Books, Multimedia, Side Feature

The Manufacturing Policy and Building an Industrial State from the Viewpoint of Islam

Download the book from here

Since the time Allah has created man and put him on earth, man tries to satisfy his needs with materials created in the universe around him, as well as trying to maintain his security, sovereignty and survival whether in case of attack or defense by using the raw materials around him.

He lived in caves, ate and drank from the fruits of the trees and water of springs, wells and rain, and made clothes from leaves, branches and the like. Thus when his life broadened and his need varied and his experiments developed, he began attempting to improve the raw materials around him to better meet his needs. He tried to use various stones, mud, and wood to build a proper house; in addition, he tried to use selected sharpened tools of stone and timber to be a weapon for him. Thus he continued to improve and transform the raw materials to forms that serve his needs.

Using his previous information about the reality around him and the information is transmitted through the senses to the brain and then by linking these aspects together, he was able to advance to collect more information, effectively utilize raw materials by improving its form, and convert it to another form. Since he discovered agriculture and precisely noted its timing as well as learning astronomy and mathematics, man was transformed from a food gatherer, picking from seeds, trees and fruit to a food producer sufficing him abundantly. Man also learned woodcarving and wood production, and learned of its importance for the roof of his house, kindling fire for warmth and later on its use as a weapon. He learned to weave and knit fabric and clothing using wool, linen, cotton, goat hair and camel hair and silk, as well as rugs and carpets. Then he learned about construction and architecture, sculpture and ornamentation, castles, forts and the construction of dams and barrages, as well as the adobe production (dried mud, brick i.e. fired clay stone) to be used as building materials in regions where there are fewer stones.

As man progressed in life, his experiences expanded. He realized his need for metals, so he extracted and used them in his daily affairs; in warfare, agriculture, and domestic matters, and he began to turn them into useful utensils. One of the first metals that he knew was iron, and he learned how to manufacture iron ore extracted from mines, and learned how to melt it using primitive techniques like putting it into pits or kilns and kindling fire in a sufficient quantity to melt the metal and purify it from foreign substances mixed with it, then they mould and manufacture it into swords, spears, shields and other weapons, or into apparatuses to extract water from wells, or plough blades, or any useful metal machine for human use.

Then he discovered manufacturing of copper, bronze, lead, sulfur, salt, gold, silver, pearl, coral and other gems. Man also learned the manufacturing of tanning and leather crafts, glass and papermaking, and later on he learned to write.

Man’s knowledge of transforming raw material into forms useful for him compelled him to detect the properties of these materials and their resistance to factors which they are exposed to when they are used. Thus he began to use his information and ideas about these metals in initial simple scientific experiments that rely on experimenting, observation and conclusion, that leads to the human benefit from the results in order to improve its use.
Thus, man took a quantum leap from using stone tools to using metal tools.