Economics:
:
Sustenance that sustains life
Contents
1. Introduction: The semantic frame/domain of Economics in
Arabic language; Economic system is founded upon philosophy and
belief about life
2. There are two philosophies about life; hence there are two
economic systems since
the emergence of civilization:
a) Divine Economy: For those who have faith with conviction in the
continuity of life: Resurrection and Accountability: Upshot Hell-Prison or Paradise;
b) Capitalist Economy: Devised by those whose Philosophy and belief about life
is: We live only once—no
resurrection. Upshot: Hell-Prison
Introduction
Experts suggest it is useful to view the vocabulary of a language/text as a set of
words referring to a series of conceptual fields. In linguistics, these
divisions are called Semantic fields. A semantic field or
semantic domain is a set of words grouped by meaning referring to
a subject; languages will have fields of distance, location,
size, shape, time, emotion, beliefs, economics, academic subjects, natural
phenomena, etc. Each field can have many sub-divisions or lexical sets:
actual words and expressions. Semantic fields are arranged
hierarchically, going from the more general to the more specific.
Linguists generally refer the general word by umbrella term "superordinate" and the
specific word as "hyponym". The
propositional meaning carried by a general word or superordinate is part
of the meaning of each of its hyponyms but not vice versa. In Arabic,
each Root is
specific to a semantic field referring to a subject.
The concept—semantic frame of economics—economic or material
wellbeing - all maters relating to wealth is portrayed in the Grand Qur’ān by the
word:
a noun of action [اسم
مصدر].
It is derived from Root: ع ى ش. The basic perception infolded in it was described by learned Ibn Faris [died
1005 -
(مقاييس اللغة)] in these words:
(مقاييس اللغة)
العين والياء والشين أصلٌ صحيح
يدلُّ على حياةٍ وبقاء
That it leads to the perception of life,
and survival - subsistence. |
Lanes Lexicon says:
مَعَاشٌ.
مَعِيشَةٌ inf. n. of
عَاشَ
Also Victuals, living,
sustenance, or food and drink by which one lives; that whereby
life subsists;
the means of life or
subsistence;
In Urdu we have borrowed words with
similar proposition-concept:
معاشیات-عیش۔عیاشی: ہنسی
خوشی بغیر تفکرات یا غم کے زندگی گزارنا
The concept, perception infolded in the Root reflects that
Economics is like lifeline for survival of a person and society having analogy
with blood which is lifeline for each cell of the body and human life as a whole
unit.
Allah the Exalted has outlined and explained that there are
only two systems of economics that are pursued by Man ever since the first
known civilization: the nation described by association with the name of elevated
Messenger of Allah the Exalted, Noah alahissalam. Their foundation is with
reference to two
philosophies about life.
One System was devised by
a group of deviants who refused to believe in the Hereafter. They have
materialist worldview; "we live
only once". They believe not
about facing a reckoning for their actions. They revolve around a
presumptive belief that
resources
are scarce to fulfil their unlimited wants. They believe that Man is
self-interested being. They consider pain and pleasure are two sovereign masters
that govern the life of a man. They have the ideology that makes money-capital
the central purpose of life for all individuals. They worship it believing it
gives them the power; they can tame and enslave people and become in charge
of existence. They make
people believe in themselves, they
turn human "self" as "inner god", naively
rendering them slaves of desires. Divine guidance is a myth in their opinion.
Their philosophy is human minds were the only source of knowledge. They are
trapped in a vicious circle that the determining forces behind the reality of
universe are causation, nature, and chance.
The other Economic System is devised and proposed by Allah the
Exalted for those who truly believe in the continuity of life in
the Hereafter and are convinced of accountability for actions in Earthly life. They are given a method of
earning to ensure an economy of affluence and wellbeing for the truly living
life of Hereafter.
The difference between two systems is primarily of
philosophy and ideology about life; and not merely of economic terms, financial
instruments and institutions. We for ease of reference term them as
Divine
Economy and
Capitalist Economy.
We
humans do not belong to
this Universe comprising of Earth and the Sky layered into seven
segments. Our origin is partly terrestrial since some constituent
elements are earthly but the primary and
vital element is water which is extraterrestrial matter, flash descended
in measured quantity and
stored in the Earth [23:18].
We came into existence in areas beyond the space of Universe of Earth and Skies.
However, a happening caused us
to leave that place and we came down to the Earth. Perhaps, all those present on
the Earth would have observed for the first time a UFO-Unidentified foreign object landing
with the first Man and the First Lady onboard as governors enjoying
autonomy-discretionary powers to self administer their affairs:
[ref
2:30].
We were told that this
descent and sojourn is for a limited period and that we might be
ascended back subject to we follow certain conditions, whereby the most
disturbing emotional concerns will fade. Man was plainly told while he
was seen off to land on the Earth:
The universal principle laid down for
strict compliance to secure perpetual success and a truly living life in
the Hereafter was to follow the Book of Allah the Exalted in
timeline fixed for the Earthly life. Those will be declared successful
and will be given their record in their right hand who complied with and
lived consciously avoiding breach of the cognizable offences; and
orienting themselves to the best of their knowledge and capacity with
the Code of Conduct prescribed in the Book of Allah the Exalted:
It is reiterated:
The upshot of other group of people was also declared:
It is thus evident that common human
beings are divided in two groups, the
Believers of Divine Book and
guidance and
Non-Believers of Divine Book. In the Hereafter, the abodes
for common human beings are two, the
Paradise and
Hell-Prison. The
economy of life in Paradise is of affluence and par excellence
pleasure. The economy of life in the
Hell-Prison is straitened by
meagre resources. The details of economic conditions obtaining
in the Paradise and the Hell-Prison we will discuss later. In the next
chapter we will discuss the philosophy and economic system of
people who believe not in the Hereafter.
2.
There are two philosophies about life; hence there are two
economic systems since
the emergence of civilization:
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