Mashirika mengi yamefanya utafiti kuhusu sababu za jumla za umaskini, ambazo zinaanzia upungufu wa rasilimali hadi hali ya hewa ya eneo husika hadi ukosefu wa demokrasia. Kwa kawaida hakuna makubaliano kuhusu sababu hizo miongoni mwa wanasosholojia na taasisi za fikra. Hata hivyo, wazo kuu lililopo ni kwamba tiba pekee ni kueneza ubepari pamoja na masoko huru yake. Ukiangalia kwa haraka si tu ulimwengu wa Kiislamu bali ulimwengu wa tatu kwa ujumla, unaona kwamba sababu chache zimechangia sana umaskini duniani leo, na si uhaba wa chakula.

Numerous organisations have researched into the general causes of poverty which range from the lack of resources to the nature of the local climate to the lack of democracy. There is generally no consensus on the causes by sociologists and think tanks. However, a dominant idea that exists is that only the diffusion of capitalism with its free markets is the cure. A cursory glance at not just the Muslim world but the third world in general shows a handful of factors have played a large part in contributing to the poverty in the world today rather than the shortage of food.

Jukumu la IMF na Benki ya Dunia pamoja na sera zao zenye sifa mbaya za marekebisho ya kimuundo katika nchi kama Pakistan, Uturuki, Indonesia, Bangladesh na Misri zimechangia moja kwa moja baadhi ya matatizo ya kiuchumi ya msingi. Suluhisho la jumla linalotolewa na taasisi kama hizo ni kujikwamua kutoka umaskini kwa njia ya biashara. Zililazimishwa kutekeleza sera kama vile kupunguza na kuondoa akiba ya nafaka, kuondoa ushuru wa vyakula vinavyotoka Ulaya na Marekani, na kuondoa ruzuku ya mbolea na pembejeo nyingine za kilimo. Kwa vitendo, hii inamaanisha kwamba bidhaa za Magharibi zipaswe kuingizwa badala ya kuruhusu uagizaji kutoka nchi maskini. Nadharia ni kwamba ni kupitia biashara pekee ndipo mataifa yatajikwamua kutoka umaskini. Kwa hiyo, uendelezaji wa uchumi wa soko wenye nafasi kubwa zaidi kwa sekta binafsi ulionekana kuwa ufunguo wa kuchochea ukuaji wa uchumi na kuondoa umaskini.

The role of IMF and World Bank and their notorious structural adjustment policies in countries such as Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Egypt have directly aided some of the underlying economic problems. The general solution provided by such institutions is one of trading their way out of poverty. They were forced to implement policies such as reducing and eliminating grain reserves, eliminating tariffs on food coming from Europe and the US and removing subsidies for fertilizer and other agricultural inputs. What this actually means is that Western goods should be imported rather than allow imports from poorer countries. The theory is that only via trade will nations pull themselves out of poverty. The development of a market economy with a greater role for the private sector was therefore seen as the key to stimulating economic growth and removing poverty.

Kwa mfano, Pakistan ilihitaji kweli uwekezaji muhimu katika afya, elimu na miundombinu kabla ya kuweza kushindana kimataifa. Badala yake, Benki ya Dunia na IMF ziliitaka Pakistan kupunguza msaada wa serikali kwa sekta hizi na kujikita katika mauzo ya nje. Zilisisitiza kuisukuma Pakistan katika masoko ambayo haikuweza kushindana nayo mbele ya nguvu za sekta binafsi za kimataifa. Sera za namna hii bila shaka ziliudhoofisha maendeleo ya kiuchumi ya Pakistan.

As an example, Pakistan actually required essential investment in health, education and infrastructure before they could compete internationally. The World Bank and IMF instead required Pakistan to reduce state support to these sectors and concentrate on exports. They insisted on pushing Pakistan into markets where they were unable to compete with the might of the international private sector. Such policies inevitably undermined the economic development of Pakistan.

Sababu nyingine iliyoifunga dunia ya tatu katika umaskini ni deni. Afrika inaombwa kulipa urithi wake wa enzi za ukoloni. Deni la Afrika ni kwa sehemu matokeo ya uhamishaji usio wa haki kwao wa madeni ya mataifa ya kikoloni, yenye thamani ya mabilioni ya dola, kwa viwango vya riba vya juu sana. Pia linatokana na 'deni chafu' (odious debt), ambapo deni lilizalishwa pale mataifa tajiri yalipowakopesha fedha madikteta na viongozi mafisadi wakati ilijulikana kwamba fedha hizo zingepotea bure. Afrika Kusini, kwa mfano, ilirithi 'deni lililosababishwa na ubaguzi wa rangi (apartheid)' lenye thamani ya dola bilioni 28 (sasa ni dola bilioni 46). Baada ya kuondolewa kwa ubaguzi wa rangi, Afrika iliyokuwa huru ililazimishwa kulipa madeni yaliyofanywa na utawala wa ubaguzi wa rangi, hivyo, kimsingi, Waafrika Kusini wanalipia ukandamizaji wao wenyewe. Mwaka 1998 ACTSA (Action for Southern Africa) ilikadiria kwamba Afrika Kusini ilikopa dola bilioni 11 (sasa dola bilioni 18) ili kudumisha ubaguzi wa rangi, na nchi jirani zilikopa dola bilioni 17 (sasa dola bilioni 28) kwa sababu ya ubaguzi wa rangi. Kwa hiyo, uvurugaji wa amani na uchokozi sasa unawakilisha asilimia 74 ya deni linalodaiwa Afrika. Ukoloni umechangia sana umaskini wa dunia ya tatu. Ukoloni umehakikisha utegemezi kwa Magharibi, jambo lililoruhusu kuendelea kwa uwepo na uingiliaji katika sehemu za dunia zenye rasilimali nyingi za madini. Afrika ya leo bado inateseka kutokana na uingiliaji wa Magharibi ulioanza enzi za ukoloni, na imelazimishwa kujikita katika bidhaa ambazo wakazi wa asili wasingeweza kamwe kuzinunua.

Another factor which has handcuffed the third world in poverty is debt. Africa is being asked to repay its legacy of the colonial era. Africa’s debt is partly the result of the unjust transfer to them of the debts of the colonizing states, in billions of dollars, at very high interest rates. It also originates from ‘odious debt’, whereby debt was incurred as rich countries loaned funds to dictators and corrupt leaders when it was known that the money would be wasted. South Africa, for example inherited “apartheid-caused debt” at $28 billion (which is now $46 billion). Post Apartheid Africa was forced to repay debts incurred by the apartheid regime so, in effect, South Africans are paying for their own oppression. In 1998 ACTSA (Action for Southern Africa) estimated that South Africa borrowed $11 billion (now $18 billion) to maintain apartheid, and neighbouring states borrowed $17 billion (now $28 billion) because of apartheid. Therefore, destabilisation and aggression now represents 74% of African owed debt. Colonialism has played a large part in the poverty of the third world. Colonialism has ensured dependency on the West, which allowed the continued presence and interference in parts of the world where extensive mineral resources exist. Africa today still labours from Western interference which began in the colonial era and has been forced to concentrate on commodities which the native populations would never be able to purchase.