Ibn Khaldun's Theory of Development: Does It Help Explain the Low Performance of the Present-Day Muslim World?

The first part of this paper presents Ibn Khaldun’s multidisciplinary and dynamic theory of development. This theory argues that the development or decline of an economy or society does not depend on any one factor, but rather on the interaction of moral, social, economic, political and historical factors over a long period of time. One of these factors acts as the trigger mechanism and, if the others respond in the same direction, development or decline gains momentum through a chain reaction until it becomes difficult to distinguish the cause from the effect. Part II of this paper applies this theory to Muslim countries to explain their low performance.