Property may be acquired in three ways, by earning (iktiṣab), by inheritance (warāthah) and by gift (ḥibah). Of these, inheritance, on account of its importance, is dealt with in a separate chapter. Acquisition of property by the individual, whether male or female, is recognized by Islām as one of the basic laws regulating human society: “For men is the benefit of what they earn. And for women is the benefit of what they earn” (4:32). Both sexes have also an equal right to inheritance of property: “For men is a share of what the parents and the near relatives leave, and for women a share of what the parents and the near relatives leave” (4:7). No limitation is placed upon the property or wealth which an individual may acquire or give away. The Holy Qur’ān speaks even of heaps of gold being in the possession of a man which he may give away to a woman as her dowry: “And (if) you have given one of them a heap of gold, take nothing from it” (4 :20). Islām is thus opposed to Communism, which recognizes no individual right of property; but it is at the same time socialistic in its tendencies, inasmuch as it tries to bring about a more or less equal distribution of wealth.
All unlawful means of acquiring property are denounced: “O you who believe, devour not your property among yourselves by illegal methods except that it be trading by your mutual consent” (4:29); “And swallow not up your property among yourselves by false means, nor seek to gain access thereby to the judges, so that you may swallow up a part of the property of men wrongfully while you know” (2:188). The latter verse alludes to bribery. Dacoity and theft are spoken of elsewhere as punishable crimes (5:33, 38). Misappropriation is forbidden: “Allāh commands you to make over trusts to those worthy of them” (4:58). Gambling is prohibited as being a false or dishonest