How should developed and rich countries treat poor countries? Especially when the poor countries are in desperate need of help for their very survival.
History does not depict a good picture.
With a few exceptions, rich countries have capitalized on the vulnerabilities of poorer countries and treated them in a way that further increased their problems and worries.
The question remains: How should rich countries treat poor countries that need help?
The fascinating description of the travels of Zulqarnain, as mentioned in the Sura Al-Kahf (Chapter 18) of the Holy Qur’an, provides us with some interesting and practical guidelines.
Before we delve deeper into the travels of Zulqarnain, let’s review the typical “peaceful” ways in which rich countries assert their influence on poor countries:
1. Loans with Strings Attached (Debt Diplomacy)
Financial institutions and banks, largely influenced by developed countries, offer loans to developing countries—but often with strict conditions.
- Loans require structural adjustment programs (SAPs), like cutting public services, privatizing industries, and opening markets.
- If debts become unmanageable, countries surrender control over key economic decisions or assets (e.g., ports, energy grids).
- Economic policies are shaped more by creditors than local governments.
2. Aid Dependency and Influence
Foreign aid often comes with political or economic expectations—like trade agreements, military alliances, or support in international forums.
- Aid is sometimes tied to buying goods or services from the donor country.
- Long-term aid dependency can prevent self-sustaining development.
- NGOs funded by donors may reflect foreign priorities more than local ones.
- Sovereignty is undermined, and local priorities are often sidelined.
3. Technology and Intellectual Property Control
Developed countries dominate in R&D and control most patents and IP, which gives them major leverage over poorer nations.
- High-tech exports (e.g., medical equipment, AI, defense tech) often come with licensing restrictions or surveillance risks.
- Countries must pay royalties or import high-cost tech they can’t afford to develop.
- Even “technology transfers” often involve partial access or strings attached.
- Developing nations struggle to build independent tech ecosystems. Local expertise and know-how are never developed beyond a meager level.
4. Control of Natural Resources and Commodities
Multinational corporations from developed nations often extract raw materials (oil, cobalt, gold, etc.) in poorer countries.
- Host governments grant concessions or licenses to foreign companies due to a lack of capital or technology.
- Revenues often benefit elites or foreign investors more than local populations.
- Environmental and social impacts are often downplayed or ignored.
- Countries are locked into resource dependency without building processing or manufacturing capacity.
5. Trade Policies & Market Access
Global trade rules, often written or pushed by wealthy countries, can limit the industrial growth of developing countries.
- Developed nations subsidize their own agriculture or industries, making it hard for poorer countries to compete.
- Tariffs and quotas restrict exports from the Global South.
- Free trade agreements may force open markets before local industries can compete.
- Developing nations stay stuck in low-value exports, unable to diversify.
Now let’s look at what Sura Al-Kahf and the travels of Zulqarnain teach us.
Sura Al-Kahf is full of amazing incidents and stories that can be deciphered in many different ways. However, we will be looking at the literal translation of a few verses of the Sura:
“Then he followed another way. [18:93]
Until, when he reached the place between the two mountains, he found beneath them a people who would scarcely understand a word. [18:94]
They said, ‘O Dhul-Qarnain, verily, Gog and Magog are creating disorder in the earth; shall we then pay thee tribute on condition that thou set up a barrier between us and them?’ [18:95]
He replied, ‘The power with which my Lord has endowed me about this is better, but you may help me with physical strength; I will set up between you and them a rampart.’ [18:96]
‘Bring me blocks of iron.’ They did so till, when he had levelled up the space between the two mountain sides, he said, ‘Now blow with your bellows.’ They blew with bellows till, when he had made it red as fire, he said, ‘Bring me molten copper that I may pour it thereon.’ [18:97]
So they (Gog and Magog) were not able to scale it, nor were they able to dig through it. [18:98]
Thereupon he said, ‘This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord shall come to pass, He will break it into pieces. And the promise of my Lord is certainly true.’ [18:99]”
Now, this is a classic case study of a poor country struggling to survive against its enemies and desperately pleading with a rich country for survival.
Imagine how this would turn out today, most probably not so well for the poor country. However, the tale of Zulqarnain tells us the right way to act in such situations.
Let’s break down the actions of Zulqarnain, leader of the rich country, step by step:
- He agrees to help protect the poor country from its enemies
- He refuses to accept any compensation for this help, even though the compensation is offered voluntarily.
- He acknowledges the wealth and blessings that Allah has bestowed upon him and his people and savors it more than any help from the less fortunate people.
- The people of the poor country are then involved in the massive project of creating a defensive wall.
- The locally available natural resources like iron and copper are used, and the local manpower is put to work.
- The complete list of raw materials and the process of constructing the wall is shared with the local people, resulting in a total transfer of knowledge and technology.
- In the end, the successful project is attributed to Allah’s blessing.
Zulqarnain’s actions enable the poor country to not only construct the desperately needed defensive wall but also maintain it and construct more walls in the future as required (as they now understand how to do it with locally available resources).
Hence, this makes the poor country self-reliant in keeping their enemy at bay and protecting their people on a continuous basis.
Take a moment to think about the so-called defensive treaties and pacts like NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and others. And not to mention hundreds of incidents in recent history where poor countries have been given arms and ammunition at a cost and commitment they can not bear, resulting in a total surrender of their sovereignty to the rich and “donor” countries.
The fundamental reason why Zulqarnain was able to do this is mentioned in the beginning of the selected verses, when, in response to an offer of compensation from the poor country, he says:
“The power with which my Lord has endowed me about this is better…”
It is this understanding and acknowledgement of the blessings of Allah that can enable rich countries to sincerely help poor countries without any greed or deception.
May Allah help us understand the wonderful teachings of the Holy Qur’an, and may rich countries rise above their petty desires, thank Allah for His blessings, and help the poor countries sincerely.
