Longtime US lawmaker Senator Bob Menendez has been indicted after gold bars and wads of cash were found in his home stuffed in a jacket. Federal prosecutors allege that Menendez and his wife accepted “hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a senator to protect and enrich” a number of businessmen “and to benefit the Arab Republic of Egypt”.  Specifically, they stand accused of accepting “cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value”.

The indictment alleges that in exchange, Menendez passed non-public US government information to Egyptian officials and used his position as chair of the Senate foreign relations committee to facilitate weapons sales to that country. Menendez is also accused of plotting to disrupt a criminal investigation into one of the busninessmen and that he persuaded the Biden administration to install a new prosecutor whom he believed he could influence on behalf of another businessman.

This case should not surprise Americans, who view their politicians as greedy, corrupt, dishonest and untrustworthy. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Centre, at least 84% of adults in the US are concerned about the high cost of political campaigns and the outsize influence of special interests and lobbyists. The survey quoted a man in his 30s as commenting about American politicians: “They don’t work for the people. They are too corrupt and busy filling their pockets.” And according to a woman in her 50s the biggest problem is that US politicians are “hiding the truth and fulfilling their own agendas.”

Another institution which is losing respect in the US is the once highly regarded Supreme Court. Thom Hartmann, writing in Common Dreams, states: “Let’s just say it right out loud: the US Supreme Court is corrupt. And Americans know it.” He continues: “No other federal court in the nation would allow a defendant in a case before them to fly a judge on a private Gulfstream luxury jet to a luxury hunting retreat in Louisiana and then, a week later, watch as that judge rules in that defendant’s favour.” The judge in question is Antonin Scalia; the defendant none other than Dick Cheney, who was being sued for lying about his secret “energy group” that was planning the seizure and sale of Iraq’s oil fields during Operation “Enduring Freedom”.

Other instances of corruption are mentioned by Hartmann in his article regarding Justices Neal Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts. The latter ruled in a case where he owned half a million dollars worth of stock in a company presenting amicus arguments before the Supreme Court during the ABC v. Aereo case. In fact Justices Roberts, Bryer and Alito made judgements in 25 other cases where they held stock.

But perhaps the most notorious Supreme Court judge is Clarence Thomas. Hartmann writes that Thomas and his wife openly interacted with and advocated for the interests of dozens of litigants before the court over decades, and took nearly a million dollars from a group regularly helping bring cases before his court.

Although the corruption in the American system may be shocking, it is perhaps not surprising to those of us familiar with the ideologies which underpin the US government and judiciary. Capitalism and Liberal Secularism emphasize the material value and self-interest. Secularism banishes the spiritual value to private worship. Wael Hallaq comments in an interview:

“In terms of political theology, secularism is the murder of God by the State. The state can delimit, limit, exclude or curtail any religious practice, and thus has the power to determine the quality and quantity of the religious sphere as it sees fit.”

In secular, capitalist states ethical, moral and spiritual values are not prioritised, so it is no wonder that politicians and judges in the most virulently capitalist of all states, the US, are dishonest and corrupt. In the hierarchy of values in America, the material value is uppermost while the spiritual value is at the bottom.

The Islamic Paradigm

There is an alternative to Secular Liberalism and Capitalism. Islam emphasises the spiritual value, while not ignoring the importance of the material value by allocating it to its proper place. For example, the Islamic Shari‘ah commends work and discourages begging, as indicated by the following hadith:


عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ أَنَّ رَجُلًا مِنْ الْأَنْصَارِ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَسْأَلُهُ فَقَالَ أَمَا فِي بَيْتِكَ شَيْءٌ قَالَ بَلَى حِلْسٌ نَلْبَسُ بَعْضَهُ وَنَبْسُطُ بَعْضَهُ وَقَعْبٌ نَشْرَبُ فِيهِ مِنْ الْمَاءِ قَالَ ائْتِنِي بِهِمَا قَالَ فَأَتَاهُ بِهِمَا فَأَخَذَهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِيَدِهِ وَقَالَ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي هَذَيْنِ قَالَ رَجُلٌ أَنَا آخُذُهُمَا بِدِرْهَمٍ قَالَ مَنْ يَزِيدُ عَلَى دِرْهَمٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثًا قَالَ رَجُلٌ أَنَا آخُذُهُمَا بِدِرْهَمَيْنِ فَأَعْطَاهُمَا إِيَّاهُ وَأَخَذَ الدِّرْهَمَيْنِ وَأَعْطَاهُمَا الْأَنْصَارِيَّ وَقَالَ اشْتَرِ بِأَحَدِهِمَا طَعَامًا فَانْبِذْهُ إِلَى أَهْلِكَ وَاشْتَرِ بِالْآخَرِ قَدُومًا فَأْتِنِي بِهِ فَأَتَاهُ بِهِ فَشَدَّ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عُودًا بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ اذْهَبْ فَاحْتَطِبْ وَبِعْ وَلَا أَرَيَنَّكَ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا فَذَهَبَ الرَّجُلُ يَحْتَطِبُ وَيَبِيعُ فَجَاءَ وَقَدْ أَصَابَ عَشْرَةَ دَرَاهِمَ فَاشْتَرَى بِبَعْضِهَا ثَوْبًا وَبِبَعْضِهَا طَعَامًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هَذَا خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَنْ تَجِيءَ الْمَسْأَلَةُ نُكْتَةً فِي وَجْهِكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

Anas ibn Malik reported: A man from the Ansar came to the Prophet ﷺ and begged from him. The Prophet said, “Have you nothing in your house?” The man said, “Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of which we wear and a part of which we spread on the ground, and a wooden bowl from which we drink water.” The Prophet said, “Bring them to me.” The man brought these articles to him and the Prophet ﷺ took them in his hands and he said, “Who will buy these?” Someone said, “I will buy them for one coin.” The Prophet said twice or thrice, “Who will offer more than one coin?” Someone said, “I will buy them for two coins.” He sold them for two coins and the Prophet said, “Buy food with one of them and give it to your family. Buy an axe and bring it to me.” The man brought it to him. The Prophet ﷺ fixed a handle on it with his own hands and he said, “Go gather firewood and sell it, and do not let me see you for a fortnight.” The man went away and gathered firewood and sold it. When he had earned ten coins, he came and bought a garment and food. The Prophet ﷺ said, “This is better for you than for begging to come as a blemish on your face on the Day of Resurrection…”

[Sunan Abi Dawud #164, graded sahih li ghayrihi]

At the same time, Islam also promotes the ethical value (for example honesty) when undertaking trade. The following is related by Muslim

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، ‏.‏ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ عَلَى صُبْرَةِ طَعَامٍ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِيهَا فَنَالَتْ أَصَابِعُهُ بَلَلاً فَقَالَ ‏”‏ مَا هَذَا يَا صَاحِبَ الطَّعَامِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَصَابَتْهُ السَّمَاءُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَفَلاَ جَعَلْتَهُ فَوْقَ الطَّعَامِ كَىْ يَرَاهُ النَّاسُ مَنْ غَشَّ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي ‏”

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ happened to pass by a heap of eatables (corn). He thrust his hand in that (heap) and his fingers were moistened. He said to the owner of that heap of eatables (corn): What is this? He replied: Messenger of Allah, these have been drenched by rainfall. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Why did you not place this (the drenched part of the heap) over other eatables so that the people could see it? He who deceives is not of me.
[Sahih Muslim #102]

Islam mandates that a believer should have taqwa or consciousness of Allah when undertaking any action – this deters them from dishonesty and immorality as they know they are accountable for everything they do. Allah says in the Qur’an:

إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌۭ

“Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is that (believer) who has taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” [49:13]

It was this taqwa which led to the Caliphs of the past to rule with justice and to fulfil the rights of others, even to the extent of being concerned with the welfare of animals. For example ‘Umar (r) once said (on the authority of Dawud ibn ‘Ali):

عن داود بن علي قَالَ قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رضي الله عنه لَوْ مَاتَتْ شَاةٌ عَلَى شَطِّ الْفُرَاتِ ضَائِعَةً لَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى سَائِلِي عَنْهَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

“If a lost sheep under my care were to die on the banks of the Euphrates, I would expect Allah the Exalted to question me about it on the Day of Resurrection.”
[Ḥilyat al-Awliyā’ 137]

The scrupulousness of those Caliphs of the past who had taqwa is illustrated by the rule of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz. He was very prudent when it came to using the funds of the state treasury. For example, as narrated in his biography, a lamp was lit for ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz while he was dealing with the needs of the Caliphate’s citizens. When he finished, he blew it out and lit his own lamp.

On another occasion, narrated in the same biography, he was presented with a few apples but refused them, saying “it is a bribe for us and we do not need it”.


[Imam Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Abdul Hakam, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz: A Classic Biography of the Fifth Righteous Khalifah, Zam Zam Publishers, 2012, pp. 231-232, 233]