Is the Muslim ruler obligated to provide job opportunities and means of earning for Muslim citizens if they have no other work?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Another question: Is the Muslim ruler obligated to provide job opportunities and means of earning for his Muslim citizens if they have no other work? Or must these citizens manage their own livelihoods and sustenance themselves, and strive in the wide earth of Allah? Then, if the Muslim ruler has sufficient funds to employ his entire population, does he not sin if he leaves them without job opportunities while the state is in a state of ease?
The Shaykh : The reality is that the answer to this question is derived from the question itself. The explanation is that we should envision the primary, authentic function for which the Muslim ruler is tasked. It is not hidden from any student of Islam that the primary function of the ruler is to judge between people by what Allah has revealed, on the one hand, and to spread the call of Islam in all parts of the world, on the other hand. All of this is within the limits of his capacity and ability. It is not the function of the Muslim ruler to occupy himself with what non-Muslim rulers occupy themselves with. Non-Muslim rulers have no concern or goal in their rule over their peoples except to secure worldly happiness. Therefore, we must note the difference between the Muslim ruler and others. The principle is that the Muslim ruler does not have the time to look into securing the material life of every individual in the Muslim population, as this matter is entrusted to the Muslim individuals themselves. However, if the ruler possesses a great amount of wealth, this wealth is not his; rather, it is the wealth of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). He must spend it on the Muslims and expand their means. Then, these Muslims are the ones who dispose of these funds in ways that correspond to their specializations, abilities, and inclinations.
In summary: It is not the principle for the Muslim ruler to act like a non-Muslim ruler; that is, to focus on the worldly happiness of Muslims. This is not the principle. The principle is to focus on securing the hereafter happiness for Muslims. After that, if the Muslim state is able to also secure some worldly happiness for Muslims, that is what is obligatory upon it. In my view, this is only possible through what the early Muslim rulers provided for the Muslim nation; that is, by distributing the wealth that came to them due to Islamic conquests and due to the treasures of the earth that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) revealed to them. Through this path, the Muslim ruler can bestow some worldly happiness upon the Muslim population. However, occupying the state with securing the livelihood and comfort of the Muslim population is not the function of the Muslim ruler, unless that becomes easy after he has fulfilled what is originally obligatory upon him.
This is the answer.
The questioner : You have done well.
The Shaykh : The reality is that the answer to this question is derived from the question itself. The explanation is that we should envision the primary, authentic function for which the Muslim ruler is tasked. It is not hidden from any student of Islam that the primary function of the ruler is to judge between people by what Allah has revealed, on the one hand, and to spread the call of Islam in all parts of the world, on the other hand. All of this is within the limits of his capacity and ability. It is not the function of the Muslim ruler to occupy himself with what non-Muslim rulers occupy themselves with. Non-Muslim rulers have no concern or goal in their rule over their peoples except to secure worldly happiness. Therefore, we must note the difference between the Muslim ruler and others. The principle is that the Muslim ruler does not have the time to look into securing the material life of every individual in the Muslim population, as this matter is entrusted to the Muslim individuals themselves. However, if the ruler possesses a great amount of wealth, this wealth is not his; rather, it is the wealth of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). He must spend it on the Muslims and expand their means. Then, these Muslims are the ones who dispose of these funds in ways that correspond to their specializations, abilities, and inclinations.
In summary: It is not the principle for the Muslim ruler to act like a non-Muslim ruler; that is, to focus on the worldly happiness of Muslims. This is not the principle. The principle is to focus on securing the hereafter happiness for Muslims. After that, if the Muslim state is able to also secure some worldly happiness for Muslims, that is what is obligatory upon it. In my view, this is only possible through what the early Muslim rulers provided for the Muslim nation; that is, by distributing the wealth that came to them due to Islamic conquests and due to the treasures of the earth that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) revealed to them. Through this path, the Muslim ruler can bestow some worldly happiness upon the Muslim population. However, occupying the state with securing the livelihood and comfort of the Muslim population is not the function of the Muslim ruler, unless that becomes easy after he has fulfilled what is originally obligatory upon him.
This is the answer.
The questioner : You have done well.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.