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POVERTY is one of the major global issues facing many countries. It is also considered to be the root of many other problems such as inadequate nutrition, low life expectancy, lack of education, healthcare and sanitation etc.
Poverty turns nights sleepless and days restless. A poor person has no respect in society and many consider him worthless.
However, we must ponder why there is poverty when Allah declares “And no living creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah. ...” (11:6). Allah is indeed the sole Sustainer of the entire universe. He provides sustenance to every soul.
Islam has introduced certain principles to tackle poverty.
When Adam was sent to Paradise, Allah assured him that “...You would never be hungry therein nor naked. And you (will) suffer not from thirst therein nor from the sun’s heat” (20:118-119). However, upon his faltering, he was dislodged and sent down to earth. At this point, Adam implored that he would feel hunger and thirst and face the vagaries of nature, fear and trepidation from the onslaughts of Satan on earth. The Creator granted him all that he asked for.
Ever since man descended to earth, he has hunted for food. His physical body needs continuous nourishment and his intellectual and spiritual growth depends on his physical nourishment. While referring to prophets, Allah says “…We did not create their bodies that ate no food. ...” (21:8). Therefore, every human being strives for food from sunrise to sunset, travels to far-flung areas, and migrates to unknown lands in search of sustenance. Most infighting amongst humans is over securing livelihood. Sometimes, man behaves like an animal, snatching food from others’ mouths to put out the fire inside his belly.
The world and its resources are created for man’s use. These are spread all over the globe. They include resources buried beneath the soil, hidden in the mountains, laid underneath oceans, spread over the surface and even in the outer atmosphere. Every corner of the earth is full of resources for human use, yet millions of human beings live below the poverty line — a level where basic needs remain unmet. This is a great irony which needs rectification.
Normally, those nations, communities and people are trapped in poverty which are too lethargic to explore natural resources, uninterested in life-oriented education and careless about life overall.
The Quran encourages humanity to spread over the earth to search for Allah’s bounties; all fields are open for human exploration and use. It is for man to explore the world and make use of natural resources. Everything on earth has been created for man; it is his duty to make use of all divine blessings. Thus exploration and exploitation of natural resources is the prime duty of all humans. But man must remain mindful of his responsibility towards nature. He has to leave a much better world for coming generations.
Keeping in view the vast and abundant natural resources, the problem of poverty seems unnatural, man-made and perhaps reflects human lassitude. A man cannot grumble that he is stuck in poverty because of natural causes. The mismanagement of natural resources and the stratification of society are considered to be the major causes of poverty. This can be overcome by proper resource management.
One can observe mismanagement at every level. There are people who dine at five-star hotels with a surfeit of food, while in the same area there are people who starve and sleep hungry. We see people travelling in air-conditioned cars while on the same roads people are packed like sardines in rundown buses and also seated precariously on the roofs of vehicles. We see children studying in elite schools while there are poor children who have nowhere to study.
History reveals that all societies have remained stratified on the basis of resources in all ages. Some have more resources than others. Therefore, those who have more resources are more powerful with greater status. Many societies have seen clashes between people due to income inequality.
Islam has introduced certain principles to bring people at par with each other. These include generosity and philanthropy in the shape of zakat, sadaqah, infaaq and qarz-i-hasana.
In order to eradicate poverty, a life-oriented education system is the need of the hour, whereby learners are equipped with the tools needed to fend for themselves.
People trapped in poverty need guidance, encouragement, proper infrastructure and the right tools to improve their economic situation. There are enormous natural resources waiting to be exploited to their full potential. Those who responsibly exploit these resources are doing a service to humanity and Islam considers this ibadat, or worship.
The government needs to extend a helping hand to those individuals who want to climb out of the pit of poverty by creating the right environment and providing them encouragement.
The writer is an educationist with an interest in religion.
Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2015
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