Economists define production comprehensively as
"creating or increasing utility" (Alaa Bassiouni). However, from an
Islamic perspective, production is defined as "human effort exerted in
utilizing resources to discover and develop the benefits inherent in
them."
This materialistic definition does not align with the
reality of the production process from an Islamic perspective. In Arabic,
creation (khalq) means originating something according to a previously unseen
model. Creation, in this sense, is one of the beautiful names of God, unique to
Him, the Exalted, the Almighty. He is the One who created humankind and all
that they do: "While Allah created you and that which you do" (Surah
As-Saffat: 96). He is the One who created all the resources on Earth that
humankind needs, as He says, “He it is Who created for you all that is on
earth. Then He Istawa (rose over) towards the heaven and made them seven
heavens, and He is the All-Knower of everything.” (Quran 2:29). He is the One
who created the benefits derived from these resources, whether they are living
resources, as He, the Exalted, says: “And the cattle, He has created them for
you; in them there is warmth (warm clothing), and numerous benefits, and of
them you eat.” (Surat An-Nahl 16:5), or material resources, as He says: “Indeed
We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs and revealed with them the
Scripture and the Balance (justice) that mankind may keep up justice. And We
brought forth iron wherein is mighty power (in matters of war), as well as many
benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help Him (His
religion) and His Messengers in the unseen. Verily, Allah is All-Strong,
All-Mighty” (Surat Al-Hadid: 25). Therefore, the effort exerted by humans in
the production process is not directed towards creating or increasing utility,
but rather towards discovering the benefits that God has created in resources
and preparing them in a form that can be utilized.
Production is essential and vital for the survival of
human life. God Almighty created resources for humankind in a way that
necessitates human effort to prepare them in a manner that meets and satisfies
their needs. In this respect, there is no difference between positivist and
Islamic thought. But what distinguishes Islamic thought from secular thought in
this area is that Islam elevates the importance of production to the level of a
religious obligation, with its attendant responsibility before God Almighty.
God commanded us, through His messengers, to cultivate the earth, as He says in
the Quran: “And to Thamud (people, We sent) their brother Salih (Saleh). He said,
"O my people! Worship Allah; you have no other Ilah (God) but Him. He
brought you forth from the earth and settled you therein, then asked
forgiveness of Him and turned to Him in repentance. Certainly, my Lord is Near
(to all by His Knowledge), Responsive" (Hud 61), meaning its development
through buildings, construction, agriculture, and industry. The development of
the earth is only achieved through production in all economic activities,
production that is intrinsically linked to the worship of God, as God Almighty
says: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me”
(Adh-Dhariyat 56). Without production, a person cannot satisfy their needs and
sustain their life in order to fulfill their religious obligations. And in all
of this, they must be guided by Islamic values that regulate instincts and
desires through contentment, asceticism, satisfaction, and the rationalization
of consumption without extravagance, wastefulness, or excess. Likewise, the
Quran did not neglect to specify the guidelines for managing wealth, as Allah
Almighty says, “But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you,
the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in
this world, and do good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in
the land. Verily, Allah likes not the Mufsidun (those who commit great crimes
and sins, oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, and corrupts).” (Surat
Al-Qasas: 77). These guidelines are that a person should seek, through the
wealth that Allah has given him, the reward of the Hereafter; And that he
should enjoy this wealth lawfully without extravagance; and that he should be
kind to people through charity, just as God has been kind to him with this
abundant wealth; and that he should not seek to spread corruption among his
people on earth. Therefore, every Muslim must observe these guidelines in every
economic transaction so that his actions are in accordance with Islamic law,
and their outcome will be happiness for him in this life and the hereafter.
Among the noble prophetic guidance is earning a lawful
living, as the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Worship is of ten parts, nine of which are in seeking lawful earnings, nine of
which are in silence, and the tenth is earning a lawful living.” (Narrated by
Anas ibn Malik; Source: Al-Iraqi’s commentary on Ihya’ Ulum al-Din). Seeking
lawful earnings in economic activity includes all the work a person does to
satisfy his needs, whether agricultural, industrial, or service-oriented.
Indeed, Islam elevates these actions to the level of worship, representing 90%
of worship. Because through productive work, a person is able to perform the
rest of the acts of worship, such as prayer, zakat, fasting, and Hajj, which
represent 10% of worship. In fact, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him
peace, dislikes idleness even if a person has enough to live on, as he, may God
bless him and grant him peace, said, “The most severely punished of people on
the Day of Resurrection will be the one who is well-off and idle” (Narrated by:
Anas bin Malik; Source: Da’if al-Jami’), meaning the one who does not work
because his income is sufficient for him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) affirms that a person will be questioned about the resources and
human capabilities God has bestowed upon him, as he said, “The feet of a
servant will not move on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about his
life and how he spent it, about his knowledge and what he did with it, about his
wealth and from where he acquired it and how he spent it, and about his body
and how he used it.” (Narrated by Abu Barzah al-Aslami, Nadlah ibn Ubayd;
Source: Sahih al-Tirmidhi). This means that a person will be questioned about
the resources available to him, both material (his wealth) and human (the
physical strength of his youth and the intellectual capacity for knowledge).
This questioning is not limited to the Hereafter; it also encompasses this
world. It is among the duties of the ruler to compel those capable of
production to fulfill their obligations when there is a specific need for that
production.
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