Tuesday, February 10, 2009

SCIENCE VERSUS RELIGION

People sometimes say that 'religion should not interfere with science', but if God has prohibited interest then which man has the right to contradict Him? Isn't it science that has interfered with religion?

The members of the Vienna Circle (secular economists) believe that the scientific world-conception is marked by the application of logical analysis, thus rejecting religion without realising the extent to which religion has played a role in formulating their own ideas. When we examine Western economic thought from the last three centuries, we might reasonably argue that Classicism, Marxism, Keynesianism and Monetarism are its four leading schools. Yet we do not see these schools as representing the ideas of 'Jewish economics' even though Ricardo, Marx, Keynes and Friedman were Jews. Their ideas are presented simply as 'economics'. An economics in which the practice of interest goes largely unchallenged. Interest is the price of money, no justification required.

Islamic economics differs fundamentally from man-made laws and systems in defining economic problem. It represents the only wholly independent, alternative economic paradigm in the world today. It is based on principles revealed from Islamic sources as norms for human welfare that offer a strikingly alternative set of parameters for economic activity. Because Islam differentiates between the basic needs and luxuries, there exists no concept of relative scarcity of resources in Islam. The resources available on earth are sufficient to secure the basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter) of fifty billion human beings. Such a misunderstanding has concealed the reality that starvation, poverty, and economic backwardness, result from misdistribution exasperated by man-made laws and systems.

"But seek, with the (wealth) which God has bestowed on you, the Home of the Hereafter, nor forget your portion in this world; but do good as God has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land; for God loves not those who do mischief." [Quran (Al-Qasas), 28:77]

Translation – Bahasa Melayu

Orang mengatakan bahawa agama tidak boleh dicampuradukkan dengan sains, tetapi jika Allah s.w.t. menegah riba jadi siapakah yang berhak/berani menentang suruhanNYa? Bukankah ini bermakna yang sains telah bercampur dengan agama?

Pakar-pakar ekonomi sekular pada sidang di Vienna percaya bahawa pandangan saintifik dunia adalah diapplikasikan menggunakan analisa logik semata-mata, dan mengenepikan agama tanpa menyedari bahawa agamalah yang telah memainkan peranan dalam mereka memformulasikan idea-idea mereka selama ini. Apabila kita meneliti pandangan pakar ekonomi dari Barat sejak tiga abad dahulu, kita dapati bahawa terdapat empat cabang ekonomi iaitu Classicism, Marxism, Keynesian dan Monetarism – walaubagaimanapun kita tidak nampak bahawa mereka ini (Ricardo, Marx, Keynes dan Friedman) adalah Yahudi – idea mereka adalah ekonomi Yahudi, di mana penggunaan faedah/riba sebagai harga untuk wang tidak disanggah sama sekali.

Ekonomi Islam amat berbeza dari hukum dan sistem buatan manusia dalam menangani masalah ekonomi. Ia merangkumi segala paradigma ekonomi yang ada di dunia masakini. Ianya berlandaskan prinsip-prinsip dari Al-Quran dan Sunnah dalam menangani permasalahan ejonomi untuk kebajikan manusia sejagat. Tiada konsep sumber terhad dalam ekonomi Islam - kerana Islam membezakan antara keperluan asas dengan keperluan mewah. Semua sumber yang ada di bumi ini cukup untuk keperluan asas umat manusia (makanan, pakaian dan tempat tinggal). Salahfaham yang wujud tentang kebuluran, kemiskinan melampau dan kemunduran ekonomi adalah datangnya dari ketidakseimbangan/ketidakcekapan dalam hukum dan sistem buatan manusia sendiri.

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