Iḥsān in Trade
One of modern man's most fundamental problems—the "fragmented self"—appears when religious life and commercial life are separated from each other.
One of modern man's most fundamental problems—the "fragmented self"—appears when religious life and commercial life are separated from each other. According to the source text, a Muslim's being devout in his personal life while displaying a secular or capitalist attitude in commercial life contradicts Islam's principle of wholeness. In Islam the domain of worship is not limited to the temple (mosque); it is the whole earth. In this context iḥsān is the art of going beyond justice and adding beauty, virtue, and spiritual profit to trade. Justice is the "principal capital" that protects a person from punishment; iḥsān has the ruling of "profit" that brings a person to Paradise and to God's mercy.
Key concepts
- Concept
- Definition and Commercial Counterpart
- *Ikhlāṣ*
- Doing a work purely for God's sake, in its pure state.
- *Iḥsān*
- One step beyond *ikhlāṣ*; adding beauty to the work, doing an extra good that is not obligatory.
- Justice (*ʿAdāla*)
- Principal capital. It protects a person from guilt and from the Fire, and keeps the wheel turning.
Study questions
What is the fundamental difference of *iḥsān* from *ikhlāṣ*?
Ikhlāṣ is the pure state of the work; iḥsān represents the "beauty" and the "extra" that do not necessarily fall upon one and are not obligatory.
According to the text, where does piety truly appear?
Not in the mosque or temple, but in the marketplace, the bazaar, and commercial relations.
What does the saying "Justice is principal capital; iḥsān is its profit" mean?
Justice only protects a person from sin and keeps him alive; iḥsān raises the spiritual rank and brings one to God's special mercy.
What does "staying in the flow" in ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAwf's philosophy of trade express?
It expresses not looking down on small profit, turning goods over quickly, and ensuring commercial circulation without falling into greed.
What three conditions did ʿUmar (may God be pleased with him) ask in order to confirm a witness's truthfulness?
Whether he had been a neighbor, whether they had traveled together, and whether they had been in a commercial relation (buying and selling).
What is *iqāla*?
Taking the goods back or dissolving the contract upon the customer's request after the sale. ---