The Solution Lies in the Islamic Economic System, Not in the Capitalist Economic System
(Translated)
Al-Rayah Newspaper - Issue 621 - 14/10/2026
By: Ustadh Mustafa Atiq

The Syrian Minister of Energy, Mohammad Al-Bashir, stated during a hearing session before the People’s Council on Sunday, 20 September 2026, that reducing subsidies for some services is a normal situation during the transition from a socialist economic system to a free economy.

This statement clearly demonstrates a disregard for the Islamic economic system by transitioning from the man-made socialist system, as he claimed, to the man-made capitalist system. It is a clear expression of shifting between inferior man-made systems and turning away from the superior system of Islam—the very system for whose implementation people have sacrificed their lives and wealth.

The Syrian administration for the transitional phase is still attempting to market itself to the world by adopting, in its economic policies, the free economic system, whose foremost afflictions include lifting subsidies on essential services and goods for the people—among them petroleum derivatives—followed by privatization and foreign investment in public wealth that belongs to the general populace.

This administration sees no solution for the economic situation except the usurious capitalist economic system to solve its problems! The Islamic economic system with its divinely revealed legislation has been disregarded, despite it being the successful, effective, and only cure for resolving crises of all kinds in Syria after the years of revolution and war, and the destruction that has exhausted the people.

The minister considered the reduction of subsidies a normal situation for the transition from a socialist system to a free economy! Here we ask: Who said the previous system was socialist? It was a capitalist system with dilapidated legislation. Furthermore, transitioning to the greedy, usurious free economic system is not the solution for what Syria is going through economically.

Does not the Shariah of Allah (swt) contain the solution to all of Syria's economic problems? Allah (swt) said:

[وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ]

“And if only the people of the towns had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied the messengers, so We seized them for what they were earning.” [TMQ Surah Al-A'raf: 96].

It is clear from the approach of the Damascus government that it is leaning towards the free-market economic system in compliance with the international order and its organizations, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This entails the imposition of harsh measures on the people through the removal or reduction of comprehensive government subsidies for essential goods and services, which constitutes a shock to the middle and poor classes. To make matters worse, it has opened the country to greedy investors and privatization projects.

The fragility of Syria’s economy cannot be remedied by the greedy free-market economic system that devours everything and leaves people in a state of poverty and need. Instead, it can only be remedied by the Islamic economic system, which is presented within a comprehensive Islamic project built upon the Quran and the Sunnah and what they have guided towards.

Therefore, it is obligatory to protect resources and employ them efficiently, and to work on raising local production across all sectors to secure people's basic needs and achieve food security, for this is the duty of those who undertake the affairs of the people and care for their matters. The Prophet (saw) said,

«اللهم من ولي من أمر أمتي شيئا فشق عليهم فاشقق عليه، ومن ولي من أمر أمتي شيئا فرفق بهم فارفق به» “O Allah, whoever is entrusted with any affair of my Ummah and makes things difficult for them, make things difficult for him, and whoever is entrusted with any affair of my Ummah and treats them with kindness and gentleness, treat him with kindness and gentleness.”