It makes sense that they shouldn't practice haram extortion but that's also the case with any trade, there is a responsibility upon the community to ensure that teachers and doctors are paid well, if there's no good pay you're not very likely to get the best quality, some teachers and scholars have to travel the world over and have access to the best of technology and literature, some doctors have to own the best of equipment, it is essential that the market is allowed to remain free and competitive - within Allah's limits of course - in order for innovation to progress, and it is also essential to have family &/or community &/or government funding (community owned hospitals and generic pharmaceuticals manufacture for those unable to cough up the sums for expensive essential treatment and medicine.
The different arguments by the posters above all have substance to them and all perspectives need to be looked at in order to come to a better understanding.
Lawfully (i.e halal) profiting from a trade, ability or skill is a progressive time tested method of achieving quick increase in innovation, quality and progress, whether you're a carpenter, shoe maker, a weapons manufacturer, (apparently david pbuh used to eat from his trade of making chain mail) , a taxi or ambulance driver, a lawyer a professor or a doctor, the pro bono aspect is however more required in some than in others.
Narrated By Abu Said:
A group of the companions of Allah's Apostle proceeded on a journey till they dismounted near one of the Arab tribes and requested them to entertain them as their guests, but they (the tribe people) refused to entertain them.
Then the chief of that tribe was bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and he was given all sorts of treatment, but all in vain. Some of them said, "Will you go to the group (those travelers) who have dismounted near you and see if one of them has something useful?"
They came to them and said, "O the group! Our leader has been bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and we have treated him with everything but nothing benefited him Has anyone of you anything useful?"
One of them replied, "Yes, by Allah, I know how to treat with a Ruqya. But. by Allah, we wanted you to receive us as your guests but you refused.
I will not treat your patient with a Ruqya till you fix for us something as wages."
Consequently they agreed to give those travelers a flock of sheep. The man went with them (the people of the tribe) and started spitting (on the bite) and reciting Surat-al-Fatiha till the patient was healed and started walking as if he had not been sick.
When the tribe people paid them their wages they had agreed upon, some of them (the Prophet's companions) said, "Distribute (the sheep)." But the one who treated with the Ruqya said, "Do not do that till we go to Allah's Apostle and mention to him what has happened, and see what he will order us."
So they came to Allah's Apostle and mentioned the story to him and he said,
"How do you know that Surat-al-Fatiha is a Ruqya?
You have done the right thing.
Divide (what you have got) and assign for me a share with you."
[Sahih Bukhari, Vol 7, Book 71, Hadith #645]
A short while after Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra) was appointed as Khaleefah, Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) and Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah (ra) were walking in Medinah when they met Abu Bakr (ra) carrying garments on his shoulders and going to the marketplace to trade.Umar asked Abu Bakr, “What are you doing?”
Abu Bakr replied, “I am going to trade.”
Umar said: “After you became responsible for all the Muslims???”
Abu Bakr said, “But I have to feed my family.”
So Umar said, “Lets go and we will pay you an allowance.” [from the state treasury Bait ul-Mal]
Umar and Abu Ubaidah decided to pay Abu Bakr 250 dinars a year and a daily allowance of half a sheep in food.
Some time later Umar was walking in Medinah when he came across a group of women. He asked them “What are you doing?”They replied, “We are waiting for the Khaleefah.”
Abu Bakr did not turn up for office that day so Umar went searching for him and found him in the marketplace trading again.
Umar grabbed the hand of Abu Bakr and said, “What are you doing?”
Abu Bakr replied, “The allowance you gave me is not enough.
”Umar said, “Fine, we will increase it for you.”
Abu Bakr said, “I want 300 dinars a year and a daily allowance of a whole sheep in food.”
Umar said, “No. We are not going to give you that.”
Imam Ali (ra) intervened and said, “Give it to him.”
Umar said, “You think so?”
Ali replied, “Yes.”
So Umar said, “We agree.”
Abu Bakr then stood on the mimbar in the masjid and called the sahaba.
He said, “You have paid me 250 dinars a year and a daily allowance of half a sheep in food, and that wasn’t enough for me. So Umar and Ali have given me an increase to 300 dinars a year and a daily allowance of the whole sheep. Do you agree?”
The sahaba replied, “We agree.”
http://www.khilafah.com/how-much-will-the-khaleefah-get-paid/
If we calculate 300 dinar at 4.25g, 22k gold multiplied by 300 we arrive at 1.275kg 22k gold plus 365 sheep per annum,
Calculating at today's spot price
http://goldprice.org/spot-gold.html that's $37/g ÷24 x22 x1,275 = $43,273.75 in gold
And if we drastically reduce the cost per sheep at $50 then x365 = at least $18,250 in sheep.
Totalling: $61,523.75 at minimum
But of course, as a trader Abu Bakr would probably earn more and since he was very generous he would have probably spent more than that just on freeing slaves back in the days of Makkah, and would always host many guests and give abundantly in charity - as a caliph his guests would have probably increased tremendously and so too would travel and petty cash.
They were very pragmatic believing men and women.
So Islamic work will remain unprofessional and weak and the needs of the Muslim community especially when they are living as minorities in non-Muslim societies are not going to be fulfilled until the Muslim communities come together and pay enough money to the best people to take care of their essentials. Bring the Arabic teachers to teach you Arabic and pay them well. Bring the Imams to take care of your masajid. Bring the good administrators, the ones who are successful in the business world. Bring such people in the Muslim world so that they can use their skills and run your Islamic organizations professionally and effectively.
Anwar Al Awlaki (may Allah accept his shahadah and be pleased with him).
@32 min 30s
God knows abt the authenticity of the following but link provided:
David divided his working day into four parts: one to earn a living and to rest, one to pray to his Lord, one to listen to the complaints of his people, and the last part to deliver his sermons. He also appointed deputies to listen to his subjects' complaints so that in his absence people's problems might not be neglected.
Although a king, he did not live on the income of his kingdom. Being well-experienced in the craft of weapon-making, he made and sold weapons and lived on that income.
http://www.islamawareness.net/Prophets/dawud.html
