Economic school of Imam Ali (6)

These phenomena may be attributed to several reasons, the major being lack of committed public action and public authorities. Under the present circumstances, Muslim countries and governments should set the goal of realizing Imam Ali (A.S.)’s extraordinary vision.

He instructs Malik al-Ahstar:

“When poor cannot reach you, you must reach the poor. That nation or government cannot achieve salvation where the rights of depressed, destitute and suppressed are not guarded and where mighty and powerful persons are not forced to accede these rights”.

This pro-poor role of the government was advocated and practiced at a time when poor and deprived were left at the mercy of nature to fend for themselves. They never found any place in public agenda.

In the present day secular economies, it is a very recent phenomenon that the governments have started responding to the needs of poor and vulnerable sections.

Till the first half of 20th century governments across the world were apathetic towards poor for the reason that they were still under the hanger over of the policy of efficiency of market forces. They had a firm belief in the effectiveness of invisible hand, an idea propounded by Adam Smith.

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