Characteristics Of Welfar State

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Characteristics of a Islamic Welfare State

Is Pakistan a Welfare State?

By: Mrs. Najmunnisa Siddiqui


Definition: Welfare State

• It is a state in which the government assumes responsibility for minimum standards of living for every citizen.

• Welfare state can also mean the creation of a "social safety net" of minimum standards of varying forms of welfare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_safety_net


Contd…

• An ideal model. The "welfare state" usually refers to an ideal model of provision, where the state accepts responsibility for the provision of comprehensive and universal welfare for its citizens.


Contd…

• A welfare state is a government that provides for the welfare, or the well-being, of its citizens completely.

• Such a government is involved in citizens’ lives at every level.

• It provides for physical, material, and social needs rather than the people providing for their own.


History of Welfare state

• The "concept of what one might call a welfare state" appeared during the Rashidun Caliphate in the 8th century.

• The concepts of welfare and pension were introduced in early Islamic law as forms of Zakat (charity), one of the five Pillars of Islam].

• The taxes (including Zakat and Jizya) collected in the treasury of an Islamic government were used to provide income for the needy, including the poor, elderly, orphans, widows, and the disabled.

• According to the Islamic jurist Al-Ghazali (Algazel, 1058-1111), the government was also expected to store up food supplies in every region in case a disaster or famine occurred.[7]


Purpose of Welfare State

• The purpose of the welfare state is to create economic and social equality or to assure equitable standards of living for all, access to justice, freedom of faith, freedom of speech and transparency in decisions of executive.


Contd…..

• The welfare state provides education, housing, sustenance, healthcare, pensions, unemployment insurance, sick leave or time off due to injury, supplemental income in some cases, and equal wages through price and wage controls.


Contd…

• It also provides for public transportation, childcare, social amenities such as public parks and libraries, as well as many other goods and services.

• Some of these items are paid for via government insurance programs while others are paid for by taxes.


Quaid e Azam and the concept of welfare state

• “It is not our purpose to make the rich richer and to accelerate the process of accumulation in the hands of few individuals.

• We should aim at leveling up the general standard of living amongst the masses, our ideal should not be capitalistic but Islamic and the interests and welfare of the people as a whole should be kept constantly in mind.”


• ii) “Pakistan should not blindly follow Western economic theory and practice and should develop its own economic system based on true Islamic concept of equality of manhood and social justice”. Yusufi (1996)

• iii) Public sector should play a more active role in providing a et work of social and public utility services and relief and amenities, specially in underdeveloped areas, Key industries should also be controlled and managed by the state.


• Thus in view of all this an Islamic state should have following characteristics:

• 1) It should be absolutely non-discriminatory on the basis of race, colour, language and nationality; 00

• 2) it should guarantee gender equality;

• 3) it should guarantee equal rights to all religious groups and accept plurality of religion as legitimate and


• 4) lastly it should be democratic in nature whose basic premise will be human dignity (17:70).

• Only those states which fulfill these criteria can be construed to be Islamic in nature.

• Thus an Islamic state is the very epitome of modern democratic pluralistic state.


Qualities of Welfare State?• The Security of Life and Property • The Protection of Honour • The Sanctity and Security of Private Life• The Security of Personal Freedom• The Right to Protest Against Tyranny • Freedom of Expression • Freedom of Conscience and

Conviction• Right of Education


• Protection of Religious Sentiments• Protection from Arbitrary

Imprisonment• The Right to Basic Necessities of Life• Equality Before Law • Rulers Not Above the Law • The Right to Avoid Sin• The Right to Participate in the Affairs of

State


The Security of Life and Property

• "Your lives and properties are forbidden to one another till you meet your Lord on the Day of Resurrection.” (Holy Prophet SAW)

• God Almighty has laid down in the Holy Quran: "Anyone who kills a believer deliberately will receive as his reward (a sentence) to live in Hell for ever.


• Along with security of life, Islam has with equal clarity and definiteness conferred the right of security of ownership of property.

• The Law of God categorically declares "Do not devour one another's wealth by false and illegal means" (2:188).


The Protection of Honour

• The second important right is the right of the citizens to the protection of their honour.

• The Holy Quran clearly lays down: • (a) "You who believe, do not let one (set of)

people make fun of another set. • (b) Do not defame one another. • (c) Do not insult by using nicknames. • d) And do not backbite or speak ill of one

another" (49:11-12).


The Sanctity/holiness and Security of Private Life

• Islam recognizes the right of every citizen of its state that there should be no undue interference or encroachment on the privacy of his life.

• The Holy Quran has laid down the injunction: "Do not spy on one another" (49:12).

• "Do not enter any houses except your own homes unless you are sure of their occupants' consent" (24:27).

• Caliph 'Umar said: "In Islam no one can be imprisoned except in pursuance of justice." The words used here clearly indicate that justice means due process of law.


The Security of Personal Freedom

• Islam has also laid down the principle that no citizen can be imprisoned unless his guilt has been proved in an open court.

• To arrest a man only on the basis of suspicion and to throw him into a prison without proper court proceedings and without providing him a reasonable opportunity to produce his defense is not permissible in Islam.


The Right to Protest Against Tyranny Freedom of Expression

• the right to protest against government's tyranny.

• Referring to it the Quran says: "God does not love evil talk in public unless it is by some- one who has been injured thereby" (4:148).

• This means that God strongly disapproves of abusive language or strong words of condemnation, but the person who has been the victim of injustice or tyranny, God gives him the right to openly protest against the injury that has been done to him.

• This right is not limited only to individuals.


The Right to Basic Necessities of Life

• government is the guardian of anyone who has no other guardian. -(Abu Daud, Tirmizi)

• The above mentioned saying of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) establish beyond any doubt that the responsibility of providing basic needs to its citizens lies on the Islamic state.

• In this matter, Islam has made no distinction between the Muslims and non-Muslims


• The Holy Qur’an has referred to the basic human needs in these words : “There is therein (enough provision) for thee not to go hungry nor to go naked; nor to suffer from thirst, nor from the sun’s heat” (20 : 118-119).

• In other words, food, clothing and house are the basic human needs which are the minimum requirement of a human being to lead his life in this world

• Thus basic human needs are : protection from hunger and thirst, protection from nakedness, and protection from sun’s heat which means shelter.


• Also, as per the Qur'anic teachings the Islamic state should guarantee equal rights to all ethnic, racial, cultural, tribal and religious groups.

• The Qur'an considers racial, national, tribal and linguistic differences as signs of Allah and indicative of identity (see 30:22).

• It also accepts the right of other religious communities to follow their own religion and it also accords equal status to men and women (see 33:35 and 2:228).

• The Qur'an accepts plurality in society as will of Allah (5:48).


Education

• The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim." - Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 74

• The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “One who treads a path in search of knowledge has his path to Paradise made easy by God…” - Riyadh us-Saleheen, 245

• Provision of education is the responsibility of Islamic state.


• Article 26.(Human Rights UNO)• (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall

be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.


• Education should be given top priority as an instrument of socio-economic change.

• With emphasis on compulsory primary education and production of professional and technical manpower.


• There should be no discrimination between sexes in any sector of society Industrial workers and peasants should be organized to ensure adequate wages and to promote health, education and recreation


Health, Food & Shelter

• (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

• (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.


Freedom of Expression

• Islam gives the right of freedom of thought and expression to all citizens of the Islamic State on the condition that it should be used for the propagation of virtue and truth and not for spreading evil and wickedness.


• The Holy Quran has described this quality of the Faithful in the following words: "They enjoin what is proper and forbid what is improper" (9:71).


Freedom of Conscience and Conviction

• Islam also gives the right to freedom of conscience and conviction to its citizens in an Islamic State.

• The Holy Quran has laid down the injunction: "There should be no coercion in the matter of faith" (2:256).


Protection of Religious Sentiments

• Along with the freedom of conviction and freedom of conscience,Islam has given the right to the individual that his religious sentiments will be given due respect and nothing will be said or done which may encroach upon this right.

• It has been ordained by God in the Holy Quran: "Do not abuse those they appeal to instead of God" (6:10


Equality Before Law

• Islam gives its citizens the right to absolute and complete equality in the eyes of the law.

• As far as the Muslims are concerned, there are clear instructions in the Holy Quran and hadith that in their rights and obligations they are all equal: "The believers are brothers (to each other)" (49:10).

• "If they (disbelievers) repent and keep up prayer and pay the Ipoor-due, they are your brothers in faith" (9:11).


• The Prophet has said that: "The life and blood of Muslims are equally precious" (Abu Dawud; Ibn Majjah).

• In another hadith he has said: "The protection given by all Muslims is equal. Even an ordinary man of them can grant protection to any man" (al-Bukhari; Muslim; Abu Dawud).


. Rulers Not Above the

• Islam clearly insists and demands that all officials of the Islamic State, whether he be the head or an ordinary employee, are equal in the eyes of the law.

• None of them is above the law or can claim immunity. Even an ordinary citizen in Islam has the right to put forward a claim or file a legal complaint against the highest executive of the country


Rights of non muslims• Islam has also laid down rights for non-Muslims who may be

living within the boundaries of an Islamic state, and these rights necessarily form part of the Islamic constitution.

• The life, property and honor of non-Muslim citizens is to be respected and protected in exactly the same way as that of Muslim citizens. Nor is there difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim citizen in respect of civil or criminal law, though there are differences in family law in respect of the diversity of religious practices and family codes.

• The Islamic state may not interfere with the personal rights of non-Muslims, who have full freedom of conscience and belief and are at liberty to perform their religious rites and ceremonies in their own way.

• Even if a non-Muslim state oppresses its Muslim citizens, it is not permissible for an Islamic state to retaliate against its own non-Muslim citizens. It may not unjustly shed the blood of a single non-Muslim citizen living within its boundarie

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Characteristics Of Welfar State