Foundations of Social Policy and Welfare in Islam

Abstract

This chapter aims to elaborate various aspects of Islamic social teachings with regard to social policy and welfare in two main areas of values and principles as well as instruments and practices. Adopting a ‘social theology’ approach, the authors provide the reader with a conceptual framework to understand the status of Islamic teachings in the social policy atmosphere of various Muslim societies. After explaining the main sources of deriving Islamic rules, the chapter illustrates a set of values and principles (like takaful, tawazun and avoidance of tadawul) which underpin and guide the practice of social welfare in Islamic teachings. Based on the above mentioned principles, this chapter briefly examines a series of strategies and solutions for providing social welfare according to Islamic teachings, including Zakat, Khums and Waqf. These practices are mostly of a redistributive nature and include both obligatory and non-obligatory actions by the Islamic state and individual Muslims.