Katika ulimwengu wetu wa leo kuna ukosefu mkubwa wa usawa katika ugawaji wa utajiri, iwe ndani ya nchi au duniani kote. Nchini Uingereza, asilimia 90 ya utajiri inamilikiwa na takriban asilimia 5 ya watu. Duniani kote, ingawa rasilimali nyingi za dunia ziko katika kile kinachoitwa 'Ulimwengu wa Tatu', maeneo haya ndiyo yanayoteseka zaidi kwa umaskini. Katika kona moja ya dunia watoto wanakufa kwa njaa, wakati katika kona nyingine milima ya siagi na maziwa mengi huundwa kutokana na uzalishaji wa chakula kupita kiasi. Ni mbele ya tofauti kubwa kama hizi ndipo tunapoombwa kufanya maamuzi yanayoumiza moyo kuhusu huduma za afya na msaada wa chakula.

In our world today there is gross extremism in terms of wealth distribution, whether nationally or globally. In Britain 90% of the wealth is owned by about 5% of the population. Globally, though most of the world’s reserves are in the so-called ‘Third World’, these regions are the most poverty stricken. In one corner of the globe children die of hunger, whereas in another butter mountains and milk lakes are formed due to excess food production. It is in the face of such gross imbalances that we are asked to make heart-wrenching decisions about health services and food aid.

Katika kona moja ya dunia, anasa za maisha zipo kwa wingi, na katika kona nyingine hata mahitaji ya msingi ya kuishi hayapatikani.

In one corner of the globe luxuries of life are in abundance, and in another even the basic needs for survival are absent.

Uislamu unasimama peke yake katika ulimwengu wa leo katika mtazamo wake wa tatizo la kiuchumi, ukipiga kwenye mzizi wa hali hii ya kutisha. Tofauti na Ubepari na Ukomunisti, hauhangaiki na njia za uzalishaji. Badala yake, unahakikisha usambazaji kwa kuweka mipaka si tu aina ya mali inayoweza kupatikana, bali pia njia zinazotumika kuipata.

Islam stands alone in the world of today in its vision of the economic problem, striking at the root of this terrible scenario. Unlike Capitalism and Communism it does not preoccupy itself with means of production. Rather it ensures distribution by not only limiting the type of wealth that can be acquired, but also the means by which it is acquired.

Kwa hiyo katika Uislamu huduma za asili kama gesi na mafuta haziwezi kumilikiwa kibinafsi, kama tunavyoona leo duniani ambapo kampuni za kimataifa zinadai haki zao juu ya utajiri wa Ummah wa Kiislamu. Mtume ﷺ alisema: "Watu wote ni washirika katika mambo matatu: maji, malisho ya kijani na moto."

So in Islam natural utilities like gas and oil cannot be owned privately, as we see in a world today where multinational companies stake their rights on the wealth of Muslim Ummah. The Prophet (saw) said, “The human beings are partners in three things water, green pastures and fire.”.

Katika Uislamu, utajiri kama huo ungegawanywa ili kuhakikisha kwamba mahitaji ya jamii yanatimizwa, na hivyo kuiwezesha Khilafah kuwapatia raia wake huduma ambazo leo hii zingeonekana kuwa zisizowezekana kufikirika.

In Islam such wealth would be distributed to ensure that society’s needs can be met, enabling the Khilafah to provide for its citizens services that would seem unimaginable to us in today’s world.

Chini ya Uislamu kila nyumba itapewa kiasi cha mafuta kinachotosha kwa mahitaji yake. Fikiria, hakutakuwa na bili za umeme wala gesi, achilia mbali ada za maji. Kwa upande wa huduma za afya, uwezekano wake ni mkubwa mno. Leo tunawapa mbwa wa kuwaongoza watu wasioona. Wakati wa Ibn ‘Abdul-‘Aziz, watu wawili waliajiriwa na Serikali kumtunza kila mtu asiyeona. Usafiri wa umma pia unachukuliwa kuwa huduma ya Serikali, kwa hiyo nao pia ungekuwa bure.

Under Islam each house will be allocated a quota of fuel more than adequate for its needs. Imagine, no electricity or gas bills, let alone water rates. In terms of health care the potential too is incredible. Today we provide guide dogs for the blind. During the time of ‘Umar ibn Abdul- Aziz two men were employed by the State to care for each blind person. Public transport is also regarded as a State service, so this would also be free.

Uislamu pia unakataza njia nyingine zisizo za haki za kupata mali, na hivyo kuhakikisha usambazaji wa haki wa utajiri. Uislamu unakataza kutoa na kupokea riba. Kwa hiyo benki zisingeweza kutoza riba kutoka kwa wale wanaohitaji mikopo. Leo tunaona hali ambapo wale wanaoweza kulipa rehani yao wakati mwingine hujikuta wakilipa zaidi ya mara mbili ya thamani ya nyumba. Zaidi ya hayo, wengi hushindwa na nyumba zao huchukuliwa. Kwa kiwango cha dunia, 'Ulimwengu wa Tatu' hauwezi kulipa riba ya mikopo kutoka Benki ya Dunia na IMF, na uwezo wao wa kulisha wananchi wao 'unachukuliwa'.

Islam also prevents other unfair means of acquiring wealth, thereby ensuring distribution. Islam forbids the giving and taking of interest. Consequently banks would not be able to extract interest from those who are needy of loans. Today we find a situation where those who are able to pay off their mortgage sometimes find themselves paying more than twice the value of the house. Furthermore many fail and have their houses repossessed. On a global scale the ‘Third World’ is unable to pay the interest on loans from the World Bank and the IMF, and their ability to feed their populations is ‘repossessed.’.

Hakika katika Uislamu dhana nzima ya benki ni tofauti. Benki si kampuni bali ni huduma. Kwa hiyo faida yoyote inawekezwa tena kwa manufaa ya wananchi. Hakuna motisha kwa benki kuwanyonya watu binafsi au mataifa kwa namna benki za leo zinavyofanya. Kwa hiyo, mara nyingine tena tunaweza kuona wakati ambapo Afrika itaweza kuziunga mkono nchi nyingine kama ilivyofanya wakati wa Khilafah.

Indeed in Islam the whole concept of banking is different. Banks are not companies but are services. So any profits are re-invested for the benefit of the citizens. There is no incentive for banks to exploit other individuals or nations in the way the banks of today do. So once again we may see a time when Africa is able to support other countries as it did during the Khilafah.

Kama vile benki zisingeweza kuwanyonya watu wengi, wala serikali isingeweza kufanya hivyo kwa namna inavyofanya leo. Kwa sababu katika Uislamu hakuna kodi ya mapato, wala Kodi ya Ongezeko la Thamani, wala kodi ya barabara, n.k. Kodi hizi zote hazibagui kama watu wana uwezo wa kuzilipa au hawana. Katika Khilafah, ni wale tu wenye uwezo wa kulipa kodi ndio wanaotozwa.

Just as banks would not be able to exploit the masses nor can the government do so in the manner it does today. For in Islam there is no income tax, Value Added Tax or road tax etc. These are all indiscriminate with regards to whether people are capable of paying them or not. In the Khilafah, only those who can afford to pay taxes are subject to them.