Ir. Dwi Condro Triono, M.Ag*
*Dosen STEI Hamfara Yogyakarta, Kandidat Doktor UKM Malaysia
I. INTRODUCTION
Gold dinar and silver dirham are the two currencies used continously along Islamic history. Whereas, when the gold and silver standards ended in 1914, followed by the destruction of Utsmaniyah Khilafah, Islamic countries do not use them. For various economic transactions, Islamic countries use many powered fiat money, such as US dollar, Poundsterling, Yen, and Euro.
Since the gold and silver standard was ended, many economic experts (like Friedman 1951, 1960) argued that fiat money regim is the best currency compare to all currencies, including gold and silver. With the annotation, that the management of fiat money have to be based on the reliable rule, in order to attain a low inflation target(Bordo, Dittimar&Gavin,2003).
In 1980, the trust of the reliability fiat money began in doubt. Fiat money has caused the most serious economic problem. High and various inflation have coloured mayority of economic market in the world. (Bordo, Dittimar & Gavin, 2003)
In fact, the economic disaster is a consequence of using fiat money, not only occurred in 80-era but also have begun at the destruction of gold and silver standard in 1914. Fiat money had caused diverse economic disaster for most world exchange market. The disaster have brought shattered one-third international trading in 1929-1933. Fiat money also have given a contribution for industrial depression British, in 1926 and crushed capital market in America for about 1929. The economic disaster continues up to at the end of 20 century, some of them caused peso crisis in Mexico 1991 and economis crisis in Asia ( Rosly & Barakat, 2002).
Although there are many information showed numerous economic calamity caused by the use of fiat money, Islamic countries won’t be back to dinar and dirham. Of course, there are many restrictive factors. One of them is a belief factor of Muslim themselves in dinar and dirham.
Based on the above argument, the focus of this paper is why do Muslim disbelief in dinar and dirham? I divide into two aspects. The first is their religious concept. I assume, there is a possibility Muslim don’t know that using dinar and dirham is a part of Islamic Shariah demand. The second is an empirical domain, there is a possibility that Muslim still in doubt using dinar and dirham. It assumes that there is no effect in economic improvement by using dinar and dirham.
II. PROBLEMS AROUND FIAT MONEY
Before discussing two aspects above, I will discuss the problem around fiat money. As we all know that exchange rate is the important tool in economic life. The decrease of real exchange rate will have bad effect in economic life, social and prosperous society.
Because of that, many efforts to stabilize exchange rate is the main priority of moneter management. The constancy of exchange rate can be seen from the price stabilization, then it will effect in the realization of economic goals such as: the basic need fulfillment, the distribution of income, the riil economic growth rate, enlargement the opportunity to get job and economic constancy (Siregar,2001).
Fiat money is currency that used as a legal tender. The society receive fiat money to change to things or services, because this currency is guaranteed by the government as a legal tender. This currency is different from real currency, as the value of this currency is not determined by the instrinsic value but it is determined by the outpower of the currency. The outpower is the economic power and supported ownership capital. Based on that reality, the constancy of that currency depends on the economic power, fiscal and moneter wisdom from the support government (Hifzur-Rab,2002)
Realize some facts of fiat money above, we can uderstand why the existence of fiat money always cause non-stopped economic problems. At least two important economic problems emerge from fiat money.
1. Very High Fiat Money Volatily
When the gold guarantee release from fiat money, it can caused a big effect of the existence of volatily world rate of exchange. As an illustration, the effect of wipping out either gold currency or gold guarantee of US dollars to the existence of volatily world currency, can be seen in the figure 1 below:
Figure 1. Volatily of world currency 1880-1995 (Bordo & Jonung, 2001).
Based on the figure above, we can see that the volatily of world currency, from 1880-1995. In 1880-1913, the countries in the world used gold as their currency, and the currency value was stable. In 1914, the gold currency started to be wipped out, because of the very immense war cost. From that point, the currency of fiat money was on the top of its shattered. In 1945-1970, the Bretton Wood system take place. The world currency seemed to be steady. Arriving 1971, when fiat money (US dollars) was wipped out from its gold union, as the ends of the Bretton Wood system, it made high volatily for the world currency.
What is the impact of currency volatily to economic? Volatily causes the uncertainty in the international trade process. The uncertainty, of course, will be influenced exporter and importer in their international trade processes. To avoid this risk, they will shift their trade to local trade. If many traders do this action, there will affect the decrease the international trade volume (Hamidi, 2007).
For those whom conduct the international trade, need a hedging to cover the uncertainty. If the traders have to take a hedging, it must be an additional cost in every trade transaction. The continuation of an additional cost means the lack of the benefit they got. These factors can explain why the currency volatily affects on the got down international trade transaction (Hamidi, 2007)
When we observe in details, who is the detriment in this currency volatily? Obviously, the effect of currency volatily is more detrimentally for developing countries than developed countries. The research by Esquivel and Larrain (2002), said that every ascends one percent G3 currency (US, Japan, and Germany) will descend two percent real export value of developing countries. Their research moreover stated that, the ascend currency volatily of G3 – countries will affect the currency crisis in developing countries.
2. Fiat money is the source of inflation
The second problem of fiat money is inflation. The general meaning of inflation is the increase of things and service value in general at a certain period. The inflation is a moneter phenomenon, because there is a decrease monetary count unit in one comodity. In other word, the inflation is the quantity of money should be paid, as a value of monetary count unit of things and service, also increase. There is a correlation between an inflation and an excessive currency in its circulation. Milton Friedman, says about fiat money: ”inflaton is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon”(Hifzur-Rab, 2002; Karim, 2002).
To learn about the illustration of the world historical inflation which had happened for about 115 years (1880-1995), please look at the figure 2 below! (Bordo & Jonung, 2001):
Figure 2. World Inflation 1880-1996 (Source: 2001)
From the figure 2, it can be seen that inflation pattern in the period of time, is almost the same as currency volatily pattern in figure 1 above. Hyper inflation happened in 1913 – 1950. In 1950 -1970 when the Bretton Wood system was conducted, the inflation tended to be low. Finally, the high inflation emerged again when the Bretton Wood regime has wiped out since 1971.
It is different from currency volatily, the high inflation will have worse impact on economic. The high inflation essentially shatter all economic foundation. We can see the effect of inflation on the economic destruction, there was the great depression in 1930, followed by Latin America crisis in 1980, and it arose again at Asia monetary crisis in the middle of 1997.
III. WHAT IS THE CAUSE?
We have known the problem around of the fiat money, now, we should know why does the existence of the fiat money always arise such problems? At least there are five factors that caused the fiat money turns up many problems,:
1. The existence of seignorage
2. The existence of fractional reserve system
3. The existence of interest
4. The existence of motive speculation
5. The existence of currency exchange system
1. The existence of seignorage
The existence of seignorage has correlation with the printed of fiat money because it needs a low cost to print fiat money. The party who prints it (the government) will get benefits equal to nominal value of printed money minus the printed cost. The gain of printing currency is called seignorage (Hifzur-Rab, 2002; Karim, 2002).
The gain that easily got from printing currency will urge the government to print currency in uncontrol manner, so it can be more than the acceptance of incomed government budget. This policy is wellknown as deficit budget. The deficit budget policy from the government usually will be closed by the loan or printing new money (Tambunan, 1997). If the printing of new money is continued, it will make sustainable inflation.
2. The existence of fractional reserve system
The emerged inflation not only comes from seignorage but also from the bank that receives deposit from the society. By rule of fractional reserve system, the Bank has a big power to multiply money (Rothbard, 2007).
The part of a reserve system gives a power to the bank to create “new money” by giving credit more than their real money. The sum of “new money” that can be multiply through loan by bank, will follow general formula, that is (Sukirno, 2000):
PU = D (1/FR); PU = Multiplied money, D = Deposit, FR = Fractional Reserve.
For example:
If the fractional reserve of the bank is 10 % and the deposit is Rp. 10 billion, bank can multiply the deposit to be Rp. 100 billion. There is a right of all bank to do such multiply, it can cause inflation.
3. The existence of interest
The existence of fiat money that caused sustainable inflation, will come out time value of money draft. This draft has a view that the moment currency is more valuable than the next currency. The time value of money draft is based not only on presence of inflation but also on preference present consumption to future consumtion. The assumption of consume things and service in this moment is more enjoyable than next time (Karim, 2002)
Based on the above assumption, the conventional economic expert think there should be a “compensation” if somebody delay the use of currency for next time. The compensation is converse with interest rate. Every party who has loan to other party, should give interest as a compensation of “loss” to the other owner party (Karim, 2002).
Further, in economic term, interest rate is sum of additional money that should be paid in each time unit as a procentage from the loaned money. In the other hand, someone should pay opportunity to loan money. The interest rate is fulfilled without considering uncertainty risk of trade activity which have to be responsive by the loaner (Pass, Lowes & Davies, 1994; Esta Lestari, 2005).
The fulfillment of fix rate without considering bussiness risk, has a serious bad effect for economic affairs. The world economic crisis 2008 is the real example of the moment use interest system. The world economic crisis that trigger of subprime mortgage scandal in United Stated, actually begins on the “playing” interest rate.
The obligations that come from a settlement credit, become trade comodity in capital market. By using “playing” spread, then, the obligations are to be securities, after that being trade in capital market, even up to many descendant. Finally, it is easily guess, when the first level creditor fell to pay, the next sequence is unpredictable. The domino effect appears making an enormous economic crisis, as we see now (Ma’ruf, 2009).
4. The existence of motive speculation
The existence of interest rate has a bad impact on economic, it also cause the use of money farther than the real function. At the end, money is more used as a tool of a trade comodity, than a trade tool of real economic sector. The change of the used currency gives a chance to be a speculative practice and at the end it will cause a quick money demand to unproductive needs. (Siregar, 2001).
If the interest often up and down, it causes uncertainty. The high volatility of the interest rate will cause high uncertainty in the financial market. In such condition the investor can’t dare to have a long term investation, but they will take a short term investation (Siregar, 2001).
If the borrower and the lender are tend to have a short term investation, the short term investation tends to the speculative activity and it is more interesting than a productive long term investation. The result is society more interested in looking for a capital gain than a stock exchange, foreign exchange and other derevative financial activity which is speculative (Siregar, 2001).
It is caused money grow faster in the sector activity. It is about 5 % of money circulation for real sector. This phenomenon makes bubble economy, it can blow everytime and make economic crisis (Lestari, 2005).
Now, we can see the economic destruction that it made by speculative persons. Their fund is almost hundreds billion US dollars, even they can borrow ten times to bet in capital market 24 hours a day. The capital market in 1980 had income 280 billion US dollars, but in 2000 their income was more than 1,5 trillion US dollars a day. It is 100 times world trade income in a year. The capital trade currency can exceed other countries in a minute, so its currency can be up and down in a very short time (Deliarnov, 2006).
5. The existence of currency exchange system
The different use of fiat money in every country will cause exchange rate or a popular term is currency rate. In economic terms, the currency exchange is a cost of a currency that expresses in many other currencies. In other word, the currency exchange is a quotation foreign currency in domestic currency (Pass, Lowes & Davies, 1994; Karim,2002).
Every country has different rate policy system. At least, there are three possibilities rate system in a country, that is: fixed exchange rates, managed floating exchange rates, and freely floating exchange rates (Samuel & Nordhaus, 1999).
The difference of currencies among them can not be fixed but it will be fluctuation, although the country has a fixed exchange rate. Why is in the fixed rate also fluctuative?
In the fixed rate, if the Central Bank had stated the rate, it must prepare unlimited foreign money which the trader needed. If this situation happens continously, the Central Banks will come at the condition that it can’t give the trader’s need in foreign money. Because of that, if the reserve of the Central Bank foreign exchange decreases, it must be a policy to increase foreign currency to domestic currency, in order that the request of reserve decrease. This situation is called devaluation, in the other hand is called revaluation (Pass, Lowes & Davies, 1994; Karim, 2002).
It is understandable that in different fiat money system, the fluctuation currency rate is a continuous situation. Many factors influences the fluctuation of this currency, especially it is pressure by request and offer of the currency itself (Karim, 2002).
The rate fluctuation among the currency makes high volatility. As stated above, the currency volatility is the important economic factor to strain international trade. The strain will involve a balance payment. The change of its currency will influence cost and competitive factor its country in the international market ( Dornbusch, Fischer & Startz, 1998; Mishkin, 2001).
The other problem occurs in rate system is currency mismatches. It happens if the loan of a country dominate by foreign currency, but the main income is in local money. The currency mismatches make the country vulnerable to the currency fluctuation, especially if there is a depressive situation in a very short period. The condition of depressive will decrease the capacity to pay its loan in foreign currency at short time. This effect can formulate instability economic, and it can formulate economic crisis, like Asia in 1997 (Bordo, Meissner $ Weidenmier, 2006).
IV. FIAT MONEY IS A TOOL OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC DOMINATION
Why fiat money can be a tool of world economic domination? Sure, it is not for all fiat money. It is for the currency that “force” to be an international trade payment. The easiest example of it is U S dollar. Why can US dollar be dominated world economic?
Let’s study further. We had known that US dollars is printed without gold guarantee. How much does it cost? According to the calculation Yusuf et. al. (2002), to print 1 US dollar needs 4 cents US dollar. If one US dollars equals to Rp. 10.000, so in every 1 US dollar printed, the United State will get seignorage for about Rp. 9.600. If they print 100 US dollar, how much gain do the get? It is almost Rp. 999.600 each. Why? It is because the cost to print 1 dollar is almost the same to print 100 dollar.
It is the domination mode in this era. United State can take “tax” from other countries in the world by giving inflation printed dollars. The hard work of billion men in the world, including natural resources such as wood, rattan, copper, gold, silver, tin, petroleum, gas, coal, rice, fish and the others that have precious value only change into worthless paper.
As an comparative, according to former Governor of World Bank James D. Wolfenshon, there are 2,8 billion man that should struggle to get 2 dollars in a day. Furthermore, it is about 1,2 billion man only get 1 US dollar a day (Hamidi, 2007). Is it fair, the exploitation of natural resources from developing countries change to fiat money without gold standard?
If there is a fluctuative currency ( like in 1997), it is possible that the sum of loan paid by the poor countries multiplied, without getting pleasure from the adding loan value. They can’t pay their loan by domectic money, but they must be exploitate their resources, to export, and then they will get dollars to pay their loan (Triono, 2006).
The phenomenon is the main point of the poorness and hunger in the poor and developing countries. It is caused by fiat money from developed countries such as US dollar, Yen, and Euro (Hifzur-Rab, 2002).
The fluctuation of currencies exchange values brings about the high volatility of currencies exchange values. The Volatility of currency exchange values is the major economic factor in affecting the international trade. Its influence impacts the mechanism of balance of payment. Because, the exchange of currency values influence its price and the product competitiveness in the international trade (Dombusch, Fischer & Startz, 1998;Mishkin, 2001)
Another problem that will be appeared because of the currency exchange fluctuation is when the currency mismatches is happened to the certain country. Because it will directly hamper the economic of the state soon. The currency mismatches is occured when the country is dominated by the foreign currency, while the major of the income is in the local currency. It can creates the country will be more vulnerable to the foreign exchange fluctuation, particularly is the occurance of sudden currency depreciation because it can decrease its capability to pay the debt in the form of foreign currency. This aftermath creates the frailness of the economy and finally brings about to the financial crisis such as the financial crisis which hamper the Asian in 1997th (Bordo, Meissner & Weidenmer, 2006)
V. THE FIAT MONEY AS THE MEANS OF ECONOMIC IMPERIALISM.
Why the paper money can be the effective tools of the world economic imperialism? Of course, it is not applicable in all of paper money all over the world. But it is only applicable for the currency which has the forcing characteristic as the payment tool in the international trade. The simple example is US dollar currency. Why US dollar can be the tool of the world economic imperialism?
If we pay close attention to the economic problem dealt with the poor and developing countries nowadays, ironically, it was the severe problem and can’t be solved only by exerting the conventional theories of economic. The current economic problem not just merely concerned with the low of economic productivity in the country. It is not also concerned with the inefficiency as well as the mismanagement of government in the economy, but it is more complicated than that.
Even if the poor countries hardly want to achieve the welfare state by increasing their productivity, empowering of full employment, does the economic of state will be better? Or if it is considered far from the expectation, so they force their people to work 24 hours, and they exploit all of the available natural resources, and they have succeed in eradicating the corruption, manipulation. How is approximately the result? Insya Allah the economic problem will be stagnant and not change. Why? To answer the question, let’s slightly flash back to the history.
In the 20th century ago, the world was colored by the massive independence of colonized countries. But did they fully get their independence. The answer is not yet. The colonizer still exists on the world. But its form was different with the previous model of imperialism.
The previous imperialism (from the context of economy), the imperialists always ask the tax from their colonized countries, such as the empire of Rome, Persia, and Great Britain. In the current imperialism, the direct tax was not perpetuated, but they still burdening the tax indirectly and in the bigger amount from the form of the previous ones.
We have already understood that the empire of the world is in the hand of developed countries, particularly United State of America. What is their major weapon to colonize the world? Only by utilizing the fiat money, they can colonize, subordinate and absorb the wealth of nation all over the world. Why the fiat money was becoming the tools of world imperialism?
We can take the simple example of US Dollar currency. We have already understood well that US dollar can not be continuously printed out without the backing up of the precious metal. How much the cost? According to Yusuf (2002), to print out 1 US dollar is equal with 4 cent of USD. If the exchange rate of 1 USD is equal with Rp. 10.000, then in every printing out of 1 USD, US will get the seignior age about Rp. 9.600. How if the printed fiat money is 100 USD? They will get the profit about Rp. 999.600,- per sheet. Why it was needed too much cost? Because, the cost of printed fiat money in 1 USD is equal with 100 USD. It is the extraordinary free lunch gotten by US.
It is the imperialism model in this century. US can draw the tax from the countries in the world through the burden of inflation of US dollar currency. The hard work of billion people on the world, including the natural resources such as wood, rattan, copper, gold, silver, gas, oil, coal, rice, fishes etc which has the previous values, then only can be exchanged by the fiat money which almost have no value at all.
As the comparison, according to the ex governor of World Bank James D. Wolfenshon, there are 2,8 billion of people who live under poverty and hardly strive to get 2 USD per day. Moreover, there are 1,2 billion of people which their hard working is priced only a dollar per day (Hamidi, 2007). Is it fair, the natural resources from the developing countries that have been exploited and exchanged only by the fiat money which not be standardized by the gold value?
The seigniorage by the developed countries is just merely the part of instrument of economic imperialism throughout currency. Whereas, there are still a lot of instrument were utilized by them in order to get the multiple profit. The interest rate issued by the central bank is its owned profit, moreover if the currency is given in the form of foreign debt to the poor countries; it will create them poorer and poorer than before (Perkins, 2005).
VI. The Paper Money is the core of economic problem
Except its function as the imperialism tool, the fiat money which is not supported by the metal, bring about to the various economic problems. The economic crisis which is occurred lately is the tangible result of the fiat money contribution.
According to Zaim Zaidi (2001), the frailness of fiat money was also supported by the monetary and financial system which has self destructive characteristic. The system resulted the uncontrolled currency market development and the emergence of speculation practices. It was obviously appeared in 1970th. The turnover of currency market was still $ 15 billion. In the 1980th, the turnover increased four times to $ 60 billion. And in 2000th the turnover increased 1,3 trillion or twenty times. The turnover was equal with the six times of the value of the real sector trade which require the hard working.
According to Prof. John Gray from Oxford University (Karim,2002), the motive value of transaction has been changed to derivative trade which full of speculation motive. Only 5 % from $ 1,2 trillion per a day is the financial transaction to the real sector and the rest (95%) is the speculative transaction which not support the real sector development at all.
According to Mulya Siregar (2001), the effect of monetary and financial system which is utilized the instrument of interest rate as the indirect screening mechanism, has resulted to the disregarding of the investment chance which should be done by the banking. The banking didn’t pay attention again, whether they have to invest in the real sector or in the financial sector with its entire derivative instrument. It was resulted the vulnerable speculation practices, which finally brings about the bad effect in the real sector.
Maurice Alais, the winner of economic noble in 1992 argued that the available loan system have funded the speculation activities. He argued that (Siregar, 2001):
Be it speculation on currencies or speculation on stocks and shares, the world has become one big casino with gaming tables distributed along every latitude and longitude. The game and the bids, in which millions of players take part, never cease. The american quotations are followed by those from Tokyo and Hongkong, from London, Frankfurt and Paris. Everywhere speculation is supported by credit since one can buy without paying and selling without owning.
Based on the research done by the Bank of International Settlement (BIS) (Siregar, 2001), the turnover of foreign exchange in April 1989 increased $ 620 billion per day. But on April 195 the turnover of foreign exchange increased to $ 1.230 billion per working day. The increasing of turnover was primary caused by the increasing of derivatives contract (futures and options). It has been estimated that the total value of derivative contract reached $ 40.700 billion on March, 31, 1995 with the daily volume about $ 839 billion. It is bigger than the daily volume of export and import which is about $ 26.3 billion
Maurice Allais (Siregar, 2001) has done the research, he found that the volume of speculative cahs flow from G-7 countries is thirty four times comparing with the flows for the transaction of good and services.
Wheras, we have already understood well that in the running monery stystem now, creating the shock of the value exchange is the simple thing. It was not fully required perpetrated by the big state,but it is enough to be done by the only speculator (such a George Soros), the value of exchange rate can be easily messed up.
Therefore, we can obviously witness right now on the economic damage caused by the speculator actions. They have a hundred of billion US dollar; moreover they can borrow ten times to be pawned in the currency market with 24 hours of working day. In 1980th the turnover of currency market was $ 280 billion, but in 2000th it has reached $ 1,5 trillion per day. The amount was exceeding more than a hundred times of the world trade in a year. The currency market can traverse all over the world in the count of minute, and then the value of currency market fluctuates in a short time (Deliarnov, 2006).
If the fluctuation of currency exchange is happened ( the crisis of 1997), it is possible the debt amount of the poor countries suddenly multiplied. Whereas it is impossible to pay their debt with their domestic currency, but they have to exploit all of their natural resources to be exported, and then they can get the sheets of dollar which can be used in paying the foreign debt (Triono, 2006).
This phenomenon then considered as the core of problem in the case of poverty and starvation occurred in the poor and developing countries. It was primary caused by the fiat money in the developed countries, such as US dollar, Yen Japan, or Euro from Europe Union (Hifzur-Rab, 2002).
The obvious facts in Indonesia are basically shown that in the last SBY – JK tenure, Indonesian debt reached $ 2.335,8 billion. Indonesia has to set aside the national budget approximately about 30 – 40% per year in order to pay off the primary debt and its interest. For the national budget in 2009, Indonesia has to pay off the debt amounts $ 22 billion (Rp. 250 trilyun) (Kompas, 24 Nopember 2008).
From the aftermath caused by the fiat money which was previously explained above, there is still more dangerous effect. It is making the fiat money as the tool of imperialism of developed countries to the developing ones. As stated by Abdurrazaq Lubis (2001). The debts given by the developed countries to the developing ones has caused the ecological damages, land degradation, the wide spreading pollution, the forest deterioration, the natural resources exploitation, the damage of traditional social structure, etc. The damage must be occurred in order to get the unmeaning sheets of US fiat money to pay off their foreign debt.
In the certain conference on the environmental issues in Boulder, Colorado, United State of America reported by Time magazine (Lubis, 2001), it was proposed a question: “Why there are a lot of species and the environment in danger situation?”. The answer is: “the main reason is in the tropical area where the countries under developing they strive to feed their people and to get the money to pay off their foreign debt as their obligation”.
The phenomenon above is same as the John Perkins’ confession as it was stated in his book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (2006). The book opens the secret of US Government which dare to pay with the high price to a such man that want to make the countries which have the rich natural resources proposing the foreign debt to US as much as possible until they can’t pay off their foreign debt again, except exploiting all of their natural resources.
Indonesia is one of the country that really appropriate with the Perkins’ explanation above. Indonesia has been snared in the debt trap which is impossible to be paid. With the foreign debt about $ 130 billion, Indonesia has to set aside its national budget about 30 – 40% per a year in order to pay off the principal owed on debt added by its interest. For the allocation of national budget in 2005 – 2006, Indonesia paid off the debt about Rp 146 trillion ( $16 billion) and spent Rp. 60 trillion ($ 6,7 billion) for its interest (Triono, 2006).
To pay the foreign debt Indonesia has to spend the big amount of fund, Indonesia has to drain its currency exchange. It was gotten from the export coming from its natural resources. And finally it results to the massive exploitation all over Indonesia (Triono,2006)
Thus, the writer’s explanation basically is the only part of the global scenario of imperialism. If it should be described entirely, there must be a lot of matter to be written. The most important thing is on how we deal with this imperialism model?
Based on the Quranic and prophetic traditions, it can be well understood that Islam has determined the trade law (bai’) and the rental (ijarah). But, Islam does not determine a certain “material” as the basic principle of exchange (mubadalat) for goods and services. Islam gives the freedom to a human in undergoing every exchange based on the various principles, as long as there is willingness element (An Nabhani, 1963). It is based on the generality of trade and the rental supposition. In the trading term Allah said:,
“And Allah allows the trade” (2:275)
The word “al bai” (trade) in that verse has a general characteristic, meaning that, it is permissible to exchange every kind of goods. In the case of rental, Rasulullah SAW has once said:
“ if someone of you employ a worker, then tell him his wage”
The word “ajrahu” (the wage) has general characteristic, it is permissible to give any kind of wage to the rented people, for goods and services.
Everything that can be exchanged is permissible (mubah) according to the syara’ theory: Al ashlu fil asy-yaa’ alibahatu malam yarid dalilut tahrim (The nature of goods is permissible, as long as there is no supposition (dalil) prohibit it. Therefore, the exchange of every goods is absolutely permissible, except if there is nash – nash prohibit it, such as pig, corpse, blood and etc.
But, Islam differentiate the exchange case (mubadalat) with the currency (naqd) which must be printed by the state. In the case of currency for a state, Islam has determined a definite standard as the basic principle of exchange that is gold and silver. Because correlates the certain syara’ law with the gold and silver as the currency. Islam has made both as the standard to appraise the goods and services as the basic principle for every transaction (mu’amalah) (Zallum, 1983).
The syara’ postulates for the law can be understood from the linking of gold and silver with the definite and the unchanged of syara’ law. The syara’ postulates are:
I. Islam prohibits the kanzul mal (accumulating the gold and silver) (QS At Taubah: 34). The prohibition is aiming at the accumulation of gold and silver as their substance and the currency.
II. Islam obliges the alms of gold and silver and has determined its nishab. Rasullullah SAW said, “in every 20 dinar (the alms) is the half of dinar”. Nishab for the dinar (gold) is (85 gram of Gold) and its alms is 2,5%. Rasulullah SAW said that, “In every 200 dirham (the alms) is 5 dirham”. The nishab of dirham (silver) is 200 dirham (595 gram of silver) and its alms is 2,5%.
III. Islam obliges the payment of diyat (fine) with the gold and silver and has determined its size. The diyat (fine) by using the gold is 1000 dinar while the diyat by using silver is 12.000 dirham. It was narrated from Ibnu Abbas RA that once upon time a man from the Ady nomadic tribe was killed. And then the prophet of Muhammad determined its diyat amounts 12.000 dirham (HR. Ashabus Sunan). It was narrated from Abu Bakar bin Muhammad bi Amr bin Hazm from the father of its grandpa, Rasulullah SAW has written a letter to Yaman civilians. Rasulullah SAW said that,”in the mu’min soul (killed) there is a diyat of 100 camels…. And for who has dinar, the diyat is 1000 dinar” (HR. An Nasa’i)
IV. Islam obliges the cutting of hand in the theft case with the minimum standard of the quarter of stolen goods or 3 dirham. It was narrated from ‘Aisyah RA, that Rasulullah SAW said that, “the thief hand will be not cut except it is equal with the quarter of dinar or more”. (HR Khamsah)
V. Islam has determined the law of currency exchange (sharf) and determined the money in the form of gold and silver. It was narrated from Abi Bakrah RA, Rasulullah said;
“Rasulullah prohibits the silver trade with silver and the gold with gold, except it is equal in the value. He permit us to buy the silver with gold and the gold with silver on our heart’s content” (HR. Bukhari and Muslim)
The syara’ law which is linked by the gold and silver shown that they are a standard of union currency which has been determined based on the decree taqrir of Rasulullah SAW to appraise the goods and services (Zallum,1983).
How if the country print out the currency which is not in the form of gold and silver? The answer, the state can issue the currency of non – gold and silver, but there must be the gold and silver in the state cash (Baitul Mal) which is equal with the currency values as the requirement of it. Thus, the state can issue the currency of copper, bronze, the paper as the fiat money based on the gold and silver (An Nabhani, 1963).
VI. The Features of Dinar Dirham
The gold and silver is the most stable currency. Since the beginning of Islam until now, it was surprisingly impressive that the value of Islamic currency is still stable in its relation with the consumptive goods. A chicken in the age of Muhammad prophet is 1 dirham. And today after 1400 years, the price is unchanged and stable in 1 dirham. Therefore, during 1400 year, the inflation is nol.
Moreover, Dinar and Dirham have a big chance to be the world currency and will replace the US dollar domination, because it is not the strong currency anymore. Basically, US dollar currency has no value at all, because there are bubbles of US dollar amounts $ 80 trillion per a year. It is twenty times exceeding t e world trade value, which is only $ 4 trillion per year. Meaning that, the bubbles can buy the traded goods twenty times more than the regular dimension. The bubbles will be bigger and bigger. And we don’t need to be wiser to understand that the bubbles will be probably exploded. And finally the global economic crisis was happened and more badly then economic depreciation in 1929 (Vadillo, 1998).
In the other hand, the increasing of gold value about 107% during the three months when the crisis of Peso Mexico was happened, the increasing of gold values which can reach 375% during the 7 months when the Indonesian economic crisis and also the increasing of 307% of gold value when Russian rubel crisis happened in 1998 has proven the stability of gold value as the exchange tools or the currency. It was happened because the gold currency has the instinctive value and not the exchange capability towards the currency as it was happened in the fiat money (SetiaBudi, 2003).
VII. Closing
Thus, the initial study coming from the Islamic sources concerning with the Islamic economic role to create the economic stability, and finally the main aim of economic development can be preserved in a short term as well as a long term. The actualization of economic development hopefully can be achieved by returning back the economic system which is based on the gold and silver affiliating with the using of it correctly and in a proper way. Wallahu a’lam bishshowab