In the meantime...

In the meantime, in accord with Shiat jurisprudence, some natural resources and initial endowments such as deserts, mines, coasts and even desolate places -in some cases- belong to the legitimate Islamic government. By proper reallocation and redistribution, these properties are employed as an effective lever to enhance social justice and to eliminate the deprivation of basic capabilities under the supervision of the Islamic government.

Some other natural resources, especially renewable ones, such as forests, fisheries, and oceans, belong to public. The government can intervene in public properties as well as state properties in order to maximize the level of social benefit. The question of rent seeking and corruption, as a result of government interference in redistribution of initial endowments, is a very appropriate question. The extent of rent seeking, however, depends on the degree of maturity of the society.

In an advanced mature society—where people adhere to ethical principles enthusiastically and the legitimate, pious statesmen are dedicated to providing outstanding service to the society and there exists strong social over-head institutions such as mass media that critically monitor the functioning of the government—there is no toehold for rent seeking or corruption at all.

Moreover, this sort of intervention never deviates the price mechanism, because it is a kind of lump-sum transfer of wealth before markets can reach a particular Pareto efficient allocation; as a matter of fact, it solves a market failure problem (See: Arrow, 1951). The value of the practice and work Islam is a religion of practice and it has already been pointed out that faith, in spite of its power, is fruitless and a dead end without good deeds and practice.

It will lose its motivation power and its liveliness gradually, if it remains out of practice. As a matter of fact, Islam supports positive not negative piety. Islam always warns against superficial concepts and rituals, against lifeless formalities and non-effective beliefs.