Towards A Unified Zakat System

According to Khan and Mirakhor (1986: 32) Islamic economicsis:... a complete system that prescribes specificpatterns of economic behaviour for allindividuals and society within an Islamic wayoflife.This definition provides a general idea about Islamiceconomics but does not mention the aims of Islamiceconomics such as the distribution of resources (Upadhyaya,1993). It also fails to mention the tools to be used byIslamic economics to achieve such aims. Another definitionis given by Pryor (1985: 197).The Islamic economic system is a theoretical constructof an industrial economy whose members follow theIslamic faith.There is some ambiguity in this definition. Firstly, anIslamic economic system is not limited to an industrialeconomy. The type of economy may vary depending on time andplace. We may well imagine a purely agricultural economy, atourist economy or a mixture of several types. Secondly,not all-economic systems whose members follow the Islamicfaith are Islamic systems. The actual situation of theIslamic world is a direct proof of that (Khan, 1992).Hasanuzzaman (1984: 52) defines Islamic economics as:The knowledge and application of injunctions and rulesof the Shariah that prevent injustice in the acquisitionand disposal of material resources in order to providesatisfaction to human beings and enable them to performtheir obligations to Allah and society.61