Poverty is the biggest problem that plagues humanity today.A sizeable chunk of the human society is below the poverty line.
Mahatmaji who won freedom for us through an innovative struggle based on truth and nonviolence said ‘’ the first task of independent India is to wipe tear from every eye’’. Mahatmaji put forward his concept of trusteeship in the matter of distribution of resources. This presupposes that the poor have a right to share these resources .Unless poverty is eliminated there will not be any peace in the world. God has bestowed many gifts and blessings on us and all the religions teach us that we have an obligation to share these fortunes with our less fortunate brotheren and sisters.
According to Islamic doctrine, all resources belong to God and those who are in position of these resources have only a limited right to spend them as ordained by God. In other words the poor and have nots have a defined share in these resources and parting with that is not a charity but their right. Abubakr the first Caliph even declared a war against those people who refused to discharge this obligation(Zakat) after the demise of holy prophet.
All religions have stressed the importance of arms giving, but unfortunately we neglect these teachings and behave as if all our possessions are acquired by our sheer efforts and that nobody has got any claim over it and it is this mindset that leads to conflicts in the society.
