ریاستِ پاکستان میں غربت کے سیاسی و اقتصادی اسباب: قرآن و حدیث اور عمر بن عبدالعزیزؒ کے فلاحی اقدامات کے تناظر میں تحقیقی مطالعہ

Political and Economic Causes of Poverty in the State of Pakistan: A Research Study in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith and the Welfare Reforms of Caliph ʿUmar ibn Abd al-Aziz (RA)

Abstract

Poverty represents a profound and pervasive challenge of the modern era, extending far beyond mere scarcity of financial resources to encompass the erosion of human dignity, social stability, economic equilibrium, and moral values. This article examines this comprehensive conception of poverty in the light of the Holy Quran, the Prophetic Sunnah, Islamic history particularly the era of Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah be pleased with him) and the contemporary socio-economic context of Pakistan. The study elucidates that the primary causes of poverty prominently include political instability, opaque policymaking, weak enforcement of law, inequitable distribution of resources, lack of sustainable planning, and inflation.

The article highlights that Islam views poverty not merely as an individual affliction but as a state responsibility, providing practical principles for its eradication such as social justice, a structured system of Zakat and charities, the Bayt al-Mal, endowments (Awqaf), incentives for labor, and societal welfare. Historical evidence demonstrates that when a state upholds justice, integrity, and political stability, poverty can be effectively eliminated, whereas oppression, corruption, and incompetence breed economic distress. Likewise, a sustainable solution to poverty in Pakistan lies not in transient relief measures but in transparent governance rooted in Islamic principles, supremacy of law, long-term planning, and development of human capital.