One of
the fundamental problems facing the world today is the lack of ethics and
fair-dealing. In politics, administration, business, media, academia and public
life- virtually everywhere- the tentacles of corruption manifest itself in
different ways and forms. So much so that most countries in the world are neck
deep in irregularities and corrupt practices. Sadly, Muslims or their countries
cannot absolve themselves from blame and shame in this connection. Yet, the
teachings of Islam and the noble example of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) points
to the value of integrity and ethics and fair dealing in all that we do and Islam
prescribes a normative code of conduct for economic activities. In his Friday Sermon of April 12, 2013 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir
Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) profoundly expounded on these ethical principles
in the backdrop of the high profile-corruption and fraud cases in Mauritius and
elsewhere.
Read
the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:
In the Holy Quran Allah
says:
“Do not usurp one another by unjust means, nor
bribe with it the judges to wrongfully deprive others of their part.” (Al-Baqara 2: 189)
“… give full measure and weight in justice and
do not deprive the people of their due and do not commit abuse on the earth,
spreading corruption.” (Hud 11: 86)
“Give full measure,
when you measure, and weigh with even scales.
That is fair and better in the end.” (Ar-Rahman 55: 10)
Islam places
great emphasis on sticking on the path of rectitude in all dealings, be it at
familial, business, social, economic and all that centres on man and his
morals. Islam forbids fraud and breach of
trust, and forbade them in all circumstances, whether in the sale, trade, or in
science and transactions. It is saddening to
see with each day that passes that the world population is involving itself in
one way or another in immoral activities, such as fraud, corruption, business
irregularities, giving and taking bribes, and all such dealings which bring
shame to its spiritual and mundane aura. And what is saddening is that Muslims
are not separate from this kind of blacklisted population, those who are
adamant in persisting in evil ways while maintaining exteriorly an Islamic face
and behaviour. The garb of a true Muslim is his heart which regulates his soul.
If his heart is clear and filled with fear of God and appreciation for
righteousness and justice, then he shall come what may strive to make the commandments
of God a reality in his everyday life. He shall strive to make the people
around him stick to righteousness and abandon the evil ways.
Islam gives complete
freedom to economic enterprise. Each individual in an Islamic society enjoys
complete freedom in the earning of his livelihood. He can start, manage and organise any kind of business enterprise
within the limits set by the laws of Islam, that is, the Shariah. However,
freedom does not and must not operate without a sense of responsibility. Indeed there are limits that are to be respected, for if not,
then proper control on the administration of justice and fairness cannot be
done.
An individual is free to
pursue his economic activities provided he respects the code of conduct
prescribed for the profession, which broadly means remaining within the legal
frame and shunning all that is unlawful. He
has the foremost duty to encourage good and shun evil, and he has to begin
within his own self, refining his interior and then putting into practice business
according to Islamic norms. The prescriptions of the Holy Quran and the
teachings of our Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) serve to set a
scale in everybody’s mind to distinguish between the lawful and the unlawful
means of earning, and to prohibit or disapprove of all things that are either
morally wrong or socially unacceptable.
For
example, in his many sermons, the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has said:
“He who cheats is not of us. Deceitfulness and fraud are things that lead one to Hell.”
Islam, as a matter of
principle, prohibits all activities which may cause harm either to the traders
or the consumers in the market. It encourages
the prevalence of free market where everyone earns his sustenance without
government intervention. However, it puts certain restraints in order to
eliminate the incidence of injustice and check malpractices and unlawful
operations. In all other respects market in Islam is free from any state
intervention. However, if the people fail to take guidance from the
Holy Quran in matters relating to business transactions, an Islamic
state will strive to organize the market transactions on sound Islamic
principles.
Freedom
of enterprise in an Islamic market will, therefore, be regulated by the (1) prescriptions of the Holy Quran and
the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and (2) the directives of the temporal authority,
the chief or judges who have the foremost duty to judge with fear of Allah and
with justice. During the early centuries of Islam, this function was mainly
performed by the institution of market inspectors. This institution was an
important institution whose functions were broad-based and multifarious, the
most important among them being keeping a watch on the harmful practices
prevalent in the market and the society and checking the incidence of injustice
and malpractices in the market. Moreover, Islam has stressed and asserted the
importance of honesty in monetary dealings and highlighted its vital role in
social stability and peacefulness.
The seller and the buyer have the right to
keep or return the goods as long as they have not parted or till they part; and
if both the parties spoke the truth and described the defects and qualities (of
the goods), then they would be blessed in their transaction, and if they told
lies or hid something, then the blessings of their transaction would be lost.
(Bukhari)
The tradition implies that
Allah blesses business dealings if both parties in the transaction are true to
each other. Telling lies and hiding facts will result in the loss of divine
blessing.
The
Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “Traders are wicked
people”. The Companions asked: “O
Messenger of Allah, has Allah not permitted business?” The Messenger of
Allah (pbuh) replied: “Of course He has
declared trading lawful. But they (that is, the traders) will swear by Allah
and do evil, they will not speak but tell lies”. (Ahmad)
Allah
says in the Holy Quran:
“Oh you who believe! Do not eat up each other’s
property by unfair and dishonest means.” (An-Nisa 4: 30)
Muslims
should do everything in their power to resist the urge to deal
dishonestly. Dishonesty, cheating, or fraud leads to problems. It
hurts others, and damages your integrity. It destroys the trust of others
in you. Allah will punish such acts. As He said in His Book, the
Holy Quran:
“Woe to those that deal in fraud, – those who,
when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure, but when
they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. Do they not
think that they will be called to account- on a Mighty Day when (all) mankind
will stand before the Lord of the Worlds.” (Al-Mutaffifin
83: 2-7)
Therefore,
it is up to us to ensure that we apply the dictates of the Holy Quran and the
traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) so that our society becomes
truth and purity. Nowadays, Muslim states are only in
name. While applying on one hand the Shariah for a certain class of people, but
for the nobler class, all sorts of immoral practices are tolerated in the name
of modernisation and globalisation. If the Church has paganised the
Christians, now it is up to us Muslims to ensure that we do not let ourselves
be westernised by the limited laws and practices of the West. Allah has
vouchsafed us the best Book, the Holy Quran, given us the best prophet Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh) as role model and the best religion, Islam as the true way of life.
Therefore if we follow the lead of these precious examples, then we can assure
our future and that of our children; but if not, then the Muslims shall taste
much more defeat through our own non-respecting of the divine commandments. In
unity and respecting the legal frame of Islamic practices, we can assure a
future for the new generations, because if not, they shall fall prey to the
evils of a so-called modern society.