经济（Iqtisaad）一词源自一个古老的希腊术语，其意为对家庭事务的规划，使其中的积极成员协作生产商品、提供服务，并且其所有成员共同分享所拥有的成果。随着时间的推移，人们将“家庭”的含义加以扩展，直至它指代由一个国家所管辖的整个社会。

The word economy (Iqtisaad) is derived from an old Greek term, which means the planning of home affairs, such that its active members associate in producing the commodities and performing the services, and all of its members share in enjoying what they possess. Through time, people extended the meaning of home until it meant the community which is governed by one State.

不打算在"经济"（Iqtisaad，伊克提萨德）一词的语言学含义上使用它，即节俭，或指财产。这里所指的是该词的术语含义，即对财产的管理：或是通过增加财产并保障其生产来实现，这是经济科学所讨论的内容；或是通过财产的分配方式来实现，这是经济制度所讨论的内容。

It is not intended to use the word economy (Iqtisaad) in its linguistic meaning which is saving or to mean property. What is meant is the technical meaning of the word i.e. the management of property, either by its increase, and securing of its production which is discussed in economic science; or by the manner of its distribution, which is discussed in the economic system.

虽然经济科学与经济制度都涉及经济，但二者的含义有很大不同。经济制度不受财富数量波动的影响，财富数量的波动也不会影响经济制度的形式。因此，把经济当作一个整体来看待、作为一个统一的课题来讨论，是一个严重的错误，因为这会导致对需要解决的经济问题的理解出现偏差，或对国家增加财富的因素产生误解。这是因为，在财富创造方面管理社会事务是一回事，而在财富分配方面管理人民事务则完全是另一回事。所以，管理经济物资的课题必须与管理其分配的课题分开。前者与手段相关，后者则与思想相关。经济制度必须作为一种以生活观（某种意识形态的信条）为基础的思想来讨论，而经济科学则必须作为一门与生活观无关的科学来讨论。在这一语境中，最重要的课题是经济制度，因为经济问题围绕着人类的需要、满足这些需要的手段以及对这些手段的利用展开。由于手段存在于宇宙之中，它们的生产本身并不会在满足需要方面造成根本性的问题，相反，需要驱使人去生产这些手段。然而，人与人之间的关系即社会中真正存在的问题，源于允许或限制人们利用这些手段。这涉及人对这些手段的所有权问题。这正是必须加以处理的经济问题的根基。因此，经济问题源于对利益的占有问题，而非源于生产提供利益的手段。

Though both economic science and the economic system deal with the economy, their respective meanings differ significantly. The economic system is not affected by fluctuations in the amount of wealth. The fluctuations in the amount of wealth do not affect the form of the economic system. Therefore, it is a serious error to look at the economy as one subject, and to discuss it as one topic, as this leads to either error in understanding the economic problems needing to be solved, or misunderstanding the factors that increase the wealth in the country. This is because the management of the community’s affairs in respect of the creation of wealth is one issue, and the management of the people’s affairs in respect of wealth distribution is another issue entirely. So, the subject of managing the economic material must be separated from the subject of managing its distribution. The first is related to the means and the second is connected with the thought. The economic system must be discussed as a thought that is based upon the viewpoint of life (the creed of a particular ideology), and economic science must be discussed as a science that has no relationship with the viewpoint in life. The most important subject in this context is the economic system, because the economic problem revolves around mankind’s needs, the means of their satisfaction, and utilising these means. Since the means are present in the universe, their production does not cause an essential problem in satisfying the needs, but rather the needs drive man to produce these means. However, the real problem present in the relationships of people i.e. in the society, results from enabling or restricting people from utilising these means. This results from the subject of man’s ownership of these means. This is the basis of the economic problem, which must be treated. So the economic problem results from the subject of possessing the benefits, not from producing the means which give the benefit.