by Abu Dharr (Opinion, Crescent International Vol. 55, No. 3, Dhu al-Qa'dah, 1446)
‘Uthman’s “liberalization” of the hitherto austere economy, though well-intentioned, and lifting travel restrictions on the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) placed by his predecessor ‘Umar, led to unintended consequeces. The well-to-do and affluent companions began to make the most of this “updated” economic system in which (financial) transactions were now determined by unconstrained competition between privately owned ventures or “businesses” without “prior governmental oversight/interference”.
Let us take an example and demonstrate what that means. One affluent and prosperous companion of the Prophet (pbuh) was Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd Illah. He possessed huge assets, resources and belongings in Hijaz. And he, like other successful entrepreneurs, knew that their “business capital” in Hijaz was much less profitable than it would be if they were to invest it in the flourishing and burgeoning cosmopolitan areas to the north of Arabia.
He thus purchased shares/stocks of a conquered and liberated Khaybar—[the prosperous Yahudi enclave in northerly Arabia] that was conquered and liberated by Rasul-Allah, Imam ‘Ali and the Sahabah. So, when ‘Uthman “loosened” the economic policies hitherto adhered to by his predecessors, Talhah sold all his shares in Khaybar to people in Hijaz who participated in the liberation of ‘Iraq in exchange for what they had attained and procured there.
Further, Talhah had more liquidity and financial resources so he bought more land and estates in ‘Iraq from the advancing and pioneering Islamically committed Hijazis. Talhah also traded land that he possessed in Hijaz for land in ‘Iraq. Others who were well-off did the same. Landlords who disliked being away from Hijaz sold their remote properties and bought properties closer to Hijaz.
This resulted in a new development: large country estates and housing estates in ‘Iraq and other areas now belonged to some well-heeled companions. One way of objectively understanding this is that those who had more money were buying off holdings that belonged to people who were less affluent. Among those who were capable of wholesale purchases were Talhah, al-Zubair, and Marwan ibn al-Hakam.
Financial transactions, tradeoffs, and lending along these lines reached a high pitch during the first and winding year(s) of ‘Uthman’s time in office. This was not limited to merely swapping and trafficking between Hijaz and ‘Iraq. It also included transactions between residents of Arabia-central and contiguous liberated and productive zones.
This appears to be the first time that “social group consciousness” or societal stratification began to emerge in the Islamic society. We avoid using the words plutocrat, aristocrat, democrat, etc… as these have their rugged roots in Euro-American (Judeo-Christian) context and history.
Another concomitant development was that the new landlords were keen on employing (some would say “making the most of”) the work force or the wage earners discriminatively. This meant that there was a principled departure from the equality, equity and values of divine commitment unto a lesser standard of commercial priorities and expediency.
It was not long in the making that Hijaz turned into an affluent “wonderland.” This newly acquired privileged circumstance and material comfort undid—to a certain degree—the selfless social standards that prevailed earlier. A gap was beginning to develop between those who were hard working and those who were hardly working.
The psychological weaknesses and material conveniences of the Roman and Persian empires began to seep into altruistic Islamic communities. The Prophetic high benchmark of psychological strength of equality and justice-centered Islamic communities was gradually being diluted in al-Ta’if, Makkah, and even to some extent in al-Madinah. An air of leisure, indulgence, and high-living crept into the stronghold of the Muhajireen and Ansar—the bulwark of the Prophet’s steadfast generation.
Tantalizing music, dissipated dancing, and even melodramatic poetry encroached upon the heartland of Islam. The idea and ideals of first generation Islamic justice and equality that attracted populations of non-Muslims to Islam were being damaged and dishonored by those in power and those possessing disproportionate wealth who were considered to be the representatives of Islam. There was a mass of people now who could not barter land in ‘Iraq for land in Hijaz and could not swap estates in Hijaz for estates in ‘Iraq! How do you think they felt?!
‘Uthman or those who were sincerely advising him could not have calculated that an “open door economy” would result in such a social schism and potential political polarization. ‘Uthman sensed belatedly that this unrestricted economic policy had to be rectified or modified.
This writer does not detect in an objective manner any success by ‘Uthman in limiting the financial and demographic dislocations that accrued. There may have been, in all likelihood, less than honest Makkan/Quraishi/Umawyi individuals within ‘Uthman’s inner circle who wanted to tip the balance of power away from the kindred spirits of Muhammad (pbuh)—the Muhajireen and Ansar and thus away from the soul mates of the Prophet (pbuh) to their own pre-Islamic Makkan-centric cultural cum-clannish solidarity with their newly acquired Islamic appellations, individualities, and facades…
It must be noted that the initial breach of Prophetic Islamic social togetherness was seemingly an innocuous economic policy but it turned out to be covetous. The self-sacrificing Islamic forces at another level were pressing on into the four corners of the earth with the message of universal justice, social equality and divine guidelines at the same time that this inching internal erosion was taking place. Remember too that four fifths of the spoils of war were allocated to the self-sacrificing Islamic military emancipators at the warfronts.
These military personnel were stationed in Islamic liberated territories on a four year rotation basis with the provision that they advance into combat duties every six months – more or less. The number of prisoners of war was increasing and this added extra burden on governmental social welfare programs for these to-be-unshackled ex-enemies of Islam.
At this perilous time, an Islamic government needed a period of peace and stability so that it could manage a huge and multifaceted influx of people into the Islamic web of justice. But that was not possible simply because the external political and military enemies of Islam would not discontinue their bellicosity.
This general warlike environment inspired the frontline Islamic commanders to press on, sometimes competitively, with their unavoidable combat duties. The logistics of peripheral military necessities along with the wearing down of internal social solidarity were to take a toll on ‘Uthman’s leadership.
His “free market” economic policy became mainstream in the 30th year of the Hijrah and ‘Uthman was assassinated five years later. What began as a gesture of good-hearted official relaxation of strict economic and social policies by ‘Uthman which were enthusiastically received by the public, turned out to be counterproductive and maybe even calamitous.
With hindsight we can say that when ‘Umar quarantined the mass of the Muhajireen and Ansar to al-Madinah, he also, to a large extent, confined their capital and funds in al-Madinah. This policy preserved a tight social fabric which “forced” the affluent to be more intimately forthcoming and more generous toward those who were less fortunate. ‘Umar never forbade the wealthy committed Muslims from making profit but he made sure they realized that a good deal of the extra money that they were making belonged to those who were in need. He still felt that more needed to be done. He is reported to have said towards the end of his life:
لواستقبلت من أمري ما استدبرت لأخذت من الأغنياء فضول أموالهم فرددتها على الفقراء
[If I were, in the days yet to come, to encounter what I have encountered in days past, I would [undeniably] take away the surplus profits of those who are rich and give it [back] to those who are poor.]
Another event in our early Islamic history that sheds light on this complex and considerate economic development is the following: the inhabitants of al-Madinah one day heard a remarkable rumble and reverberation. Umm al-Mu’mineen ‘A’ishah,, asked: What is that? She was told that the rumbling comes from a commercial laden caravan belonging to ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf [one of the well-off and well to do companions of the Prophet (pbuh)]. ‘A’ishah said then and there: I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say: As if I perceive of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf walking on al-Sirat at one time swaying and at another time resolutely until he finally and barely spanned it (al-Sirat). When this account was relayed to ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf he commented: It [the caravan] and all its merchandise are ceded [to all in need] as sadaqah. The caravan consisted of 500 mounts.
O people! [Anyway you choose to measure yourselves], you are destitute [in need] of Allah, whereas Allah is in no need [of anyone], the Abundantly Appreciated – Surat Fatir, Ayat 15.
