Development is a Religious Requirement

Development is a Religious Requirement

Prepared by: Nasser Khalfan Al-Badi

     All praise is due to Allah, and Allah's blessings and peace be upon the Chosen Prophet, and upon his family, companions and followers - the people of piety.

     Development is a necessity of life, and a requirement of religion. People have often worked on this subject, and the leaders, intellectuals and policy-makers in different societies have taken it into consideration and attached to it a great importance. This is because development in reality aims to achieve a major objective, which is provision of people's livelihood and happiness of their lives. This major end is the focus of all human actions and endeavors. Development has also been a religious requirement for all religions - heavenly and man-made - by calling for its achievement, through their legislations, which always called upon the followers to develop or reform some aspect of their lives. There are religions that called for development of the spiritual aspect; some other religions called for development of the mental aspect; and still some other called for development of the material aspect. The final religion has called for a comprehensive and complete development of human life both earthly and hereafter. Thus, development - no matter how its aim differed from religion to another - is at the heart of a person's religiousness.

     What is the concept of development? What is the position of Islam on development? What aspects of life that Islam calls for their development? And what is the main reason that makes nations succeed in their developmental processes?

     The concept of development is quite broad according to different views, yet it is elastic. Some define the concept of development based on the processes taking place in society to bring about growth in its various fields. Others define its concept based on the aspects in which the processes of change for the better take place. Others still define it based on its results; and so we find that many definitions have dealt with certain aspects and neglected some other aspects. However, we find that those concepts are not void of some elements that are right, given the breadth and elasticity of the word <development>.

     In Islam, it is quite different, where Islam limits development to a definite concept linked to the worship of Allah - even though the term development is a new term that was not found in religious texts and the writings of the earlier Muslims -, but it expresses it in other words such as settlement and reform. We can define development from the Islamic point of view as making a good life for people in this world and the Hereafter. Allah Almighty says: «Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, a life that is good and pure and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions» (16:97). Some of them said of development from the Islamic point of view as (a group of various and coordinated efforts that will enable the Muslim community to carry out the command of Allah the Almighty). Thus development in Islam is so closely linked to the worship of Allah that it can not be separated from it. The real religiousness motivates a person to efficiency and productivity in the various aspects of his life so as to please His Lord.

     Development in the Islamic concept — which is to make a good life for people in this world and the afterlife — is a fundamental requirement of Islam, and is judged as an obligation on the Muslim nation as a whole, and we can glimpse it from the many references – directly and indirectly - in the Qur'an and Sunnah. For instance the saying of Allah Almighty: «It is He Who hath produced you from the earth and settled you therein: then ask forgiveness of Him, and turn to Him (in repentance): for my Lord is (always) near, ready to answer.» (11:61) <Settled you> means demanded that you build the earth for what you need of the affairs of your livelihood. Some commentators said: (Settlement is a demand for building, and the unconditional demand from Allah Almighty is considered an obligation).

     Among the Prophetic tradition is the hadith narrated from the Prophet —Allah's blessings and peace be upon him- that he said, «Never does a Muslim plant trees or cultivate land and birds or a man or a beast eat out of them but that is a charity on his behalf», (reported by Al Bukhari).This is a reference to the call of Islam to a particular kind of development, which is agricultural development, and this call came associated with worship and reward, reaching far in urging on development. Thus development in Islam is a divine-imposed obligation, and part of worship.

     The call of Islam to development is comprehensive and integrated, covering the aspects of human life. When we look at these aspects, we will find that development is the basis and goal of divine legislations. We can speak of development in Islam as covering both physical and moral aspects of life, and we can also branch out of these two key aspects to sub-aspects covered by Islamic developmental care.

     We can say that Islamic development in life has five essential features: first: development and reform of the man himself morally, psychologically, mentally, spiritually and socially (the system of worship, morality and sciences.) Second: development and investment of the material and environmental resources (the Islamic economic system). Third: maintenance of human and natural resources such as time, physical strength, minerals and land (the system of moderation in the use of resources). Fourth: reform of the fault and corruption when it occurs in one of the previous three features (regulations concerned with retribution, sanctions and penalties). Fifth: to secure the future of man in the hereafter.

     We note by looking at the previous Islamic developmental features definitely that the Islamic attention to development of the human being and bringing about his happiness surpasses that of all other nations. For development in Islam aims at the human being, and its purpose is to serve the human being, not to use him; and that human development is the basis for success of any development process. This gives us another indication of the Islamic keen interest in development and directing it in its right track. The heedful nations have become aware of this fundamental view with regard to development. A study of 192 countries has come to the conclusion that human and social capital contributes by at least 64% to growth performance, and by contrast the physical capital of machinery, buildings and infrastructure contributes by 16% to growth, while the capital of natural resources contributes by the remaining percentage. Some practical studies conducted by Kendrick, Schultz and Kuznets have shown amazing results about the effect of improving human capabilities on economic growth, so that 90% of that growth in industrial countries was attributable to the improvement of human capabilities, skills, knowledge and management . The miracle of Japan, which attached importance to human beings despite the weakness of other resources, bears witness to that. Likewise the progress of Singapore, which took human education seriously, despite its small land area and limited resources, is another witness. For that reason, Islam focused its attention on human development and upgrading, as a primary resource in any renaissance.

     In conclusion, Islam is wholly about development of various aspects of human life. The aim of Islamic Development is to create a good life through good work and production directed towards Allah and the Hereafter, and is concerned basically with man, who is the maker and the object of development. Thus development in the concept of Islam is a divine-imposed duty upon the individual specifically, and the nation as a whole.

Reference:

Tarawih Magazine (Ramadan 1431/August 2010), by Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs, page: 9-10.