Run a Business Islamically: Key Sunnas 3
Running a business in accordance with Islamic principles is a fundamental concern for Muslims in the modern world. This is the ninth in a series of articles from Running a Business Islamically.
Have high intentions concerning your earnings and wealth. The Companions had extraordinary intentions concerning their earnings. Our master Abu Bakr gave all his wealth away.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) asked him, “What are you leaving for your family?” He said, “I’m leaving for them, Allah and His Messenger.” He (Allah bless him and give him peace) knew that Abu Bakr’s family could handle that so he accepted it from him.
“O Messenger of Allah, shall I bequeath all of my wealth?” He said: “No.’” He said: “Half?” He said: “No.” He said: “One-third” He said: “One-third, and one-third is much or large.”
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had to convince the Companions not to give away so much. A lot of the righteous would actually plan and engage in an eternal return on their investment. Our religion teaches that Allah loves to see the traces of His blessings on His servant.
Invest in the Hereafter
One knows that there are priorities, both for family and for society. How do I spend my money? How do I invest my money For an eternal return on investment? Some of the early Muslims would divide their wealth into three parts. One part was for themselves, their family, and their immediate needs. One part was for the future, and the last part was for the Hereafter. They would seek to maximize how they spent it on the Hereafter.
Some, for some time, did not spend a lot in charity because they were accumulating wealth to establish an endowment, for example. Many of the Companions gave different orchards that they had in Medina as endowments for the sake of Allah. That is one of the ways of the rich. They would buy property and endow it to a mosque or endow it to a madrasa. By having a smaller home, for example, one has fewer things to worry about and more disposable income.
Have the courage to ask yourself which choice in this matter will be most pleasing to Allah. The choice that best gathers the good of this life and the next towards the eternal good for you and others. If people thought about that, a lot of people would either quit their work or transition to more meaningful lines of work. Far more people would consider starting their own businesses, looking at areas of work where they are doing something of genuine benefit to others.
