This excerpt is taken from Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi's book Halal and Haram in Islam, translated into Urdu by Muhammad Tahir Naqqash.
Earning through Trade:
Islam has strongly encouraged trading through the Quranic texts and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and has also encouraged traveling for this purpose, describing it as seeking the bounty of Allah Almighty. Moreover, those who travel for trade are mentioned alongside the Mujahideen fi Sabilillah (those who strive in the way of Allah):
وآخرون يضربون فى الأرض يبتغون من فضل الله ۙ وآخرون يقاتلون فى سبيل الله
“Some people travel in search of Allah’s bounty, and some fight in the way of Allah.”
Reference: Al-Muzzammil: 20
In the Quran, Allah Almighty has mentioned His favor in opening the paths of internal and external trade for people through maritime communications, which is the greatest means of transportation for international trade. Thus, Allah Almighty mentioned the favor of conquering the sea and navigation by saying:
وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ مَوَاخِرَ فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“And you see the ships plowing through the sea, so that you may seek of His bounty and that you may be grateful.”
Reference: Fatir: 12
And in some places, He also mentioned the blowing of winds along with it:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ يُرْسِلَ الرِّيَاحَ مُبَشِّرَاتٍ وَلِيُذِيقَكُمْ مِنْ رَّحْمَتِهِ وَلِتَجْرِيَ الْفُلْكُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“And among His signs is that He sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy, and that the ships may sail at His command, and that you may seek of His bounty (trade) and that you may be grateful.”
Reference: Ar-Rum: 46
Allah Almighty bestowed favors upon the people of Makkah and provided them with such means that their city became a distinguished commercial center in the Arabian Peninsula, and the prayer of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) that they be provided with fruits was fulfilled for them. Similarly, Allah Almighty favored the Quraysh by facilitating their winter and summer trade journeys.
Islam has granted Muslims the opportunity for international trade, which is provided every year during the Hajj season. While people used to feel reluctant to trade during Hajj, Allah Almighty clearly stated:
لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ
“There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord during Hajj.”
Reference: Al-Baqarah: 198
The Quran praises merchants who have a deep interest in the mosque and who remember Allah morning and evening:
رِجَالٌ لَّا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ
“Those who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], ‘Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.’”
Reference: An-Nur: 37
Therefore, believers, in the eyes of the Quran, are not those who remain confined to mosques, nor mendicants on cushions, nor monks in cloisters, but they are people engaged in work, and their characteristic is that worldly affairs do not distract them from their religious duties. A few points regarding trade have been presented from the Quran. As for the Sunnah, it also sheds light on these matters. The Prophet of Islam encouraged trade through his sayings and actions and established its foundations. How wise are the instructions of the Prophet ﷺ:
التاجر الأمين الصدوق مع الشهداء يوم القيامة
“A truthful and trustworthy merchant will be with the prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs on the Day of Resurrection.”
Reference: Ibn Majah, Book of Trades, Chapter on Encouragement to Earnings, Hadith: 2139 - Mustadrak Hakim (2/6) (Chain of narration weak)
التاجر الصدوق الأمين مع النبيين والصديقين والشهداء
“A truthful and trustworthy merchant will be with the prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs.”
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Sales, Chapter on What Has Been Related About Merchants, Hadith: 1209 - Mustadrak Hakim (2/6) (Chain of narration weak)
It is no surprise that the Prophet ﷺ equated the truthful merchant with a Mujahid and a martyr because worldly life experiences confirm that jihad is not only in the battlefield but also in the economic field.
The Prophet ﷺ promised merchants that they would attain a high status with Allah and be rewarded abundantly because trade creates greed and the desire to earn profit by any lawful or unlawful means. Wealth begets more wealth, and profit encourages further profit. In such a situation, a merchant who remains within the bounds of truthfulness and honesty is indeed a Mujahid who has won the battle against desires, and therefore deserves to be placed at the rank of a Mujahid.
Trade is such a matter that the merchant continuously calculates capital and profit and remains caught in this cycle. Even during the time of the Prophet, we see a trade caravan arriving while the Prophet ﷺ was delivering a sermon. People hear the caravan and leave the sermon to go towards it. Allah Almighty revealed this verse in reprimand:
وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا انْفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَائِمًا ۚ قُلْ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ اللَّهْوِ وَمِنَ التِّجَارَةِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ
“And when they see a transaction or a diversion, [O Muhammad], they rush to it and leave you standing. Say, ‘What is with Allah is better than diversion and than a transaction, and Allah is the best of providers.’”
Reference: Al-Jumu’ah: 11
Therefore, whoever, despite being caught in this cycle, keeps his faith strong, his heart filled with reverence, and his tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah, is certainly worthy of the companionship of those upon whom Allah has bestowed favor, namely the prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs.
Regarding trade, the example of the Prophet ﷺ is sufficient guidance. He gave full importance to the spiritual aspect, such as establishing the mosque in Medina on the basis of piety (so that it would be the center of worship, knowledge, invitation, and governance), and also fully considered the economic aspect. He established a purely Islamic market, ending the dominance of the Jews. The Prophet ﷺ himself organized its system, supervised it, and continued to issue related teachings and instructions. The characteristic of this market was that it was completely free from deceit, short measurement, hoarding, and harm to others. Along with all these, we also see that among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ were expert merchants, craftsmen, farmers, and people engaged in every profession and trade.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was among the people. Verses were revealed to him from Allah. He spoke heavenly words to the people, and the trustworthy spirit brought revelation morning and evening. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not tolerate being separated from the Prophet ﷺ even for a minute. Despite all this, we see that all the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) remained engaged in their work. Some were on trade journeys, some busy in their palm groves, and some so occupied with their professions and crafts that they could not attend the teachings of the Messenger of Mercy ﷺ, so they would learn from their brothers!
The Ansar (may Allah be pleased with them) were mostly engaged in agriculture and owned palm groves, while the Muhajirun (may Allah be pleased with them) mostly conducted business in the markets.
The example of Sayyiduna Abdur-Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him), a Muhajir, is before us. His religious brother Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Rabi’ Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) offered him half of his wealth, one of his two houses, and one of his two wives by divorcing her and marrying her to him, but he responded to this great sacrifice with great dignity. He said to Sayyiduna Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him), “May Allah bless your wealth and family; I do not need it. If there is a market for trade, please tell me.” Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Yes, there is the market of Bani Qaynuqa.” The next morning, he would take cheese and ghee to the market and sell them. He continued this business until he became quite wealthy. At his death, he left a large fortune.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Sales, Chapter on Going Out for Trade, Hadith: 2048, 2049
The example of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) is that he remained engaged in trade and busy in business, and even on the day he was appointed Caliph, he intended to go to the market.
Reference: Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d (3/184, 185)
The example of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is that he said about himself: “The market transactions kept me busy from the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.”
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Sales, Chapter on Going Out for Trade, Hadith: 2062 - Muslim, Book of Manners, Chapter on Seeking Permission, Hadith: 2153
Besides these, there are numerous examples of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) such as Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and others.
The Church's Position on Trade:
The Islamic society continued its worldly commercial journey under the shade of religion. These people engaged in trade and buying and selling, but these activities did not distract them from the remembrance of Allah. Meanwhile, the major countries of the Middle Ages and the Christian European governments were hesitant between two views regarding commerce.
➊ On one hand, there was the theory of purification, which meant that by engaging actively in business and trade, the impurities of sins that develop within the self would be cleansed.
➋ On the other hand, the belief was that contrary to the teachings of their religious elders, when people engage in trade, industry, and craftsmanship, they become accursed, because these sins are not merely evils but eternal sins and everlasting curses that exist on earth, in the heavens, in worldly life, and in the hereafter.
Saint Augustine says that business is truly a sin because it diverts the self’s attention away from the truth, that is, from Allah.
Forbidden Trade:
But trade is not forbidden in Islam except when it involves evils such as oppression, deceit, profiteering, and the promotion of prohibited items.
Therefore, trading in wine, drugs, pork, idols, statues, etc., from which benefit is forbidden in Islam, is also forbidden, and any earnings obtained through such items are unlawful and impure. And the meat of animals raised on such forbidden things is deserving of fire.
There is no harm in trading gold and silk because these items are permissible for women, except if the business involves items made from them that are used only by men. In the case of lawful trade, a merchant should avoid the following so that on the Day of Judgment, he is not among the wicked:
◈ The Prophet ﷺ once went out for prayer and saw people busy in trade. He said: "O merchants!" Upon hearing this, they responded to the call of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and raised their heads to look at him. The Prophet ﷺ said:
إن التجار يبعثون يوم القيامة فجارا إلا من اتقى الله وبر وصدق
"Merchants will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as wicked, except those who fear Allah, act righteously, and speak the truth."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Sales: Chapter on What Has Been Related About Merchants, Hadith: 1210; Ibn Majah, Book of Trades: Chapter on Caution in Trade, Hadith: 2146 - Its chain is weak
◈ Sayyiduna Wathilah bin Asqa’ (RA) says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to come to us and say:
يا معشر التجار إياكم والكذب
"O merchants! Avoid lying."
Reference: Tabarani in Al-Kabir (22/56) as in Al-Majma’ (4/73) (Its chain is weak)
Therefore, a merchant should avoid lying because lying is the affliction of trade and leads to immorality, and immorality leads to Hell.
◈ A merchant should refrain from frequent swearing, especially false oaths. The Prophet ﷺ said:
ثلاثة لا ينظر الله إليهم يوم القيامة ولا يزكيهم ولهم عذاب أليم أحدهم المنفق سلعته بالحلف الكاذب
"There are three persons whom Allah will neither look at (with mercy) on the Day of Resurrection nor purify, and they will deserve painful punishment. One of them is a person who sells his goods by taking false oaths."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Faith, Chapter on the Explanation of the Prohibition of Pulling Down Garments, Hadith: 106
And Abu Sa’id (RA) said:
مر أعرابي بشاة فقلت تبيعها بثلاثة دراهم؟ فقال لا والله ثم باعها فذكرت ذلك لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال باع آخرته بدنياه
"A Bedouin was passing by with a goat. I asked him: 'Will you sell this goat for three dirhams?' He said: 'By Allah, no.' Then he sold it for three dirhams. When I narrated this incident to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he said: 'He sold his Hereafter for the worldly life.'"
Reference: Sahih Ibn Hibban, Mawarid (1099): (Al-Ihsan 7/205)
◈ And a merchant should avoid deceit because deceit expels one from the Muslim community.
◈ One should also avoid shortchanging in weights and measures because such people face destruction and ruin.
◈ Hoarding should be avoided so that Allah and His Messenger do not abandon the responsibility of that person.
◈ It is necessary to avoid usury because Allah destroys usury. The hadith states:
درهم ربا يأكله الرجل وهو يعلم أشد من ستة وثلاثين زنية
"Consuming one dirham of usury knowingly is more severe than committing adultery thirty-six (36) times."
Reference: Musnad Ahmad (5/225)
The details of these matters will be discussed later under their respective topics.
