Nadharia ya uchumi wa kitaifa imeunganishwa na dhana ya "ulinzi wa kiutamaduni" inayotokana na nadharia ya viwanda vizito. Wafuasi wa nadharia ya uchumi wa kitaifa wanaamini kwamba ukuaji wa kiuchumi wa taifa lazima ulenge kulipatia nguvu za kisiasa pamoja na nguvu za kiuchumi. Wanaamini kwamba ukuaji wa nchi yoyote hupitia hatua tatu: hatua ya ufugaji/kilimo, hatua ya kilimo/viwanda, kisha hatua ya kilimo/viwanda/biashara. Nchi haiwezi kupata nguvu halisi isipopata jeshi la majini, makoloni na idadi ya watu wenye ujuzi mbalimbali. Zaidi ya hayo, ni muhimu kwamba nguvu za uzalishaji na ukuaji wa kiuchumi ziwe katika upatanifu, na hili litakuwa sharti la msingi la nguvu za kisiasa. Pia wanaamini kwamba ingawa mahusiano ya kiuchumi ya kimataifa yangenufaika kutokana na ushindani huru, hili lingetegemea nchi zote shindani kufikia ukamilifu katika kukuza nguvu zao; na ili kuchochea maendeleo hayo, viwanda lazima vilindwe. Kuhusu kilimo, hakitapata ulinzi wowote, na kitaruhusiwa kusafirisha nje mazao ya aina zote bila vizuizi wala masharti, na bei zake zitapangwa kulingana na soko huria. Kwa hiyo, nadharia ya uchumi wa kitaifa kwa msingi wake inaelekezwa katika viwanda. Inasema kwamba mataifa yanayolenga kuwa na nguvu yanapaswa kuwa na hamu ya kupita kutoka hatua ya kilimo kwenda viwandani, kwa sababu katika nchi ya kilimo, sehemu kubwa ya nguvu za uzalishaji, yaani nguvu kazi, pamoja na sehemu kubwa ya maliasili, yaani malighafi, hubaki bila kuajiriwa na bila kutumiwa. Kwa hiyo, ili kuwekeza katika nguvu kazi na maliasili, mpango wa viwanda unapaswa kuanzishwa sambamba na kilimo. Nchi inayojenga uchumi wake kwa kutegemea kilimo pekee haitakuwa na uwezo wa kiuchumi wala kiwango cha maisha ambacho nchi yenye msingi wa kilimo na viwanda ingekuwa nacho. Nadharia ya uchumi wa taifa inahitaji kuwepo kwa viwanda sambamba na kilimo, ili nchi iweze kusimama yenyewe kiuchumi. Kwa hiyo, dhana ya uchumi wa taifa kwa kweli inatumia nadharia ya ulinzi kwenye viwanda, hivyo ikiweka vizuizi na ushuru unaofaa kwa uagizaji na usafirishaji wa bidhaa za viwandani pekee, huku wakati huo huo ikitumia nadharia ya biashara huria kwenye kilimo, na kukifanya kisiwe na vizuizi vyovyote vya kibiashara.

The theory of national economy is linked to the concept of “cultural protection” derived from the theory of heavy industry. The champions of the theory of national economy deem that the economic growth of a nation must aim at providing her with political power as well as economic power. They deem that the growth of any country would undergo three stages: The pastoral/agricultural stage, the agricultural/industrial stage, then the agricultural/industrial trading stage. A country would not achieve real power unless she acquired a navy, colonies and populations with various skills. Furthermore it would be essential for the productive forces and economic growth to be in harmony, and this would serve as a fundamental condition of political power. They also deem that although international economic ties would benefit from free competition, this would depend on all competing countries reaching perfection in developing their powers; and in order to stimulate this development, industry must be protected. As for agriculture, it would not enjoy any protection and it would be permitted to export all kinds of produce without restriction or conditions, and their prices would be set according to the free market. Therefore, the theory of national economy would be in essence industry orientated. It states that the nations who aim towards being powerful should be eager to pass the agricultural stage to industry, because in the agricultural country, a large size of the productive forces i.e. the workforce, as well as a considerable size of the natural resources i.e. the raw materials, would remain unemployed and unexploited. Therefore, in order to invest in the workforce and the natural resources, an industrial programme should be initiated alongside agriculture. A country who establishes her economy solely based on agriculture would not possess the economic capability and the standard of living which an agricultural/industrial based country would have. The theory of national economy necessitates the presence of industry alongside agriculture in order for the country to be able to stand on its own feet economically. Therefore, the concept of national economy in fact applies protectionist theory on industry, thus imposing the appropriate restrictions and tariffs exclusively on industrial imports and exports, whilst at the same time, it applies free trade theory on agriculture making it free of any trade restrictions.

Uislamu unapinga nadharia kama hii, kwa sababu kuacha biashara ya kilimo ya nje bila udhibiti kunamaanisha kwamba Dola haitadhibiti biashara ya nje ya mazao ya kilimo. Hili ni haramu, kwa kuwa Dola ndiyo inapaswa kupanga kila bidhaa ya kilimo, viwandani, au bidhaa nyingine yoyote inayoingia au kutoka nchini; inaweza kupiga marufuku usafirishaji wa baadhi ya bidhaa, huku ikiruhusu usafirishaji wa nyingine. Dola itashughulika moja kwa moja na suala la nchi zinazopigana na wafanyabiashara walio chini ya mikataba, huku ikichagua kusimamia tu raia wake wenyewe. Kuhusu Dola kuingilia masuala ya viwanda kulingana na maslahi ya nchi na kwa lengo la kuimarisha uchumi, hili ni sehemu ya wajibu wake wa kusimamia mambo ya Ummah, na Uislamu unaamuru jambo hilo. Hata hivyo, yote haya yanapaswa kuwekewa mipaka kwa maslahi ya Da'wah (kulingania Uislamu), pamoja na maendeleo ya viwanda, yaani si kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya viwanda pekee. Hii inaonyesha kwamba, ingawa nadharia ya uchumi wa taifa ina, katika sehemu ya mtazamo wake wa viwanda, vipengele vinavyofanana na vile vilivyo sehemu ya usimamizi wa mambo ya Ummah ambavyo Uislamu unavikubali, vipengele hivyo vinapingana na Uislamu kwa sababu havihusiani na maslahi ya Da'awa ya Uislamu. Kwa ujumla, nadharia nzima inapingana na Uislamu kutokana na uhuru kamili unaotolewa kwa kilimo, kwa hiyo Waislamu hawatakubali nadharia kama hiyo.

Islam is averse to such a theory, because leaving the foreign agricultural trade free of control means that the State would not control the foreign trade of agricultural products. This is forbidden, for the State organises all agricultural, industrial, or any other commodity which enters or leaves the country; she could ban the export of some commodities, while permitting the export of others. She would deal directly with the issue of belligerent and traders under treaty, while opting to merely supervise her own citizens. As for the State’s interference in industrial matters in accordance with the country’s interest and in order to boost the economy, this would form part of her duty to manage the Ummah’s affairs and this is commanded by Islam. However, all this would be restricted with the interest of the Da’wah (campaigning for Islam), together with the industrial development, i.e. not just for industrial development. This demonstrates that, although the theory of national economy has, in parts of its industrial vision, identical aspects to those which are part of the management of the Ummah’s affairs that Islam approves of, such aspects contradict Islam because they are not linked to the interests of the Da’awa for Islam. Overall, the whole theory contradicts Islam due to the total freedom given to agriculture, therefore Muslims would not adopt such a theory.