When All Business Fail
Do Business With Allah!
We Pledged Our Lives
To Allah For Paradise;
How Can We Disobey?
(M. Javed Naseem)
Allah is the Supreme Creator and we (humans) are His marvelous creation. Some say, 'He is the Father and we are His children'; while the others say, 'He is the Master and we are His slaves'. Both groups mean the same. Allah is the Supreme controller Who is running this universe and we are His subjects, created to worship Him and sing His praise. If He is pleased with us, He'll reward us with Paradise; but if He is not pleased, He'll punish us with Hellfire. And He has made it clear in all Scriptures and Holy Books. He expects obedience and righteousness from us.
“Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers
their lives and their properties (in exchange) for
that they will have Paradise. They fight in the
cause of Allah , so they kill and are killed. (It is)
a true promise (binding) upon Him in the Torah
and the Gospel and the Quran. And who is truer
to his covenant than Allah? So rejoice in your
transaction which you have contracted. And it is
that which is the great achievement.”
(al-Quran 9:111)
A saint once said: 'When all business fails, do business with Allah!' That's the business which never fails and never runs into losses. As a matter of fact, that is the business which guarantees profits and no losses at all. Spend in the way of Allah and you'll reap multiple rewards. What is 'doing business with Allah'? The answer in plain words is: Doing everything for Allah. In other words, you are living and dying for Allah. You seek only His pleasure, His guidance, His help and His approval. Nothing else matters. Allah commands us in the Quran:
“Say, 'Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice,
my living and my dying are (all) for Allah,
the Lord of the worlds.'”
(al-Quran 6:162)
When we do that, we can have anything we wish for, because Allah is pleased with us and He can do all things. As obedient servants to Allah, we should be working hard to secure the good life of the Hereafter using all the facilities and tools available to us in this material but temporary world. In this world, we are just like waiting in the transit lounge.
We can use all our resources and talents to accumulate as much rewards for the Hereafter as possible. This world is like an open field for us and it is up to us how we play the game. Material success in this world (becoming wealthy and living luxurious life) is not important. We can amass rewards for our good deeds even when we are financially poor. Even a very little amount spent in the way of Allah can bring us tremendous rewards.
“The example of those who spend their wealth
in the way of Allah is like a seed (of grain)
which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a
a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies (His
reward) for whom He wills. And Allah is
all-Encompassing and Knowing.”
(al-Quran 2:261)
Spending in the way of Allah (to please Him and help the needy humans) is charity and charity is the best way to wash out our sins. It brings us multiple rewards (minimum of 10-fold), the maximum of which has no limits. Allah says:
“And whoever believes in Allah and does
righteousness - He will remove from him his
misdeeds and admit him to gardens beneath
which rivers flow, wherein they will abide
forever. That is the great achievement.”
(al-Quran 64:9)
Abdullah bin Jaafer was once traveling and passing through a jungle. He saw a black slave working in a garden near the fields. The owner of the garden had sent food for the slave who took his lunch break and was ready to eat. At the same time a dog also entered the garden and stood by the slave. The slave opened the pack and found three loafs of breads inside. He threw one loaf of bread in front of the dog and got back to his work. The dog ate the bread but did not go away. The slave then gave the dog another loaf of bread and watched him eating. The slave had only one loaf of bread left for himself but the dog would not move. Therefore, he gave the dog the third and the last loaf of bread too.
During all that time, Abdullah bin Jaafer had been watching the slave and the dog. When the dog finished, Abdullah asked the slave how many loafs of breads he used to get everyday? The slave replied that he got three loafs of breads daily. “Then why did you give all three to the dog? There's nothing left for you now.”
The slave answered that there were no dogs in that area. “That poor hungry dog must have come from far away. I did not feel like sending it away without food.”
Abdullah bin Jaafer asked him what would he eat then? The slave said that he could survive for one day without food. It was not a big deal.
Abdullah bin Jaafer said to himself: “O Abdullah! You consider yourself generous but this slave is a lot more generous than you.”
Thinking about the slave, he went back to town and started looking for the owner of that garden. Eventually, he bought the garden and the slave from his owner. He freed the slave and gave him the garden as a gift.
Now, that was some bargain to please Allah! So, if you are a smart businessman, do business with Allah. In this business there is only profit to make; there are no losses. Spend in the name of Allah and take care of your fellow human beings. In return, Allah will take care of you. This is the best bargain. Everything else is superficial.
“And purchase not a small gain at the price
of Allah's Covenant. Lo, that which Allah
has, is better for you, if you did but know.”
(al-Quran 16 :95)
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