Etiquettes of Doing Business

“I heard Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), saying from the pulpit, ‘O people who do business, you must learn fiqh (laws), then go in business, you must learn fiqh (laws) then go in business, you must learn fiqh (laws) then go in business. I swear by Allah, Riba ’ creeps in this nation more quietly than an ant’s moving on a hard and smooth rock. Blend your belief with truthfulness. A sinful business person is a criminal, and a criminal person is in the fire except those who take what is right and give what is right.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘One who buys and sells must not engage in five things; otherwise, one must not engage in business of buying and selling: One must stay away from Riba’, swearing, hiding defects in the merchandise, admiring the merchandise when selling and belittling it when buying.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), lived among you in al-Kufah. He would have one loaf of bread everyday for his lunch and walk in market-places of al- Kufah one by one with a durrah (whip) on his shoulder. It had two strips and it was called al- Sababiyah. He addressed the people of every market-place and said, ‘Those people who do business must maintain piety before Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.’ People on hearing his voice dropped down whatever they had in their hands, their hearts repented and their ears listened. He (the Imam) would say, ‘You must seek goodness (from Allah) and conclude a transaction with ease, stay close to buyers, dress up with forbearance, stay away from swearing, lying and injustice. Exercise fairness with the oppressed and do not become close to Riba’. Maintain proper measurement and balance. You must not reduce people’s things and you must not spread corruption in the land.’ He (the Imam) would walk in all of market-places of al-Kufah and then return to meet people.”

“He (the Imam) has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, did not give permission to Hakim ibn Hizam for business until the later promised to settle the price with a buyer who is regretful about the transaction, extend the time of payment for one who has difficulty to pay and receive the right complete or not as such.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Once Zaynab al-‘Attarah al-Hawla’ visited the wives of the Holy Prophet, and the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, also came home when she was with his wives. The Holy Prophet said, ‘When you visit our houses they become full of sweet smelling fragrance.’ She then responded saying, ‘Your houses with your own fragrance are the best, O the Messenger of Allah.’ The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, then said, ‘When you sell perfumes, you must make certain it is not adulterated; maintaining a greater degree of piety before Allah is more protection for wealth.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, once said to me, ‘If someone asks you to buy for him a certain merchandise, you must not buy it for him from your own shop even if the merchandise from your shop be better.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Generosity is of profits.’ The Messenger of Allah said it to a man who had asked for good advice and who had certain merchandise that he wanted to sell.’”

“Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), once said to a butcher about a slave-girl who had purchased meat from his shop and who was asking for more, ‘You must give her more; it has greater blessings.’”

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘If a man says to another man, ‘Come with me, I will offer you a good deal,’ it becomes unlawful for him to make any profit in that deal.’”

“I (the narrator) once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who had set a price on a certain item of his merchandise. Thereafter whoever purchased that merchandise without asking for any discount, he sold it to them for the same price; but those who asked for a discount he instead increased the price. He (the Imam) said, ‘There is no offense in such increases for two or three men, but if he does so with everyone who asks for a discount then I do not like his selling but for one and the same price.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘The owner of merchandise is more rightful to set up the price for his merchandise.’”

Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, prohibited bargaining between dawn and sunrise.”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘I dislike two kinds of transactions: To say, “Drop the merchandise and receive payment”, and buying something without seeing it.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Selling above a fair price to one who has left it (pricing) to the seller is Suht (unlawful and filthy).’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Selling above fair piece to a believing person is unlawful.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one accepts a Muslim’s request to return a merchandise Allah, most High, on the Day of Judgment (returns) reduces his sins.’”

“Once I was at the door of Shihab ibn ‘Abde Rabbihi when the slave of Shihab came out and said, ‘I want to ask Hashim al-Saydananiy about the Hadith on “price and merchandise.’” He (the narrator) has said, ‘I then visited Hashim and asked him about that Hadith.’ He (Hashim) said, “I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about this Hadith and he (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, whoever has a merchandise or goods with him, Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sends someone to profit him. He may accept such profit, otherwise, it is turned away from him to others; it is a rejection of the favor of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.”””

“Abu ’Amamah, a companion of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, “One who has four things his earning is fine: When buying does not belittle the merchandise, when selling does not admire the merchandise, does not adulterate and in between does not swear.’””

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Most of my clients are from our brothers (in belief). I request you to set for me a limit, how should I deal with them in a transaction so that I will not go beyond that limit.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If you consider your brother (in belief) as the person in charge it is fine, otherwise, deal with him in a transaction as one deals with a well aware hairsplitting person.”’

“I was told about abu Ja‘far (a.s.), that he disliked two kinds of transactions: ‘Drop the merchandise without turning its other side and receive payment’, and ‘buying merchandise without seeing’.”

“About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘There are men who do not become distracted from speaking of Allah because of trading and business.’ (24:37) He (the Imam) said, ‘They are the business people who do not become distracted from speaking of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, because of trade and business when it is time for Salat (prayer). They yield to the rights of Allah in such times.’”

“Abu ‘Abdullah (a.s.), has said, ‘A believer’s making profit on another believer is Riba’ except if he buys more than a hundred dirham worth of goods, in which case, he can make a profit equal to the expenses of his day, or if he buys it for business and reselling. You may in this case make a profit but you must deal with kindness.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘If one does business without knowledge, he plunges in Riba ’ again and again.’ Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), would also say, ‘One who does not understand buying and selling must not sit in the market place for doing business.’”