The Poor and Poverty in Islam: Compassion and Social Justice

Abstract

Most strategies for addressing poverty are based on western paradigms to analyze and respond to poverty. There is very little awareness of a rich tradition of charity and social justice in non-western religions and ethnic groups. This monograph will first look at the poor and poverty in Islam and how it has addressed the issues of responding to the needs of the poor and vulnerable in society. It also explores some of the most prevalent thinking on social change and social justice within Islam.

Socioeconomic transformation of poor and marginalized communities has emerged as a key objective of national policy makers and international development experts. While there are emerging models and examples of how communities have emerged from poverty in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, there are very few examples of this in the Middle East. If poverty was addressed and eradicated, it was because of oil wealth. However, the Shi ‘as of Lebanon provide a case study of a community emerging from marginalization and poverty because of socioeconomic and political dynamics. This monograph in Section II explores what some of these dynamics were, and if are there lessons for other communities in the region to emulate.