Honest Dealings

Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala rasulillah, who Allah Allah, he was happy as mine as salaam alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu Welcome to another session of character from the Quran. This is a series that we've been doing here at Columbia, all throughout the month of Ramadan, where all of our instructors, all of our scholars have been participating in this series, where we every single day share a characteristic a, an element of good conduct noble character, dignified behavior that is mentioned within the Quran and taught to us within the Quran. From the point of view that

the Quran Of course, this is the month of operon in the Koran is guidance for all of mankind in humanity. And so obviously, we try to benefit from the Koran as much as we can during the month of Ramadan. But Furthermore, when you add in the element that something that you know, is very powerful, that when the companions of the prophets a lot examine the mothers of the believers, whenever they were asked about the character of the prophets, a lot of the Sunday was he kind of people who are on that his character was on he was like a walking, talking, or he was living and breathing the Quran.

So from that point of view, we thought that it would be very practical and beneficial for us to focus on character from the Quran. So, Allah, we've been having these sessions all throughout the month of Ramadan. And if you're just coming to learn about them now, you can go to the YouTube channel, you can go to the Facebook page, and you can also go to the Calum Podcast, where you will find all the previous sessions insha Allah, Allah, hi, Donna. So every single day, we talk about one particular characteristic that we can develop and we can cultivate within ourselves. The characteristic that we're going to be talking about today is called in the Arabic language hussmann,

what Amala which can be translated a number of ways, but the way that we're going to approach it today is honest dealings, honest dealings, meaning, business dealings, transactional dealings, professional dealings, that making sure that we engage in those dealings and interactions in a very honest way, with honesty with decency with integrity. And so that In short, lies going to be our focus here today. And particularly, I wanted to share a couple of verses to set the premise and then inshallah take the conversation from there. So Allah subhanho wa Taala. In the Quran, he talks to us time and time again, about this very important element and aspect of our Deen in our religion, which

is proper business dealings, in which Allah subhanaw taala tells us that,

for the verses that we're going to be taking a quick look at are from Sudoku Sha Souter number 26, is 181 through 183. So that is pseudo number 26, which is called pseudo to swaddle. And we're going to be looking at is number 181, through 183. All right, and inshallah we're gonna have a more extensive conversation, after we take a look at these verses. But nonetheless, that is something to

kind of think about and focus on for now in sha Allah, until we move forward with the discussion in the conversation. So in Surah, number 26, is 181 through 183, Allah subhanaw taala while telling this story about the Prophet sure I, I need to set up. So the Prophet sure Eva has said on was sent to the people of Medina, he was the prophet of God to the people of Medina, and the people of Medina, and we're, you know, they had a number of different issues, that he was sent to them in order to help them correct. Key amongst them core amongst them, the primary amongst them was that they worshipped gods and things other than Allah subhanaw taala did not only and solely worship

Allah. So while he was calling them to Allah, Malika maynila innovator who, that you have no God other than a loss worship on the him. Another issue that they had amongst them was that they engaged in an ethical,

unethical and immoral, dishonest business practices, their financial dealings or business dealings were highly

unethical, and were highly dishonest or very, very dishonest. So he's telling them ofin Kayla, while our taco luminol, mock serum, that he tells them that when you deal with people give full measure, and do not sell people short, give full measure, like because in trade and transaction business, people would buy something. So it's sold with a particular measurement and you pay based off of the measure, you bought upon this or a kilo of this, and it's $5 a pound. So it's two pounds, you only $10. Right, so what what was very rampant in his community was that people would tip the scales so to speak, and they would try to cheat people out of money. So I only bought two pounds of tomatoes.

But the guy had maybe some magnets, some weights kind of, you know, stuck on the bottom of the scale or something like that, to the point where it would show three pounds. So even though it was only two pounds, it would show three pounds. And that way that he would get $15 out of me instead of $10 dishonest dishonesty. So give full measure and do not sell other short, don't do that. Was innovative, this tossin was stuffing way with correct scales? Don't lie, don't cheat, do it properly use correct scales. When after the husband has a shadow. And this is the part that's particularly insightful. All right. What after the husband Natasha home, do not deprive people of what is theirs,

do not cheat people out of their own things. When I TOEFL or demoscene, do not spread corruption on the earth,

do not spread corruption upon the earth. So these are some verses that serve as a basic premise. And from here in sha Allah, I'd like for us to kind of carry the conversation forward and go forward inshallah, into the discussion and into the conversation, this idea of proper business dealings, this is such an important fundamental idea within Islam, because the last part of what Allah tells us in the Quran, or the Hulu, official McAfee, that enter into Islam completely, Islam as a complete way of life, Islam is not a religion that just solely talks about,

you know, prayer and worship, and we're doing some fasting here, and we're reading some are on there. And we are, you know,

giving some extra charity over here. But how we do business, how we conduct ourselves professionally. Well, that has nothing to do with Islam. Islam is not that kind of a religion as long as a complete way of life. And there's some calls on this repeatedly, time and time again, that makes sure you enter into Islam completely. And you commit yourself to Islam properly, implementing Islam and all aspects of it. And this is something that Allah subhanaw taala in the Koran tells us about in Surah number 23, where Allah subhanho wa Taala tells us about the qualities of the believers, and the people who will succeed attain true success in this life and in the next life,

but we know a lot tells us certain qualities that they have. And Allah subhanaw taala tells us they pray properly alladhina Humphrey Sala to crush your own well, loving Omani, lovely Marjorie Do they have good character, they don't engage in useless things. When levena hula cerca de Lune they give charity will levina only Fujian halfway doing but then social issues where Allah subhanaw taala says they do not engage in in morality. They do not engage in in morality. And then Allah goes on to say when levena whom the AMA not to him, why do him wrong? They are those people who are very trustworthy, and they are honest to their word. When you trust them with something you can count on

them, when they give you their word, you can bank on it.

That that is a quality of those people.

And this is something that Allah subhanaw taala the lengthiest verse in the entire Koran is about how to write a contract.

How to borrow money from one another. That is a lengthiest verse in the entire Quran about borrowing money from one another.

And so think about that where Allah subhanaw taala provide so much detail on how to do business. Because it is such a core element of our Deen in our religion.

That we have to learn to be honest and have integrity and be ethical in our business dealings. The Companion of the prophets a lot he said, I'm who

served as like a personal assistant to the prophet to lobby some for 10 years for an entire decade. And assume no Malika the Allahu taala on who he actually says that Maha cabina bu sallallahu alayhi wa sent him up to Allah and the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, never ever publicly addressed the community, except that he said,

let him under the Mullah monitor who was a demon even though there is no faith.

That person has not realized true faith, who cannot be trusted. When I demonym Allah, Allah who and that person does not properly practice Islam, whose word cannot be counted on.

That is how profoundly important and how significant our dealings are. The profit or loss of and this is something as I was saying, Allah subhanaw taala talks about throughout the Quran he calls on his Ofu biller or would fulfill your business contracts. When you make a promise to someone you go into a contract with someone make sure that you keep that promise that you fulfill that contract. Do not cheat people do not lie to people of the law theme will wasn't a bill Christie when I took tsunamis on

that make sure you always weigh things properly. never lie and cheat to people way too little toffee phenol levena either Tallulah Elena si esto foon we that kalu whom I was you know whom your your serum that Allah subhana wa tell us is doomed are the liars and the cheaters. Who are those people? They are the people that when they are buying something from people they want to make sure that everything was weighed properly and they got every little bit that they deserve but when they are selling to people the lie and they'll cheat to people

you know when I'm buying something I'll kick the tires on it all look under eight all check it all are I need a test drive it, I need to make sure it's okay. But then what I'm selling it to people, I'm trying to cheat them

that the Quran says that terrible are these kinds of people, the prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he tells us in a Hadith, that what

the thing that does this to you is this insatiable greed. And this idea of just trying to get more and more and more, and somehow you can get ahead by acting this way. And the profits allow me some said for sure. Ha, ha like a man cannot overcome this kind of greed. This greed destroyed the people that came before you. Hama Humala and sepher coup de la was the Hulu Mahatma home and it got so out of hand that they started murdering people killing people. They were willing to do anything and everything in order to just be able to get away and be able to gain a little bit more from someone else. The Prophet of Allah salatu salam says, Mata Lula nega Zuma

that if you can, if you borrowed money from someone,

and you need to now pay them back, you owe them money, and you can afford to pay them back. That for you to delay that unnecessarily,

irresponsibly, for you to just delay that is oppression. It is the third it is wrong for you to do that it is inexcusable.

And the Prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam through his own example he showed us what our dealings need to be like.

What our dealings need to be like how much honesty and integrity and even generosity we need to have in our dealings, but never ever even get near, or approach the line of dishonesty.

We stay far away from that. There's a particular incident narrated from the life of the prophets a lot easier than that. And the Romulan attended via sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. So it's narrated by Abu Haneda radi Allahu taala, on who in a hadith of Makati and Sahih Muslim authentic narration

that a man came to the prophets all the sudden yet ah Babu

and he basically

the Prophet sallallahu Sallam had borrowed some money from him. And the By the way, the prophets a lot of him never borrowed money for himself. He would only borrow money that if there was some financial there were there was a need in the community. Somebody required financial assistance in the community. And they were desperate they needed help. And the profits a lot of them did not have any money to help them with, then he would borrow money to help somebody else. So just a little side note, nonetheless, the profits a lot of these whom I borrowed money from someone and the man came to collect his debt. The man came to collect his debt, get the album

from

But unfortunately, he was being kind of nasty about it. And he was being he was being really aggressive unnecessarily aggressive with the profits a lot in the process a lot of his home was not late he never said I'm not going to pay you the man just kind of showed up a day early and then just pain kind of like you know kicking the door down

demanding his money

so the man was definitely way out of line and now he was acting for him maybe azabu some of the Sahaba they said alright let us take care of this situation kinda you know roll up their sleeves and said let us deal with this guy.

For fella salicylate ease him down the profits. A lot of them said leave him be. It's okay. Calm down. It's all right. Leave him

for in Elisa hibel happy Maha Allah Subhana Allah. The Prophet sallallahu Sallam said, when you owe someone something, he has a right to speak his mind. I owe him it is what it is. It's the truth I owe him

something makalah or, or to our to who? sin and mytho Sydney, the prophets a lot. He Some said now pay him back. Basically what the profits or losses are borrowed and loan from him was some food items like a like a measure of food like a sack of food. All right. So he said that, please give him a sack of food supplies, like I borrowed from him. Fallujah, rasulillah, Illa, amphetamines, and he they said there's only one problem messenger of God, we we only have better stuff than what he gave you. So he gave the profits a lot of the some like a basket of dates, but they were like, very average quality dates. And when the prophets a lot of them said, see what kind of dates I haven't

paid him back, please make a basket and pay him back. They said you only have high quality dates. And he gave you very average quality dates. So what do we do here? The prophets a lovely sunset, to who for in them in Haiti gum, Santa Baba, the prophets, a lot of them said, Please give it to him. Because the best amongst you. The best amongst you

are the people who are the best in paying people back who have the best financial dealings. It's a terrible contradiction that exists in our community, where there's an actual like character in our community. It's a persona in our community where you'll have someone who is quote, unquote, very knowledgeable and very religious and prays a lot and very active in the community, but is notorious for not being trustworthy in financial dealings. That's a tragedy. That's terrible. There's a terrible contradiction of the dean and the religion. Islam doesn't have room for something like that. And the big tragedy that comes out of that is, a lot of times people get turned away from the

dean, because of people like that. Now, they shouldn't do that. You shouldn't walk away from Dean and deprive yourself because of somebody else's, you know, misbehavior. But at the same time, while we advise them not to turn away from Dean, we also have to identify how problematic that is, make sure that you are never someone like that.

None of us are perfect.

But as believers and as Muslims,

we need to stay far away from an ethical we our dealings need to be clean, they need to be honest, they need to be ethical, they need to be dignified.

We need to be very particular about our financial dealings, and never ever be a walking talking contradiction, but rather May Allah subhanaw taala grant us the ability to follow in the footsteps of the prophets a lot and be a walking talking Quran. Not a walking, talking contradiction of our faith in what we say we believe, I mean, yeah, blind I mean,

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