Socialism and Islam

Islamic socialism is a term coined by various Muslim leaders to describe a more spiritual form of socialism. Muslim socialists believe that the teachings of the Qur'an and Muhammad are compatible with principles of equality and the redistribution of wealth drawing inspiration from the early madina welfare state established by the Prophet Muhammad . Muslim Socialists are more conservative than their western contemporaries. Islamic Socialists found their roots in Anti-imperialism. Islamic Socialist leaders believe in Democracy and deriving legitimacy from public mandate as opposed to religious texts or claiming to be successors of the Prophet's companions.

History

Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī, a Companion of Prophet Muḥammad, is credited by many as a principal antecedent of Islamic socialism. He protested against the accumulation of wealth by the ruling class during ‘Uthmān's caliphate and urged the equitable redistribution of wealth.

The first experimental Islamic commune was established during the Russian Revolution of 1917 as part of the Wäisi movement, an early supporter of the Soviet government. The Muslim Socialist Committee of Kazan was also active at this time.^{[citation needed]}

List of notable Muslim socialists

• Jamal al-Din Afghani, one of the founders of Islamic modernism
• Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, Indian politician and cabinet minister from 1947–1954
• Jalal Al-e Ahmad, Iranian social and political critic
• Tan Malaka, Indonesian Communist of Minangkabau descent and philosopher of dialectical materialism
• Abdul Kahar Muzzakar,Indonesian Islamist rebel which support some socialist and egalitarian policies like land reform, and abolition of local aristocracy and religious title
• Agus Salim, Indonesian hero, patron of Jong Islamienten Bond
• Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, Masyumi politician
• Sultan Ghaliev, the Muslim National Communist
• Sukarno, first President of Indonesia
• Shamsiah Fakeh, Malaysian feminist and guerilla fighter
• Siad Barre, former from President of Somalia;1969-1991. Turned his back to communism in 1978 after the betrayal of the Soviet Union.
• Zulfikar Ali Bhutto former PM and President of Pakistan, Founder of Pakistan's nuclear programme.
• Chaudhry Rehmat Ali
• Yasser Arafat
• Ahmed Jibril
• Mohammed Iqbal
• Faiz Ahmed Faiz
• Habib Jalib
• Ibn-e-Insha
• Sadat Hassan Manto
• Hanif Ramay
• Muammar Gaddafi
• Ali Shariati
• Massoud Rajavi

Islamic Marxism

Islamic Marxism is a term that has been used to describe Ali Shariati (in Shariati and Marx: A Critique of an "Islamic" Critique of Marxism by Assef Bayat). It is also sometimes used in discussions of the 1979 Iranian revolution, including parties such as the Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization.

See also

• Islamic economic jurisprudence
  • Islamic economics in the world
  • Islamic capitalism
• Zanj Rebellion
• Qarmatians
• Bayt al-mal
• Arab Socialism
• National communism

References

• John Esposito, ed. (1995). "Socialism and Islam". Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World. vol. 4. Oxford University Press. pp. 81–86. ISBN 0195066138. OCLC 94030758. 
• Maxime Rodinson, Marxism and the Muslim world, Zed Press, 1979, 229 pages, ISBN 9780905762210 (transl. from the French reference book Maxime Rodinson, Marxisme et monde musulman, Paris, Éditions du Seuil, 1972, 698 pages