Sayyiduna Mi’laq Ansari

Sayyiduna Abū Mi’laq Ansārī رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُis also among the Blessed Companions that were traders. He was very God-fearing, pious and a devoted worshipper. He would go to very distant places for trade by taking his own goods and the goods of other people. On one occasion, he had departed on a journey with his goods of trade, when upon reaching a jungle suddenly an armed bandit wearing armour stopped him and said, ‘Surrender all your goods to me and prepare to be killed.’ Having heard this, he responded, ‘Your objective is the goods, take all of them and let me go.’ The bandit replied, ‘No, my intention is only to kill you.’ He responded, ‘Since you have already made an intention to kill me, give me some respite so that I may pray Salāh.’ Thus, the bandit gave him permission; he made Wudū, prayed Salāh and made Du’ā (supplicated). Amongst his supplications, one of them was this:

یَا وَدُوْدُ یَا ذَاالْعَرْشِ الْمَجِیْدِ، یَافَعَّالٌ لِّمَا یُرِیْدُ، اَسْئَلُکَ بِعِزِّتِکَ الَّذِیْ لَا تُرامُ وَ مُلكِكَالَّذِیْ لَایُضَامُ، وَ بِنُوْرِکَ الَّذِیْ مَلَأَ اَرْکَانَ عَرْشِکَ اَنْ تَکْفِیَنِیْ شَرَّ ھٰذَا اللِّصِّ، یَا مُغِیْثُ اَغِثْنِیْ، یَا مُغِیْثُ اَغِثْنِیْ، یَا مُغِیْثُ اَغِثْنِیْ

(Translation: ‘O Most Loving, O Owner of the Glorious Throne, O the One Who always does whatever He Wills. I ask by Your Honour that no one can surpass, and by Your Dominion that cannot be subdued, and by Your Light that has enlightened the pillars of Your Throne that You Protect me form the evil of this bandit. O the One who helps, help me; O the One who helps, help me; O the One who helps, help me.)

He had just finished his supplication when a rider appeared with a spear in his hand and advanced towards the bandit; the rider killed him with just one strike of his spear. Then he came to the Blessed Companion who said to him, ‘Allah helped me today through you in this moment of affliction. Who are you?’ The rider said, ‘I am an angel of the fourth heaven. When you supplicated for the first time, I heard the sound of the doors of the heavens, when you supplicated for the second time, I heard the screams of the dwellers of the heavens. When you supplicated for the third time, a voice was heard, ‘This is the supplication of a person in distress.’ Thus, I requested in the Majestic Court of Allah Almighty, ‘O Lord of the Worlds, grant me permission to kill this bandit.’ Thus, I have come to help you with the permission of Allah Almighty. (Al-Isābah fī Tamyīz Al-Sahābah, vol. 7, pp. 313, 314)

Kyūn kar na mayray kām banayn ghayb sae Hasan

Bandah bhi hoon tu kaysay baray kārsāz kā

Why wouldn’t my needs be fulfilled from the unseen o Hasan!

When I am a bondsman of such a Mighty Creator!

(Zauq-e-Na’t, pp. 18)

The benefit of a business is not limited to just a businessman, but it also extends to others through his employees etc. The one running a business becomes a cause many households having food to eat. Business can not only improve one's own economic conditions, but can also play a role in the economic development of the nation.

When a person is about to start a business, then the following kinds of thoughts come to his mind, ‘I don’t have any business experience’, ‘What will happen if I lose my investment? All my savings will be lost’, ‘If I have to start with a loan then in case of loss, my entire life will be spent in repaying the loan’, etc.

These thoughts are like the thoughts of a person who thinks that he will lose before he even enters a competition. These ideas and concerns can be addressed in light of the following six points:

   ۔1First and foremost, decide which sort of business you want to do? If you have no experience at all, then try to increase the skill required for this business within yourself to minimise the possibility of loss. This skill can be developed in the following ways:

a.   First consult someone who has the knowledge or experience of this field of work.

b.   Make sure you learn the job practically for a few days or a few months, as from this you will achieve two major benefits: (i) The advantage of doing business after learning about the work is that a person remains quite safe from being deceived. (ii) One of the benefits of doing business after learning about the work is that you become known and familiar in the market. People are usually reluctant to work with someone who is completely unknown to them. However, after going through this experience, it will be a completely different matter when you begin your business and some ease will come about from the very beginning.

   ۔2Divide the amount of wealth you have into three parts and then start a business with one part of it. According to one saying, never put all your eggs in one basket.

   ۔3If it seems difficult to do business alone, join a trusted friend or a dear relative in his business and go into partnership with him according to the Islamic way.

   ۔4It often happens that the work is started with great enthusiasm but one gives up at the slightest of setbacks. Bear in mind! There is no shortcut to success, you need the skill, patience and perseverance to succeed; these are the things that lead to success.

   ۔5Keep your products and services of a higher standard and better quality than others. If one does not keep good quality products and the business is only run on advertisement, then people will only be deceived once and will not return. On the other hand, if the product is of a high quality and the service is good, then your customers themselves will continue to advertise on your behalf.

   ۔6Keep a reasonable price for your products.

We supplicate that Allāh Almighty bestows us with the Tawfīq to do business in line with Islām with good intentions.  اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم