BOOK REVIEW ISLAMIC ECONOMICS: A SHORT HISTORY By El-Ashker. Ahmed Abdel-Fattah & Wilson. Rodney, Leiden; The Netherlands Koninklijke Brill Academia Publisher, 2006, ISBN-13: 978-90-04-15134-5, Pp. xv+450pages. Reviewed by Muhammad Sholahuddin, Ph.D. Student, Department of Economics, Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia.(Lecturer of Islamic Financial Institutions in University of Muhammadiyah in Surakarta (www.ums.ac.id), e-mail: msuddin@ums.ac.id) as assignment for Islamic Economic Subject (Lecturer: Prof. Mohamed Aslam Haneef). Research on the history of Islamic economic thought started much later during 1930s (Islahi, 2008). Most of scholars discussed economic ideas of famous previous scholars such as Ibn Khaldun, al-maqrizi, al-biruni. In 2006, Ahmed Abdel-Fattah el- Ashker who was researcher in IRTI, IDB and Prof. Rodney Wilson (Durham University) did not only compile those references, but also studied Muslim economic thought from the emergence of Islam, long before economics became a separate discipline with distinctive analytical tools which has been titled as The History of Islamic Economics: a Short History. Before turning to the substance of el-ashker and Wilson s book, let me make a few preliminary points about how they approached his reconstruction of Islamic economic history. I will return to some of these points at the end of the review. Methodology History has three sources: History books, archaeological objects and narration (Muhammad, 2002). Historical books should not be considered as a main source of references but it can be complementary source because they are influenced by the political conditions of the time. They are filled with lies, either supporting the people at whose time these books were written or attacking those at the time before these books were written. Archaeological objects (excavation and antiquities) would provide historical facts if studied honestly. As for the third source namely narration, it is a correct source, which 1
can be relied on if the narration was correct and the method followed in collecting the narration was the same as the method followed in collecting the ahadith. The classical books of history, such as the history of Ibn Hisham were written based on this method. It is evident that Islam was implemented and nothing else was applied throughout all the periods. Even though the writers do not explain the methodology of their study explicitly, it is clearly mentioned in the acknowledgement that this book use library literature research especially in Durham University (UK), Songkla University (Thailand) and the University of Paisley (Scotland). They also get some suggestions and the other materials from many colleagues. They use time order approach to reconstruct this history book and emphasis some eras. An Excellent Islamic Economic Historical Explanation The economic environment in ancient Arabia from which Islam emerged is examined in chapter one. This chapter explains geographic advantages and the strategic position for business and trade. The economic concepts in the Qur'an and Sunnah and its applications when Islamic state birth until the prophet passed away are discussed in chapter two. This chapter is very important for Islamic economists, because they should base the treatise on the subject on the two primary sources of the religion: the Qur àn and the Sunnah Chapter three concern the economic thought of four rightly guided chaliph i.e. Abu Bakr (632 634), Umar ibn al-khattab(634 644), Uthmàn bin Affan(644 656) and Ali bin Abi Thalib (656 661). All caliphs contributed to the development of the Islamic economic thought (p.94). The subject of Chapter four is the Caliphates of The Umayyads (661 A.C. 750 A.C.) is the reforms of administrative, economic and monetary. This period was developed in Islamic urbanisation system (p.135-136), agriculture (p.137-139), trade and commerce (p.140-142), legal form of business partnerships and fiscal policy in details (p.146-154). 2
Chapter five explored the golden age of Abbasids era in Islamic economic thought. There were many scholars writing Islamic Economic book which described the economic phenomena at that time such as Treasure in Kharaj (Abu Yusuf, 731 798 A.C.) Chapter six is period of political fragmentation and cultural diversity (1000 A.C. 1400 A.C). This chapter deals with the crucial stage of Islamic history associated with the political decline of the caliphate. Chapter seven describe the economic conditions in three empires and the Islamic phoenix (1400 A.C. 1800 A.C.). There were the era of the Ottoman (p.285-301), the Sawafid empire (p.301-305) and the Mongol (p.305-315). Chapter Eight explains the period of 1800 A.C. to 20th Century. It was the period of crisis of modernisation and Islamicisation which are traditional movements, reconciling movements and secularised movements. In 20 th century, the influence of the Islamic reform movements have increased Muslim s confidence to find the Islamic solution for their problems in economic, politic and spiritual. The revival of Muslim generating some world Islamic organizations such as OIC, IDB, and the Islamisation of economic systems in some Muslim countries especially in financial system (p.331-336). The last chapter focuses on Islamic Economics in the Twentieth Century which is Islamic economic renaissance. This is a century of the development of Islamic economics and the partial Islamisation of economic and financial systems. The closing remarks of this book are the future of Islamic economics with emphasis on challenges and opportunities of Islamic economic system. Impact of Worldview To examine the implementation of Islam throughout its history, the content of the book based on author s worldview. Instead Islamic history should be taken from the the authors whose Islamic worldview. As a critical note, the authors have perception that as a character of individualism of Arabic Bedouin, the society bored one of the early signs of the spirit of capitalism. In fact, Capitalism was coming in next 13 centuries after the prophet passed away. Fortunately, in the next explanation the authors said that Islam recognizes the nature of 3
individualism in human beings, but there are rules to control it without forgetting its social responsibility. When explaining the character of clanism, the authors said that system of democracy in pre-islamic Arabia survived the coming of Islam, though it was modified so that it would conform to Islamic norm (p.8). In democracy, the people elect the authorities to carry out the people-made law, not sharia law. Besides, another principle of democracy is the sovereignty of the people. While, in Islamic perspective the people choose the leader to run the Islamic rulers. In addition, sovereignty is not in the hands of the people, but in the hands of Islamic rules because only the God has right to make laws (Holy Quran, al-an'am [6]: 57). In my opinion, the most interesting of this book is the authors can write different opinion to Max Weber (1964) whom argued that Islam is the religion of the soldiers. Religious war for the soldiers is to get the spoils, primarily in the form of land. Thus that society formed the community system of feudalism (Lewis, 1960). The feudal social structure gradually changed into patrimonial during the Ottoman Caliphate. The longer the more likely it is for them to obtain local taxation (fiefdom) (Lewis, 1973). While the sole ruler still projecting themselves as 'the father of the people', the process of masses impoverishment was continued (Reinhard Bendix, 1962; Turner, 2010). (Max Weber Translated by Ephraim Fischoff, 1964)k El-Ashker and Wilson in this book replied that the result of land tax ('ushur, fai') is used for the benefit of the people in the form of infrastructure development. In addition, productive land leasing was the prevailing in feudal system. Instead the Islamic system, it is not acceptable to the State. Moreover, since future Caliph Umar bin Khattab, If the owners of productive land could not manage it in the past three years, the state will confiscate the land was handed over to another person who is able to manage it (Ghazanfar, 2003; Nagaoka, 2012). With these regulations, throughout the 13th century the economic history of Islam never happen the process of impoverishment except in one or two cases of misconduct by agents of state personally. Conclusion 4
El-Ashker and Wilson has given a great contribution to the history of Islamic economic thought with a systematic explanation orderly since the Prophet Muhammad with the socio-economic situation of that time until the early 20th century AC in 450 pages only. To create this masterpiece book, the authors would require the deployment of all abilities, energy, thoughts, and take long time. In addition, El-Ashker and Wilson has provided us a modern analysis without deviating sources of Islamic law. The authors were able to describe the thinking of scholars in Islamic economics earlier clearly, which has the other knowledge in the field of psychology, math and science as well as religious, as if the authors lived with them so that the book is more alive and more interesting. Viewed in this light, the Islamic economist without knowledge of these other disciplines will be a bad Islamic economist. To sum up, when the Islamic society is studied on this basis i.e. to study it from all its aspects and through thorough investigation it can be found to be the best society. Since, it was so for the first, second and third centuries, in fact, right up to the middle of the twelfth century hijrah. One finds that the society applied Islam throughout all its ages right up to the end of the Ottoman State as an Islamic state. And this book can describe it more than I expected. I rank this book as one of the most serious and best Islamic economic history book in recent times. 5
References El-Ashker, Ahmed Abdel-Fattah & Wilson, R. (2006). Islamic Economics: A Short History (p. 2012). Leiden: The Netherlands Koninklijke Brill Academia Publisher. Ghazanfar, S. M. (2003). Medieval Islamic economic thought: filling the Great Gap in European. London, UK: Routledge Curzon. Islahi, A. A. (2008). Thirty Years of Research in the History of Islamic Economic Thought: Assessment and Future Directions. Seventh International Conference on Islamic Economics April 1-3, 2008. Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Islamic Economics Research Center, King Abdulaziz University. Lewis, B. (1960). The arabs in History. New York: Harper Torchbooks. Lewis, B. (1973). Ottoman Observers of Ottoman Decline in Islam in History. New York: The Library Press. Max Weber Translated by Ephraim Fischoff. (1964). The Sociology of Religion. Boston: Beacon Press. Muhammad, H. M. H. (2002). Tsalatsuna Nadwah Wa Ta qib an Ta tsirat al-aqidah al-islamiyah wa Tasyri atiha fi al-fardi wa al-mujtama'. hawarey.org. Nagaoka, S. (2012, November). Critical Overview of the History of Islamic Economics: Formation, Transformation, and New Horizons. Departemental bulletin paper of Asian and African Area Studies. Kyoto, Japan. Reinhard Bendix. (1962). Max Weber: an Intelectual Portrait. New York: Double Day, Anchor Book. Turner, B. S. (2010). Revisiting Weber and Islam. The British journal of sociology, 61 Suppl 1, 161 6. doi:10.1111/j.1468-4446.2009.01285.x 6