Jihad Hashim Brown “Give the hired hand his wages before his sweat dries.” How a person can go to bed at night while the Quran on the shelf in his house is cursing him as he sleeps does mystify me. But it is in the verse of the chapter of Yusuf that we learn the two primary conditions for occupying a position of workplace responsibility. They have entrusted their livelihood in the honesty with which you will balance between the aims of the enterprise and their best interests. The second condition mentioned in the verse is to be endowed with expert knowledge. All of this is implied by the verse mentioned above.
– The Prophet Mohammed
In a “sacred narration” God says: “I will be the opponent of three persons on the Day of Judgment.” We learn that the third of these unfortunate souls is “a man who employed another who delivered in full but then was unpaid.”
In the Chapter of The Women in the Quran we are told that: “Indeed Allah commands you to deliver the trusts to whom they are due.”
The historian Ibn Asakir narrates in his History of Damascus that the Prophet said: “Whoever goes to bed at night exhausted from the work of his own hand, sleeps having been forgiven by God.”
Still in another narration he tells us that the most wholesome income is one earned by the effort of one’s own hand.
In this verse the Prophet Joseph turns to the Aziz of Egypt saying: “Put me in charge of the grain stores of the country – for indeed I am responsible and endowed with expert knowledge.”
The word for responsible – hafiz – also implies trustworthiness and reliability.
It is a trust to protect the resources and well-being of all those involved. Those who are “structurally” below you have effectively placed their well-being in the good faith with which you approached the contract between you and them.
The Muslim is meant to play a leadership role in society, but to do this effectively he must be someone who people can trust and rely on.
Someone they can trust and rely on for their own well-being and for securing the best interests and good health of society. An early Arab poet said: “I don’t live on the hilltops out of fear but so when people need help, they know where to come.”
One must have the qualifications and aptitude for the job. People should not be seeking or accepting positions that they are unqualified for.
If he or she wants a position they should get training for it. At the same time, no one can know everything.
One should avail themselves of expert advice and consultation. There is no excuse not to be intimately familiar with the international standards and best practices of the field with which one is engaged.
These two principles, responsibility and expertise, comprise the foundation of the Muslim work ethic.
Upon this foundation stand its four pillars: purpose, positivity, precision, and poignancy.
Perhaps these could be the subject of another essay for another day.
Jihad Hashim Brown is director of research at the Tabah Foundation. He delivers the Friday sermon at the Maryam bint Sultan Mosque in Abu Dhabi
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Seek contentment through faith in Allah and obedience to the Prophet
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In his Friday sermon at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Sheikh Al-Sheraim said stability and peace of mind are what all human beings are striving for, even if they differ in specifying their criteria and the means to achieve them.
Some people have a narrow view and restrict the realization of stability and peace of mind to making more money, others see this in achieving a high social status or an official position while others see this in having a large family comprising many children. Even though these concepts enjoy a high esteem in the worldly life, it nevertheless remains a relative matter and differs from person to person depending on the time and the situation.
However, the reality is contrary to all these, and to stress his point Sheikh Al-Sheraim gave examples. He said
- There are many rich people living in misery because they have not found in opulence the real sense of wealth they were seeking.
- There are many people in high positions but are not happy and have not experienced any stability or peace of mind.
- There are others who have large families with many children but are unhappy, anxious and dissatisfied with life.
On the other hand, one may find a person who is poor, does not enjoy a high standing in the community and does not have children, but has a large heart and peace of mind. A poor man may be living in an humble shack but is happy and contented while a rich man may be living in a spacious palace but is still unhappy.
Sheikh Al-Sheraim stressed that the difference between the two kinds is that in the last example, though the man is poor Allah has blessed him with contentment (Ridha). Being content with life is a weapon against its many miseries, Al-Sheraim said.
Sheikh Al-Sheraim further said, “In this age in which there are waves of seditions and catastrophes attacking it, the Ummah is in the greatest need of declaring contentment with Allah as the only Lord, Islam as its religion and Muhammad (peace be upon him) as its prophet. The Ummah is in the diret need to internalize this firm conviction in heart, and proclaim it in word and deed. We hear such a declaration with the tongues quite a lot but that does not serve any purpose. We are in the urgent need for this declaration to be acted upon in our daily lives and in different affairs.”
The hearts are longing to see in the practical reality of people’s lives their being contented with the divine power (Uluhiyyah) of Allah Almighty. This means that they love, fear and seek help from Allah alone. A Muslim should believe that destiny of every person has been pre-ordained by Allah alone. If Allah is satisfied with a person, then that person will be contented and satisfied with his life and will receive care and protection from Allah, Sheikh Al-Sheraim observed.
Sheikh Al-Sheraim said the widespread contentment with Allah’s religion on earth will be a cause for happiness for all Muslim communities. When the Ummah takes pride in its religion and is contented with it as a just arbiter in all its affairs, then it will succeed and will be guided to the right path.
“A society that calls people to piety, reminds them of their duty to Allah, and in whose midst one smells the fragrance of righteousness is a truly contented society that feels the need for this religion the way water and air are necessary for life because any Ummah that neglects its religion and hinders Allah’s word to reign supreme in its midst, is actually neglecting its greatest potentials and not acting for the cause of its success in this world and the Hereafter,” he said.
Al-Sheraim said disturbances, discords, humiliation, fear and chaos are all related to being contented with religion and that Islam is the perfect religion that is suitable for every age and place. It is the religion of compassion, kindness, strength, truth, honesty and uprightness in which people worship Allah alone.
Sheikh Al-Sheraim stressed that the sweetness of belief (Iman) will not touch the believer’s heart unless he is contented with and accepts Muhammad (peace be upon him) as Allah’s prophet and messenger. He should subject himself to the guidance brought by him and submit fully to what was revealed to him.
The teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) should serve as the judge in all affairs and a Muslim should not accept anything else. He should not have any feeling of embarrassment regarding what was revealed to our Prophet and his teachings even if they are contrary to his feelings or whims or contradict what has been said by somebody, whoever he might be. Sheikh Al-Sheraim quoted Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) as saying: “All my Ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” He was asked: “Who will refuse, O Prophet of Allah?” He replied, “Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, but whoever disobeys me has refused.” Sheikh Al-Sheraim warned that there is nothing more hateful than disobeying the Prophet (peace be upon him) and following one’s whims or desires or giving priority to intellect or casting doubts on the Prophet’s teachings the way some people did.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hussein Aal Al-Sheikh, Imam and Khateeb of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina said according to the texts of the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunnah, men’s sins are the cause of all tribulations and evil. Sins were the cause for the loss of many bounties and have brought many tribulations, seditions and ordeals.
In his Friday sermon at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina, Aal Al-Sheikh said the spread of crimes and diseases and lack of security are due to people distancing themselves from the path of Allah and violating the teachings and guidance of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
He stressed that evils cannot be warded off unless we obey Allah Almighty. He said security and stability cannot be achieved except by a firm belief in Allah Almighty and by obeying the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah in private and in public.
He gave examples of the evils and catastrophes that have befallen mankind including earthquakes, hurricanes and wars. He said this is not strange when we see the spread of heinous crimes and hateful sins including adultery (Zina) and satellite channels that entice people to commit sins. He said it has become easy for Muslims to drink liquor, indulge in drug abuse and imitate the unbelievers in their dress and ways of life.
He said the world economies have deteriorated. There are price hikes and high inflation rates and poverty on the increase. Debts are soaring. The Muslim communities are no exception to what the world is suffering from.
Sheikh Aal Al-Sheikh criticized usury (Riba) in commercial dealings and said that some Muslim countries even facilitate usurious transactions. He said some of these commercial dealings are far removed from the tenets of Islam. It is the worldly considerations that are governing people’s values and morals.
Aal Al-Sheikh stressed that to attain contentment with what Allah gives can only be had by obeying Him. He added that blessing (Barakah) in one’s livelihood (Rizq) and in everything else can only be attained by being mindful of Allah Almighty and fearing Him by inculcating righteousness and piety.
He said many countries are suffering from the lack of rain and the spread of drought. He said we must remember and learn a lesson from some Muslims who have neglected paying Zakat or even prevent people from paying it. Some Muslims sell their fruits or crops before they have ripened despite Islam forbidding this. He stressed that any people who do not pay their Zakat will be deprived of rainfall. Were it not for the animals (livestock, etc.) living on the earth not even a drop of rain would have been sent down to it by Allah.
Aal Al-Sheikh said happiness, contented hearts and good living can only be achieved by obeying Allah, not to speak of getting rewarded with a blissful life in the Hereafter. He stressed the importance of glorifying Allah through Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and performance of prayer (salat). He criticized those who replace Islamic laws with secular one’s and said these are among the causes of tribulations and adversities.
