Religious scholars of different political allegiances have moved to refute and condemn NGO Jammiyathul Salaf’s claim earlier this week that taxation is haram (forbidden) in Islam.
Deputy Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Farooq told local media that there was no religious grounds to declare taxation prohibited.
“When you say something is forbidden in religion, it should be clear under what principle or rationale that it is forbidden,” he explained to newspaper Haveeru. “You can’t just declare something forbidden on a whim. You cannot say something is forbidden when it is not clearly and definitely forbidden.”
He added that Zakat (alms for the poor) were being collected as before and old forms of taxation, such as varuvaa and import duties were not prohibited in Islam either.
Sheikh Farooq condemned the issuance of such fatwas (religious edicts) “without considering” either its validity or social impact.
Meanwhile the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) religious council condemned Salaf’s claims as an attempt to mislead the public over taxation.
“Human beings cannot forbid something Allah has allowed or allow something Allah has forbidden,” the council’s chair al-Hafiz Ahmed Zaki told the party’s website.
Hafiz Zaki explained that Islam specified steps to be followed before religious judgments or rulings could be made: “One cannot just arbitrarily declare something forbidden,” he said.
Zaki warned that such fatwas could lead to civil unrest and social divisions over religious issues. He said that Islam was a religion of moderation that did not encourage extreme actions.
Zaki urged the public and businessmen to clear any doubts with the concerned authorities instead of “listening to press releases issued by individuals soaked in self-interest.”
Meanwhile Adhaalath party spokesperson Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed told Miadhu newspaper that taxation was practiced in many Islamic countries while there was consensus among scholars that it was not prohibited.
“There are narrations that have reached us that tax was taken by the state during the time of Caliph Umar. He collected tax from wealth,” he said.
Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Afrashim Ali, chair of the party’s religious council, meanwhile told private broadcaster DhiFM that there was no grounds to declare taxation forbidden in Islam.
However NGO Salaf insisted in its press release Monday that, “Without doubt, using a person’s property or profiting from the property without the consent of the owner is haram in Islam. Only the compulsory Zakat (alms for the poor) portion can be taxed from a Muslim’s property.”
The religious NGO contended that “formulating a law and taking people’s property whatever name it is done under is for a certainty haram.”
“Jamiyyathul Salaf would remind the Speaker of Parliament and all MPs that those who formulate such laws and those who assist them will without a doubt have to bear responsibility before Almighty Allah,” the Salaf statement warned.
It adds that there is consensus in the Islamic ummah (community) that “stealing property by compulsion with laws on taxes, duties and pension imposed on a Muslim’s property is definitely haram.”
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individuals 'soaked' in self-interest.
The ambassadors of absolute truths and morals caught in a disagreement again? What a pathetic sight.
It is scary that all these groups, in their own way, are relentlessly trying to destroy democracy and replace it with an Islamic fanatic state ruled by "Scholars" (presumably meaning themselves)
The Salaf are idiots, and their idiocy continues to appall citizens.
Agree Yaamyn..SALAF became famous for damaging Islam and they are making holes in our social system. I don't know why government don't regulate these idiotic hate preachers.
Ali Rameez is gods Ambassador to Maldives. This punk does not understand of what sort of repulsive look he has to normal people.
Except few fanatics, no body will give a damn about the Salaf's fatwa. When madhana was initiated, they came up with a similar fatwa.
Taxation in Islam is not the same as the one we are accustomed towards. We can learn from Islamic works done on fiscal policy of the state by Muslims in the past. It is something that requires believers with knowledge and fear of Allah to come together and discuss before applying or not applying anything. The situations of the time is explained properly for people of some historical understanding of Islam to gasp this subject. May Allah (swt) guide us all and give us the wisdom to use our brains to see the truth and stay away from what is not clear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNEoxCo0qjI
Inshallah everyone will listen to the full lecture before jumping into commenting negatively. I in no way support the so called Caliphs at the time after the time of the first four Caliphas, nor so called Muslim leaders in Saudi which is sitting and shaking hands with Israel while Muslims are being killed all over the world.
There is one element in Salaf's statement that I support.
That taxation needs to be implemented after gaining consensus on the issue as much as possible and after a nation-wide campaign to raise awareness.
Look at the disaster we wrought with the system of local governance in place without a proper assessment and without informing the public about what it entails.
If we propose to do the same with taxation just to appease our foreign donors during the upcoming period of debt-service then we are in for trouble/
Salaf has been paid money by PA Yameen to issue this stupid fatwa.
Some of us may not be Islamic Scholars, but we know how to read and write many languages like Arabic, English etc... and understand the meaning of what is written, if we don't understand a meaning of a word, we can always refer to a dictionary, My question is from what book or books on earth are these great Islamic Scholars learning there stuff and preaching us this load of crap, which we are unaware of.
MDP, DRP and Adhaalath - parties not being on the same side even on very obvious things have all said the same thing. The lession to be learnt from this is to not listen to anything Salaf would have to say in the future. Those people do not have the intellect to understand that their own statement refers to stealing from other Muslims and taxation is by law is legal and therefore not stealing...
Scholars!
This is the kind of crap these guys come up with :
http://www.freemuse.org/sw25992.asp
JUS is registered as NGO and how come they are issuing such statements? It is high time that there is check on the activities of NGOs like JUS & IFM and put lid on these fanatics. For once Maldives is united in criticising Salaf.
Salaf in correct.
Tax may be ultimately halal or haram, we may have ask god directly. Either way, 15% is way too much. The government have not explained how they are going to use this money. Without clear plans I am afraid all this could go to corruption and political gains.
Salaf is bringing religion into the govt policy debate rather late. Lets talk about the pros and cons of taxation from a strictly secular view.
In govt policy debate, the religion boat has sailed a long time ago when liquor permits were issued.
it is very simple and clear. what is haraam or halaal depends on the ones who are in power. It is MDP now, so MDP and thei partner in charge of islamic ministry (Adhaalath) will know best. But if DRP comes to power and hand over the ministry to Salafi Line business associates...then they will be right.
For me only the title on salaf press release is bad, " Haraam". but ......
Shush the freaking pie hole up !! Religious scholars! Don't make me laugh!
Hey so called religious scholar or as I call them extremist propaganda spinning perverts, seriously shut up , just go do an extra pray or fold some prayer mats or something. Don't you bother your brain washed brain over such matter as this. We actually need to take taxes to get some money to get ourselves out of debt. I suppose if it were up to them we just not bother with taxing people or banking, we just put our money in a tin under our bed and wish for a country out of debt while drinking some holy water!
"You cannot say something is forbidden when it is not clearly and definitely forbidden.”
as if the rest is clear. hehe