Islam: Wealth & Poverty (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)
Revision Note
The Nature and Causes of Poverty
Poverty is the state of being extremely poor or lacking in the basic necessities for life
The UK is the sixth largest economy in the world, making it one of the wealthiest nations
However, there are great levels of inequality within the UK
In the UK, according to government statistics, there were 14.3 million people living in poverty in the UK in 2022-23
This includes 4.3 million children. This means that around one in six people in the UK live in relative poverty
Meanwhile, the UK’s richest 10 per cent of households have more than 43 per cent of the nation’s wealth, according to the Office for National Statistics in 2020
Poverty in the UK is caused by factors such as unemployment, inequality in wages, lack of benefits provision, lack of education, illness and injury, population growth, and homelessness
Poverty is a problem in many parts of the world, caused by factors such as war, corruption, lack of clean water, and natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis
Muslim Teachings About Wealth and Poverty
Islam is a religion that focuses on equality
The Qur’an teaches that from the very start of creation, Allah did not want anyone to be deprived of the essentials for life
The story of Adam and Hawwa (Eve) records this
‘You will never go hungry, feel naked, be thirsty, or suffer the heat of the sun,’ (Qur’an 20:118-119)
Therefore no one should be deprived of a good quality of life
Islam teaches that people have been created for the purpose of worshipping Allah
This is often referred to as ‘ibadah and it means any action people do in the service of Allah
‘Ibadah can involve praying for others, or helping them in a practical way
The Five Pillars of Islam give Muslims several opportunities to take care of others ('ibadah)
Salah (prayer) is a chance to call others to mind and to pray for them
Zakah (charity) gives Muslims a chance to share their wealth and help to overcome poverty and inequality in the world
Sawm (fasting) is a way for Muslims to express their solidarity with those who have to go without
Hajj (pilgrimage) demonstrates the equality of all human beings in the eyes of Allah
The importance of giving
Islam places great importance on the idea of giving
Wealth is a gift from Allah and should be shared, not wasted
The Hadith says that ‘the upper hand is better than the lower hand’ (Hadith - Sahih-Al-Bukhari), which means that the giving hand is better than the receiving hand. It is better to give than to receive
Muslims are taught to work to make life better for those less fortunate than themselves
The Qur’an teaches about the importance of giving the poor the help they need
‘The righteous will receive their Lord’s gifts because of the good they did before … giving a rightful share of their wealth to the beggar and the deprived.’ (Qur’an 51:19)
‘Give relatives their due, and the needy … Do not be tight-fisted.’ (Qur’an 17:26-30)
Rewards for giving
Muslims are taught that Allah sees all that they do, including giving to charity
‘Be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity: and whatever good you send forth for your souls before you, you shall find it with Allah: for Allah sees all that you do’ (Qur’an 2:110)
Allah will reward their actions in sacrificing their wealth for others, and it will be like a harvest yield
‘Those who spend their wealth in order to gain God’s approval, and as an affirmation of their own faith, are like a garden on a hill: heavy rain falls and it produces double its normal yield… God sees all that you do.’ (Qur’an 2:265)
‘Your wealth and your children are only a test for you. There is great reward with God .. Those who are saved from their own meanness will be the prosperous ones: if you make a generous loan to God He will multiply it for you and forgive you.’ (Qur’an 64:15-17)
Attitudes for giving
This passage sums up the attitude Muslims should adopt towards sharing their wealth freely:
‘True righteousness is in one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book and the prophets, and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller, those who ask [for help] and for freeing slaves; and who establishes prayer and gives Zakah’ (Qur’an 2:177)
It teaches Muslims to pay Zakah, to give sadaqah (voluntary donations) to those who need it, to share with anyone in need, even if they value their wealth
The harder it is to share one’s wealth, the more virtuous the act and the more valuable it becomes to Allah
‘None of you will attain true piety unless you give out of what you cherish: whatever you give, God knows about it very well.’ (Qur’an 3:92)
Giving in secret is preferred by Allah (Qur’an 2:271-274), but anyone who helps the poor will be rewarded
All charitable acts should be done only for Allah, not for praise or gratitude from others
‘The righteous … give food to the poor, the orphan, and the captive, though they love it themselves, saying “We feed you for the sake of God alone. We seek neither recompense nor thanks from you.”’ (Qur’an 76:5-9)
People should be humble if they are in the fortunate position of being able to give help
‘Those who spend their wealth in God’s cause, and do not follow their spending with reminders of their benevolence … will have their reward with their Lord’ (Qur’an 2:262-263)
Guidance for those who receive help
There is guidance in the Qur'an for those who receive help from others
People should be thankful for the help given to them
‘If you are grateful, He is pleased.’ (Qur’an 39:7)
‘Whoever is not grateful to the people, he is not grateful to Allah.’ (Hadith - Tirmidhi)
Envy is discouraged (Qur’an 4:54) as it can lead to bitterness
In Islamic countries, the state must fulfil its duty and ensure that its citizens are properly looked after
Therefore stealing as a result of poverty could not be prosecuted, since the state should have met the person’s needs
Attitudes towards wealth, gambling and money-lending
Islam does not permit gambling or lending money for profit, including charging interest on loans
This takes advantage of people who are in need and encourages greed
The consequences of this are severe both in this life and the next
‘Competing for more distracts you until you go into your graves.’ (Qur’an 102:1-2)
‘Tell those who hoard gold and silver instead of giving in God’s cause that they will have a grievous punishment.’ (Qur’an 9:34)
There is much teaching in Islam about attitudes towards wealth
Muslims believe that if they follow these teachings and give to charities such as Islamic Relief and Muslim Aid, they can ultimately make the world a fairer place and wipe out poverty
Worked Example
Explain two reasons why Muslims think it is important to share their wealth with others
(4 marks)
One reason why Muslims think it is important to share their wealth with others is because everything is ultimately Allah’s creation and everything belongs to Him, and therefore they should share everything out equally (2 marks)
Another reason why Muslims think it is important to share their wealth with others is because Allah created everyone equal and therefore no one person should be less important than another. Muslims have a responsibility to put their beliefs into action and to help anyone in need (2 marks)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
There are many teachings in the Qur’an, Hadith, and Sunnah about attitudes to wealth and poverty.
You are not expected to learn every quotation here, but do make sure that you can explain Islamic attitudes with reference to these teachings if you are asked to evaluate a question about attitudes to wealth or the eradication of poverty, for example: ‘Following Muslim attitudes towards wealth can help to eradicate poverty from the world.'
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