Is Public Distributed Ledger (PDL) allowed in Islam? (The Digital Economy: Case Study 2 – Part 1/4)
Write your view in the comments below: “Allowed” or “Forbidden”. Then read till the end for the answer.
A Publicly Distributed Ledger, is a set of information (Ledger) that is made Publicly available and copies of which are kept in multiple locations. The greater number of publicly held copies, allows a greater number of verification with the original document, and more certainty to confirm that it is unchanged.
In fact Islam has the largest physical Publicly Distributed Ledger consisting of over billions of copies over the last 1400 years, to verify the original ledger text. If you are thinking of the Quran, and the billions of “Hafiz Al Quran” that have learnt the Quran by heart, then you are correct.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6069: (A believer should conceal what sins he may commit.):
Abu Huraira (RAA) Narrated:
I heard Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) saying. “All the sins of my followers will be forgiven except those of the Mujahirin (those who commit a sin openly or disclose their sins to the people). An example of such disclosure is that a person commits a sin at night and though Allah screens it from the public, then he comes in the morning, and says, ‘O so-and-so, I did such-and-such (evil) deed yesterday,’ though he spent his night screened by his Lord (none knowing about his sin) and in the morning he removes Allah’s screen from himself.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6069]
However, please note that this method of record preservation is only for Public information. Private information must be guarded and kept private in Islam. See Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6069 above.
Therefore in Islam the Publicly Distributed Ledger is allowed for public information, but is forbidden in case of publicizing private information.
Do you want to know more of what is allowed and what is forbidden ? How should the economy and finance on the whole be structured?
The book “Islamic Finance and Trade: God’s Economic System”, is the culmination of over 25 years of research, to present the answer to the above question. You are kindly invited to Read, Review and Recommend the book. It is available at https://a.co/d/f1jTXvP and on all Amazon sites.