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The Culture of Islam Essay example

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Islam is more than a religion, it’s a culture, and as such has an effect on political, social, and economic aspects of life—this is especially true outside of the Western world. Followers of Islam believe in full submission to God and this submission is practiced in the secular realm (Taha, 114). Of the five pillars of Islam, one (the zakat) has a direct affect on economic policy and ethics. The culture of Islam has shaped economic and business guidelines In the Islamic World and continues to do so. Cultural ideals attributed to the Qur’an or the Prophet Muhammad, have been a vital source for economic and business practices that have helped to shape the history of many Islamic nations, and are guiding the creation of policies …show more content…

“Islam’s original principle is the common or joint possession of property amongst the slaves of God, so that each one takes according to his needs, the basic needs of a traveler (passing through this life to the next true and lasting life)” (Taha, 138), it is also important to note that this statement is made in a section titled “Capitalism Is Not An Original Precept In Islam”. Taha references Muslims as ‘slaves of God’, or submitters, who should have their needs met and then contribute to the needs of others. Much of this communal nature is attributed to the tribal history of many Islamic peoples, and the descendants of these people still have an egalitarian outlook on the world in which they live (Kanna, 109).
Muslims are not allowed to make money in ways that require little or no work, the Qur’an states: “They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: In them is great sin, and some profit for men; but the sin is greater than the profit”, gambling is usually illegal and frowned upon in Islamic societies because it is too easy to attain wealth through it (Williams and Zinkin, 523). Work is important in the Islamic culture, not necessarily for economic purposes in the Western sense, but because it allows for prosperity for everyone and is an example of activities rewarded for in the after-life that are ‘secular’ (William and Zinkin, 521). The idea of mutual

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