Truth to Power
(Editorial Note: In the Hip-Hop Halaqas series, we will examine how Islamic thought can answer theological questions posed by contemporary hip-hop artists.)
“Your kid is hungry, you ain’t got no money, What’s the reason?” – Nas
The deadly impact of poverty in America remains disproportionately concentrated in black communities. 23% of black families live below the poverty line. Throughout the inner-cities of America, single black mothers often struggle to afford rent, food, and a myriad of other everyday basic needs. This results in life being absolutely humiliating, unstable, and chaotic. In this poem of Nas titled Reason, he articulates the pain of a black mother struggling to feed her hungry kid due to financial deprivation, and ponders the underlying reason behind it. Nas’ question fundamentally deals with economics, a question rooted in his own upbringing in the housing projects of Queenbridge.
Discussing his upbringing, Nas states, “Find my name on a page in your Qur’an. I learned that in ’89. When I was slinging cocaine and baby 9’s,” indicating that he ventured into the drug economy, a career path which even conservative economist’s state is a mere “rational choice” for blacks in urban ghettoes. Yet, within the Qur’an, we find not only the name of this profound poet but also the deep answers to the economic question that Nas poses in Reason.
Throughout the Qu’ran, in Surahs such as At-Takathur, translated as “The rivalry in worldly increase,” there is a demand for a more ethical life beyond the mere accumulation of worldly goods. Liberal economic theory would separate God entirely from economics, and give birth to a materialistic laissez-faire system, as envisioned by western economist Adam Smith, in which the government does not interfere in the market and wealth trickles down to the poor via The Invisible Hand.
As Europe underwent this period of secularization, the newfound European obsession with scientism resulted in Europe seeking to apply physics within economic theory to argue that there are natural laws of economics. Describing the impact of this worldview, Islamic economists Dr. Asad Zaham in An Islamic Critique of Neoclassical Economics indicates, “Just as we do not ask if it is fair or just that stones fall at 9.8 m/s2, so natural laws of economics shield us from taking responsibility for the hunger, misery, and economic destitution around us,” whereas Islamic economic theory is foundationally predicated on the Qur’anic emphasize obligation to the poor, the destitute, downtrodden, and orphans, Neo-liberalism does not concern itself with value-laden judgments
The separation of God from economic affairs within Europe gave rise to a worldview of materialism, which is at the root of contemporary commercial culture. The European world driven by secular gluttony would be trapped within what the Qur’an terms Duyna—a worldly existence predicated purely upon material acquisition of wealth. Describing the impact of this worldview, Islamic economists, M. Umer Chapra in his book titled Islam and the Economic Challenge writes that this, “multiplied wants far beyond the ability of available resources to satisfy the denial of a conscious human soul.” Having no worldview to transcend a life steeped within this rivalry in worldly increase, Europeans would inaugurate the rise of colonialism purely in pursuit of wealth.
The practice of usury( a means by which wealth increases from merely having wealth) is strongly condemned in the Qu’ran.Yet, Western economic theory is based upon usurious gains which lead to black poverty. In Looting Africa: The politics of exploitation Boyd notes that the IMF’s structural adjustment program resulted in Nigeria owing $34 billion in compound interest and penalties; and annunally paying back $1.7 billion on loans, which is nine times their health budget and triple their educational budget. Furthermore,a study from the real state and Finance Economics discovered that African-Americans are routinely charged higher interest rates than whites, even with equal or better credit scores,- with black women being charged the highest interest rates. The usury of western economics works to maintain black poverty.
Absent a spiritual basis, self-interest will continue to privilege material desires devoid of a spiritual moral filter. What Europeans did is establish a Transgenerational economic system that would continue to materially benefit them and their descendants at the expense of people of color. The contemporary capitalistic economic system is predicated upon accumulating capital; the greed for excess capital or profit led to Europeans seeking to dominate all of the world’s capital through colonialism, genocide, imperialism, and slavery in order to place Europeans on a pedestal in the world’s economic system.
Whether it be Australian aboriginals, blacks in apartheid South Africa or blacks in America, blacks would be barred from access to trade. When civil rights finally would attempt to give blacks equal access in the free-market, white Americans after 300 years of free labor, already accumulated so much of the world’s capital that it would be virtually impossible for blacks to catch up.
In 2009, the median net worth of white households in America was $113,149, while for blacks it was merely $6,325, meaning whites on average have 20 times the net worth of black Americans.
This is the answer to Nas’ question as to the reason why black single mothers are struggling and are devoid of economic resources: the contemporary economic system upholds white supremacy in its financial practices.Whereas the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, taught “a white has no superiority over a black nor a black over a white” and the Qur’anic message revealed to him stated “wealth may not concentrate in the hands of those who are rich among you,” the contemporary economic system solidifies a white over black social hierarchy in the economic system in order to concentrate wealth among white elites, while blacks are left desolate and impoverished.
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