经济活动本质上就是有风险的，因为直接参与其中的人既可能赚取财富，也可能遭受损失。因此，在所有经济体制中，参与者总是心知肚明，他们可能会失去自己的资本或付出的努力。然而，还有另一些现象，它们通过人为制造不安全感的氛围，对一个国家的经济生活产生不利影响，从而降低经济活动的水平。这些现象源于所实行的特定经济制度。例如，在资本主义制度中，我们会发现：
Economic activity by its very nature is risky as those who partake in it directly can gain or lose wealth. Hence in all economic systems, there is always an understanding by those who participate that they may lose their capital or effort. However, there are other phenomena that adversely affect the economic life of a nation by artificially creating an atmosphere of insecurity, and thereby reducing the level of economic activity. These arise because of the specific economic system implemented, for example in the Capitalist system, we find :
i) 繁荣与萧条：从历史记录可以看出，在资本主义体系中，贸易的好景与差景交替出现。尽管经济学家对造成贸易波动的条件看法大相径庭，但有一点是共同的：这些状况的根本原因源于资本主义经济体系的基础。
i) Booms and Busts: In the Capitalist system, periods of good and bad trade have become evident from the records. Although opinions differ widely among economists on the conditions responsible for trade fluctuations, a common feature is that the root cause of these conditions stems from the foundations of the Capitalist economic system.
ii）恶性通货膨胀：货币持续贬值，已成为资本主义经济的内在组成部分。对于是什么导致恶性通货膨胀，经济学家们同样众说纷纭。然而，恶性通货膨胀的根源恰恰在于资本主义体系中既有的金融控制机制。
ii) Runaway Inflation: The fact that money continually loses its value has become an intrinsic part of Capitalist economies. Here again there are many opinions from economists as to what causes runaway inflation. But the recipe for runaway inflation lies at the heart of established financial controls in the Capitalist system.
(iii) 货币市场崩溃：这种情况不定期发生，表现为外汇汇率的突然剧烈波动以及股票价格的骤然下跌。
iii) Money market crashes: These occur irregularly in the form of sudden exaggerated changes in foreign exchange rates and sudden falls in share prices.
资本主义经济制度是产生这些现象的根源，其最根本的特征是投机和虚假陈述。例如，这些特征体现在人为地创造货币之中。
The most fundamental characteristics of the Capitalist economic system which forms the root of these phenomena are speculation and false representation. These are manifested in, for example, the artificial creation of money.
因此，政府实际上没有任何东西能阻止其随意地无中生有地创造货币。纸币的过度发行，若无真实财富作为支撑，便是通货膨胀的根本原因。此外，政府和银行对此却轻描淡写地称之为增加货币供应量，也就是说，他们印制了更多的钱，而这些钱所代表的资产却保持不变。
As such, there is nothing to prevent governments from literally creating money at will. Excessive creation of paper money which cannot be represented by real wealth is the root cause of inflation. Further, governments and banks refer to this blandly as increasing money supply, i.e. they have printed more money while the assets the money represents remain constant.
此外,高街银行可以通过在纸面上为人们的账户记账来放贷,而这些钱实际上并不存在。这种旨在维持体系运转的虚假表述,实际上又制造出了更多的人为货币。
In addition, high street banks can lend money that is not existent by crediting peoples accounts on paper. This false representation that is meant to keep the system going actually creates more artificial money.
在伊斯兰教中,禁止国家人为地改变以真实有形资产(黄金和白银)为基础的货币供应量。因此,货币供应量不会超出财富的真实增长,相应地,通货膨胀也不成为问题。在这样的环境中,企业拥有远为稳定的经营条件,繁荣/萧条、通货膨胀/衰退的周期也不会出现。在资本主义经济体中,政府常常利用货币供应的不稳定作为一种额外的税收形式向民众征收。随着民众收入、资产和储蓄的价值迅速缩水,价值会大规模转移到控制货币的政府/银行体系手中。前南斯拉夫和俄罗斯就是近期政府利用恶性通货膨胀达到这些目的的例子。许多西方国家的通货膨胀率为2%至6%,这并不能带来多少安慰,因为它仍在侵蚀民众的财富。
In Islam it is prohibited for the State to artificially alter the supply of money which is based on real tangible assets (gold and silver). Therefore there is no increase in money supply beyond real increases in wealth and accordingly inflation is not a problem. In such an environment businesses have far greater stability and bust/boom, inflationary/ recessionary cycles will not occur. In Capitalist economies governments often use instability in money supply as a form of additional taxation upon the people. As the value of their earnings or assets and savings rapidly plummet there is a massive transfer of value to the government/ banking system that controls the currency. The ex-Yugoslavia and Russia are recent examples of economies where governments used hyperinflation for these ends. That inflation may be 2-6% in many western countries is little comfort as it is still eating of the wealth of the people.
总之,上述几点清楚地阐明了资本主义经济制度与伊斯兰经济制度之间的若干根本差异。资本主义经济的固有缺陷今天在世界各地都可以看到,甚至在穆斯林国家也是如此,那里的腐败统治者强行推行了这一制度。伊斯兰经济学的细节应当使我们充满信心:伊斯兰教为我们周围的世界目前所面临的"经济问题"提供了解决方案。
In conclusion, the above points clearly outline certain fundamental differences between the Capitalist economic system and the Islamic Economic System. The inherent failing of Capitalist economies can be seen today throughout the world, even in the Muslim countries, where it has been forcibly applied by corrupt rulers. The details of Islamic economics should fill us with confidence that Islam provides solutions to the ‘economic problem’, which the world around us currently faces.