Chapter VI, Islam, Social Teachings Summary and Analysis

Before Muhammad, the discrepancies between the wealthy and the poor and the uninhibited tribal warfare were rampant. Islam brought about a great social and moral change among the Arabic people. Part of this phenomenon can be demonstrated in the exactness of the Islamic law based upon the Koran and the hadith, or "sayings of the Prophet". Without even attempting to delve into the complex scope of Islamic law, there are four important areas of collective life to consider.

The first is economics, which, in Islam, looks to caring for physical needs as a basic assumption. Giving alms in the name of a departed is one example of this facet. With the distinctions between haves and have-nots blurred under Islam, injustices were enormously reduced from the time of Muhammad. The model for Islamic economics...