Quranic Economics and the Law of Balance
The Universal System of Mīzān, Qisṭ, and Wazn
The Qur’an presents a unified vision in which the cosmic order and human economic life spring from the same foundational law: the Balance (al-Mīzān). The harmony found in galaxies, ecosystems, and biological systems is the same harmony the Qur’an asks humanity to implement in their social and economic structures. Wealth, distribution, and access to resources are not human inventions—they are expressions of a universal equilibrium that predates civilisation.
Do not disturb the cosmic order (the balance) of Allah, restore the balance on Earth, otherwise you will perish.
(sūrat l-raḥmān)Verse (55:7): وَٱلسَّمَآءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ ٱلۡمِيزَانَ أَلَّا تَطۡغَوۡاْ فِى ٱلۡمِيزَانِ (٨) وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلۡوَزۡنَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ وَلَا تُخۡسِرُواْ ٱلۡمِيزَانَ (٩) وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلۡأَنَامِ
Sahih International: And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance. That you not transgress within the balance. And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance. And the earth He laid [out] for the creatures.
Earth Ressourcen are equally open to every one who need it
(sūrat fuṣṣilat)Verse (41:10): وَجَعَلَ فِيہَا رَوَٲسِىَ مِن فَوۡقِهَا وَبَـٰرَكَ فِيہَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيہَآ أَقۡوَٲتَہَا فِىٓ أَرۡبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ۬ سَوَآءً۬ لِّلسَّآٮِٕلِينَ
Sahih International: And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its [creatures’] sustenance in four days without distinction – for [the information] of those who ask.
Wealth should not only circulate among the rich:
(sūrat l-ḥashr)Verse (59:7): كَىۡ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةَۢ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡأَغۡنِيَآءِ مِنكُمۡۚ
Sahih International: – so that it will not be a perpetual distribution among the rich from among you.
1. The Cosmic Balance as the Foundation of All Systems
The Qur’an establishes the principle of balance at the highest possible level:
“And the heaven He raised and established the Balance,
so that you do not transgress within the Balance.
And establish the weight with justice, and do not make deficient the Balance.”
(55:7–9)
The Balance is not only a metaphor but a description of how the physical universe operates. Everything in the cosmos is structured through precise proportion: gravitational tuning, ecological cycles, chemical ratios, and the dynamic equilibrium that keeps life functioning. Any system that becomes excessive or deficient eventually collapses or corrects itself.
By linking this universal Balance with human behaviour, the Qur’an frames economic injustice as a disruption of the same equilibrium that governs nature. A society that distorts its internal balance—through inequality, deprivation, exploitation, or resource hoarding—triggers consequences similar to the breakdown of natural systems.
2. Earth as a Shared Domain of Provision
Immediately following the description of cosmic balance, the Qur’an turns to economics:
“And the earth He spread out for all creatures.” (55:10)
This establishes a foundational principle: the earth and its resources are created for all beings. There is no hierarchy in the Qur’anic language—humans, animals, and ecosystems share the same entitlement to the world’s provisions. Access, not ownership, is the starting point of the Qur’anic economic vision.
The same idea appears even more explicitly in Sūrat Fuṣṣilat:
“He placed on the earth firm mountains above it, and blessed it, and measured
its sustenance in four periods, equal for all who ask.” (41:10)
The key phrase “sawāʾan lil-sāʾilīn” means “equally for those who seek or ask.” This does not imply identical quantities for every individual; rather, it describes a principle of equal accessibility. No creature—human or nonhuman—is created with a blocked pathway to sustenance. If barriers exist, they arise from human interference, not divine design.
Thus, the Qur’an’s economic worldview begins with a radical premise:
the earth is structured as an open system of provision for every living being.
3. Qisṭ: The Due Right of Each Being
The Qur’an then introduces a core economic concept: قِسْط (Qisṭ).
In classical Arabic lexicons, this term carries a precise and technical meaning.
Linguistic Foundations
- Al-Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī defines Qisṭ as “the due portion that must be given to a person.”
- Tāj al-ʿArūs explains it as “a rightful share, allocated according to justice.”
This makes Qisṭ more than generic fairness. It is the principle of giving each being—human, animal and other Creature—the share necessary for its Welling, according to its need, role, and circumstance.
Qisṭ as an Economic Standard
In this framework:
- withholding a person’s rightful share,
- denying access,
- manipulating prices or resources,
- or creating artificial scarcity
are not merely immoral acts; they are violations of the cosmic Balance.
Qisṭ therefore becomes the moral and structural foundation of a healthy economic system. It ensures that the circulation of wealth mirrors the flowing, balanced systems of nature.
4. The Wazn System: Measuring by Real Need
The Qur’an continues with the command:
“Establish the weight (al-Wazn) with Qisṭ…” (55:9)
Al-Wazn, often reduced in classical tafsīr to literal weighing in a marketplace, has a broader implication when read within its cosmic context.
Wazn = Measurement, Assessment, Allocation
It refers to:
- setting standards of value,
- measuring what is owed,
- assessing needs,
- and distributing resources proportionately.
By combining Wazn with Qisṭ, the Qur’an describes a system where:
Measurement must be based on the due rights of individuals.
Rather than abstract profit, speculative value, or power-based pricing, the Qur’anic model ties production, distribution, and economic evaluation to what living beings actually require.
Modern Language Equivalent
In contemporary terms, al-Wazn bil-Qisṭ comes close to:
- need-based valuation
- rights-based distribution
- proportional resource governance
- balanced economic flow
This aligns the human economy with the same laws that maintain balance in natural systems.
5. Economic Justice as an Extension of Cosmic Harmony
When the Qur’an commands humanity not to “transgress the Balance,” it is not speaking only of moral transgression. It is describing a universal equilibrium that links cosmic stability with social justice.
The sequence is deliberate:
- The heavens operate by Balance.
- Humans must not break this Balance.
- Establish weights (systems) based on Qisṭ.
- Ensure the earth’s sustenance remains equally accessible.
The economic system is therefore not separate from the physical universe.
It is a subset of the same law of equilibrium.
Whenever societies distort this system—creating excess on one side and deprivation on another—the Qur’an suggests the consequences are not only spiritual but structural. Instability emerges because the human system no longer resonates with the cosmic law.
6. A Quranic Model of Economic Harmony
The integrated picture reveals a complete framework:
1. Mīzān (Balance):
The universal law governing all systems.
2. Qisṭ (Due Right):
The rightful, need-based portion that each being must receive.
3. Wazn (Measurement):
A system that evaluates and distributes resources according to Qisṭ.
4. Sawāʾan lil-Sāʾilīn (Equal Accessibility):
The earth’s provisions are structured so that every creature may reach what it needs.
5. Al-Arḍa li-l-Anām (Earth for All Creatures):
No species is excluded from the planetary provisioning system.
Together, these principles form a Quranic economic philosophy in harmony with the physical order of the universe. It is an ecology of wealth, a physics of justice, and a moral architecture designed to ensure that human societies remain aligned with the cosmic balance.