Social security is a fundamental human need. Sudden sickness, death, disability, disease, unemployment, fire, flood, storm, drowning, accidents related to transportation, and the financial loss caused by them are the reasons, which create this need. The sufferings from these events take the victim and his dependents towards poverty. The economic situation of the affected people becomes so unsound that they need economic help. This actuality requires that social security should be treated as a basic human need over a very wide range of human activities and situations.
There are many injunctions in the Quran and the Hadith that call for provision of maintenance for one’s parents, grandparents and poor relatives. Islam also gives special attention to the protection of the interests of orphans by their guardians because the properties of orphans are exposed to many risks. Islam also prescribes the responsibility of members of the community over those who are living in poverty as reflected by the Prophet’s saying:
“If somebody in a community sleeps hungry until the next morning, Allah will withdraw His security from the community.”
In terms of religious and cultural gaps between Muslims and the people among whom they have chosen to live. These religious and cultural differences are too extensive and varied to be easily summarized. Furthermore, they are not consistent across every group of American Muslims. But clearly, Muslims do not fit into the general, secular social services scheme that is currently in place because of their unique religious and cultural characteristics. Providing appropriate social services is a communal obligation---one that needs to begin fulfilled now in order to build and maintain functional communities that will not fade away overtime.
“Many of the facilities are not equipped to provide the kind of care a Muslim elder needs — requirements for diet, for prayers, for things that would make a comfortable setting,” president of Islamic...