Ledgers without Barakah

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Assalamu Alaikum Dear Reader

tl;dr - This one is stories about dishonest Muslims. We need to stop making excuses and start reclaiming the Prophetic standard of honesty.

My father told me a story about someone they did business with during his time volunteering for a non-profit organisation. This brother was trusted with some funds but without any oversight. He was later caught writing expenses to a company under his relative's name, then pocketing the money. "He has a beard and [looks the part], but he cheated Muslims out of their money." Unfortunately, this wasn't his first rodeo nor was it his last. He cautioned me about starting Musawwif out of concern that I'd run into numerous Muslims running similar cheating scams and either fail miserably, or be extraordinarily disappointed about the lack of financial integrity that runs rampant in our community.

A family friend advised me the same. He told me of someone he knows at the masjid who prays regularly in the first row. He delivered for this brother a service to the full extent required, but the brother never paid the invoice because "he just didn't like the service." He cautioned, like my father, that Muslims can be devoid of any moral integrity when it comes to finances. Another uncle I know from the masjid buys and sells some used merchandise and expressed that there's some Muslims who undercut and lie about their product so much so that he now trusts the 'white man' more than a Muslim. A comment I will never forget,

"Brother Brother" is a sure sign you're about to get [cheated]

Sure, let's give 70 excuses. This is a behaviour present in an older generation; many of whom escaped war-torn or impoverished countries and brought with them the mentality of 'stealing is fine if you're starving' - not that it's justified to do so; but we should move past this mindset. Fortunately, we don't live in a place of civil unrest so we don't have to resort to theft. In fact, the scarcity mindset itself - even if we live in material poverty - is not a praiseworthy trait. An axiom one of my teachers repeats should make this clear:

الشك في الرزق شك في الرازق

Doubt in the provisions is doubt in the Provider

Before revelation came down, The Best of Creation ﷺ was known as Al-Sadiq, the voraciously truthful, and Al-Amin, the trustworthy. No doubt some of us resemble these noble qualities. In fact, it's likely that overwhelming majority of Muslims are sincere, honest, and hard-working, and resemble the Prophetic character rather than those who don't. It's an understated relief engaging in business with trustworthy people because they often care more for our material success. These are the types of relationships that bear fruit year after year, transaction after transaction. This repeated increase is where you'll find Barakah - blessings in business.

There are far reaching consequences from dishonest business dealings. The rizq becomes impure, and what comes out from us becomes impure. Impure thoughts will invade our minds, impure actions will come as a result. We might become oppressors in our own homes affecting the safety and stability of our spouses, our children. This extends to the micro-communities and our societies. We don't need to be scholars of Islam to be honest in our business dealings. The dividends from being honest only multiply indefinitely.

Be honest. Be trustworthy. Be like Muhammad ﷺ.

With Peace,

Junaid Siddiqui

P.S. We’re building a community of people committed to these standards. If you know a business owner, accountant, or professional who is tired of the "Brother Brother" dynamic and wants to build an ecosystem of sidq and amaan, feel free to forward this letter.