M.M. Weam Ali Khamis – College of Islamic Sciences – University of Karbala
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Social security in Islam stems from the core of the Quranic perspective on the individual, who is regarded as both a material and spiritual being. Poverty tears this entity apart and diminishes its worth. Hence, it is necessary to meet the basic needs of the individual and ensure a dignified life for them. The Quran emphasizes this in the verse:
“And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference” (Quran 17:70).
Social security in Islam is considered a human right ordained by Allah. As such, it is a universal human right, unaffected by variations in circumstances and civilizational levels. According to Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (may Allah sanctify his soul), social security in Islam is founded on two principles:
- General Mutual Responsibility (Takafol):
Islam obligates Muslims to support each other mutually, making this obligation a duty upon each Muslim according to their circumstances and capabilities, similar to other religious obligations. According to al-Sadr, the social security implemented by the state based on this principle of general mutual responsibility represents the state’s role in ensuring that its citizens comply with their religious obligations. The state, as the custodian of Islamic law and its enforcement, and as the authority commanding good and forbidding evil, is entitled to act as an agent for Muslims in ensuring the provision of a livelihood for the needy.
This concept is supported by Islamic texts. A narration from Sama’ah relates that he asked Imam Ja’far ibn Muhammad (peace be upon him) about people who had surplus wealth while their brothers were in dire need and lacked sufficient zakat. He asked if it was permissible for them to be satiated while their brothers went hungry. The Imam replied:
“The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim; he does not oppress him, nor forsake him, nor deprive him” (Wasa’il al-Shia). Muslims are thus encouraged to exert effort, cooperate, and offer assistance to those in need.
Sayyid al-Sadr (may Allah sanctify his soul) emphasized that this mutual responsibility is limited to critical needs. If Muslims possess a surplus beyond their own essentials, they cannot leave their brothers in dire need. Instead, they must fulfill and alleviate these needs. Islam ties this mutual responsibility to the general principle of brotherhood among Muslims, demonstrating that it is not merely a tax on income but an embodiment of universal brotherhood. This aligns with Islam’s approach of embedding moral frameworks within its legal rulings. A person’s right to mutual support is rooted in the concept of universal human brotherhood, and the state, within its authority, protects and ensures this right. The needs guaranteed by this right are essential ones, defined as necessities of life that make survival challenging without their fulfillment. Hence, social security based on mutual responsibility is confined to addressing life’s essential needs.
- The Right of the Community to Resources:
This principle assigns the state direct responsibility for ensuring the livelihood of the destitute and incapacitated, independent of the obligation on individual Muslims. Social security in Islam, therefore, is based on the belief in the collective right of the community to all wealth. Natural resources are created for the benefit of the entire community, not specific groups. Every individual in the community has the right to benefit from nature’s resources and live with dignity.
For those capable of working in public or private sectors, it is the state’s duty to provide employment opportunities within its jurisdiction. For those unable to work or lacking opportunities, the state must guarantee their right to benefit from natural resources by providing a sufficient standard of living.
Islam provides the financial basis for social security and empowers the state to fulfill its responsibilities through both obligatory financial duties, such as zakat and khums, and through the public sector created by the Islamic economic system. Public funds are to be utilized for the welfare of the needy in society.
Allah states in the Quran:
“And what Allah restored to His Messenger from them – you did not spur for it any horses or camels. But Allah gives His messengers authority over whom He wills. And Allah is over all things competent. And what Allah restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns – it is for Allah and His Messenger and for [his] near relatives and the orphans, the needy, and the traveler – so that it will not be a perpetual distribution among the rich from among you” (Quran 59:6-7).
In addition to Quranic verses, there are many narrations emphasizing this principle. For instance, Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny) said in his sermon:
“Whoever leaves dependents behind, I will be responsible for them; and whoever leaves a debt, I will pay it off.”
In Imam Ali’s (peace be upon him) letter to his governor in Egypt, he wrote:
“Fear Allah concerning the lower classes who have no means, including the needy, the destitute, and the disabled. Among them are those who beg and those who are in need but do not ask. Uphold the duty Allah entrusted you with towards them. Set aside a share for them from the treasury and the yields of the lands in each region, for the distant ones deserve as much as the nearer ones.”
In conclusion, the martyr Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr paid great attention to concepts that significantly contribute to building and developing the individual and ensuring a dignified life under the Islamic economic system. Among these concepts is social security, which achieves social justice based on the community’s right to benefit from natural resources and blessings. This is realized through two principles: general social solidarity and the individual’s right to state resources.
