalifa waliendelea kutoa sehemu ya ardhi za umma kwa watu mbalimbali katika jitihada za kutumia ardhi tupu isiyolimwa. Inapaswa kuzingatiwa kwamba dola haitumii fedha za kodi wala fedha za Zakah kwa ajili ya ruzuku hizo. Fedha pekee ambayo dola inaruhusiwa kuitumia ni ile inayotokana na mali ya dola au mali ya umma.

Prophet Mohammad is reported to have given land for Abu Bakr and Omar after the migration to Medina. He also gave a piece of land to Al-Zubair. After the death of Mohammad (PBUH), the caliphs continued to give part of the public lands to various individuals in an attempt to utilize unused bare land. It should be noted that the state does not use tax money or the funds of the Zakah for the grants. The only fund the state is allowed to use is the one that comes from the state or public property.

Mbali ya njia hizi za kupata mali, kuna njia nyingine za umiliki binafsi kama vile zawadi na wasia wa marehemu. Mtume Muhammad ﷺ aliruhusu kutoa zawadi, na alipokea zawadi kutoka kwa Waislamu na pia kutoka kwa wasio Waislamu. Pia, Uislamu uliruhusu Muislamu kutenga sehemu ya mali yake kwa njia ya wasia, kwa sharti kwamba wanufaika wa wasia wasiwe miongoni mwa wale wanaostahiki urithi kwa mujibu wa sheria; na kiasi cha wasia kisizidi theluthi moja ya mali yote.111

Besides these means of property acquisition, there are other means of private ownership such as gifts and wills of deceased. Prophet Mohammad permitted gift giving110 and he accepted gifts from both Muslims and non-Muslims. Also, Islam allowed a Muslim to designate part of his wealth in form of a will such that the recipients of a will should not be among those who are entitled for inheritance by law; also the amount of will should not exceed one-third of the total wealth.111

Uislamu umetambua uwepo wa umma kama kitu chenye mahitaji yake yenyewe. Mahitaji haya si jumla ya mahitaji ya watu binafsi, na kwa hiyo kutimiza mahitaji ya umma hakuwezi kupatikana kwa kutimiza mahitaji ya kila mtu mmoja mmoja. Usalama wa umma, uadilifu wa eneo lake, usafi na utakatifu wa hewa yake na mazingira yake, mshikamano miongoni mwa vipengele vyake, uhifadhi wa bahari, mito na mabwawa ya maji, pamoja na taswira yake mbele ya mataifa mengine, vyote hivi ni mahitaji yanayohusu umma kwa ujumla na si watu fulani mahsusi. Ili kuhifadhi umma kama kitu kimoja katika jamii, Uislamu ulibainisha aina fulani za mali na kuzitangaza kuwa mali ya umma.

Islam recognized the existence of public as an entity which has its own needs. These needs are not the sum of the needs of individuals, and therefore the satisfaction of the public needs cannot be achieved by satisfying the needs of each individual. The security of the public, the integrity of its territory, the cleanness and purity of its atmosphere and environment, the solidarity among its units, the preservation of the seas, river, and water reservoirs, and its image in front of other nations are all needs which pertain to the public as a whole and not to specific individuals. In order to preserve the public as one unit in the society, Islam defined certain types of property and declared them as a public property.

Jamii ya mali ya umma inajumuisha rasilimali za maji, hifadhi za misitu, na rasilimali za nishati.113 Jamii za kale za kikabila zilikuwa zikihama na kubadilisha makazi yao kulingana na upatikanaji wa maji na malisho ya kijani kwa ajili ya mifugo yao. Kila chemchemi za maji zilipokauka au kuangukia chini ya utawala wa kabila jingine, kabila hilo lililazimika kuhama na kutafuta mahali ambapo maji yapo kwa wingi. Hali hiyo hiyo ilitokea misitu ilipokauka na kuacha chakula kidogo kwa mifugo ya kabila. Kwa kutambua kwamba rasilimali za maji na malisho ni muhimu kwa kuishi kwa kundi zima, Uislamu ulitangaza kwamba rasilimali hizi zinapaswa kumilikiwa na wote, si na mtu mmoja mmoja. Iwapo rasilimali hizi zitaingia mikononi mwa mtu mmoja au wachache, umoja na uadilifu wa umma unaweza kuathirika. Jambo hilo hilo linatumika kwa vyanzo vya nishati. Wanazuoni wa Kiislamu wa zamani walifasiri neno "moto" katika kauli ya Nabii ﷺ kumaanisha chanzo cha moto kama kuni (katika jamii za zamani). Leo "moto" hurejelea kwa upana zaidi rasilimali za nishati.

The category of public property includes water resources, forest preserves, and energy resources.113 Old tribal societies used to move and change their location based on the availability of water and green meadows for their cattle. Whenever water springs dry out or fall under the dominance of another tribe, the tribe would be forced to move and search for a location where water is plenty. The same happens when the forests dry out and leave less food for the cattle of the tribe. Realizing that water resources and meadows are essential for the survival of the whole group, Islam announced that these resources should be owned by all and not by any single individual. If these resources fall in the hands of one or few, then the integrity and unity of the public may be compromised. The same applies to energy sources. Earlier Muslims scholars interpreted the word “fire” in the statement of the Prophet to mean the source of fire like woods (in the older societies). Today “fire” refers more generally to energy resources.

Uislamu umeteua aina fulani za mali zimilikiwe moja kwa moja na dola. Tofauti kuu kati ya mali ya dola na mali ya umma inaonekana katika namna mapato ya mali hizo yanavyotumika. Mali ya umma inasimamiwa na dola lakini haimilikiwi na dola. Dola inaweza kutumia mapato ya mali ya umma kwa ajili ya kazi za dola pale tu mapato yake yenyewe yanapokuwa hayatoshi kukidhi mahitaji yake. Mali ya dola, kwa upande mwingine, inaipa dola mamlaka kamili ya kutumia mapato hayo kama itakavyoona inafaa katika kuendesha mambo yake na mambo ya wananchi.

Islam designated certain types of property to be owned directly by the state. The main difference between state and public property shows in the way the property revenues are used. The public property is administered by the state but not owned by the state. The state may use revenues of the public properties to spend on state’s functions only when the state own revenue falls short of meeting its needs. The state property, on the other hand, gives the state full authority to spend as it sees fit to conduct its affairs and the affairs of the citizens.

Katika historia yote ya dola ya Kiislamu, chanzo kikubwa zaidi cha mapato ya dola kimekuwa ni mapato yatokanayo na umiliki wa ardhi iitwayo Kharaj (ardhi zilizoambatanishwa na dola ya Kiislamu kupitia vita). Kharaj kwa maana halisi ya neno ina maana ya mazao. Neno kharaj lilichukua nafasi ya neno fai'i, ambalo lilitumika kwa ardhi iliyoambatanishwa bila mapigano. Abu Obaid alisimulia katika kitabu chake Al-Amwal kwa mapokezi ya Az-Zuhri kwamba Mtume Muhammad ﷺ alizichukulia ardhi za Bahrain baada ya kutekwa kuwa ardhi ya Kharaj, hata baada ya watu wa Bahrain kusilimu.116 Ardhi ya Kharaj imefafanuliwa kuwa ni ardhi iliyoongezwa katika eneo la dola ya Kiislamu na ambayo umiliki wake ni wa dola. Dola huwapa watu haki ya kutumia ardhi hiyo kwa kilimo au maendeleo kwa malipo maalum yaliyowekwa kabla. Malipo hayo yanapaswa kulipwa na mtumiaji wa ardhi, iwe aliweza kunufaika na ardhi hiyo au hakuweza. Malipo hayo si kwa ajili ya mazao ya ardhi; ni kwa ajili ya haki ya kuitumia. Ikiwa mtumiaji wa ardhi ni Mwislamu, bado anapaswa kulipa sehemu ya Zakah ya mazao. Ikiwa mtumiaji wa ardhi ya Kharaj si Mwislamu, anapaswa tu kulipa malipo ya Kharaj.

Throughout the history of the Islamic state, the largest source of income for the state has been the revenue generated from the property ownership of land called Kharaj (the lands annexed to the Islamic state through war). Kharaj literally means output. The term kharaj replaced the term fai’i, which was used for the land annexed without a fight. Abu Obaid narrated in his book Al-Amwal on the authority of Az-Zuhri that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) considered the lands of Bahrain after its conquest a land of Kharaj even after the people in Bahrain had converted to Islam.116 Kharaj land is defined as a land added to the territory of the Islamic state and whose ownership belongs to the state. The state grants the right to use the land for farming or development in exchange for a predefined fee. The fee is due to be paid by the user of the land whether he was able to benefit from the land or not. The fee is not in exchange for the product of the land; it is in exchange for the right to use it. If the user of the land is a Muslim, he still has to pay the Zakah portion of the products. If the user of the Kharaj land is not a Muslim, he only has to pay the Kharaj fee.