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Jasur LLC
Working with Muslims:
A brief introduction
Prepared by: Syed Mubeen Saifullah
Prepared For: St. Mary’s College – MBA Program
Professor David Gill
Fall 2009 (October 9, 2009)
Outline
•Terminology & Muslim Beliefs
•Muslim Populations
•Quick Facts about Muslims
•Business
•The Prophet Muhammed: a businessman
•Fair treatment of workers and employers
•Halal (lawful) vs. Haram (unlawful)
•Practical Tips and Practical Examples
•Resources
Muslim Greeting
AS-SALAAM ALAY-KUM
“Peace be upon you”
WA-ALAYKUM AS-SALAM
“And may peace be upon you, too”
Islam
 “Peace through submission to God”
 The word “Islam” comes from the Arabic root word “silm” (S-L-M),
meaning “peace & submission”
 Islam is a way of life: Peace is obtained through submission
 It is not a new religion, but the same truth that was revealed to all the
prophets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad
 The Qur’an also refers to Din : D-Y-N
1. Debt
2. Rain that returns time and time again
3. Discipline
4. All of creation is in submission (“all creatures in the heaven and the earth have willingly
or unwillingly bowed to His submission”)
5. Guidance from prophets
6. The teaching of the Prophet Muhammad
 The word “Islamic” is an adjective to describe non-human nouns
Muslim
 One who follows Islam
 “One who submits to God”
 Anyone can be a Muslim, regardless of race,
ethnicity, color or language
Muslim Belief
 Islam is a monotheistic religion
 Muslims believe that there is only one God
 Islam shares monotheism with the Judeo-Christian
tradition
 Belief in all of the Prophets (The Prophet Muhammed is
the final Messenger), Angels, Books (Psalms of David,
Torah, Gospel, Qur’an), Day of Judgment
Muhammed
570 C.E.
- Born in Makkah
- People of Arabia practiced polytheism
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610 C.E.
- Visited by Angel Gabriel on Mount Hira
- Revelation of Quran teaching monotheism
- Early Muslims persecuted by Makkans
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622 C.E.
- Migration of Muslims to Madinah (Hijra)
- Islamic Calendar begins
- Establishment of Islamic State (Madinah)
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632 C.E.
- Muhammed dies
- Islam begins to spread to surrounding areas
Five Pillars of Islam
•The Shahadah (Testimony of Faith)
– “To witness”
– Two testimonies
– First testimony is universal, second is particular
•The Salat (Five daily prayers)
–Connecting with God (dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening)
–Connecting with nature (water, or earth; moon and sun)
–Two ends of the day where people should remember God particularly
(dawn and sunset)
– Face Qibla
– All equal in sight of God
• Zakat (Alms tax)
– “To purify” ; purification of wealth; “increase”
– “… like the feces of wealth”; recipient = change in perspective. Given
has an honour with humility
–2.5% on standing wealth on one year
Five Pillars of Islam (cont)
•Siyam (Fasting during Ramadan)
–To inoculate taqwa: “protection”
–Reconnecting with a sacred tradition of Abraham, Moses, Jesus,
John the Baptist: the path and practice of prophets
–Three levels of fasting: Masses, the elect and elite
•Hajj (The Pilgrimage to Makkah)
– Reminder of the tradition of Abraham
– Ka’bah first House built for the worship of God
– Enter into a state of Ihram: complete impoverishment before
God. Humanity is equal before God
– Farewell Hajj speech: “no preference of a white man over a
black man or a black man over a white man”.
–“Who performs the hajj to God and commits no minor or major
sins returns like the day his mother bore him.”
What is “Shariah”?
• Lit. “wide path leading to water”
• Usually translated as “Islamic Law”
• Shariah as revelation and practise
Shariah
Qur’an
Fiqh
Sunna
• “Fiqh” = “understanding”,
jurisprudence; “comprehension”; the
huge collection of juridical opinions
(fatwa) by jurisprudents (fuqaha) in
regards to the application of Shariah.
Requires extensive knowledge of the
sources of law
• Represented by a set of principles and
methodologies for the production of
legal rulings.
There can be more than one
answer to the same question
• Encompasses a variety of schools and
approaches
Philosophy of Shariah
Maqasid al-Shariah
Necessities
Faith
Life
Needs
Property
Luxuries
Intellect
Lineage
• Every ruling in Shariah has to preserve the Necessities
• Necessities considered essential matters for human life itself
• Needs can be lived without, but places one under constraint
• Luxuries are ornamental aspects of life, without which, isn’t that enjoyable
Honour
Muslim Population
India/Pakistan/Bangladesh
Africa
Arab Countries
Southeast Asia
Iran
Turkey
Central Asia
China
Europe
North America
South America
Australia
Worldwide
600 Million
400 Million
280 Million
250 Million
65 Million
65 Million
50 Million
50 Million
20 Million
6 Million
2-3 Million
500k-750k
Over 1.6 Billion
Sunni vs. Shi’a
Sunni
-Hanafi (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, China, Russia, Syria)
-Maliki (Africa, UAE)
-Sha’afi (Egypt, Syria, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Singapore, Yemen)
-Hambali (Saudi Arabia)
Shi’a
-Jafari (Iran, Iraq, pockets of Lebanon)
-Zaydi (pockets in Yemen)
-Ibadi (Oman)
Islam vs. Culture
 Not everything a Muslim does (or a country’s practice) is
motivated by Islam (religion)
 Culture is another strong influence
 Culture may be different from or even contradict religion
 Not every Muslim is religious
Muslim Population
Not all Muslims are Arabs
Not all Arabs are Muslims
•10-15% of all Arabs are Christian or belong to another faith such as Judaism.
•Significant Christian populations are found in Jordan, Syria, Egypt, and Palestine, and Lebanon where
they make up over 30% of the population. Arab Christians in these countries have been practicing their
faith since the earliest days of Christianity.
•In the United States, most of the 3-4 million Arab-Americans are Christian (Ralph Nader, Danny and
Marlo Thomas, Casey Kasem, Donna Shalalah, and many others)
Muslims in the West
Muslim Population in North America
5-6 Million in North America
Quick Facts about Muslims in the North America
•Approximately 5-6 million in the United States (Pew states 2m)
•Largest community is South Asian & African American
•South Asian: Mostly upper-middle class
•In the immigrant community, the Muslims are one of the most educated
communities in America (over 67% of immigrants and their children
hold college degrees)
•Large community of physicians (over 15,000 Indian/Pakistani/Bengali
Muslim physicians in America)
Islam & Historical Relation to the United States
•Morocco was the first country to ever acknowledge America’s
independence
•George Washington & Thomas Jefferson had Muslim slaves
•Top of the Washington Monument has a gift from Ottoman
Empire
•Ford - Michigan auto industry (most Syrian and Yemeni)
•Congressman Keith Ellison was sworn in on Jefferson’s copy of
the Qur’an
Muslims in the World
Some Contributions Muslims made to the World
•Coffee
•University systems & graduation system
•Glass
•Hospitals
•Medicine, Surgical Procedures, Pharmacy and Mathematics
•Windmills and Dams
•Irrigation and Water/Waste management
•Three course meals
•Chess
•Clocks
•Astronomy (Astrolabe)
•Postal System
•Sea Exploration (Navigation)
•Fountains
•Public Spas/Baths
Drivers: Four Moral Virtues
• Courage, Temperance, Prudence and Justice: All virtues come through one of
these four:
1. Courage (root word “core”) from the heart
• Generosity is courage with one’s wealth
• Patience is a lack of anxiety when an affliction occurs
2. Temperance equated with balance: ability to adjust to different circumstances
• A moral homeostasis: as our body remains constant at 98.6 degrees the soul retains
a moderation in all things
3. Prudence: understanding; the virtues of the mind and intellect; wisdom
4. Justice: a desire for fairness.
• Mercy comes from justice as it an emotion that emerges from seeing suffering.
• From mercy, forbearance appears = despite being aggressed upon and while having
the ability to do so, you do not desire retribution.
• From forbearance emerges forgiveness
Relationship to the world
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God
Self
Human
Non-Human
Muslims should avoid being ostentatious in one’s lifestyle
Property ultimately belongs to God
Honesty and Truth in commercial dealings
Charity/Assistance of the Poor is an obligation
Avoidance of alcohol, drugs, gambling, fornication/adultery
Sanctity of life and lineage
Muslims are obliged to be “Green” – take care of the environment, beautify
the earth
Animal Rights
Relationship with fellow humans
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All equal: one family
with one ancestor
Inherent designed
diversity
Justice over tribe
Obligations towards
the poor
Sacredness of life and
property
Wanting good for
others
Relationship with other
religions
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Freedom of faith; no
compulsion in religion
Freedom of religious
practice
Special status for
Christian and Jews
(monotheist outlook)
Islam & Business
Islam & Business
The Prophet as a Businessman
• Spoke the truth at all times
• Truth about defective products
• Mutual Consent
• Even his enemies called him “al-Ameen” the trustworthy one
and entrusted him with their valuables
• Generosity and Leniency in Business Transactions
• Fulfillment of obligations
• When the scale was weighed, he always took the lesser
Lawful and Prohibited
•Halal earnings (lawful)
•Promotes social good
•Doesn’t require one to compromise his/her religion
•Generally anything that isn’t prohibited
•One must have knowledge of the market condition
•Haram (Prohibited)
•“Riba”: usury – oppression and exploitation
•Pork, Alcohol, Drugs (Intoxicants), Pornography
•Bribery, gambling
•Warmongering (buying and selling arms)
•Companies that are selling arms to both sides of a war to make money
•Something sold or acquired through deception (or through stealing)
•Price Fixing is prohibited (unless absolutely necessary in order to prevent
exploitation)
•Hoarding
•Collusion to drive prices up
•Harming the Environment (excess pollution)
Fair Treatment of workers and employers
•Obligation for the employer to take care and look after the over-all
welfare of the employee
•Fair wages
•Excellent working conditions
•Excellent treatment of colleagues
•Non-tolerance of abuse, violence, discrimination
•Employer is to pay a worker “prior to his sweat drying”
•Obey the laws of the land
•Obligation for the employee to benefit the employer
•Being paid for time and talent
•Moral obligation to deliver
•Stealing is prohibited
Practical Tips for Upper Management
•Muslims have 3 main religious holidays
•Eid ul-Fitr (marks the end of Ramadan – the month of fasting)
•Eid ul-Adha (marks the sacrifice of Abraham)
•Mawlid (celebration of the Prophet’s birth)
•Friday Prayer
•Halal Meat (equivalent of Kosher)
•If you are looking to expand business to the Middle East
•Work Week varies
•Study the culture
•General division of the genders
•Islamic Banking
•Hijab
•Cultural baggage with the immigrant community
Practical Examples of Islamic Ethics in Action
•Muslim (Halal) mortgage companies
•Guidance Financial
•Samad Financing
•University Bank
•Shape Financial
•Ameen Housing Co-Ops
•Mutual Funds
•Amana Mutual Funds (Saturna Capital)
•Dow Jones Islamic Index
•Relief Agencies
•Islamic Relief; Rahima Foundation; Food Banks; Malaria No
More
•UMMA Free Clinic
Recommended Resources
•http://www.renaissance.com.pk/Mayviewpoint2y5.htm
•Purification of the Heart
•Content of Character
•http://www.minaret.org/islamcommercebusinessethics.pdf
•Islamic Business Ethics: by Dr. Rafik Issa Beekun (Published by
The International Institute of Islamic Thought, 84 pages)
•Islam for Dummies