Levying taxes in a fair and reasonable manner is not a problem: Dr. Majeed

Levying taxes on the people in a fair and reasonable manner in order to use the funds raised through the tax system for the benefit of public good is not a religiously blameworthy policy, said Dr. Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari, the Minister of Islamic Affairs.

Writing in today’s issue of the weekly Hidaayathuge Ali (Light of Guidance) published by the Ministry every Friday, Dr. Majeed said that imposing a tax system that is not oppressive but protective and considerate of public interest and needs has been declared a permissible thing by renowned Islamic scholars.

Majeed wrote his article under the heading “What is the Religious View on Imposing a Tax System for Public Finance?” In the article, Dr. Majeed said that the funds raised through a tax system should not be used for recurrent expenditure of the state, and that it should, on the contrary, should be spend on public needs such as healthcare, education, water supply, drainage, or shelter, etc.

Responding to a recent declaration by a religious NGO claiming that taxes would not be Islamically acceptable, Dr. Majeed said that the declaration was based on a general provision of Islamic shari’ah which made people’s property inviolable.

After mentioning the textual authority used by the NGO declaration, Dr. Majeed gave reference to renowned Islamic jurist Dr. Wahbah al-Zuhaili who had said that “in levying taxes, consideration has to be made whether the whole thing is done in a just manner. Another consideration is the purposes for which the tax funds are used”.

Dr. Majeed further clarified that a tax system should be exclusive, and cannot be regarded as inclusive of the Islamic institution of zakah. Hence, zakah should be levied in accordance with the provisions and principles of Islamic shari’ah, said Dr. Majeed.