Salam,
Stack that paper, get that halal consumption and live a good life. Their are two things I hate, debt’s and exaggerated story’s that have no purpose. I tend to observe more than I talk nowadays, especially cruising through different environment’s like college to work then back to the hood a.k.a Brooklyn.
As a Muslim from the outside looking in, one thing that strikes me is that wherever I go, or for that matter any of us, people are going to look at us and ask themselves hmm…is this what Islam teaches? What are we contributing to Islam? Especially at the workplace, yesterday I was praying in the back of the store with one of my friends and one of the employees who’s a security guard came to the back and started talking about our salat. He was a bit astonished by our acts of worship.
Of course I got distracted, he said ” yo these guys are serious, they praying together at work”, then he followed by saying “are they still on the clock”? Then he said something real funny, “They getting paid to pray”? Ima start doing that to. Haha. So he basically thinks we are slick by praying at work, but yea my manager is cool like that so I take my time praying on the clock. =P.
I’m not a certified financial planner or analyst. I wanted to put you on to “being real with your money”. What I mean by that is do we spend money the way we earn it? or do we swipe our credit card’s like metro card’s and abuse it? I mean at the end of the day, it’s all about being real with yourself. Where I work I see customers walk in and buy $300 jeans. This is what we call an impulse buyer in marketing or a nafsi nafsi buyer.
They see something and boom they have to buy it, no matter how hard they work for their money. I mean don’t get me wrong, It’s good to look nice, their is nothing wrong with wearing expensive clothes but to have pride eventually destroys the soul, keep your intentions pure like Poland spring water, I mean zum zum water.
I found out recently that Islam through Indonesia through trade and honest businessman. We all know that Indonesia has the largest Muslim Population.
This is real interesting to me because cheating people for their money or as we say in Brooklyn “beating people in the head” contributes largely to your success in business. At the end of the day, it’s all about honesty and selling something to the customer how it is. Not putting on a front or sugar coating, check out this beautiful hadith.
Abu Said related that the Prophet said: The truthful and trustworthy businessman will be in the company of Prophets, saints and martyrs on the Day of Judgment. (Darimi, Tirmidhi)
If you look at circuit city and best buy, they sell THE same exact products. They even do match pricing, which is a technique to sell to the customer. If I see something at best buy for three hundred dollars ($300) and circuit has it for four hundred ($400), then circuit city will match best buys price.
This shows that in order for both of them to succeed its not the price, it’s the service. If you want blessings in your business, you gotta keep it real with your customers if you hope to sell them something. This satisfaction leads to a loyal customer, who will keep coming back to you. Their are millions of businesses that fail every year, sometimes its the location, sometimes its the product but let me say one thing. All the stores I’ve been to that had me impressed had great customer service.
Smiling is Sunnah, McDonald’s employees have to smile if they are working on the front line. The bottom line is anything that involves business and handling money, we have to look at the sunnah. To me the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and salutations be upon him) is professionalism at it’s best.
What I want to leave with you today is
1) If you don’t have the money to buy something, don’t buy it.
2) If you have a debt, pay it off. ( It is narrated by Abu Musa Ashari that the Prophet said: After the major sins which must be avoided, the greatest sin is that someone dies in a state of debt and leaves behind no asset to pay it off. (Darimi)
3) If you open up a business, you better be selling something beneficial and halal. Not weed or crack.
Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet said: A time will come upon the people when one will not care how one gains one’s money, legally or illegally. (Bukhari).
It is reported by Jabir that the Prophet said: The flesh and body that is raised on unlawful sustenance shall not enter Paradise. Hell is more deserving to the flesh that grows on one’s body out of unlawful sustenance. (Ahmad).
4) Honesty is the key to paradise, don’t be like Pinocchio in your trade and don’t be cheap.
Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: The Lord’s commandment for every one of His slaves is, ‘Spend on others, and I will spend on you’. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Alright, that wraps it up like a mummy. Inshallah I will write again soon.
One rapper said ” More money more problems, I’m working with both, but your problems are worse when your broke”.
May Allah swt give us comfort in this life, put blessings in our earning’s and help all those in need. Ameen. Real halal talk..Wasalaam.
This was a hot article from Muslim Matters on controlling your debt.
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