Reviewed by Justin Dalrymple, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
In the midst of the Cold War, influential Egyptian author, Sayed Kotb, penned Social Justice in Islam as a reaction to Western beliefs. Responding to what he saw as corrupt and fallible ideological systems, Christianity and Communism, he called for a return to what he believed was the essential Islamic ideology and way of life to be imposed in order to improve the social situation in Egypt. Kotb portrays Islam as more than just a religion; rather, it is an ideology that should be pervasive in every aspect of life. Kotb claims only Islam can provide the necessary tools to develop a prosperous society in which social justice is prevalent.
According to Sayed Kotb, in order for social justice to be adequately promoted, a proper philosophical/ideological understanding of the world and human nature must be ascertained. Here is where Christianity fails: it denies, or represses the needs of man in the material realm. Communism, on the other hand, completely denies the spiritual realm, and, as a result, cannot compensate for man’s needs in the spiritual realm. Thus, whereas the principles of Christianity and Communism are inadequate, Islam, as the true revelation of Allah concerning the world and human nature, is the only ideology to unify both the spiritual and material worlds. Consequently, it is the only ideology to act in and impact humanity in the spiritual and material worlds, and thus, it is provides the best foundation upon which to base social justice.
In this unified nature of Islam, the foundational principles of social justice are: 1) Absolute freedom of conscience, 2) The complete equality of all men, and 3) The permanent mutual responsibility of society. Of these the most important is the first: absolute freedom of conscience. Freedom of Conscience means man does not have to fear submitting to anyone else, except for Allah. Therefore, every man is free from the subjugation of other men and is able to make his own personal relationship with Allah. It also frees him to fervently seek out his own rights and justice. No longer is man enslaved to the outer tyranny of oppressors who are contrary to the will of Allah. And finally, Islam summons people to freedom from weakness of desires and passions that are against the will of Allah. In conclusion, Kotb states, “This freedom is therefore one of the cornerstones for the building of social justice in Islam. More: it is the principal cornerstone on which all the others must rest” (44).
From the freedom of conscience springs the second foundational principle of social justice: the complete equality of all men. When humanity fully realizes and comprehends the notion of freedom of conscience it will understand and be able to provide equality among it. While the concept of freedom of conscience should be enough to derive a principle of human equality among humanity, the Qur’an also explicitly claims it. Though the West limits its principles of equality to a merely materialistic point of view, Islam supports it in all of man’s totality.
The third foundation principle on which social justice rests is the mutual responsibility in society. Mutual responsibility is comprehensive and holds each member of society accountable for the well being of every part of society. Mutual responsibility holds the individual responsible for the good of society, and society responsible for the good of the society. This way, Kotb asserts, “It [mutual responsibility] enables life to progress on a level and even path, and to attain to the highest ends which can be served by the individual and by society alike” (68). In conclusion, correct application of these principles ensures the establishment and success of social justice.
Sayed Kotb, shifts then from a declaration of foundational principles of social justice, to their application in political theory and in relevance to social justice. Key to Sayed Kotb’s theory is this: “Political theory in Islam stands on the foundation of conscience rather than on that of law” (99). While the law can be manipulated and cheated, assurance of social justice depends on the conscience of the rulers and their subjects. Therefore, social justice depends more upon the character of the people than the mandate and administration of laws.
Of more importance to Sayed Kotb was economic theory. Kotb expounds, “There are these two things, legislation and exhortation, which together are the groundwork of economic theory, as they are the groundwork of all Islamic theory” (102). After the establishment of the above theory, Kotb begins a more detailed explanation of what economics in Islam looks like.
Pertaining to the theory of Individual Possession, Sayed Kotb states that everyone has the right to own and acquire possessions. However, the Right of Individual Possession is also checked by the Right of the Disposal of Property. This right declares that an individual maintains possessions merely as a steward of it in order to benefit society.
In conclusion, the prolific and profound author, Sayed Kotb, asserts that a proper foundation for social justice is based upon the Islamic teachings. These teachings see an unification of both the material and spiritual world. Thus, while Christianity suppresses the material world, and Communism denies the spiritual, Islam presents itself as the most comprehensive and therefore best ideology upon which to base social justice. This social justice involves 1) Absolute freedom of conscience, 2) The complete equality of all men, and 3) The permanent mutual responsibility of society. When applied to political theory, these principles seek to influence man’s character as pertains to social justice, rather than imposing strict laws which can be manipulated and deceived by corruption. Relating to economic theory these principles seek to show the necessity of every individual working to gather acquisitions in order for the benefit of society.
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