“Ever wondered why some people live in crazy luxury while others struggle just to eat?”
Just take a look around there are people who can swap cars every year, fly abroad whenever they want, and own properties here and there. On the other hand, there are neighbors struggling just to pay their kids’ school fees, or small vendors hustling every single day just to put food on the table.
This isn’t something new. The gap between rich and poor has been around forever and is still a heavy problem today. But here’s the cool part: Islam already gave us a solution so wealth doesn’t just spin around among the wealthy. Back in the time of Caliph Umar ibn Khattab, this whole idea of fair wealth distribution was put into action through the Baitul Mal the Islamic Treasury..
The Gap Is a Real Problem
Economic disparity is not simply a “normal difference.” If left unchecked, the effects could be disastrous at a macro level. The rich get richer, and the poor get pushed further down. Ultimately, the economy could grind to a halt.
Allah has warned about this in the Qur’an:
كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةًۢ بَيْنَ ٱلْأَغْنِيَآءِ مِنكُمْ
So that wealth does not just circulate among only the rich among you.” ( Quran Surah. Al-Hasyr verse 7)
This verse is very clear: Islam does not allow wealth to become mere playthings for the rich. Distribution is mandatory, so everyone gets a fair share. Otherwise, the social impact could be a deepening gap in inequality.
Root of the Problem: Freedom of Ownership
One cause of inequality is the capitalist concept of free ownership . Everything can be owned by individuals, including resources that should be public.
In fact, in Islam there are strict rules regarding ownership:
individual ownership (such as houses, businesses, and gardens). There’s state ownership (such as taxes on wealth, wealth, or wealth). There’s public ownership (such as water, energy, forests, large mines, and the sea).
If these common resources are controlled by a handful of people, their wealth will only increase, and the people who should be benefiting will be oppressed. For example, if electricity or fuel becomes a business owned by a handful of property owners, prices can automatically be raised at will. The people are the victims.
Islam doesn’t allow that. Public ownership must be managed by the state, with the proceeds going towards the welfare of the people. This way, the rich-poor gap can be narrowed.
Also read: The Attitude of Muslims Amid Chaos
Umar bin Khattab and the Baitul Mal
Nowadays, many people think that Baitul Mal is just a social institution whose job is to take care of zakat or alms. In fact, the original is much bigger than that. In the Islamic concept, Baitul Mal is a state system that regulates all income and expenditure according to sharia. So, it is not just a state treasury, but an important tool for maintaining the welfare of the people.
Now, during the reign of Caliph Umar bin Khattab , this concept wasn’t just a theory on paper. He actually put it into practice. All state revenue, from zakat, kharaj, jizyah, to ghanimah, was collected in the Baitul Mal (Islamic Treasury) and then managed for the benefit of the people. So there was no such thing as state assets simply accumulating without benefit.
Umar bin Khattab was known for his firmness in wealth distribution. He refused to allow people to starve while the state treasury was full. He even said, “If even a donkey dies on the road from starvation, I fear Allah will take action against me.” This demonstrates how serious he was about ensuring that no one was neglected.
From this, it’s clear that the Baitul Mal under Umar bin Khattab was not merely a passive institution, but a living system that ensured a truly equitable distribution of wealth within society. This principle enabled Muslims at that time to experience economic justice, far from the disparities we often see today.
The Good Side of Fair Wealth Distribution
When wealth is shared fairly based on sharia, the benefits are huge:
- Stable economy: businesses keep running, not just filling the pockets of a few.
- Prosperous society: everyone’s basic needs are covered, no one’s stuck in extreme poverty.
- Economic fairness: no crazy gaps that spark envy or resentment.
- Strong people: when the people are strong, the country stands tall and gains respect.
Now compare that with today: most wealth piles up in the hands of a few, while the gap between rich and poor keeps getting wider.
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Relevance for Us Today
Now, let’s put this into everyday life. Imagine a big businessman who controls a coal mine. If the profits from that mine were managed through the state, people could enjoy cheap electricity, subsidized schools, and even free healthcare.
But if the mine is owned privately, in the end it only makes a few conglomerates richer. The people? They’ll still have to pay a high price just to cover basic needs.
Islam already gives us the solution: manage ownership according to sharia. That way, economic inequality can be reduced, and everyone gets a fair share of God’s blessings.
Also read: How to Analyze Whether a Company Is Worth Investing In
Conclusion: Islam Has the Answer
So, it’s clear that economic inequality isn’t just about numbers on paper it’s a system problem. Capitalism, with its “freedom of ownership,” ends up piling wealth into the hands of a few. Islam takes a different path: wealth isn’t supposed to stay stuck at the top, but flow down so everyone can benefit.
Umar ibn Khattab already showed us how this works through the Baitul Mal (the Islamic Treasury). There’s even a whole book about it Al-Amwal by Sheikh Taqiyuddin an-Nabhani that breaks down the principles in detail.
At the end of the day, it’s really up to us: do we just read about it, or do we actually live it? Because fair distribution of wealth isn’t just about making people happier it’s about building a strong nation that earns the blessings of Allah.
Also read: Islamic Solidarity in Hard Times
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Reference:
Al-Qur’an al-Karim
Al-Bukhari, I. (nd). Sahih al-Bukhari . Sunnah.com. Retrieved from https://sunnah.com/bukhari
An-Nabhani, T. (2004). Al-Amwal fi Dawlat al-Khilafah . Beirut: Darul Ummah.
Mubarakfuri, S. (2001). Sirah Nabawiyah . Riyadh: Darussalam. Accessed from https://archive.org/details/sirahnabawiyah_201911/page/n3/mode/1up