Dear Mu’mins!

Our Almighty Lord orders us to look for livelihood through halal and legitimate ways, to also gain the maintenance of our family from what is halal. Accordingly, as it is our duty to involve with business and commercial life, it is also an act for commendation and appreciation. From this perspective, a commercial approach that is in-line with the legitimate frame which our religion draws and that minds the rightful due of other people should be one of the fundamental commercial perspectives of a Muslim. A contrary situation, in other words, a trade cannot be thought for a Mu’min if the goods that are forbidden by our religion are bought or sold and where the rights of the employee or the customer is ignored or deficient.

Valuable Brothers and Sisters!

We are obliged to live our life according to the consent of Allah in order to reach the felicity of this world and the hereafter which is our purpose of existence. For this reason, our commercial life; which is a fundamental area of struggle of our life, should also be performed in the way that Allah (s.w.t) wants. When Prophet Shuayb (a.s.) insistently told the message of monotheism and the morals of commerce, they had mocked him and: “They said, “O Shu’ayb, does your prayer command you that we should leave what our fathers worship or not do with our wealth what we please? Indeed, you are the forbearing, the discerning!””[1] This shows that similar to prayer, the rulings regarding commerce are inseparable part of our religion Islam. In a condition where those rules are not abided by, we would be far from the consent of Allah Supreme Being and – may Allah forbid! – we would be in the category of people that are mentioned in the following verse:
“Woe to those who give less [than due], Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss…”[2]
In this verse it is briefly stated how the foundations of our business and commercial morals should be. As we do nor desire not to be deceived and the goods we buy not to be defect or faulty, we should avoid deceiving others and be aware of not selling faulty items.

Valuable Mu’mins!

Let’s not compromise our righteousness and sensitiveness just to make a bit more profit. We can never neglect our worships for a business or commerce. A Muslim would desire their gains to be halal, their commerce to be beyond the wealth in this world and to be an investment for the hereafter. As a Muslim would have faith that their livelihood is from Allah, they would also believe that gaining through halal paths would bring plenitude. Hence, there are many fair merchants who does much business with assets that appear little and this brings them peace. In the other hand, there are many with much assets that have no benefit to themselves or any others.

Estimable Brothers and Sisters!

It is encouraged by our religion to work, trade and to meet the personal and communal needs. Certainly, those who seek for their livelihood with their business and trade and serve the community are superior to those who are unemployed and benefit from others without any excuse. Especially the position of those who trade in honesty and reliance are quite high.

Thus, our Prophet ﷺ said: “Honest and reliable merchants are with the martyrs on the day of judgement”[3].

May Allah the Supreme Being grant us to be honest and reliable in all our work and make us of those who seek for our earnings through permissible paths and bring plenitude to our assets. May He protect us from being of those who’s trading becomes a reason to forget Him, avoiding praying properly, and starting with the Alms, preventing to perform our financial duties.

[1] Hud suresi, 11:87
[2] Mutaffifîn suresi, 83:1-3
[3] İbn Mâce, Ticârât, H.No: 2139

Khutba-The Business and Commercial Life of a Mu’min