Business Ethics in Islam
A merchant is obligated to fear Allah and strive to keep his trade free from
lying, betrayal, fraud, false oaths, and excessive swearing. Even excessive
oaths should be avoided, even if one is telling the truth, because frequent
swearing can eventually lead a person into lying.
It is authentically reported that the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Avoid
much swearing while transacting business, for it produces a ready sale then
blots out the blessing.” He also said: “Swearing
produces a ready sale for a commodity, but blots out the blessing.”
These hadiths make it clear that false
oaths, lying, deception, betrayal, and even excessive swearing—even when one is
truthful—are dangerous matters, placing their practitioner in grave spiritual
peril.
The Danger of Excessive Swearing in
Business
The Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) also said: “There are three (types of)
people to whom Allah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He
purify them, nor look at them, and they will have a painful punishment. These
are: An aged man who commits Zina (illicit sexual act), a proud poor person,
and a man who has made Allah the means of promoting his merchandise—he neither
buys nor sells except by swearing oaths.”
Even if he is truthful, excessive
swearing may gradually lead him into lying, causing him to fall into what is
prohibited and into great evil.
Halal Earnings and Honest Commerce
Therefore, O servant of Allah, you
should strive to earn a lawful livelihood, practice honorable craftsmanship,
and conduct honest trade so that you may be purified before Allah, receive His
blessings, and be among the Prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs on the Day
of Resurrection.
When the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked was asked what type of
earning was best and replied, “A man’s work with his hand and every business
transaction which is approved.”
This is the purest form of livelihood:
earning through one’s own labor—whether through farming, carpentry,
blacksmithing, craftsmanship, or similar occupations—and every honest
transaction. An honest sale is one free from lying, betrayal, and fraud.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) also said: “Nobody has
ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's
own hands. The Prophet (peace be upon him) of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor.” He made coats of armor and sold them to the people.
So, O servant of Allah, adhere to
lawful earnings, honest trade, and the work of your own hands, for these are
among the purest forms of livelihood. Beware of fraud, betrayal, bribery, and
everything that Allah has prohibited.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) also said: “It is better for one of
you to take his rope, bring a load of firewood on his back and sell it, God
thereby preserving his self-respect, than that he should beg from people
whether they give him anything or refuse him.”
A person who goes out carrying a rope
to collect firewood or grass, then sells it and lives from the work of his own
hands, is better than someone who asks people for help, whether they choose to
give or withhold.
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