Practical steps to end unemployment

3-9-2015 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am an MA student preparing a thesis about Unemployment in the Emirati society: a Comparative Study. Within my thesis I set a section on Fatwas and opinions of contemporary scholars of Fiqh, thinkers and scholars of the Sharee'ah. I would like to know your opinion concerning rulings on unemployment. Does it have any special rulings? What is your advice to youth who suffer under modern economics that do not care about the status of peoples which are destroyed by capitalism and other systems, leaving the youth of this Ummah combating against the crisis of unemployment, leading them to earn ill-gotten gains as well as feeling discontent with their communities? Also, what is your advice to those who are in authority and those concerned?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Solving the problem of unemployment needs the cooperation of the whole society. We advise the youth and those who are able to work in our Ummah (community) to be keen on earning a living according to the opportunities available to them along with being keen on lawful gain. The Prophet encouraged us to work and search for lawful means and eat from the work of our own hands, not to be dependent on other people. This is what the prophets, the companions and scholars did; the Prophet said, encouraging work: "No one ever eats food better than that earned from the work of his hands. Prophet Daawood, peace be upon him, used to eat from the work of his hands." [Al-Bukhari]

He also said: “If you were to trust in Allaah genuinely He Would Give you provision as He Does for the birds which go out hungry in the morning and come back full in the evening.” [At-Tirmithi and Al-Hakim; Al-Albani: authentic]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, urged people not to depend on others or beg from them but to be content with what they have. He urged Muslims to supplicate Allaah and to resort to Him, seeking His Help. He used to take an oath of allegiance from the Companions not to ask people for worldly gains. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Successful is the person who embraced Islam, has been provided with what is just sufficient for his need and been made contented by Allaah with what He has given him.” [Muslim] And said: "It would be better for any one of you to gather firewood than to ask anyone who may give him or not." [Al-Bukhari]

The Companions of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to trade, farm and work as wage earners, and some of the righteous predecessors of this Ummah were craftsmen, to the extent that some of them were known for their crafts such as Al-Bazzar (grain merchant), Al-Khawwas (one who works with palm leaves), Ad-Daraqutni (cotton trader), Ad-Dabbagh (tanner), Al-Haddad (blacksmith) and Al-Baqqal (grocer). Some of the Companions used to work as wage earners when necessary in return for some dried dates and return after accomplishing their mission. Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah said:

I came to the Prophet and saw him pale, so I said, "O Prophet of Allaah, may I ransom you with my father and mother, what is wrong with you?" The Prophet answered: "I have not eaten for three days." I went and found a Jew watering his camels and worked for him in return for a dried date for each bucket of water. So, I gathered some dried dates and brought them to the Prophet who said: "O Ka‘b how did you get this?" I told him… [At-Tabarani; Al-Albani: good]

This Hadeeth proves that the Companions did not disdain from available work, no matter how little its wage was. It also proves that they used to meet their needs through work, not by asking people.

One of the most important matters is that workers have to develop and increase their faith and honesty, as faith and righteous deeds are among the greatest means to achieve one's ambitions. Faith and righteous deeds also encourage employers to employ workers as the daughter of the righteous man said to her father concerning Moosa (Moses) in the verse in which Allaah Almighty says (what means): {One of the women said, "O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy."} [Quran 28: 26]

Workers should be aware of the responsibility of populating, building and developing the earth as well as of benefiting from what Allaah has created in it. Allaah Almighty says (what means): {He has produced you from the earth and settled you in it…} [Quran 11:61]

They also have to be keen on lawful gains and keep away from unlawful gains, regardless of the circumstances. The Prophet. sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:

"The holy spirit has inspired to me that no soul will die until it completes its time (in life) and takes all its provision. So, fear Allaah and ask Him for provision in a good manner and let not yourselves be driven by the feeling that provision has been delayed to try to get it through disobedience to Allaah, as the provision of Allaah can not be obtained except by obeying Him.” [Abu-Nu‘aym, At-Tabarani and Al-Bazzar; Al-Albani: authentic]

We also advise those who are in authority to be aware that they are responsible before Allaah for those who are under them. So, they have to give due attention to those who suffer from unemployment and needy old people. The Prophet said: “Everyone is a guardian and he/she is responsible for those under his guardianship. The ruler is a guardian and he is responsible for those under his guardianship.” [Al-Bukhari]

The Commander of the believers, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab was always aware of this responsibility and continually reminded his state officials about it. ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab said, “If a stray camel died at the riverbank of the Euphrates, I would fear being asked about it before Allaah.” [Ibn Sa‘d]

Consequently, those who are in authority should be keen on providing jobs for those who are able to work to spare them from asking people. There is a story of a man who came to the Prophet asking him for money or food, but the Prophet ordered him to work and taught him to gather firewood. [Ibn Maajah, Abu-Daawood, Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Harith in his Musnad, and At-Tahawi] Scholars stated that the craftsman who needs the tools of his craft should be provided with tools from Zakah funds or the public treasury.

Had the rulers taught the youth the needed crafts and provided them with equipment and workplaces, the problem of unemployment would have been greatly solved, especially if we know that Islamic countries have huge resources including human force, arable lands and important minerals. Muslims can use these resources to provide the whole world with food and industry if they achieve social solidarity among them and if the owners of capitals invest their money in reclaiming arable lands, excavating minerals and making use of the huge workforce in these projects.

Also, had Zakah funds and public wealth been levied by honest people with no personal desires and distributed to deserving recipients, most or even all people would have needed nothing as it was the case in the time of our righteous predecessors. The Prophet sent Mu‘aath to Yemen and ordered him to collect the Zakah from the rich and distribute it among the poor and before long there was no one left in need of accepting charity.

The Caliphs used to command their officials to levy the Zakah and distribute it in the places where it was levied, and by doing so the officials used to return to the Caliphs with no surplus money.

Abu-‘Ubayd reported that Mu‘aath sent one third of the money of Zakah levied from Yemen to ‘Umar who disapproved of this act and said to Mu‘aath, “I have not sent you as a mere collector or levier of Jizyah (tribute) but I sent you to collect Zakah from the rich and to distribute it among the poor.” Mu‘aath said, “I did not send you any money of Zakah except after finding no one to take it.” The following year, Mu‘aath sent half of the Zakah money, and the same conversation took place; in the third year Mu‘aath sent the whole Zakah money and also the same was exchanged between them. Mu‘aath said, “I found no one to take any charity from me.”

This story and others that took place during the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul- ‘Azeez prove the veracity of the Prophet's Hadeeth: "A time will come when a man will go about with his charity of gold and will not find any one to take it." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The officials of the time of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez were searching for the poor to give them the money of Zakah but they found no one. So, they used to buy slaves and set them free. Ibn Katheer mentioned in Al-Bidayah Wa An-Nihayah that ‘Umar did his best during his caliphate to repay injustices and give everyone his due. His caller would call out every day and say: “Where are the debtors? Where are those who want to marry? Where are the poor? Where are the orphans? To give them the money they need.”

In Iraq, he distributed gifts of money from the public treasury, and there was some left so he helped those who were single with marriage expenses, and paid debts of people from that money. Still, some money remained so he ordered that it be used to support Ahl Ath-Thimmah (free non-Muslim subjects living in a Muslim country).

We also advise the notable men and owners of wealth in this Ummah (community) to do their best to help the unemployed. A notable man should intercede for them and help them to open doors that they can not open themselves, seeking the reward of Allaah. The rich should lend them money from their wealth and employ them in their companies, as the Prophet said: “Whoever helps his brother in fulfilling his needs, Allaah will help him in fulfilling his own needs." [Muslim]

He said: "Intercede (for the benefit of your Muslim brothers) to be rewarded (by Allaah)." [Al-Bukhari] He also said:

The most loved person by Allaah is the most beneficial to people, and the most loved act by Allaah is to bring joy to a Muslim by removing his distress, repaying his debt or satisfying his hunger. To be in the service of my brother is dearer to me than I‘tikaf (ritual seclusion) for a month in this mosque (the mosque of the Prophet in Medina). [Al-Asbahani, Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya; Al-Albani: good]

Allaah encourages benevolence and good loans. Allaah Almighty says (what means): {And do good; indeed, Allaah loves the doers of good.} [Quran 2:195]

Allaah Almighty also says in a Qudsi Hadeeth, “Spend, O son of Adam, and I Shall spend on you.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Also, it is stated in a Hadeeth: "Every (good) loan is considered a charity." [At-Tabarani; Al-Munthiri and Al-Albani: good]

Consequently, those notable and rich men should do their best to help their brothers by lending them money to set up projects, conducting training courses in different fields, teaching them crafts and languages as well as help them by interceding for them in delivering their demands to the officials and convincing those officials of the necessity to employ them.

Allaah Knows best.