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issue 35
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Comment on “Can
There Be an Economics Based on Religion? The Case of Islamic Economics” by Mohamed Aslam Haneef, post-autistic
economics review, issue no. 34, 30 October 2005, article 3, pp. 41-52, http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue34/Haneef34.htm The
manner in which the author is expounding his question may prevent a wider
acceptance of ethics, laws and rules bequeathed to humanity by its religions.
The discussion of the question would be more fruitful, if it would be
formulated: “Can
economics incorporate or be based on economics-related teachings appearing in
religious texts?” Koran
and other Islamic religious texts, Biblical texts, in particular the
Pentateuch (Torah), almud, as well as texts of
other religions comprise a wealth of economics-related laws, rules, verdicts
and other forms of judgment, some of which have found their place in modern
secular codices and constitutions, and can still be incorporated in others. It
is immaterial whether or not the economics-related teachings appearing in
religious texts have been imparted to prophets by God, other revelations, or
are the fruit of human wisdom. What should be discussed is which ones and to
what degree they fit the economic life of the 21st century. A
comparative study would, undoubtedly, reveal that such texts associated with
different religions have in fact much in common. M. Ben-Yami |