A Comparative Analysis of Working-Class Rights: Islam vs. Marxism

Abstract

The rights of the working class as viewed by Islam and Marxism are discussed in this paper in their opposed and coexisting forms. Despite their separate philosophical grounding in one, a spiritual and reformist ideology and the other, a materialist and revolutionary ideology, both of these ideologies are deeply concerned about issues of justice and dignity in labor and the elimination of exploitation. The ethical and socio-political study of the aforementioned themes of labor rights, ownership, welfare and social justice is accomplished by referencing these themes through classical texts and contemporary scholarship. Mechanisms such as zakat and treatment of workers ethically, harmonize regulated ownership, communal solidarity and the moral responsibility that is emphasized on in Islam. Marxism views working class as a revolutionary force against the capitalist structures and supports proprietorial relation and systematic change. The paper is a critical comparison between the ideological divergences and practical overlaps of how each system envisions a just economic order. The findings indicate that both sets of frameworks are useful schemas for addressing labor inequality within the present-day socio-economic context.