A Qur'anic Model for a Universal Economic Theory

A Qur’anic Model for a Universal Economic Theory 5
This first stage of the MPC depicts the historical beginnings of the creation of man
in Heaven and the dramatic events that led to his descendence to earth. Even at this
early stage the basic nature of the MPC is evident. It basically involves a test by God for
man: a test the nature of which will be revealed in the following pages as the MPC
unfolds itself. However, the basic ingredients of this test existed from the beginning of
man's creation and were the reason for his expulsion from the Garden. It involves a test
of will for man, and the domain of the test is the very economic domain with which we
are concerned. When in the Garden, the only economic activity that Adam and Eve had
to undertake was that of consumption, since production was taken care of directly by the
Divine Power, and since everything wanted was readily available in plenty as to raise no
distributional problems. Notice that verse (2) specified the basic logistics that man
needs for the worship of God, which are economic in nature. These are: food to satisfy
hunger, clothes to cover nakedness, water to satisfy thirst and a shelter.
This early test for man involved a choice between two patterns of consumption
each of which has its utility and disutility. One pattern of consumption was prescribed
by God and has the utility of pleasure plus permanent residence in the Garden. The
other pattern of consumption was prescribed by Iblis (the avowed enemy of man) and
has the seeming utility of exploring the pleasures of a new type of consumption; a
consumption that yields the pleasure of eternity in life and kingdom. The disutility
involved in the first pattern of consumption is the pain for man to exercise his willpower
and reason to obey his Lord and keep his desire for new pleasures in check. The
disutility involved in the second pattern of consumption is the misery promised for
Adam by God. Yet despite the obvious choice that stands to reason, the desire for
pleasure overpowered reason and willpower, and man in that celestial abode disobeyed
his Lord and hence failed the test.
Thus man landed on earth because he failed to be rational in his consumption
behavior; or shall we say that because he opted for pleasure as the guiding principle of
rational choice? Being on earth, he has to face the added economic activities of
production and distribution, and for these man now has to labour. Thus we see that in
this early test for man the economic factor plays a central role, and the question is now
whether the MPC for man on earth still bears the nature of a test and whether economics
still plays the decisive role in this test. This brings us to the next stage of the MPC
where man is to start his new life on earth.
Stage (2) of the MPC
(1) "I have only created Jinns and men, that they may worship Me." (51:56).
(2) "He who created death and life, that He may try which of you is best in
deed." (67:2).
(3) "He it is who created the heavens and the earth in six days and His Throne
was over water that might try you, which of you is best in deed." (11:7).
(4) "That which is on earth We have made but as a glittering show for the earth,
in order that we may test them as to which of them are best in deed." (18:7).