This book is the third in a series which we began with the book Falsafatuna (Our Philosophy) and constitutes the second part of the book Iqtisaduna (Our Economics). In this part we will attempt to discover the Islamic economic doctrines in light of the provisions in the laws of Islam and their implications in relation to the economic life.

For this reason, this work comprises two steps. One precedes the other. The first step involves gathering a number of Islamic laws and their implications, which could throw some light on the process of discovering the doctrine. The second is involves offering a unified theoretical interpretation of these laws and their significance, in order to deduce their doctrinal contents in relation to Islamic economics.

The present book (volume) covers largely the second step. The first step is also indirectly covered in the selection of the relevant legal provisions and practices that may facilitate the second step. But this was done without specifying - as a condition - that the laws chosen are those that I personally adopted from juristic point of view. So the precepts that this book presents are not entirely according to the juristic approach I personally adopt. Instead, there are precepts that I do not embrace, despite their significance in some important discussions and the great attention given to them in the addendum to this book.

It is therefore necessary that I highlight this point and mention the sources from which I have drawn the precepts concerning lands, mines, water and similar natural resources. Otherwise, when I mention or emphasize any of the laws given in those books, it may be wrongly construed that I share the same juristically views. I defer the details in respect of this point and the reasons that made me take this position in the book concerning the first step, to the first chapter of this book.

In this connection, I wish to mention that the basis of all the laws and legal enactments presented in this book are from these three sources:

i) The juristic opinions of our pious scholars. In this book, the majority of the laws - from which we seek some light in the process of discovering the doctrine - are drawn from this source. For almost all these laws, one or more jurists have selected and given formal legal opinion concerning them.

ii) The juristic opinions, which the author embraces and believes as valid.

iii) Juristic viewpoints, which are technically admissible in the field of research. However we may not juristically accept the conclusions derived, for the same reasons that sometimes prevent the researcher from adopting the conclusion arising from his research work or from the possibility of a conflict with the obvious.

There are certain technical terms used in this book and the definitions were already given in Volume 1, Part 1. These definitions are to be applied throughout this book. The discussions in respect of private ownership, state ownership, public property and the permissibility of public use may be understood in the context of the intended meanings of the respective terms.

The book as you will see - in line with the plan and approach - is confined to the description of the laws that are connected with quest for the Islamic economic doctrine and constitutes part of the main structure of Islamic economics. It is for this reason that a number of property laws - their transcription and development - have not been expounded in this book, as that is not required in the search of the economic doctrine. It is our responsibility to expound them, God willing, at another occasion in the future.

Likewise, a number of the legal opinions and points of view that we present in the discussions throughout this book are not expounded in the book itself in a scientific manner. That is our preference to facilitate understanding of the discussions and to maintain their uniformity in style. However, as there is need to analyse these views in a scientific manner, we have chosen to do so in the addendum to this book.

Therein we have employed the style and method of interpretation, specific to juristic research. Only specialists in the science of jurisprudence would be able to fully comprehend the discussions and the implications.

In the end, I hope the modest attempt made in this book will set in motion many other research works on a wider scale and lead to the achievement of greater success in discovering the economic doctrine of Islam by seeking inspiration from the sacred laws of Islam and their great value in all fields of life.

Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr
an-Najaf al-Ashraf
Iraq