by: Abna Haniif Novel
FIAI Student of Islamic Economics, Islamic University of Indonesia
Economics is an integral part of life. The process happens in terms of exchange with specific agreements create a system that then we call the economic transactions. The transaction is nothing but an attempt to make ends meet. The actions of individuals in the economy in particular, as well as actions in other areas in general, are very dependent on the mindset and view of nature (worldview) of the individual. Then Islam as a religion that Universal has set up and provide the correct pattern of action in running life, whether social, cultural, and economic. However, the world community today has been poisoned by Western capitalist worldview, and imperialist. Not many understand the concept of Islamic life and not many of them have an Islamic worldview
The discourse on welfare is one of the discussions in economics that has been a concern for all countries in the world. By raising the issue of welfare, a government can legitimize power. It is likened to a 'give bread' to the community, so that they are silent and submit to the government. In addition to the pragmatic purposes, the appointment welfare issues also represent a moral dimension that the government pay attention to his people. In this regard, the United Nations with his UNDP formulating public welfare measure, the so-called Human Development Index. Among the indicators of well-being according to this index, among others, per capita income, long life span and level of education achieved. In addition to the size of the UNDP, there are many other measuring devices, such as the Prosperity Index, Quality of LifeIndex, Public Welfare Index (Pledge), and so forth. Here we see that the issue of the welfare of an issue to be widely studied around the world.
But behind it all, it was the understanding of well-being that is often understood in western economies have flaws. Welfare is often used as a benchmark is the welfare laden with elements of materialism and hedonism without the slightest attention to the religious element. It is shown from the majority-or even all-indicators of well-being which did not include aspects of diversity, and only made the mundane aspects as its main benchmark. This weakness shown by the phenomenon of the comforts of life in the world. Norway, a country that according to the HDI index is the country's most prosperous, has a suicide rate is quite high, at 28 people per 100,000 inhabitants. When compared with Egypt which ranks only 112th in the HDI, the rate of suicide is only 0.1 100,000 inhabitants. Here we see that in countries with a Muslim majority population, even with a low HDI level, people prefer to enjoy a happy and prosperous life in the world. They enjoyed the 'welfare' of their own without drifting materialism. This shows that Islam has a more precise understanding rather than an understanding of emerging from the west.
Umar Chapra:Islamic Economic Thought
Umer Chapra has a gait that does little in the world of Islamic economics. He said the purpose of the economically is to help people to realize their duties as a vicegerent on earth. Not difficult to find a book that is the fruit of thinking. Some thoughts famous is the concept hayyatan thayyibatan, monetary policy concept in Islam, and the concept of Islamic banking.
Chapra also explains the concept actualization falah and hayat thoyyibatan which is the core of the economic challenges for Muslim countries. Because these two concepts derived from Islam, Islam is taught and should be applied in a Muslim's life-world realize happiness hereafter. This requires an increase in morale, brotherhood and socio-economic justice, with resource-utilization of scarce resources to alleviate poverty, to meet the needs and minimize the inequalities of income and wealth.
Then Chapra offers three strategies for the solution of economic problems experienced by the Muslim countries. Among other things: 1) a filter mechanism to the benefit of the use of scarce resources, so as to create efficiency. 2) Motivation system usage to fit the filter mechanism. 3) socio-economic reconstruction will enforce both previous elements and actualize hayat thayyibatan.
The meaning of peace must be clarified. According to Chapra, 'peace' does not mean 'rich' but 'ideal' which is the state where there is a balance between material and spiritual circumstances derived from the resources available. Therefore, the Islamic state can be said to be a utopia or ideal when the inner dignity and morals of society increases, the obligations of society as inheritors of the earth to natural resources has been accomplished, and justice as well as the disappearance of oppression. Prosperous countries according to Islam, is not a socialist or a capitalist country, but a country with Islamic concepts and Islamic life.
In the context of the theory of citizenship, welfare is defined as the peak of the evolution of citizenship rights. Western democratic societies evolve started from just a small portion of the gain civil rights, political, and social. When the rights of civilians began to be applied more broadly, the notion of citizenship demands to be met in full social rights. A person can not be considered as a member of the full and equal society that lives in poverty, in a house that is not habitable, his health is not properly maintained, and educated inadequate.