Islam and Time Management

WEDNESDAY, 16 MARCH 2011 07:32

HUDA JAWAD


inShare
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
(I swear) by time, that surely mankind suffers loss,
except for those who believe and do good deeds,
and they enjoin Truth and they enjoin constancy.
- Surah Asr (Time)
The self-help time management advice books, websites and speakers are part of a
million dollar industry as an increasing number of individuals are searching for
ways to organize their time and become more productive. This is not a recent
phenomenon and even educational institutions, work places and Mosques are inviting speakers to address
their audiences about managing their time. The jury remains out on the effectiveness of self-help books,
videos and websites that seem to offer only short-term solutions to an established chronic and universal
issue. The weakness of these publications and programs stems from their focus on the individual's success.
Clearly, human beings aren't always after their own success and need a more systematic approach towards
accountability. Hence, the need for religion in our lives becomes apparent.
Islam is thus not a set of rules we must adhere to only regarding prayer and fasting, but also concerning our
interaction with others, our use of time, and personal productivity. A substantial number of advice books
hold merit in their own respect and should not be disregarded completely. However, it behooves us to
become familiar with time-management in Islam according to the Prophets and Divinely-sent leaders because
our actions should emulate their lifestyle and excellent qualities.
Time Is Not Ours to Waste
Who decided time was ours to spend at our whims? How can it be that we are from God and to Him is our
return, yet the time we waste is ours? Everything we have in this life is from God's kindness and mercy and
just as we have to return to God, so does the gift of time. A lack of correct allocation of time leads us to fall
short in various areas of our lives academically, professionally and in our personal relationships. Most
importantly however, as the workload piles, the first thing we begin to neglect is the most important
relationship we have: with God, the most Glorious.
Lazy Towards the Hereafter
The happiest among us are those who have put effort towards building their lives around Islam,
rather than building Islam around their lives. It is among Satan's attempts to steer us away from God
and our obligations as Muslims by telling us we simply don't have time for prayer on busy days, or
that it is acceptable to hasten prayers so that we can return to work. These are symptoms that
unconsciously make us negligent towards the Hereafter.
There are plenty of distractions that make us lazy towards our religious and personal duties. From social
networking to merit-less television programming, from harmful gossip and conversations that have
absolutely no benefit to excessive sleep and procrastination, we have become proficient at wasting time. The
implications of being lazy during our personal time have profound effects on our worship. Imam Baqir (peace
be upon him) warns of the consequences of laziness in this world: "I hate for a man to be lazy in his worldly
affairs, and whoever is lazy in his worldly affairs will be lazier in his affairs of the Hereafter." (Al-Kafi)
If we consider that each day we are blessed with 1440 minutes, and then further examine how we put them
to use we would find that rather than "not having enough time" as most of us complain, we just make a
series of negative choices as to how we spend our time. The ability to put off doing small things, such as
making a phone call or completing a relatively small task enables us to put off bigger and more significant
actions such as reforming our worship or engaging in self-growth and development.
Organizing our Time Around Islam
It's common for each of us to put things off for later; the to-do list slowly grows to the point that it
becomes undo-able, and Satan presents us with numerous obstacles and excuses. However, we can
look at Islam's principles concerning ethics and self development and gain advice and key steps that
will keep us away from the lazy lure, allowing us instead to become more effective Muslims and
individuals.

1. Plan Ahead and Divide Up Your Day: It's important to maintain consistency in our
lives, and we can look to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) for the
perfect example in how to do so! The Holy Prophet stated, "I have divided my time into three
equal parts one part for worship, one for my family affairs, and the last part I have further
divided into two, one for social engagements and one for rest."
2. Count Your Prayers: It's important to plan our day around our five daily prayers and
not vice versa. The Holy Prophet said, "Prayer (Salat) is the first deed for which men will be
called to account." (Nahjul Fasahah) In Imam Khomeini's Adab al-Salat, the significance of
prayer is further reiterated: "The first thing about which the servant is questioned is the
Salat; if it was accepted his other (worshipping) acts would be accepted, and if it was
returned to him, his other acts would be returned to him (too)." We all know that a busy life
makes prayer harder, but how often do we remember, if at all, that our prayers will make a
busy life easier? Set your alarm or laptop to alert you when it is time for prayer. If you're on
the go, make sure you have the prayer times written down for the day. A great resource
is PrayTime, and if you have an iPhone, be sure to install the application alQibla!
3. Watch Your Promises: It's important to know our limits, and everyone has a different point at
which they can't do more. Naturally, when others ask us for favors, we wish to help them out and
while this admirable, it can also cause a dent in our daily or weekly plan. The Imams have spoken
extensively about keeping promises and the negative effects of breaking a promise. If you simply
cannot have a task done in the time frame someone is requesting, politely let them know rather than
disappointing them and placing yourself under more stress. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) says, "Do
not make a promise that you are not confident of fulfilling." (Ghurar al-Hikam)
4. Where Does Your Time Go? It's important to look at and criticize where our time goes
every day. Each person has a different level of productivity and efficiency. Make a list of the
biggest time wasters for you and think of creative ways to eliminate them. One avenue to
consider is technology; although created to make us more efficient, technology has also
become a substantial distraction in our lives.
Upon reading the many self-help books concerning greater time management, one will discover that
the "tips" are actually very Islamic in nature. They seek to help individuals become more balanced
physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. Islam has, from its advent, sought to allow human
beings to reach their maximum capability while reminding them of their obligation to God, their
fellow human beings and of course, to themselves.
Anger Management In Islam
(AMI)

by Omar K Neusser




1.) Definition of anger or temper:

Lexical[1] meaning:
The feeling one has toward something or someone that hurts, opposes, offends, or
annoys, strong displeasure.
(Example: In a moment of anger I hit my brother.)
Islamic definition: It is a destructive fire!
Prophetic hadith: Anger is a burning coal ... [3]
- Anger is a secret weapon of man towards of evils, but sometimes
it results in the destruction of many noble qualities.
- It snatches away the wisdom of man and thus
he becomes a brute beast devoid of any sense.
- Anger is a temptation and deception of Shaitn.[2]
- Anger is the root of all evils.
- Anger is a very bad condition that weakens the person's Imn (faith).[2]

Imam Mawld calls it a "swelling ocean," that is he compares it to
"a swelling mass of emotion that is difficult to hold back once it is
unleashed."[4]
2.) Introduction

The Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad said:

"Whoever curbs his anger, while being able to act, Allah will fill his heart
with certainty of faith."
Therefore the consequence for whoever does not curb his anger is
that he or she will sooner or later feel its evil consequences.
Anger is a destructive emotion, as a fire which destroys our well-
being, consumes our good actions, repels our friends and dear ones,
frightens our children and forces the angels to report bad actions for
the Heavenly Records. This is a dangerous rough road and no-one is
devoid of it and it brings one close to the wrath of Allah; story:
Prophet `Isa (Jesus Christ) -peace be upon him- was once asked:
"What thing is difficult?" He said: "God's wrath." Prophet Yahya (John the Baptist) -
peace be upon him- then asked:
"What brings near the wrath of God?" He said: "Anger".
Yahya - peace be upon him- asked him:
"What thing grows and increases anger?" Isa -peace be upon him- said:
"Pride, prestige, hope for honour and haughtiness." [5]

The good news is that when you are ready to confront the evil kind
of anger within your soul, then you have already taken the first
decisive step in fighting it. The evil kind of anger can be overcome
by understanding and following the respective teachings of Islam. If
you are not ready, ask yourself the test questions below.[ch.4]
3.) Clarification

Are all kinds of anger meant here always, or are there instances
when anger could still be justified?
Someone could say: "How do I know that my anger is not justified,
when I feel strongly about it, that in certain situations I do have the
right to become angry?" (As an exception there are a few instances
when it is good and allowed, such as in war when fighting the
enemy, but not excessive anger.)
Answer: Yes, there are situations where anger is justified and
lawful, as "in cases of religious affairs when one's honour is at
stake. It is an effective preventive measure to safeguard the dignity
of man. A person who has no anger is called a coward because he
has got no true faith in Allah. The person fears creation and not the
Creator." [2]
But certainly those instances are rare, and what is worse, for a
beginner in anger management (AMI) it is difficult to distinguish
between those situations from the outset. Later with some success
in AMI, that will be easy.
We do not suggest that AMI means you never may get angry, for
anger is not to abolished but channelled, and the aim is always to
reach your goal with other, reliable and sane methods, in shh
Allah. But to begin with, it is vital to bring it down to lower levels, to
temper it, in order to take control over it.

For the time being you should be extremely suspicious about anger
in which form or situation what-so-ever. Be warned against it!

Remember that the real strength of a man lies in controlling his
wrath or anger. In this respect the Islamic tradition is very clear:

It is reported in a hadith on the authority of Abu Huraira Allah
be pleased with him, that Mohammad, the emissary of
Allah peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said :
"The man is not a good wrestler; the strong man is in fact the person
who controls himself at the time of anger." (Bukhari)
In another hadith Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu `anhu), reported
that a man said to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wasallam):
"Advise me!"
The Prophet said, "Do not become angry and furious."
The man asked (the same) again and again, and the
Prophet said in each case, "Do not become angry and furious."
[Al-Bukhari; Vol. 8 No. 137] (see hadith in Arabic at top of page.)
Commenting on this hadith Al-Nawaw says that "he meant to not
allow anger to lord over oneself and cause the loss of one's
comportment." Instead to control your anger and never lose
control. [11]
4.) Try To Get The Whole Picture - The Causes Of Anger

We are convinced that the Islamic guidance is the best guidance,
also in respect of AMI, because it relates to all levels of human
beings, where it operates its barakah (Divine blessings): the body
(jism), the soul (nafs) and the spirit (rh), the last being the
highest element which governs the rest. Anger is one of several
coarse qualities of the soul or heart, which have to be treated by
Islam's spiritual methods. To treat the (spiritual) desease you have
to know its causes. Imam al Ghazali explains them as follows:
The causes which cause anger to grow are self-conceit, self-praise,
jests and ridicule, argument, treachery, too much greed for too
much wealth and name and fame. If these evils are united in a
person, his conduct becomes bad and he cannot escape anger. So
these things should be removed by their opposites. Self-praise is to
be removed by modesty. Pride is to be removed by one's own origin
and birth, greed is to be removed by remaining satisfied with
necessary things, and miserliness by charity.[5]

Or summarized in four words:
"Pride, prestige, hope for honour and haughtiness."[5]

The goal is to purify the heart, free it from oblivion of the rang of
human beings, neglect of Allahs commands, and ... so as to reach
the Divine Presence.
In this context there is the Gabriel-hadith on excellence (ihsn) in
Islam (as part of a longer hadith[13]): A man asked the Emissary of
Allah : "Then tell me about Ihsan." He said:
"It is to worship Allah as though you are seeing Him,
and while you see Him not yet trul y He sees you."
Also in the Quran we are constantly reminded that Allah sees and
hears us, thus watching over us all the time. Knowing this how can
anyone be so carried away by his (her) passions and devoid of
godfearingness (taqw) to behave like an ugly, crazy person,
chasing around and abusing people?

It becomes clear then that in reality anger is a secret disease, like
for example alcoholism, which has to be treated just like any other
desease, and it is you yourself who has to take the decisive step to
curb it, with Allah's help.
In this context it is important to remember that AMI is part of a
comprehensive treatment of the heart, not isolated methods.
Therefore come to terms with yourself (nafs) and see your
propensity toward the anger-syndrome!

To start with ask yourself the following questions:
a. Do you become angry when things are not going your way?
b. Does it make you angry when something happens contrary to what you expected
or what you wished for?
c. When starting to get angry, did you ever become aware of how your emotions
are kindled or heating up?
c. When you are angry, do you say or do things which normally you would not?
d. When you are angry, do you feel you have to act in a certain manner, without
any control?
e. Do you - after your anger has subsided - regret what you said or did, or how you
appeared in front of people?

If you answered most or all of the above questions with 'yes', then
you are on your way and you will easily understand the following
diagrams which show the anger levels and how to curb it over
time (ch.5) :

You may ask if there is anything which can be done about this
problem of losing one's temper, and you may think that this is the
way you are, this is your character and that a change would be
impossible. But you can change and
AMI was conceived to show how to succeed in dealing with this
desease, once its evil roots have been understood. Then, soon, you
will enjoy the sweet fruit of having overcome it. Someone[18] said in
this respect, that winning over his anger is a sweet thing indeed.
5.) The Islamic Model Of Anger Management (AMI)

A visual model is employed for the description of anger over time:
Here we can see a line graph (red) for the fairly common
development of temper or anger, where the left, vertical axis with
variable h, measures the degree of temper [ ] and the horizontal
axis measuring time in minutes [min].

graph - d1:

t1: Around t1 the level of emotion is quite normal, it is close to
the "normality-level" n1, but something happened at "t2"
t2: from here there is a steep increase in anger-level. Not long
after temper reaches its peak at "t3"
t3: anger-level stays at that extreme level for a moment or
some minute or so, then after this
t4: anger level is reduced, either more rapidly as in
L1 or more slowly with others individuals as shown in L2.

The critical timespan to employ AMI is at the outset of anger at t2,
and as soon as possible, this is shown in graph d2 below[graph d2].
But anytime is better than no time!


a) There are two cures, the first is the cure at the beginning of
tension build-up, see graph d2:
The critical area to address AMI is at the outset of anger at t2 when
angel level has risen somewhat to n2 (blue line), ie. one has
become angry and irritated, but still not "lost one's temper"
completely.
AMI has to intervene here as soon as possible, as shown in line
graph d2 below.

graph - d2:

This diagram reflects a very positiv situation, in which anger level has not been
allowed to rise beyond a modest "start" at t2, instead it has been stopped
completely at n2 (blue line). This is the case of a person who is able to remind him-
/herself at this critical moment (t2) of his standing in front of Allah (swt), and that
he will have to answer Him at That Day Of Balance for everything he has done and
neglected to do, or what he said.

If this method (AMI) can be employed, it will be of great help for
the time being and it will save him (or her) from the evil
consequences of his temper. If he still needs more assistance - and
most of us do need it dearly - check for m1 - m3 below. [ in chapter
b) ].
The person with such a positive reponse to anger, which we know is
but the incitement of Shaitan (rajm), can only succeed enforcing
this strong kind of control if he earlier has disciplined his nafs by
those many spiritual methods which are prescribed by the Islamic
tradition, the obligatory, (wjib) and the strongly recommend
(the Sunnah).


b) The second cure curbing the tension of temper-build-up
altogether is described in graph d3:

With given, innate levels of passion and emotion the response to
anger will vary from person to person, and also from young age to
mature age. Other factors also determine levels of tension
generally, such as the person's living and working conditions, etc.

For some persons it may not be possible to prevent a strong,
swelling attack of anger at the outset (as described in d2) because of
the above reasons, and it is very difficult especially when he /she
has not internalized the Islamic viewpoint [see ch. 8] that whatever
happens it is because Allah (swt) has allowed it to happen.
Therefore they are in dire need of implementing the three most
important Islamic methods of anger management:

graph - d3:

Diagram d3 reflects a person's anger level as it rises beyond t2 to t2b (the first blue
line to the left) expecting to rise to a very high level (as described above in graph -
d1). Here there is very little time to stop the process, the longer one is inactive not
calling upon Allah (swt) the harder it will be to stop it. When the person realizes
that he is without power to counter this satanic attack, he should seek refuge with
Allah Almighty and utter the words of protection. (see chapters 6 & 7b). This is the
first method of AMI (m1). If he needs more input and he probably will, he should
use method2 (m2) and method3 (m3). There is no way he cannot to succeed in
this if he is sincere.

6.) Three Instant Methods of Anger Management

These methods go hand in hand with recognizing one's position in
the sight of Allah (swt), as summarized in chapter 8.

Here we'll encourage the reader to enact the prophetic advice of
anger management in his own life, and to the benefit of himself and
his spiritual capability, and for the peace of his familiy and everyone
else:
(m1) saying the word of protection:
a`dh billhi min ash-shaytn ir rajm
(m2) changing bodily posture:
when angry, sit down if standing and lie down if sitting.
(m3) washing the face etc, arms, hands:
make ablution with water. (see ch. 7b)
7. Medicines recommended by Imam Al-
Ghazal

We are describing below the medicines of anger after one gets
angry. This medicine is a mixture of knowledge and action.

7a. The medicine based on knowledge is of six kinds:
(1) The first medicine of knowledge is to think over the rewards of
appeasing anger, that have come from the verses of the Quran and
the sayings of the Prophet . Your hope for getting rewards of
appeasing anger will restrain you from taking revenge.
(2) The second kind of medicine based on knowledge is to fear the
punishment of God and to think that the punishment of God upon
me is greater than my punishment upon him. If I take revenge upon
this man for anger, God will take revenge upon me on the
Judgement Day.
(3) The third kind of medicine of anger based on knowledge is to
take precaution about punishment of enemity and revenge on
himself. You feel joy in having your enemy in your presence in his
sorrows, You yourself are not free from that danger. You will fear
that your enemy might take revenge against you in this world and
in the next.
(4) Another kind of medicine based on knowledge is to think about
the ugly face of the angry man, which is just like that of the
ferocious beast. He who appeases anger looks like a sober and
learned man.
(5) The fifth kind of medicine based on knowledge is to think that
the devil will advise by saying: " You will be weak if you do not get
angry!" Do not listen to him!
(6) The sixth reason is to think: " What reason have I got to get
angry? What Allah wishes has occured!"

7b. The medicine based on action is of three kinds:
(m1) When you get angry, say: I seek refuge in God from the
accursed evil (a`dh billhi min ash-shaytn ir rajm). The
Prophet ordered us to say thus.
When Ayesha (ra) got angry, he dragged her by the nose and said:
"O dear Ayesha, say: O God, you are the Lord of my prophet
Muhammad, forgive my sins and remove the anger from my heart and
save me from misguidance."
(m2) If anger does not go away by this means, you will sit down if
you are standing, lie down if you are sitting, and come near to
earth, as you have been created of earth. Thus make yourself calm
like the earth. The cause of wrath is heat and its opposite is to lie
down on the ground and to make the body calm and cool.
The Prophet said: Anger is a burning coal. Don't you see your
eyebrows wide and eyes reddish? So when one of you feels angry, let
him sit down if standing, and lie down if sitting.
(m3) If still anger does not stop, make ablution with cold water or
take a bath, as fire cannot be extinguished without water.
The Prophet said : "When one of you gets angry, let him make
ablution with water as anger arises out of fire."
In another narration, he said: "Anger comes from the devil and the
devil is made of fire." [5]
8.) Summary

AMI has to do with keeping the right balance in one's life, regarding
various aspects of it, such as foodintake, sexuality, desire for
position and power, and so on. Prophet Muhammad was the best
human being to keep to this balance and to be a guide of the middle
way sirt-al mustaqm, the way of moderation. Man has to balance
between wrathghadab and mercy rahma, never losing sight of the
religious priority of mercy over wrath or anger. [22]

For these methods or ways to become reality one has to come to
forbearance and humility in all cases. This is especially clear when
the issue is not to uphold the dn (religion) of Islam, but the
problem is from our expectations of the dunya or of other people.
And if the defense of Islam is at stake, one must still not rush
towards action under the pressure of anger, but one has to excuse
oneself, first calm down and stick to what Imam Al-Ghazal's
advised the Muslims [12], who stated that anger "is acceptable only
a the right time, in the right place, for the right reasons, and with
the right intensity." [23]
When one has internalized the Islamic viewpoint that whatever
happens is because Allah (swt) has allowed it to happen and then
also by knowing oneself, one can strive to rid oneself from
selfcenteredness and egotism, for in the words of S. Ahmad Zarrq,
"people are filled with themselves". With the help of Allah, one will
be able to let go of what ultimately is beyond our restriced, illusory
domain of power, and arrive step-by-step at a control of one's anger
by understanding the rule of "the right time, in the right place, for
the right reasons, and with the right intensity." With the whole
effectiveness and barakah (heavenly powers) of the Islamic way -
living Islam -, one will by Allah's leave (bi-idhni-LLah) win over this
nafs ( an-nafs al-ammara bi-ssu' ) [26] - this soul commanding us to
do evil - and taste the sweet taste of victory over one's worst
enemy.

To become aware of oneself is a step towards knowing oneself, and
according to a famous saying in Islam, whoever knows himself he
knows his Lord. [27]
9.) Story Of `Ali (kAw)* Not Acting On Anger

There is a famous story about `Ali (karrama-llhu wajhahu)
according to which he was fighting against a disbeliever and had the
intention of killing him due to al bughd fi Allah (hatred for the sake
of Allah). After `Ali (karrama-llhu wajhahu) subdued him and sat
on his chest with the intention of killing him, the man spat on his
face. `Ali (karrama-llhu wajhahu) at once let him go.
The man was amazed and said, "You should have become even
more angry due to my spitting at you and should have hastened in
killing me. Why did you spare me?"
`Ali (karrama-llhu wajhahu) replied, "Due to this action of yours
mynafs became involved and my intention did not remain purely for
the sake of Allah."
The light of sincerity had such a cleansing effect that it purged the
impurities and kufr of the disbeliever's heart, and he recited
the kalima(profession of faith) at once, and became Muslim. [28]
10.) Speech on Anger And Hatred, by Shaykh J. Brown


audio



11.) Excerpt: Chapter Anger, by Sh Masihullah Khan*

Allah Most High says:
{ And those who swallow anger and those who forgive people, Allah
loves the righteous } (Quran 3:134).
The Messenger of Allah Allah bless him and give him peace)
said:
Do not become angry (Bukhari).
and
A strong man is not one who defeats (another) in physical combat.
Verily, a strong man is he who controls his self at the time of
anger (Bukhari Muslim).
In another narration it is said that a strong man is he who controls
anger. It is essential to keep anger under control. One should never
act spontaneously in accordance with the dictates of anger. On the
contrary, anger should be made subservient to the commands of
the Shariah. It is natural to be aroused in the state of anger. Such
natural propensity is not blameworthy (in itself). But Allah Most
High has endowed man with willpower. Anger has therefore to be
controlled since it is within the scope of man's willpower to do so.
Failure to exercise this volitional power is contrary to human nature.
There are many reasons for the inclusion of anger in the natural
attributes of man. Along with the quality of anger, Allah Most High
has endowed man with the ability to control such anger to ensure
that it is not misdirected and unjustly employed. Anger in itself
arises involuntarily. It is automatically activated. But acting in
accordance with its demand is voluntary; hence, refraining from it is
likewise voluntary. The remedy for a non-volitional act (the way of
curbing it) is nothing other than the exercise of one's willpower in
order to bring about restraint and control...
... [29]


Notes:

* (kAw): karram-Allahu wajhahu: May Allah ennoble his face!
1 from: MacKiev's World Book
2 Anger and Islam < islamawareness.net >
3 hadith in chapter 7
4 a swelling mass of emotion: PHM**
5 The Causes of Anger and It's Medicine,
by Imam al Ghazali < jannah.org >, x L 20120725
11 Instead to control your anger and never lose control. [fn
103] PHM103
13 Gabriel-hadith: < www.abc.se/home/m9783/ir/ez/hdth >
18 There is a saying of Imam `Ali (kAw) in this respect, which we
were
unable to trace. Another one of his sayings is < here >.
22 PHM107
23 PHM105
26 see: The Meaning of Nafs by Muhammad 'Afifi al-'Akiti <
nafs.html >
27 a famous saying: < khkr_e.html >
28 chapter 9 is from: < muslim-canada.org >
29 This is the first part of the chapter on anger; The Path to
Perfection, Sh Masihullah Khan; PTP59/60

** PHM: Purification of the Heart; Signs, Symptoms and Cures of
the Spiritual Diseases of The Heart, Transl. and Comm. of Imam al-
Mawlud'sMatharat al-Qulub, by Hamza Yusuf; Starlatch Press 2004

see also:
Anger and Dejection - An Islamic Perspective,
by Dr. Shahid Athar, Medicine for Anger, x L 20120703

ANGER MANAGEMENT, by Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph. D. < irfi.org >

Anger Management: An Islamic perspective: Anger, x L 20120703

Anger Management: An Islamic perspective < Cures for Anger from the Sunnah >

The Path to Perfection, Sh Masihullah Khan; chapter on anger

Anger Management: An Islamic Perspective
www.islamawareness.net
3/7/2009
1986 views

Muslims are the followers of Prophet Mohammad and believe that the best example of
patience was manifested in the Prophet himself.

He was sent to mankind to teach them good moral conduct such as not losing ones
composure during times of anger. He was a man that had the burden of mankind's
future on his shoulders. Yet, he had the tolerance and self-discipline to be able to
forgive those around him regardless of how malicious they might have been.

The best example of this was when the Prophet went to a city called Ta'if. This was at
the time when the followers of Islam were at their weakest and he himself had suffered
the loss of both his beloved wife Khadijah and uncle Abu Talib. He went to this town
hoping to find people who would listen to, and support, his message to humanity.

Rather than finding receptive ears and support for his message, he was insulted and
chased out of the town by the town's elders, who instructed their children to throw
stones at him as he left the town. Depressed and with his sandals covered in blood
from the stoning of the children, he prayed to God. The Angel of the mountains was
sent down by God and asked for the Prophet's permission to cause the mountains
surrounding Ta'if to crumble, eliminating all of the city's inhabitants. Despite the pain
and suffering that he had just endured, the Prophet's reply was, "No, I hope God will
make some of their progeny people who will worship God alone, associating none with
Him."

This incident gives an example of the patience and mercy of the Prophet that Muslims
are encouraged to emulate; to have self-control and discipline in times of anger in order
to prevent ones emotions from controlling ones actions.

In another example, one of the Prophets companions asked him, Give me some advice
by virtue of which I hope for good in the hereafter." He said, "Don't be angry." Another
person asked, what will save me from the wrath of God, and he said, "Do not express
your anger." A third person asked three times, O Messenger of God, give me an order
to do a simple good deed, and he said, "Don't be angry."

The Prophet once asked his companion, "Whom among you do you consider a strong
man?" They said, The one who can defeat so-and-so in a wrestling match. He replied,
That is not so, a strong man is the one who can control himself during times of anger."

Acting in a state of anger is similar to acting in a state of intoxication. In both cases, a
person does not know what he is doing and may hurt himself and/or others. When the
anger or intoxication subsides, however, remorse over those actions will almost
certainly ensue.

Sheikh Hassan Al Basri said that one of the signs of the Believer is that his anger does
not prevail over him.

However, one should distinguish between anger as a natural response to wrongdoings
done towards ourselves (as an individual) and anger as a response towards disbelief of
God and His disobedience. A person who has no feelings about oppression, wrongdoing
and disbelief is an emotionally impotent person. It has been said, "Evil flourishes when
a few good people do nothing to oppose it." Thus, response to injustice and operation
in a civilized way is the appropriate expression of anger. While being neutral or passive
to injustice is equal to contributing to it.

A perfect example distinguishing between the two types of anger is in the following
event which involved Caliph Ali. He was once fighting in a war and the leader of the
non-Muslim army attacked him. During this confrontation, Ali was able to overcome
him. As Ali was on the verge of eliminating him, this person, now knowing his fate and
his inability to harm Ali, had no choice but to spit on Alis face. Upon that action, Ali
immediately left him alone. The man came running to him and asked, "You had a
chance to kill me so how come you did not use your sword?" Ali said, "I have no
personal animosity towards you. I was fighting you because of your disbelief in God. If I
had killed you after you spat on my face, then it would have been because of my
personal revenge which I do not wish to take." After hearing that, he immediately
became a Muslim.

Defeating Anger

There is no way to totally eliminate anger from one's self as it is a natural human
emotion and is bound to be one's reaction to certain situations that we all face in life.
However, there are measures to take that will aid in controlling anger. Below is the
Islamic approach towards anger management;

Changing ones body position. For example, if you are standing, you should sit, and if
you are sitting, then you should lie down.

Making ablution and offering two units of prayer.

Remembering the rewards and virtues of patience, mercy and forgiveness.

Anger, if left uncontrolled or unmanaged, can be a costly weed. It can cost one his
health, his life in this world, and the life in the Hereafter. Therefore, this weed must be
under ones control in order to allow the healthy plant of righteousness, piety, and
obedience to grow.
Controlling Anger: An Islamic Approach
Part One: Defining Anger

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(10 votes, average 3.80 out of 5)
By Sahar El-Nadi
Freelance Writer - Egypt
Sunday, 19 December 2010 11:50

if you are angry, it's because you're thinking angry thoughts
What is anger? Why and how does it happen? How does it affect our health and our
relationships? Can anger be controlled? And how can we do that? In this series, we'll discuss
anger and techniques for anger management and conflict resolution in light of Islamic
teachings.
Living with a highly stressful modern lifestyle, we all suffer from bursts of anger, whether it
is we who get angry or others who get angry with us. Daily traffic, the economic crisis, and
relationship and job stress all cause everyone a buildup of negative emotions that need
venting.
Often, while trying to relieve the pressure, we burst into anger tantrums, which we regret
later because, inevitably, we cause harm in the process, which in turn causes more anger
and we end up spinning in a vicious circle of negative feelings and actions. The constant
pressures make it almost unrealistic to ask people to control their anger.
Taking advantage of the lucrative market, hundreds of anger management books and
workshops were produced, promising instant, magical solutions to the millions of sufferers
worldwide; yet, the problem keeps getting worse.
As Muslims, we're not immune to the anger epidemic; we're even bearing additional
pressures of religious and racial profiling. We're often perceived as guilty until proven
innocent, which is extremely frustrating for honest citizens. What's worse, anger-inducing
techniques are deliberately used in some situations to cause an emotional eruption in order
to affirm the stereotype of the "uncivilized" that is now being indiscriminately attached to all
Muslims.
Yet, we forget that we have a treasure of effective anger management techniques in our
heritage waiting to be rediscovered and adapted to our modern knowledge of human
behavior and relationship dynamics. Let's start by examining anger itself and then gradually
discover how to manage it and even use it to our advantage.
What Is Anger?
Anger is an emotion. Emotions follow thoughts, so if you are
angry, it's because you're thinking angry thoughts. We have to
learn how to manage our thinking in order to modify our reactions
to situations. It is a misconception that emotions cannot be
controlled and could run wild against our will. And so, it is not a
surprise that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him) promises peace of "heart" to anyone who strives to control his thoughts in order to
prevent an angry emotional reaction: "Whoever curbs his anger while being able to carry it
out, Allah will fill his heart with certainty of faith." (Abu Hurairah).
It is a misconception that
emotions cannot be
controlled and could run wild
against our will
Anger is a choice. It has nothing to do with gender, level of stress, or ethnic group. We
get angry because we choose to be angry. Thus, the Prophet's order "Do not become angry
and furious" (Al-Bukhari) isn't asking the impossible it's actually reminding us that we
have a choice
No one can make you angry. A person or situation cannot make you angry, and your
emotions depend on the way you process the situation based on various factors, such as
past experiences, upbringing, and frame of reference. Therefore, our reaction is learned, not
inherited. We learn to be angry. And so God Himself teaches us how to make the choice:
The Prophet said, "When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His Book, which is with
Him on His Throne, 'My Mercy overpowers My Anger'" (Al-Bukhari).
Anger is wasted energy. When we get really angry and start shouting, does it help us
solve our problems? No, it doesn't it actually clouds our judgment and complicates
problems. Does it encourage others to be helpful? No, it doesn't it drives them away. So,
what do we really gain from all this expended energy? Nothing. Muslims are aware they will
be asked how they spent every second of their lives and every ounce of their energy, which
makes it shameful to consciously waste energy.
Constructive Anger vs. Destructive Anger
Anger is built into humans, and it comes in many types, so
all of us are bound to experience anger in one way or
another. It isn't a "bad" emotion of itself either. It's how we
process it that makes it good or bad, constructive or
destructive. What determines the effects of anger on you is
largely how you deal with it and how successfully you can channel the explosive energy into
achieving something useful and constructive.
For example, if you get angry because of injustice and use your anger to work very hard to
restore justice, then your anger was constructive. But if you get angry because of injustice
and use it as an excuse to retaliate with more injustice, or fall into despair and depression,
or promote hate, or engage in criminal activity, then this is destructive anger. It eats you
away and degrades you as a human, while at the same time it causes harm and destruction
to those around you.
This downward spiral of negativity isn't befitting a good Muslim, whom the Prophet
described as someone whom people are "safe from his tongue and his hand." In other
words, a good Muslim isn't only encouraged, but is in fact duty-bound to learn how to
control and manage his anger. And that's what we will discuss in the next articles.
How often have we come across the statement, It is quality not quantity that matters? Yet how many actually listened to it? There is a quality of
listening that we must invest to fully grasp a message. When we look around the world, we see how giant corporations are racing against one another for
profits and more profits. Do you know how Japanese companies penetrated the Western markets after the Second World War? By paying microscopic
attention to processes at ALL levels of their businesses. Companies are making billions by following one principle: TQM =Total Quality Management.
Advice From Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him)
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) said: Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve
this state of devotion, then (take it for granted that) Allah sees you. [Bukhari]
To us, everyday tasks and chores become repetitive, and we emphasize getting a job done rather than doing it with perfection. We
become inefficient because we waste valuable resources and ineffectiveness seeps in when we lose focus of our end goals, ultimately
ending up being unproductive.
Islam is a Practical Way of Life
The distinguishing feature of Islam is practicality. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) set an exemplary
benchmark for us; his life a living reflection of the Quran. To be Productive Muslims, let us look at how we can incorporate Total Quality
Management in our daily activities.
1. QUALITY INTENTIONS
Intentions (niyyah) are in actuality, the mission statement of our actions. We intend to achieve something, abstract or concrete, but
there is always a foundation on which we pile our actions: Verily actions are by intentions, and for every person is what he
intended [Bukhari].
Intentions draw a fine line between faith and hypocrisy, and because they are only completely and truly known to Allah (glorified and
exalted be He), they are our true test of faith. The question is how to have sincere quality intentions, meant only to please Allah (glorified
and exalted be He) and attain His most prized blessings.
Know yourself: ascertain who you are. Identify your strengths and weaknesses in your faith to understand the right potential and meaning of your
intentions.
Be sincere and honest with yourself. Only then will you be honest with Allah (glorified and exalted be He).
Be critical of your thoughts, words and deeds.
What determines the effects of
anger on you is largely how you
deal with it and how successfully
you can channel the explosive
energy into something useful
Do not take your routine actions and words for granted. Mean what you say and say what you mean.
Be clear minded and refrain from deceiving yourself by dwelling in denial.
Question yourself and your thoughts and align all your actions to the mission of pleasing Allah (glorified and exalted be He) constantly.
Read the Quran regularly to remind yourself about what your intentions should actually be and what goals they should lead up to.
Live up to the purpose of your life everyday by consciously making powerful, strong intentions for the next day to plan ahead and know where you are
going.
2. QUALITY LISTENING
Allah commands us: When the Quran is read, listen attentively, and fall silent, so that you may be blessed with mercy. [Qur'an: Chapter
7, Verse 204].
Quality listening is all about effective listening. Statistics compiled by the International Listening Association show that 75% of the time
that we should be listening, we are not. We are involved in the process of hearing sounds and voices without registering their meaning or
importance and without processing their purpose and goal. Hence it is idle listening, leading to nothing specifically. However, by knowing
communication and understanding effective listening, Productive Muslims must work to develop the competitive edge of focus which will
help us:
1. Save time
2. Learn
3. Understand our environment
To listen effectively:
Listen to understand, not to respond.
Respect the speaker and understand the content and context of the subject before hastening to reacting.
Remove distractions.
Give respect to the speaker whether they are your parents or siblings, friends or colleagues, and give your full attention to them by facing them fully.
Be quiet!
Make notes: If youre in a lecture, a seminar or in a class, try to make brief and succinct points of what the speaker is teaching. The notes
are useful reminders and summaries for future use and they keep you focused.
Dont waste your time on junk: For example, there are videos on YouTube with curiously interesting captions about insignificant, petty
matters that we waste our time on, idling away our time being lazy and gaining nothing. It is important, therefore that you pick and
choose what is worth spending your time and energy on.
3. QUALITY PRAYERS
Quality prayers are in essence the pillar of our personal faith. Our five daily prayers are mandatory on us. But what makes us so sure that
our prayers are really meeting the prescribed criteria set by our Lord? How do we know that the time we are investing in praying to
Allah (glorified and exalted be He) meets the quality level required of us? In other words, just appearing for your paper on exam day does
not guarantee a good grade good intention, preparation and sincere effort leads to it.
Successful indeed are the believers those who offer their salah (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness. These are indeed the
inheritors, who shall inherit Paradise. They shall dwell therein forever. [Qur'an: Chapter 23, Verses 1-2].
With regards to prayer, we can draw up the following table to analyze what tools can be employed to enhance the quality of our prayers:
Have a strong desire to do what is obligatory.
Lessen external distractions: reply to texts beforehand and turn off your phone to keep from looking at or hearing it during prayers.
Read material that will increase your knowledge about the huge importance of prayer in Islam.
Clear your mind. Take a few minutes to relax and take a breath, rather than jump into salah.
Read about the passion of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) for prayers and try to emulate them.
Pray (sincerely) to Allah (glorified and exalted be He) to guide you with patience, gratitude and understanding.
Dont be lazy when you walk up to prayer: be passionate, even if you dont feel passionate.
Offer your prayers at their earliest stated times to ward off laziness and procrastinating.
Be attentive when you do your wudhu and understand that you are going to appear before the one who is the Lord of the Worlds.
Understand that your prayers are a gift to you from Allah (glorified and exalted be He) through Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him):
Show Allah (glorified and exalted be He) how much you love His gift!
4. QUALITY SPEECH
The entire life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) has been chosen as the model of excellence nominated
and delegated by Allah (glorified and exalted be He) Himself. One of the most beautiful qualities of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allh be upon him) was his manner of conversation. Following his example:
Spread Salaam (Peace): Whether you know people or you do not know them, initiate greeting them by saying salaam.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) said: You will not enter paradise until you believe, and you will not believe
until you love one another: spread salaam (the greeting of peace) among you [Tirmidhi].
If they take the lead, then respond them with enthusiasm sincere enthusiasm.
The four dearest words to Allah (glorified and exalted be He): Initiate all your plans and works with the name of Allah (glorified and exalted be
He), and end them by praising Allah[ swt]; optimism, contentment and barakah are sure to find you.
Narrated Samurah ibn Jundub: The dearest words to Allah are four: Subhan Allah (Hallowed be Allah), Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah),
La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah), and Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest). [Muslim].
Eliminate rude words: If you happen to have a harsh vocabulary coupled with a harsh tone, people are likely to shrink away from you no
matter how good and nice you might be at heart.
Abu Hurairah (may Allh be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) said, He who believes in Allah
and the Last Day must either speak good or remain silent. [Muslim]
Even the Quran commands us to Speak to people good words [Qur'an: Chapter 2, Verse 83].
Respect and genuinely care for people: One way of truly respecting our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters is by protecting their honor in and
out of their presence, from ourselves and those around us, by warding off unnecessary gossip and backbiting that goes around us.
The Muslim who helps another when the latters dignity and honor are under attack, shall be helped by Allah Glorious and Sublime is
He! at a time when he needs Allahs help. But he who forsakes a Muslim, when his dignity and honor are under attack, shall have Allah
forsake him at a time when he would wish for Allahs help. [Al Ghazali,Ihya Ulum al Din; Kitab Adab al Suhbah p. 369]
Three is not a crowd! When you are more than two people in company, dont ignore the third party by making them feel left out even if
he/she happens to be a complete stranger and the other is your childhood best friend. Involve everyone in discussion. It is recorded
in Bukhari and Muslim: If you were three, then do not whisper between the two of you ignoring the third till the number increases. This is
because whispering will sadden him.
Mind those adjectives: Whenever you are in a position of having to describe someone, try to use true, good adjectives and represent the
best you can of them to others, as you would like them to do for you. If a person conceals the weakness of another in this world, Allah
will conceal his weakness in the Hereafter. [Muslim]
Truth, truth and nothing but the truth: This should probably have been number one on my list, but truth is the best of speech, no matter
how bitter it may sound or how unprofitable it may be to ones own self, stick to the truth, and the truth will save you.
Quran: Block time out for Quran everyday to increase your consciousness of Allah (glorified and exalted be He) and to purify your speech.
Speak no evil: If you are in a habit of swearing or using bad words, tell a friend or a family member to keep a check on you and find good
company to benchmark against. Increase your frequency of remembrance of Allah (glorified and exalted be He), and you will naturally find
your tongue and your heart shying away from words with any degree of vulgarity/obscenity. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allh be upon him) said, A true believer is not involved in taunting, or frequently cursing (others) or in indecency or abusing [Tirmidhi].
Dont be obnoxiously critical: Instead of discouraging or criticizing your peers or students or anyone who comes to you for advice, thank
them, appreciate them, motivate them, and use the best way of pointing out any flaws you may seem to find and help them see how best
to fix them.
It is recorded that Anas said, I served the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, for ten years. During that time, he never once said to me
as much as Uff if I did something wrong. He never asked me, if I had failed to do something, Why did you not do it?, and he never said
to me, if I had done something wrong, Why did you do it? [Al Adab Al Mufrad]
Be soft-spoken: Remove all harsh words and phrases from your dictionary. Ask your friends and family members what vocabulary of yours
they have found offensive, make a list of it, and replace them with kinder words.
Imagine the importance of being mild in ones speech if Allah (glorified and exalted be He) even commands Prophet Moses (peace be upon
him) and Harun (may Allh be pleased with him) concerning Pharaoh: But speak to him gentle speech; perchance he may take
warning or fear Allah. [Qur'an: Chapter 20, Verse 44]
Silence is golden: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) said: Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him
say what is righteous or keep silent [Bukhari].
If you keep yourself busy with things and dont waste time on idle gossip and topics and endless discussion, you may find less time to
spare for random talking.
5. QUALITY LEARNING
Learn with sincerity: That means knowing you arent doing it for fame or recognition and that you are not doing it to beat someone at a
test or proving someone wrong to belittle him. Learn to seek the truth and to increase your character through this knowledge.
Make use of the time that has barakah: The time after Fajr has barakah in it, and making use of it to read and memorize is extremely
valuable.
Read widely, read deeply and read daily: This formula is actually from Barrons SAT guide and is actually very effective if practiced with
consistency.
Make notes and review notes everyday: Whatever you study, review it, not around the time of your quiz, or the time of your exam, but
review it the day you studied it. It adds immensely to your learning power and retaining ability.
Share your knowledge: Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) said: Acquire knowledge and impart it to
the people. [Muslim]. And believe it or not, sharing knowledge with friends does leave behind a stronger impression on your own
memory.
6. QUALITY LOVE
It is Islams beauty that it says None of you will truly believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself [Sunan Ibn
Majah].
We all have our own way of loving one another but the best way to love is the way of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allh be
upon him). Love Allah and His Messenger the MOST! Dont just say you love them, live your love: follow the Quran and the Sunnah. Love the Quran:
Recite it with love, and memorize it with love and share it with love. Love the Sunnah: When you speak of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allh be upon him), speak of him with love and remember to send blessings on him as much as you can and strive to emulate him with love, compassion
and gratitude.
Love your parents and your family members. Set a good example by being forgiving and generous with them through your time and good manners.
Love your fellow Muslims. Give gifts to one another, spread salaam, avoid suspicion and gossip, backbiting and blaming, and call one another with the
best names. Love them like you would like yourself to be loved. Give and forgive.
Be grateful to one another as gratitude leads to love. Only by being grateful to people can one be grateful to Allah (glorified and exalted be He).
Remember one another in your prayers and supplications.
Share the knowledge and the blessings Allah(glorified and exalted be He) has granted you, with the Muslim Ummah. Facilitate for one another the path
towards jannah. Enjoin what is good, forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah (glorified and exalted be He) the way the companions of the Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allh be upon him) did.
Finally, live to please The Creator and His Creation purely for the sake of Allah (glorified and exalted be He). Be Productive Muslims the Muslim
Ummah is meant to excel.
Do you have any other tips to create TQM in your life? Share with us by leaving a comment below.


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Time Management in the
light of Islamic teaching
slam means submission to the Will of God. In its moral sagacity Islam signifies striving
after the ideal. A Muslim is one who submits to the will of God. Islam and Muslim derive
from the same word as the Arabic for PEACE. The traditional Muslim greeting is Peace
be unto you. Islam recommends hope for salvation to the righteous and God-fearing of all
religions. Muslims believe in the Divine Revelation of all prophets including Abraham,
Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. The Quran is Gods Word and Final Revelation to Prophet
Muhammad revealed over a period of twenty-three years. The Muslims has certain
obligations towards Allah, himself and society. They involve knowledge, work and acts of
worship. Their proper expulsion demands that each of them be allocated its due amount of
time. No duty should intrude on the time allocated to other duties; otherwise, there may not
be adequate time to fulfill any of them. Islamic teaches for the appropriate management and
investment of time, and so does contemporary administrative thought. Time is widely
portrayed as gold. In reality, it is more precious than gold, for it is inestimable. Time
characterizes an exceedingly important resource in life, if it is not efficiently utilized, so
much will be lost. Time gone will be intricate to make up for; once it passes, it never comes
back. It is not easy to give a perfect description of time but, by reflecting on the evolution of
life and historical events, certain characteristics can be identified. Since long, scientists
have observed that time passes at a fixed and invariable speed and every second, every
minute and every hour is similar to all other seconds, minutes and hours. Time passes in a
straight forward movement in accordance with an inimitably controlled system, which cannot
be changed, stopped, increased or re-constructed. In consequence, the constant forward
movement of time is neither fast nor slow, and it cannot be accumulated, altered, cancelled,
replaced or stopped. The Holy Quran stresses the worth of time in a multiple ways and
contexts, in relation, to deeds and their means, to administration and organization, to the
universe and creation, and to God-man relationship with view to faith and worship.
Allah says in Holy Quran, and He it is Who hath appointed night and day in succession, for
him who desireth to remember, or desireth thankfulness. (Al-Furqan 62).
At another place Allah says, Worship at fixed hours hath been enjoined on the
believers. (An-Nisa 103).
Furthermore, in Surra Ar-Rum Almighty Allah declares, So glory be to Allah when ye enter
the night and when ye enter the morning. Unto Him be praise in the heavens and the earth
and at the suns decline and in the noonday. (Ar-Rum 17, 18).
One of the famous Hadith calling for grabbing the opportunity for investing time is the one
narrated by Ibn-Abbas; the Prophet said, Grab five things before five others: your youth
before your decrepitude, your health before your illness, your wealth before your poverty,
your leisure before your work, and your life before your death.
Islam encourages Muslims to care for time, to exploit it and not to misuse it. Moreover, it
embraces them accountable for their time. An essential obligation for Muslims life is to be
cautious about time, to devote it sensibly and to benefit from it. In this regard, Ibn-Al-Qayyim
says, The highest, most creditable and most valuable of reflection is what is intended for
Allah and the Hereafter. There are various forms of reflection intended for Allah. One of
them is reflecting on time duty and function and focusing entirely on it, for the
knowledgeable one is the breed of his time. If he wastes it, all his interests are wasted, for
all interests arise from time. If he wastes his time, he can never regain it. Also, Imam Shafii
said, Out of my company with Sufis, I benefited only two things, one of which is their
saying: like a sword, time will cut you if you do not cut it In other words, if you do not
spend time doing something useful, you are the loser by wasting it. It is exceptionally crucial
for Muslims to be careful about time, the Muslims are required to consume and spend their
time in what benefits them in this world and the Hereafter. In this regard, he can follow the
good example set by the Righteous Salaf (predecessor). They were so cautious that in less
than a century they were competent to make drastic changes in the societies into which
they introduced Islam. The honorable Salaf made sure that no time passed without doing
something useful, such as acquiring useful knowledge, doing good deeds, helping others
and serving or advising nation (Ummah).
Calling on Muslims to utilize their time, to benefit from it and not to waste it, the Prophet
said, On the Day of Resurrection the feet of the son of Adam will not move away till he is
questioned about four matters: how he spent his lifetime, how he spent his youth; from
where he acquired his wealth and how he spent it, and what he did with his knowledge.



An Islamic Approach to Business Ethics
Dr Sabahuddin Azmi
[1]


TOPIC : ISLAM & MANAGEMENT
What is Ethics?
Ethics may be defined as the set of moral principles that distinguish what is right
from what is wrong. Ethics has a twofold objective: it evaluates human practices by
calling upon moral standards; also it may give prescriptive advice on how to act
morally in a given situation. Ethics, therefore, aims to study both moral and immoral
behaviour in order to make well-founded judgments and to arrive at adequate
recommendations. Sometimes ethics is used synonymously with morality. An action,
which is morally right, is also called an ethical one. Codes of morality are called
ethical codes. Business ethics can also be defined as business morality.

Business Ethics
Business Ethics is the branch of ethics that examines ethical rules and principles
within a commercial context; the various moral orethical problems that can arise in
a business setting; and any special duties or obligations that apply to persons engaged
in commerce. Generally speaking, business ethics is a normative discipline, whereby
particular ethical standards are formulated and then applied. It makes specific
judgments about what is right or wrong, which is to say, it makes claims about
what ought to be done or what ought not to be done. Generally speaking, business
ethics is concerned with the study of what is good and bad, right and wrong, and just
and unjust in business.

Ethics in Islam
Islam places the highest emphasis on ethical values in all aspects of human life. In
Islam, ethics governs all aspects of life. Ethical norms and moral codes discernable
from the verses of the Holy Quran and the teachings of the Prophet (sws) are
numerous, far reaching and comprehensive. Islamic teachings strongly stress the
observance of ethical and moral code in human behaviour. Moral principles and codes
of ethics are repeatedly stressed throughout the Holy Quran. Besides, there are
numerous teachings of the Prophet (sws) which cover the area of moral and ethical
values and principles. Says the Holy Quran:

You are the best nation that has been raised up for mankind; You enjoin right
conduct, forbid evil and believe in Allah. (3:110)

The Prophet (sws) also says:

I have been sent for the purpose of perfecting good morals. (Ibn Hambal
[1]
, No:
8595)

This goes without saying that there is a general consensus among human beings
about certain fundamental ethical values. However, the Islamic ethical system
substantially differs from the so-called secular ethical systems as well as from the
moral code advocated by other religions and societies. In the Islamic scheme of
things, adherence to moral code and ethical behaviour is a part of I%man (faith) itself.
According to the Islamic teachings, Muslims have to jealously guard their behaviour,
deeds, words, thoughts, feelings and intentions. Islam asks its believers to observe
certain norms and moral codes in their family affairs; in dealings with relatives, with
neighbours and friends; in their business transactions; in their social affairs, nay in all
spheres of private and public life.
Islam has its own distinctive value-based ethical system for business dealings. It
prescribes certain specific guidelines for governing business ethics. It (i) enumerates
the general ethical rules of business conduct, (ii) identifies ethically desirable forms of
business, and, (iii) specifies the undesirable modes of transactions.
Given the nature of Islamic ethical and moral codes, it would be beyond the capacity
of one paper to fully comprehend the subject. In the following pages, our effort will
be to confine ourselves to the discussion of some specific principles of business ethics
in Islam.

Freedom of Enterprise
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 organize any kind of business enterprise within the limits set by the
Islamic Shariah. However, freedom does not and must not operate without a sense of
responsibility. An individual is free to pursue his economic activities provided he
respects the code of conduct prescribed for the profession, which broadly means
choosing things lawful and shunning matters unlawful. The dictates of the
Holy Quran and the teachings of the Prophet (sws) serve to set a scale in everybodys
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.
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 (i) dictates of the Holy Quran and the
teachings of the Prophet Muhammad(sws) and (ii) the directives of the temporal
authority. During the early centuries of Islam, this function was mainly performed by
the institution of Muhasbah (headed by a Muhtasib or market inspector). The institution
of Muhasbah was an important institution whose functions were broad-based and
multifarious, chief 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.

Islamic Tenets Concerning Business Transactions

Islam demands a certain type of behaviour from the economic agents the
consumers and the producers. The behaviour prescribed for the economic units of the
society are so devised as to lead to a happy state of affairs, which is the ultimate goal
of Islam. An Islamic market is characterized by certain norms that take care of the
interests of both the buyer and the seller. There are a number of rules of ethical
discipline in Islamic commercial transactions without which business contract would
be regarded as lacking perfection in the light of the code of good manners, decency
and ethical excellence. Some of these tenets are as follows:

Keenness to Earn Legitimate (Halal) Earnings
Islam places great emphasis on the code of lawful and unlawful in business
transactions. Many Quranic verses disapprove the wrongful taking of the property.
Says the Holy Quran:

Do not devour one anothers property wrongfully, nor throw it before the judges in
order to devour a portion of others property sinfully and knowingly. (2:188)

Do not devour anothers property wrongfully unless it be by trade based on
mutual consent. (4:29)

The above verses prohibit the believers in no uncertain terms to devour the property
of others by illegal means. The Prophet (sws)endorsed the importance of legitimate
ways of earning in the following words:

Asked what form of gain is the best? [the Prophet] said, A mans work with his
hands, and every legitimate sale. (Ahmad, No: 1576)

From the above it is clear that a Muslim trader must be determined to earn only
through legitimate means. He should not only avoid illegitimate means in earning his
provisions and livelihood but also distance himself from matters dubious and
doubtful. The Prophet(sws) is also reported to have said:

Leave what makes you doubt for things that do not make you doubt. (Tirmidhi, No:
2442)

Things legitimate and illegitimate are clearly defined in Islam and, in between them,
are doubtful things, which should be avoided. A true Muslim businessman should be
wary of the doubtful things in order to keep himself clear in regard to his faith and his
honour because one who falls into doubtful matters is sure to fall into that which is
unlawful (Haram). A tradition of the Prophet (sws) states:

A time will come upon the people when one will not care as to how he gets his
money whether legally or illegally. (Bukhari, No: 1941)

Foremost among the unacceptable business practices strongly condemned in Islam
is Riba. Riba (interest), by definition, is the extra sum the moneylender charges from
the borrower for deferred payment. Islam has forbidden all forms of Riba since it
involves both oppression and exploitation. Islam strictly forbids this form of
tyrannical dealings and condemns it in severe terms. The Holy Quransays:

Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba (usury). (2:275)

Devour not Riba doubled and re-doubled. (3:130)

It further states:

O you who believe! fear Allah and give up what remains of your demand for usury
if you are indeed believers. If you do it not, take notice of war from Allah and his
Apostle: but if you turn back you shall have your capital sums; deal not unjustly
and you shall not be dealt with unjustly. (2:278)

The Sunnah
[2]
is equally emphatic in denouncing Riba. The Prophet (sws) is
reported to have said:

May Allah send down His curse on the one who devours Riba and the one who
pays it and on the two witnesses and on the person writing it. (Ahmad, No: 624)

These and many other verses of the Quran and traditions of the
Prophet (sws) clearly demonstrate that all those business transactions which involve
interest in one form or other, are unlawful in the sight of Islam. According to
the Quranic teachings there is a clear distinction between genuine business profits
and interest; while the former is recommended and desirable, the latter is hated and
undesirable.

Trade through Mutual Consent
Mutual consent between the parties is a necessary condition for the validity of a
business transaction. It, therefore, follows that a sale under coercion is not acceptable
in Islam. A sale transaction is to be regarded as legal only if it is made through the
mutual consent of the parties concerned. Taking advantage of someones plight and
charging high price is also a form of pecuniary exploitation and as such forbidden in
Islam. The Holy Quran says:

O you who believe! eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: but let
there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual goodwill: nor kill [or destroy]
yourselves: for verily Allah has been to you Most Merciful. (4:29)

Thus two key elements of general theory of contract are endorsed emphatically in
these verses: mutual consent and gainful exchange. One can also find importance of
mutual consent for legality of a business deal. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have
said:

A sale is a sale only if it is made through mutual consent. (Ibn Majah, No: 2176)

Truthfulness in Business Transactions
Islam encourages truthfulness in business transactions and raises the status of a
truthful merchant so much so that he will be at par with the holy warriors and martyrs,
in the Hereafter. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said:

The truthful merchant [is rewarded by being ranked] on the Day of Resurrection
with prophets, veracious souls, martyrs and pious people. (Tirmidhi, No: 1130)

The Prophet (sws) has also exhorted the believers to strictly adhere to truthfulness in
business transactions. He says:

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, No: 1937)

The tradition implies that Allah blesses business dealings if both the buyer and the
seller are true to each other. Telling lies and hiding facts will result in the loss of
divine blessing. A tradition reads.

The Holy Prophet said: Traders are wicked people. The Companions asked: O
Messenger, has Allah not permitted business? The Messenger replied: Of course
He has declared trading lawful. But they (i.e. the traders) will swear by Allah and
do evil, they will not speak but tell lies. (Ahmad, No: 14982)

Trustworthiness in Business Transactions
Trustworthiness is one of the most important principles of ethical discipline in
commercial transactions. Trust is a moral virtue and duty incumbent on a Muslim in
the performance of his affairs. It demands sincerity in work and purity of intention
from every believer. A true Muslim trader will not, therefore, barter
his Akhirah (hereafter) for worldly gains. He will avoid fraud, deception, and other
dubious means in selling his merchandise. The sense of mutual trust demands that the
pros and cons of commodity be revealed to the buyer so that he purchases the
commodity in full satisfaction. Says the Holy Quran:

O you believers! Do not betray Allah and the Messenger, nor knowingly, betray
your trusts. (8:27)

Generosity and Leniency in Business Transactions
One should be lenient and generous in bargaining. Therefore, whoever demands his
debt back from the debtor should do so in a decent manner. The Prophet (sws) invokes
Allahs mercy thus:

May Allahs mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in
demanding back his money [or debts]. (Bukhari, No: 1934)

The Prophets exhortation to Muslims means that a creditor should be easy and
generous in demanding back his money. The debtor, in turn, should also give back the
debt to the creditor on time with due thanks and politeness. The Prophet (sws) was the
best of all people in repaying the debts.

Abu Rafi reports that the Prophet (sws) took a young camel on loan. When camels
came to him in charity, he asked Abu Rafi to give the creditor a young she
camel. Abu Rafi pointed out that there was no young camel except for a fouryear
old camel of a very good quality. The Prophet (sws) said: Give him the best one, for
the best amongst you is he who repays the rights of others handsomely. (Muslim,
No: 3002)

Honouring and fulfilling Business Obligations
Islam attaches great importance to the fulfilment of contract and promises. Islamic
teachings require a Muslim trader to keep up his trusts, promises and contracts. The
basic principles of truth, honesty, integrity and trust are involved in all business
dealings. The HolyQuran emphasizes the moral obligation to fulfil ones contracts
and undertakings. A verse states thus:

O you who believe! Fulfil [your] obligations. (5:1)

A tradition of the Prophet (sws) states thus:

The Muslims are bound by their stipulations. (Abu Daud, No: 3120)

Another tradition condemns promise-breaking as the hallmark or trait of a hypocrite:

If he makes a promise, he breaks it, and if he makes a compact, he acts
treacherously. (Bukhari, No: 32)

In order to safeguard the interest of both the buyer and the seller it is desirable,
according to the Islamic teachings, to clearly define all the necessary details
concerning the business deal. Each business contract should clearly specify the
quality, the quantity and the price of the commodity in question. Thus, in a business
contract the offer and acceptance should be made between the parties concerned on a
commodity which is with the buyer and, which he is able to deliver. Any commodity
which is non-existent or not deliverable is not allowed to be transacted. A contract
must be explicit with regard to the rights and obligations of the parties concerned so
that it does not lead to disputes and disagreements between them.

Fair Treatment of Workers
Islam puts certain conditions and restrictions to obviate the chances of bitterness
between the employer and employees. Islam encourages and promotes the spirit of
love and brotherhood between them. According to the Islamic teachings it is the
religious and moral responsibility of the employer to take care of the overall welfare
and betterment of his employees. Fair wages, good working conditions, suitable work
and excellent brotherly treatment should be provided to the workers. The last Prophet
of Allah (sws) has explained this principle in the following words:

Those are your brothers |workers under you| who are around you, Allah has placed
them under you. So, iI anyone oI you has someone under him, he should Ieed him
out o I what he himselI eats, clothe him like what he himselI puts on, and let him
not put so much burden on him that he is not able to bear, |and iI that be the case|,
then lend your help to him ) . Bukhari , No: 2359 (

The Prophet (sws) also said :

I will be Ioe to three persons on the Last Day: one oI them being the one who,
when he employs a person that has accomplished his duty, does not give him his
due . ) Bukhari , No: 2109 (

The Prophet (sws) is also reported to have said :

The wages of the labourers must be paid to him before the sweat dries upon his
body. (Ibn Majah, No: 2434)

Prohibited Matters in Business Transactions

So far we have focused on one aspect of the business ethics guidelines prescribed
by Islam for conducting business transactions. Another aspect of business ethics is the
various forms of unethical business practices a Muslim businessman must avoid in his
business dealings. Some of these prohibited and undesirable business practices are as
follows:

Dealing in Prohibited (Haram) Items
Dealing in unlawful items such as carrion (dead meat), pigs and idols is strongly
prohibited in Islam. Dead meat would mean the flesh of any bird or animal dead from
natural causes, without being properly slaughtered in an Islamic way. A Muslim,
therefore, will not eat the flesh of such an animal or bird. Flesh of an electrocuted
animal, or of an animal killed by the blow of a blunt weapon, and of the strangled one
is also proscribed in Islam. Also proscribed is the flesh of the animal that has been
killed or slaughtered in ways other than Islamic. It is, therefore, not permissible for a
Muslim to trade in dead meat. Likewise, trading in pork or intoxicants and sale of
idols and statues is not permitted in Islam. A verse of the Holy Quran says:

Forbidden to you [for food] are: dead meat, the blood, the flesh of swine and that
on which name of other than Allah has been mentioned. (5:1)

The Holy Quran also says:

O you who believe! intoxicants and gambling [dedication of] stones and [divination
by] arrows are an abomination of Satans handiwork: so avoid it in order that you
may prosper. (5:90)

The Prophet (sws) is also reported to have said;

Allah and His Messenger made illegal the trade of alcoholic liquors, dead animals,
pigs and idols. (Bukhari, No: 2082)

The Prophet (sws) also said;

If Allah makes something unlawful, he makes its price also unlawful. (Ahmad, No:
2546)

Sale of Al-Gharar (Uncertainty, Risks, Speculation)
In Islamic terminology, this refers to the sale of a commodity or good which is not
present at hand; or the sale of an article or good, the consequences or outcome of
which is not yet known; or a sale involving risks or hazards where one does not know
whether at all the commodity will later come into existence. Such a sale is strictly
prohibited in Islam because the quality, whether good or bad, is not known to the
buyer at the time of the deal and there is every possibility that the contract may give
rise to disputes and disagreements between the concerned parties. The Prophet (sws),
therefore, prohibited the sale of what is still in the loins of the male; or sale of
whatever is in the womb of a shecamel; or sale of birds in the air; or the sale of fish
in the water, and any transaction which involvesGharar. (i.e. anything that involves
deception). He also forbade the sale of fruits before they look healthy and also the sale
of crops until the grain hardens. Nevertheless, such advance sales would be acceptable
if the element of Gharar does not exist and the quality and the quantity of the goods
are pretty well known and predictable.

Arbitrarily Fixing the Prices
Islam grants absolute freedom to traders provided they adhere to the code of
lawfulness. It does not, therefore, encourage the practice of pricefixing and leaves the
traders to earn the profits from each other within the lawful limits. As a matter of
principle public authorities are not allowed to fix the prices of commodities by force.
This is because rise and fall in the prices are linked to various factors other than the
greediness of the traders and fixing the prices may endanger both public and private
interests.
It is reported that once the prices shot up during the period of the Prophet (sws). The
people said:

O Messenger of Allah! Prices have shot up, so fix them for us. Thereupon the
Messenger of Allah said: Allah is the One Who fixes prices, withholds, gives
lavishly, and provides, and I hope that when I meet Allah, none of you will have
any claim on me for an injustice regarding blood or property. (Tirmidhi, No: 1235)

However, the role of public authorities comes into play if it becomes absolutely
essential to do so, especially in order to prevent exploitation and other unjust practices
in the market. Thus, if a trader adopts unfair means, charges unjust prices and indulges
in undercutting with a view to doing harm to the smaller traders, public authorities
have the right to intervene in the market. They can and should take steps to fix or
control the prices so as to eliminate injustice from the market and allow the trader to
earn reasonable profit and the buyer to pay a just and equitable price.

Hoarding of Foodstuff
The Arabic word for hoarding is Ihtikar. It means storing foodstuffs or withholding
them in expectation of rise in their prices. Sometimes, a handful of traders operating
in the market buy the entire quantity of an item, rice for example, and store it up with
the object of selling it later at the time of scarcity to draw maximum profit out of it
and to dictate the prices. The consumers are left with no choice but to purchase the
article concerned from the one who hoards, as he is the only one in the market who
holds it. Sometimes, a trader hobnobs with the suppliers who will only sell their
merchandise to him. As a result, he holds the entire stock of the essential items that
other traders do not possess. He is, therefore, in a position to dictate his terms in the
market and sell them at an exorbitantly high price to the needy people. This is an
unjust practice and a clear case of exploitation and deservedly condemned by Islam.
The Prophet (sws) is reported to have condemned the hoarders when he said:

No one hoards but the traitors (i.e. the sinners). (Abu Daud, No. 2990)

He (sws) also said:

The importer [of an essential commodity] into the town will be fed [by Allah], and
the hoarder will have [Allahs] curse upon him. (Ibn Majah, No: 2144)

Exploitation of ones Ignorance of Market Conditions
One of the most common unethical practices in modern business is to exploit ones
ignorance of market conditions. Sometimes it may happen that a buyer arrives in a
town with objects of prime and general necessity for selling them in the market. A
local trader may persuade the new-comer to transfer all of the goods to him so that he
will sell them on his behalf in the market. He obtains the commodities on a price that
is lower than market price and then sells them at a high or exorbitant price. Islam
condemns this act of intermediary intervention which involves exploitation of ones
ignorance of market conditions. The practice was prevalent in pre-Islamic society.
The Prophet (sws) has prohibited this practice through a number of instructions. A
tradition reads:

A town dweller should not sell the goods of a desert dweller. (Bukhari, No: 2006)

Al-Najsh (Trickery)
The term Al-Najsh means an action in which a person offers a high price for
something, without intending to buy it, but just to cheat or defraud another person
who really means to buy it. The person practising it may collaborate with the seller to
offer high prices in front of the buyers merely as a means to cheat them. This type of
fraudulent transaction is totally prohibited in Islam. The Prophet(sws) is reported to
have said:

Do not harbour envy against one another; do not outbid one another [with a view to
raising the price]; do not bear aversion against one another; do not bear enmity
against one another; one of you should not enter into a transaction when the other
has already entered into it; and be fellow brothers and true servants of Allah.
(Muslim, No: 4650)

As is clear from the above, Islam also forbids the practice of sale over sale and
purchase over purchase. This means that it forbids someone to offer a higher price for
a commodity after the deal has been accomplished between the parties. Obviously he
is offering a higher price in order to spoil the agreement reached between the parties.
As a result of this offer the buyer may feel tempted to cancel his contract to sell it at a
higher price. It may give rise to disputes and disagreements between brothers. Hence
it is strictly prohibited in Islam.

Cheating and Fraud in Business Transactions
The traders and businessmen generally have a tendency to motivate the customers by
adopting fraudulent business practices. Islam strongly condemns all such practices in
business transactions (Al-Ghashsh). The Messenger of Allah has commanded the
believers not to indulge in cheating and fraudulent practices in business transactions.
Sale of dead animal, dubious and vague transactions, manipulating the prices, selling
the items belonging to a desert dweller by a townsman Al-Najsh (trickery), false
eulogy and concealment of defects are all examples of cheating and fraud i.e. Al-
Gashsh. The Prophet (sws) has strongly condemned all such practices in a number of
traditions and the believer to abstain from them.
The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said:

The seller and the buyer have the right to keep the goods or return them as long as
they have not parted. He also said that if both the parties have spoken the truth and
described the defects as well as the merits thereof (the goods), they would be
blessed in their deal. If they have told lies or concealed something, then blessings
of their transaction would be lost. (Bukhari, No: 1937)


Swearing
The traders often take recourse to swearing to emphasize that their items are of good
quality. They claim qualities in the merchandise, which dont exist. They try to
persuade the buyers to purchase their commodity by invoking Allahs name. Swearing
in business for such purposes is forbidden in Islam, be it false or true. False swearing is
an act of sin punishable by hellfire. Swearing by Almighty Allah is too great a thing to
be used as a means to sell a commodity. The desirable thing in business transaction is
that both the buyer and the seller remain straightforward and truthful in their dealings,
so that no one will feel the need to swear by Allah in order to create conviction in the
mind of the other party. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said:

Swearing [by the seller] may persuade the customer to purchase the goods but the
deal will be deprived of Allahs blessing. (Bukhari, No: 1945)

Giving Short Measures
Another form of deceit is to manipulate weights and measures. It refers to the act of
taking full measures from others and giving them short measures in your turn. Giving
short measures was a common malaise plaguing the pre-Islamic days. The community
of the Prophet Shuayb (sws) was known for practising it with impunity.
Consequently, they were destroyed for their persistence in deceit and disbelief in
Allah and His Messenger. Allah the Almighty has repeatedly commanded exactitude
in weights and measures. One of the verses says:

And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a just balance. That is
good and better in the end. (17:35)

Dealing in Stolen Goods
Almighty Allah has declared thievery unlawful and warned of severe punishment such
as cutting the hand of the thief from the wrist joint if the necessary legal conditions for
the award of punishment are met. Even if the thief escapes worldly punishment and gets
away with stolen goods, it is not permissible for a Muslim to knowingly purchase or
sell these items. The stolen items are neither to be bought nor sold by those who know
the reality. The Prophet (sws) made the person knowingly buying a stolen commodity a
partner to the crime. He said:

The one who knowingly purchases a stolen good, is a partner to the act of sin and
the shame. (Kanz Al-Ammal, No: 9258)

noCsulcnoC
In modern times business ethics has become a major topic of discussion among
business communities and other related organizations. Each and every society has
evolved ethical and moral codes of conduct for business transactions. However, the
Western secular ethical values are by and large supposed to be utilitarian, relative,
situational and devoid of any spiritual sanctioning power. The Islamic ethical codes, on
the contrary, are humane rather than utilitarian or relative. They are good for all times
and absolute. Ethical and moral codes in Islam are part of the overall Islamic faith and
observing them will not only lead to a happy state of affairs in this world but also holds
the promise of manifold returns in the Hereafter. Islamic ethical and moral codes thus
create a sense of responsibility and accountability in the minds of the believers, be they
buyers or sellers.
Our eIIort in this paper has been to present the Islamic perspective concerning
business ethics. As we saw, the ethical code oI Islam is multidimensional, Iar reaching
and comprehensive. Islamic ethical Iramework is repeatedly stressed throughout the
Holy Qur`an , and the teachings oI the Prophet and encompass all spheres oI liIe
including business Iinancial dealings and obligations. The Iundamental codes oI moral
behaviour such as truthIulness, trustworthiness, generosity and leniency, adherence to
business commitments and contracts, Iair treatment oI workers, avoidance oI evil
practices (such as Ir aud, cheating, deceit, hoarding oI IoodstuII, exploitations, giving
short measures etc.) provide, to a large extent, the general background oI Islamic
business ethics. The writer believes that there is a pressing need to study and
implement Islamic moral v alues in the context oI the present day business situations .

What Is Management By Islam?
Management by Islam (MBI) is an Islam-centric management approach for God-conscious
professionals. MBI offers a balanced approach in implementing, managing and sustaining
personal and organizational roles and responsibilities. It is a governance model that
provides a positive spiritual dimension to existing management principles for restoring the
balance in everyday management decision making processes; enjoining that which is good
and forbidding that which is wrong.
In today's business world there is an increasing emphasis towards return on capital (ROC).
Financial profitability and risks associated with material wellbeing has taken on a central
role in our business decision making processes. Social justice, public trust and civic
responsibilities are frequently traded for economic gains. Corporate scorecards are
myopically evaluated by stakeholders, only to focus in on year end profits. Performance,
quality and customer satisfaction are viewed only in terms of their impact to financial
bottom lines. Year end profit and loss (P&L) statements have become the only guiding tool
for economic health and performance measures. Transparency and accountability although
is offered by myriad operational frameworks and management philosophies, yet the focus
tends to always be the promise of a greater return on investment (ROI).
For a God-conscious individual, what greater ROI can there be than conducting righteous
deeds and forbidding the wrong. As evident by a saying of Prophet Muhammed, "The
essence of the Religion of Islam is giving good counsel". Counseling in this context, relates
to us being good role models for others to follow. Role modeling is not just verbal lip
service; it is synchronizing our intensions with our actions. Whether it's an organization or
an individual, when it comes to governance and management of affairs, how can faith-
conscious professionals be the right role models for other's to emulate?