al-Islam wa al-Madhahib al-Ishtirakiyya
- Author died
- 1407 AH
- Editions
- al-Jāmi‘ah al-Islāmīyah
Al-Islam wa al-Madhahib al-Ishtirakiyya (Islam and Socialist Doctrines) is a treatise by the Moroccan scholar Muhammad Taqi al-Din al-Hilali (d. 1407 AH / 1987 CE) that examines the principles of Islam and articulates its independent socioeconomic system in contrast to modern secular doctrines, particularly socialism, communism, and capitalism .
Foundations of Islam
The work begins by presenting Islam as the final and universal divine message whose sources—the Quran and the Sunnah—are divinely preserved from corruption and remain authoritative for all times and societies . Hilali characterizes Islam as a balanced system (wasat) across three interrelated domains:
- Creed (Aqidah): Affirming the unity of God in His lordship (tawhid al-rububiyyah), His sole right to worship and supplication (tawhid al-uluhiyyah), and His divine names and attributes according to the understanding of the early generations (al-salaf al-salih), without resemblance (tashbih) or denial (ta'til) . Hilali relies on verses from Surah Fatir and Surah al-Ahqaf to demonstrate that calling upon any intermediary besides God constitutes prohibited devotion .
- Legal Rulings (Ahkam): Permitting all wholesome and beneficial things while prohibiting harmful practices, such as consuming pork, carrion, blood, and intoxicants, as well as engaging in usury (riba), unlawful seizure of property (ghasb), theft, fraud (ghashsh), deceptive trade practices (bay' al-gharar), and gambling .
- Ethics and Conduct (Adab): Emphasizing duties such as filial piety, upholding ties of kinship, treating neighbors with benevolence regardless of race or faith, caring for orphans and the weak, fulfilling covenants, and showing justice . It simultaneously condemns vices such as extravagance, arrogance, envy, backbiting, and hypocrisy .
Socioeconomic System and Critique of Modern Doctrines
Hilali argues that Islam offers an independent economic model distinct from both capitalism and various forms of socialism and communism . He asserts that any valid benefit proposed by these modern doctrines was anticipated by Islam centuries earlier, while Islam explicitly avoids and forbids their harmful dimensions .
The text contrasts the Islamic approach with capitalist accumulation by highlighting institutional mechanisms designed to ensure relative wealth redistribution and protect the poor from monopolies and exploitation . These include the obligatory alms (zakat) on gold, silver, livestock, crops, and extracted minerals or buried treasures (rikaz), alongside mandatory expiations (kaffarat) and the prohibition of usury .
Simultaneously, Hilali rejects socialist attempts to impose absolute material equality or abolish lawful private initiative . He cites Surah al-Nahl: وَاللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي الرِّزْقِ ("And Allah has favored some of you over others in provision"), arguing that natural variances in wealth stem from differing individual talents and capacities, which Islam allows individuals to utilize freely through lawful means provided they fulfill their religious and financial obligations .
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