This book provides a very useful descriptive (non technical) explanation of the role of the state in the

economy. The author, Dr. Muhammad Nejatullah Siddiqi in the acknowledgement part hopes that this book
will enable students and scholars to have a better understanding on importance of the state in the Islamic
society and underline its place as an active agent in the economy.
The book includes five articles on Islamic state emphasizing on its role in the economy. The first article
starts with the guarantee of minimum level of living in an Islamic State. It discussed the nature of the
guarantee, its basis in the Shariah law, and the extent to which this should be a priority over other objectives
of the state. The writer also considers the nature of the needs which it is legitimate to guarantee, who should
be responsible for their fulfilment, and the means of carrying out this task.
Secondly there is expenditure necessary under present circumstances, including capital investment for
economic growth and environmental protection. There is expenditure which the citizens of an Islamic state
may wish the government to undertake, presumably the provision of public goods such as street lighting.
The writer acknowledges the limitations of public expenditure, as it can undermine both the incentive to
work and the incentive to save, although he does not see this as a major problem in an Islamic state.
The third article examination of public borrowing in early Islamic history. This is a scholarly account of the
policies of the Islamic state under the Prophet and the periods of Umayyad and Abbasid rule, as well as
during the early fourth century AH under 'All b. 'Isa. The writer concluded that state borrowing to meet
public needs is legitimate, but that the state has an obligation to repay, and it should demonstrate to the
borrower that it is using the funding according to Islamic moral codes.
In the fourth article, the writer advocates closer economic relations between Muslim countries. There is the
verses in the Al-Qur'an dealing with the brotherhood of man which have implications for international
relations, and an account of the Shariah rules governing economic transactions. The final chapter discussed
on the role of the voluntary sector in Islam, as without such ideals there would be no possibility of voluntary
commitment.
All these articles focus on particular aspects of the role of the state, hence the title of the work, although
together they still constitute only a partial study of the functions an Islamic state might perform.
Nevertheless they provide a guide, not only to the moral responsibilities of an Islamic state towards its
citizens, but to how the state should fulfil these duties in accordance with the Shariah law.
I believe, in his book, the writer has provides a very comprehensive discussion on the role of the Islamic
state in the economy. The overall of this book represents an important contribution to the modern writings
on Islamic political economy. Without this publication some of the papers would not have been brought to
the attention of the wider readership they deserve. In my opinion, this book is useful to a wide variety of
readers, from those who are not familiar with the issues and the debates of Islamic economics to those who
deal with the issues every day. Moreover, it offers many ideas to the readers.