y from the Quran. As all Muslims share equally in their obligation to worship God, so they all are duty bound to attend to the social welfare of their community by redressing economic inequalities through payment of an alms tax [zakat]. (Esposito, p. 90) This almsgiving served as both a religious duty and a fiscal ruling, based on the word of Muhammad. Wherefore let the alms be exacted as the Apostle of God defined and ordained, without injustice or excess against those who pay them..let those [charged with their distribution] distribute them as God has commanded them. (p.4) The use of both land and sea (for trade, etc.) by Muslims and non-Muslims alike has also been regulated by interpretations of the word of God. For dry land and sea belong alike to God; He hath subdued them to His servants to seek of His bounty for themselves in both of them. (p.6) Rather than develop a different policy dealing with the use of land and sea, trading and usage laws were based on the will of Allah. The use of religious scriptures to fashion laws and policies illustrates the impact of religion on the everyday lives of Muslims. For Muslims throughout the centuries, the message of the Quran and the example of the Prophet Muhammad.have served as the basic sources of Islamic law and the reference points for daily life. (Esposito, p. 31) By submitting to the will of Allah, one agrees to extend Islams strict guidelines completely into their life, including politically and economically. When the Muslim conquest occurred, leaders naturally based the laws and policies of the newly conquered regions on the most sacred and legitimate source: the word of Allah and his Prophet. ...
