Socialism-Communism: False Equality, Materialism, and the Shackles of Human Fitrah
Dear readers, the history of human civilization is often colored by the pendulum of extremism. When an oppressive system rules, the reaction that emerges is often a new system no less destructive. If Capitalism is the ideology that lets individual greed run rampant without limits, then Socialism-Communism arrives as an extreme reaction that actually amputates human freedom fitrah itself.
Many people are fascinated by the sweet slogans of Socialism: “social justice,” “defense of the working class,” “anti-oppression,” to the utopian promise of a classless society where wealth is divided “equally.” However, behind that mask of care, this ideology holds fundamental flaws that are very fatal, both from the perspective of aqidah and the reality of its implementation.
Through the lens of Islamic tsaqofah, particularly as deeply explored in the book Nizhamul Iqtishadi fil Islam (The Economic System in Islam) and Mafahim Hizbut Tahrir by Sheikh Taqiyuddin an-Nabhani, we will thoroughly dissect why Socialism-Communism is not a solution, but a poison that kills the soul and intellect of humans.
Let us explore the 10 flaws of this ideology and how Islam provides a genuine way out.
1. Introduction: Extreme Reaction Against Capitalist Cruelty
To understand why Socialism-Communism was born, we must look at the condition of Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Industrial Revolution guided by Capitalist ideology had given birth to extraordinary suffering for the working class (proletariat). They were forced to work more than a dozen hours a day with very inhumane wages, while capital owners (bourgeois) amassed unimaginable wealth.
In this condition of despair, figures like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels formulated a radical “cure.” They believed that the root of all this suffering was the existence of private property (private property). The solution they offered sounded very heroic: destroy the bourgeois class, seize all means of production (factories, land, capital), and hand them over to the state to manage for the common good.
However, dear readers, an intention to improve conditions will never succeed if built on a flawed intellectual foundation. Instead of healing, the medicine offered by Marx actually killed the patient. Allah ﷻ has reminded us about the character of destructive thinking that feels it is doing good:
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَٰكِنْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
“And when it is said to them, ‘Do not cause corruption on the earth,’ they say, ‘We are but reformers.’ Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.” (QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 11-12)
Socialism-Communism feels it is improving the world from the greed of Capitalism, but they do so by stripping humans from their fitrah and distancing humans from their Creator.
2. Philosophical Roots: Dialectical Materialism and Rejection of the Creator
The most fundamental flaw of Socialism-Communism lies in its aqidah foundation (foundation of thought). If Capitalism is based on Secularism (separating religion from life), then Communism is based on Materialism (absolutely denying the existence of the Creator).
According to the philosophy of Dialectical Materialism (Dialectical Materialism), the universe is merely matter. That matter is eternal (without beginning and without end), and it evolves by itself through a process of contradiction (thesis, antithesis, synthesis). For them, there is no God who created the universe, no soul within humans, and no life after death (hereafter). Thought, religion, and morality are considered merely “reflections” of material and economic conditions.
Islam strongly rejects this very shallow view. Humans are not merely a lump of flesh and bone moved by stomach concerns alone. Humans are noble creatures within whom a soul is blown, and this universe has a Creator who regulates it.
Allah ﷻ says refuting the materialist view:
الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ ۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنْسَانِ مِنْ طِينٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ مَهِينٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِهِ ۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ
“Who made everything that He created good, and He began the creation of man from clay. Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained. Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful.” (QS. As-Sajdah [32]: 7-9)
Because they reject the existence of the Creator, Communism ultimately creates a system of rules that crashes into human nature itself.
Table 1: Comparison of Philosophical Roots
| Aspect | Capitalism | Socialism-Communism | Islam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation (Aqidah) | Secularism (Separation of Religion & Life) | Materialism (Absolute Atheism) | Islamic Aqidah (Faith in Allah & the Hereafter) |
| View of Humans | Economic creature free to pursue desires | Material creature without soul, part of the state’s production machine | Allah’s servant who has potential for intellect, soul, and fitrah |
| Source of Rules | Human intellect (Democratic majority) | Human intellect (Communist Party Decision) | Allah’s ﷻ Revelation (Qur’an & Sunnah) |
| Purpose of Life | Material happiness (Hedonism) | Classless society (Worldly utopia) | Attaining Allah’s ﷻ Pleasure (World & Hereafter) |
3. Diagnosing the Economic Disease: The Illusion of Class Struggle (Class Struggle)
Building on the philosophy of materialism, Karl Marx formulated his view of human history. According to him, the entire history of humanity is nothing but a history of class struggle (class struggle). History is always driven by conflict between the oppressor class (capital owners/bourgeois) and the oppressed class (workers/proletariat).
Therefore, the way Communism resolves economic problems is by creating hatred between classes, triggering bloody revolution, and eliminating the bourgeois class to create a uniform society without class.
Islam views this as an illusion and a misdiagnosis. Differences in economic status, wealth, and skills among humans are not a curse to be fought, but a necessity (sunnatullah) so that humans need each other and cooperate.
Allah ﷻ says:
أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَتَ رَبِّكَ ۚ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۚ وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا ۗ وَرَحْمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
“Do they distribute the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world and have raised some of them above others in degrees [of rank] that they may make use of one another for service. But the mercy of your Lord is better than whatever they accumulate.” (QS. Az-Zukhruf [43]: 32)
This verse affirms that differences in economic strata are so that humans “may make use of one another for service” (employing and cooperating harmoniously), not to oppress each other. Oppression occurs not because of differences in wealth, but because of the loss of piety and the non-implementation of Islamic Sharia in regulating economic interactions.
Table 2: View Toward History and Society
| Concept | Socialism-Communism | Islam |
|---|---|---|
| Driver of History | Economic factors and inter-class conflict | Struggle between Haq (truth) and Batil (falsehood) |
| Nature of Society | Collection of individuals that must be forcibly uniformed | Entity bound by the same thought, feeling, and rules |
| Solution to Inequality | Bloody revolution, eliminate the rich class | Implementation of Sharia: Zakat, prohibition of monopoly, charity |
| Human Relations | Eternal conflict (Oppressor vs Oppressed) | Mutual assistance (Ta’awun), fairly employing each other |
4. Abolition of Individual Ownership: Cutting the Wings of Human Fitrah
This is the core of the Communist economic program: Abolition of Private Ownership Rights over means of production. In this system, you cannot own vast land, cannot own factories, cannot establish your own company. Everything must be handed over to the state (collectivization).
Visual Analogy: The Garden Forced to Be the Same Height
Imagine a very wide garden. In it grow various kinds of plants according to their fitrah. There are tall towering teak trees, lush mango trees, and green grass creeping on the ground.
Suddenly, a Communist adherent arrives. He looks at that garden and shouts, “This is unfair! Why are teak trees taller than grass? This is oppression! We must create equality!”
So what does he do? He takes a chainsaw and cuts all the teak and mango trees to be the same height as the grass. The result? Those trees die. The garden loses its beauty, its fruit, and its benefits. Everything indeed becomes “equal,” but equal in destruction and barrenness.
Abolishing private ownership is equivalent to killing human fitrah. Sheikh Taqiyuddin an-Nabhani in Nizhamul Iqtishadi explains that the desire to own wealth is a manifestation of Gharizat al-Baqa’ (self-preservation instinct) that Allah ﷻ has planted within humans.
Allah ﷻ says:
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنْطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ
“Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return.” (QS. Ali ‘Imran [3]: 14)
Islam highly values and protects private ownership. Even defending private property from seizure is considered jihad worthy of martyrdom:
مَنْ قُتِلَ دُونَ مَالِهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ
“Whoever is killed defending his property, then he is a martyr.” (HR. Bukhari no. 2480)
Islam does not abolish ownership, but regulates it so it does not harm others (such as prohibition of usury, hoarding, and monopolizing public facilities).
Table 3: Concept of Ownership (Milkiyah)
| Ownership Aspect | Capitalism | Socialism-Communism | Islam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private Ownership | Absolutely free, may own anything | Abolished (especially means of production and land) | Acknowledged and protected, limited by Sharia law |
| Public Facilities / Natural Resources | May be privatized / handed to foreigners | Absolutely state-owned | Public Ownership (People’s property, managed by the state) |
| Economic Motivation | Greed chasing profit without limits | Forced to work for the state (incentives die) | Meeting living needs and seeking Allah’s pleasure |
5. The Concept of Value and Labor: The Erroneous Surplus Value Theory
Marx built his economic theory on a concept called the Labor Theory of Value. He argued that the only thing that gives value (price) to a product is the amount of worker labor spent to make it.
From this, Marx concluded that if a worker makes shoes sold for Rp100,000, then the entire Rp100,000 belongs to the worker. If the factory owner takes Rp20,000 as profit, then that is considered “theft” of the worker’s sweat, which he called Surplus Value.
This is a fatal error. The value of a product is not only determined by the worker’s sweat. What about the entrepreneur’s design idea? What about the risk of loss borne by the entrepreneur? What about the raw material capital? And most importantly, what about society’s level of need (utility) for that product?
Islam views that the value of a good or service is determined by its Sharia-permissible benefit, as well as agreement (ridha) between seller and buyer in a healthy market, not merely the number of work hours. The entrepreneur is entitled to profit over capital and risk, as long as he does not oppress workers by withholding their wages.
Even in Islam, forced intervention to set prices outside of fairness is forbidden, because Allah is the One who arranges sustenance through the natural laws He created:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمُسَعِّرُ الْقَابِضُ الْبَاسِطُ الرَّازِقُ
“Indeed, Allah is the One who determines prices, withholds and expands provision.” (HR. Abu Dawud no. 3451)
The relationship between entrepreneurs and workers in Islam is an Ijarah (service rental) relationship built on a clear and mutually beneficial contract, not a predatory struggle.
6. The Role of the State: From “Dictatorship of the Proletariat” to a Giant Prison
How do Communists implement their ideology? Marx said that after the workers’ revolution succeeds, a state must be formed called the Dictatorship of the Proletariat (Dictatorship of the Proletariat). This state will take over all wealth and means of production by force. Marx promised that this was only a temporary phase; eventually, the state would “wither away” (wither away) and a utopian classless society would emerge.
But what happened in historical reality? That state never withered away. It instead metamorphosed into a giant monster that devoured its own people.
When a state controls 100% of factories, land, houses, and jobs, then the state has absolute control over the life and death of its people. If you criticize the government, you are not only imprisoned, but you will be fired, your food rations withdrawn, and your family evicted from state-owned housing. The Communist state turns society into one giant prison.
Very different from the concept of state in Islam (Khilafah). The Khilafah is not the owner of all people’s wealth. The Khilafah is the servant and manager of people’s affairs (Raa’in). Individual wealth remains owned by individuals.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ affirmed the function of leadership in Islam:
الْإِمَامُ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ
“An Imam (Khalifah) is a caretaker/manager (raa’in) and he will be asked about those he manages.” (HR. Bukhari no. 893)
Table 4: Role of State in the Economy
| Aspect | Socialism-Communism | Islam (Khilafah) |
|---|---|---|
| State Position | Absolute owner of all means of production (Dictator) | Manager of people’s affairs (Raa’in) and implementer of Sharia |
| Freedom of Opinion | Totally silenced (because the state controls people’s stomachs) | Guaranteed by Sharia (obligation of Muhasabah lil Hukkam) |
| Economic Function of State | Centrally planning what may be produced/consumed | Guaranteeing basic needs of each individual, managing public wealth |
| Power | Unlimited authoritarian | Bounded by Sharia law (Qur’an and Sunnah) |
7. Wealth Distribution: “Equal Share Equal Taste” That Births Widespread Poverty
The most popular slogan of Socialism is: “Equal share equal taste.” Or in Communist doctrine: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”
At first glance it sounds very fair. However, forcing economic equality upon humans who have different levels of intelligence, diligence, and expertise is the peak of injustice.
If a diligent person working 12 hours a day gets the same rice ration and house as a lazy person who only works 2 hours a day, what will happen? The motivation to achieve will die completely. No one wants to innovate, no one wants to work hard, because the results will be seized by the state to be equalized. This is what caused productivity in Communist countries to collapse, resulting in long queues just to get a piece of bread.
Islam has a very brilliant view. Islam does not demand equality (because that is impossible and against fitrah), but demands justice. Justice means every person’s basic needs (food, clothing, shelter) are guaranteed, but after that, the wealth they obtain depends on how hard they work.
Allah ﷻ says:
وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۚ لِلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِمَّا اكْتَسَبُوا ۖ وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا
“And do not wish for that by which Allah has made some of you exceed others. For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And ask Allah of His bounty. Indeed Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.” (QS. An-Nisa [4]: 32)
This verse firmly states “for men is a share of what they have earned,” which means Islam acknowledges differences in wealth results based on individual effort.
Table 5: Wealth Distribution Mechanism
| Mechanism | Socialism-Communism | Islam |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution Principle | Absolute equality without regard to contribution | According to individual effort, but basic needs are absolutely guaranteed |
| Zakat & Charity | Considered unnecessary (because the state has taken over) | Obligatory (Zakat) and recommended (Charity) as worship |
| Inheritance Law | Abolished (wealth returns to the state) | Established in detail to break wealth accumulation |
| Psychological Impact | Kills motivation, births mass laziness | Encourages hard work, innovation, and generosity |
8. Religion as “Opium”: Diametrical Clash with Islamic Aqidah
One of Karl Marx’s most famous quotes is: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature… it is the opium of the people.”
For Communism, religion is a tool created by the bourgeois to drug the workers so they accept their oppressed fate in this world with hope of getting Paradise in the hereafter. Therefore, for the revolution to succeed, religion must be destroyed. This is why every time a Communist regime takes power (such as in the Soviet Union, Mao’s China, Cambodia), the first thing they do is massacre scholars, close mosques and churches, and force atheism in schools.
Unfortunately, there were some Muslim figures in the mid-20th century who tried to crossbreed Islam with Socialism, giving birth to the absurd term “Islamic Socialism.” They argued that Socialism has the same goal as Islam, namely defending the poor.
This is a very severe intellectual confusion (Takhalluth al-Mafaahim). Islam and Socialism collide diametrically from their roots. Socialism rejects God, rejects revelation, and abolishes ownership. How can that be combined with Islam? Taking an ideology other than Allah’s ﷻ revelation is a deviation.
Allah ﷻ rebukes firmly:
أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ ۚ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ
“Then is it the judgement of [the time of] ignorance they desire? But who is better than Allah in judgement for a people who are certain [in faith]?” (QS. Al-Ma’idah [5]: 50)
Socialism, Capitalism, and other -isms are nothing but modern Jahiliyyah laws born from limited human intellect full of desires.
9. Empirical Failure: The Collapse of the Wall of Illusion and the Humanitarian Tragedy
History has been a silent witness to the bankruptcy of this ideology. Because it was built on a foundation that crashes into human fitrah, Socialism-Communism could only be maintained through terror, weapons, and dividing walls (like the Berlin Wall). When the iron grip weakened, the building collapsed into pieces.
The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 was not merely a political defeat, but an ideological defeat. Humans cannot be forced to live like ants in a colony that has no identity and no private ownership.
More terrifyingly, this utopian experiment consumed a blood cost unmatched in human history. An estimated more than 100 million lives were lost under Communist regimes in the 20th century due to political massacres, forced labor camps (Gulag), and mass famine caused by forced agricultural collectivization (such as the Holodomor in Ukraine and the Great Leap Forward in China).
Allah ﷻ has warned that whoever turns away from His rules, then his life will be narrow and full of suffering:
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ
“And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.” (QS. Taha [20]: 124)
10. Islam’s Solution: The Middle Path That Marries Fitrah and Justice
After seeing the injustice of Capitalism and the bankruptcy of Socialism, humanity today is in confusion. Here Islam comes offering a perfect Economic System (Nizhamul Iqtishadi), because it was revealed by the One Who created humans and knows best what is best for human fitrah.
The Islamic Economic System stands firm with principles that maintain balance:
First, Acknowledging Individual Ownership while Preventing Monopoly. Islam allows individuals to become very wealthy through lawful means. However, Islam strictly forbids the privatization of natural resources that control the livelihoods of many (such as oil mines, gas, forests, and water sources). All of these fall under Public Ownership (Milkiyah Ammah) which must be managed by the state and its results returned to the people.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
الْمُسْلِمُونَ شُرَكَاءُ فِي ثَلَاثٍ: فِي الْمَاءِ وَالْكَلَإِ وَالنَّارِ
“Muslims are partners in three things: water, pasture, and fire (energy).” (HR. Abu Dawud no. 3477)
Second, Structured Distribution Mechanisms. Islam does not let wealth circulate only among the rich (like Capitalism), nor does it divide it blindly equally (like Socialism). Islam has instruments of Zakat, Inheritance Law, prohibition of Usury, and prohibition of Hoarding (Ihtikar).
Allah ﷻ says:
كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ
“…so that it will not be a perpetual distribution among the rich from among you.” (QS. Al-Hashr [59]: 7)
Third, Guarantee of Basic Needs by the State. The Khilafah State is obligated to ensure that every individual citizen (Muslim or Non-Muslim) has their food, clothing, and shelter needs met. If someone is unable to work and has no relatives to support them, then the state treasury (Baitul Mal) is obligated to fund their life.
Table 6: Summary Comparison of Three Ideologies
| Assessment Aspect | Capitalism | Socialism-Communism | Islamic Economic System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of Ideology | Deifies Freedom & Individual | Deifies State & Equality | Submits to Allah’s ﷻ Revelation |
| Fate of Human Fitrah | Let wild to become greed | Restrained and killed by force | Acknowledged, directed, and regulated with Sharia |
| Condition of Society | Extreme inequality (The Rich vs The Poor) | Widespread poverty under authoritarian regime | Prosperous, harmonious, just according to contribution |
| Success | Creates recurring economic crises (Bubble) | Total failure and collapse (Soviet Union) | Proven to prosperate the world for 13 centuries |
Dear readers, Socialism-Communism is merely a mirage in the desert. It promises water of justice, but what is given is sand of oppression. Only by returning to the comprehensive implementation of Islamic Sharia under the shelter of the Khilafah will humanity find genuine welfare, which calms the intellect, comforts the soul, and satisfies our fitrah as servants of Allah ﷻ.
Continue Your Journey:
- Islamic Economics vs Capitalism: Distribution Justice vs Scarcity Illusion
- Capitalism: Greed and Oppression Behind the Mask of Freedom
- Understanding Individual Ownership in Islam
- Public Ownership: People’s Property Forbidden to Privatize
- Materialism and Its Dangers for the Ummah’s Aqidah
- Encyclopedia Book: Nizhamul Iqtishadi fil Islam