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Work Ethics In Muslim Companies

*It’s the end of the month, but there will be no paycheck for another week. As though being late wasn’t bad enough, to top it off, you are made to feel as though the money you’ve worked for isn’t your right, and the company is doing you a favor by paying you anything at all. The organization is simply out of money at the time and you have to wait until they get some. It coincidentally comes to your attention that some employees in higher positions had their checks issued on time and without delay.

*There’s a school where you teach two subjects and you are paid as a quarter-time employee. You were told that your pay was based on 1/4 of the full-time teacher’s pay. When you find out what that rate is, you learn it is much lower than what an actual 1/4 is. The management staff was trying to take advantage of the fact that you are new and don’t know how much money others make. Sadly, you do know another teacher and you realize their dishonesty. As a result, you quit.

*The company you left refused to pay you your last paycheck after they were informed that you wouldn’t be returning the next year. They claimed that withholding the pay was their right since you breached your contract, when in fact you had signed no contract in the first place.

Contracts are made on a yearly basis, so the option to leave at the end of the year is simply a choice not to renew a contract. Moreover, there should be no conditions on getting the pay for work that was already done.

*A business owner approaches you and requests a redesign for his website. When you gave him your price, he said it was too high. So you agree to do it at a lower price and explain your terms for design work (limiting the number of revisions after finalization, requiring 50 percent pay upfront, and overtime will be charged at an hourly rate). In response, you face a horrible attitude. He asks for your references and more samples of work, finally say he might consider hiring you.

Others, in other places, will have gladly paid you the 50 percent advance and would have agreed to abide by the terms. Subhan Allah. All these are real stories happening in Muslim communities. Do Muslim companies think your work is “Fee Sabeelillah” that they think it’s OK to do this?

These companies want you to be there on time, every time, and work flawlessly, in a hurry, with an impossible deadline, and an insane volume of work to be completed by then. Yet the paycheck is neither on time nor adequate. Allah has commanded us to respect agreements.

“…and fulfill (every) engagement, for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning).” (Qur’an, 17:34)

Are all employees inherently the victims? Of course not. Obviously both cases exist, but unprofessionalism breeds more unprofessionalism. The employee that is slack should be fired. The employer that mistreats its worker should lose that employee to a more deserving firm.

“Woe to Al-Mutaffifin. Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, demand full measure. But when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. Do they not think that they will be called to account? – On a Great Day. A Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds?” (Qur’an, 83:1-6)

Allah warns us specifically about this type of behavior in the Qur’an. Yet it seems as though Muslims are failing (repeatedly) to recognize this as the case or abide by this obligation.

In project management there are three main areas that need to be in balance in order to successfully complete a project:

1. The budget, or how much money is allocated to complete the project.
2. The schedule, which breaks the project into smaller tasks and their respective deadlines.
3. The scope of work, which are the things that need to be completed and delivered by the due date.

Whenever any of these three factors are changed, the entire project will be thrown off. How is that?

Here’s the situation (Bear with the poor example): You gave me a 20 dollar bill and asked me to go to a supermarket to get some items on a list. The list costs exactly $20. So I have 45 minutes to go and bring the groceries home. The project here is getting the groceries. If you were to call me on the phone and tell me you need some fresh meat from the butcher as well, that would throw me off.

I am now over my budget, the extra work will also increase the time I’ll need, and I won’t be able to deliver on schedule.

So changing any of the three factors in any project will change the other two. If you push these limits then either the project will fail or it will be completed with poor quality.

Bottom line: When the balance is lost, the project suffers.

I believe that to be the exact case with these businesses and institutions. They are attempting to ‘milk’ employees for work they aren’t willing (or able) to pay them for. They have expectations that exceed their ability or willingness to fairly compensate for.

Employees come in with higher than usual expectations from a Muslim employer and expect fair treatment. Employees’ morale and trust in their employer drops, as a result, the quality of their work suffers.

Expectations have to be made clear and fulfilled by both sides. If we all know that Allah is watching us, then we should act like it. Muslim businesses and organizations are the pillars of our community. When we build our Ummah on broken principles it can fall apart overnight.

Motherhood In The Quran

The cases of the Mothers in the Qur’an are always accompanied by a sense of testing, challenge, anguish and for each one of these cases and there must be a reason for that.

Mother of Musa (a.s.w.s.):
Allah told the Mother of Musa ( through inspiration to do this unbelievable, challenging, trying, and testing act that is to place her newborn son in the chest and throw it into the river to be picked up by one who is an enemy of Allah and an enemy of Musa (Qur’an 20:38-39). How much faith and comfort a mother would have to respond to this call from Allah to throw her son and some people say that after all, she did not have a choice because Pharaoh is killing the sons.

Nonetheless, it is quite difficult to convince a mother to throw her son to the unknown like that. Allah did not say that her son will be taken to safety and instead He said the baby will be picked up by one who is an enemy of Allah and an enemy of Musa (a.s.w.s.). It must have been a very strong and faithful mother.

In the Arabic language, the word ‘fa’ means ‘immediately’ i.e. to place him immediately in the chest and without much delay throw the chest into the river. This shows the sensitivity in the Qur’an that one cannot prolong the agony because the mother could change her mind.

Musa’s (a.s.w.s.) sister goes around and finds that Pharaoh’s wife picked up the chest and seemed to love the child, the sister came forward like a stranger and said: shall I search out a good wet-nurse for the child so that she may rear the child. She agreed and the sister brought the mother and she openly fed the child. (Qur’an 20:40)

There is an attitude in the story that Allah interferes deliberately just for one purpose that this faithful mother needs to be comforted. This step was not needed but somehow Allah showed the sensitivity and empathy to the mother that his son will return to her at least under her direct supervision.

Mother of Yahya (a.s.w.s.):
Yahya’s (a.s.w.s.) father Zakariya (a.s.w.s.) was an old man and there was a need for an heir to carry the legacy of the message. Zakariya’s (a.s.w.s.) wife was also old. Allah wanted him to have a very special child (Qur’an 19:7-11). We know that Yahya (a.s.w.s.) played an important role in the chain of messengers because he was the one who conveyed the message and also who took care of Isa (a.s.w.s.).

The trial is not to Zakariya (a.s.w.s.) but to his wife, the old woman who has to go through the tribulations to having that child. Nonetheless, the father was skeptical of having a child in the old age but on the contrary, the mother was joyful and cheerful about that situation and she came laughing aloud. (Qur’an 51:29)

She just had a positive attitude about the whole thing and cheerfulness that she could not hide even though it was a strange situation to be at.

Mother of Isa(a.s.w.s.):
Maryam’s (a.s.w.s.) trial was also very strange. Maryam, (a.s.w.s.) a chaste and a respectful person of the society find all of a sudden that she will have a baby. She seeks refuge in Allah to protect her. She was wondering how she can have a child affirming her chastity. Qur’an explains the miraculous conception. In the pain of labor, Maryam (a.s.w.s.) wishes that she would rather die than go through this. Allah comforts and guides her. (Qur’an 19:16-25)

She delivers the baby and goes back to her people. Her people immediately remind her about her pious and respectful family. And Allah made the newborn defend her mother. Baby Isa (a.s.w.s.) said he is NOT the son of Allah but the servant of Allah. And Isa said he will be kind to his mother. (Quran 19:26-35)

We can see the gratitude he had towards his mother who went through all these trials.

Foster Mother:
Pharaoh’s (Firaun)wife prays to Allah that she needs a house in heaven and she wants Allah to save her from Pharaoh (Firaun) and his doings and from those who do wrong. (Qur’an 66:11)

One can appreciate her good attitude when she finds the baby [Musa (a.s.w.s.)] inside the chest. She says that the baby is a pleasure to her eyes and her mother’s instinct starts taking over. She says to Pharaoh (Firaun) not to kill the baby and says the baby might be of benefit to them. Here is the mother’s instinct that is saying that they will adopt him as a son. (Qur’an 28:9)

Kindness to Mother:
Qur’an ordains to be kind to one’s parents and especially to the mother (Qur’an 31:14, 46:15). All the family and relationships mentioned in the Qur’an refers to the womb (rahim). Allah instructs not to break the ties of the womb when put in authority (Qur’an 47:22).

Motherhood in Modern times:
For the first time in history, motherhood has become a matter of question. Throughout the history, from Adam (a.s.w.s.) and Hawa (a.s.w.s.) and up until now the motherhood was never questioned. The mother gets pregnant, delivers a baby and she is the mother of the child but with the advent of modern science, people can tamper with that. One can commercially contract motherhood and what is known as Surrogacy, which creates horrendous problems that are both moral and practical and has become an issue of debate.

The surrogate mother may have been quite willing to surrender the child upon birth, but she may have become unwilling to do so after birth. This behavioral change is often termed as “maternal instinct,” in the pregnant woman. The result is that they go to the court and usually the courts rule based on the breach of the contract.

Like any pregnancy, it is impossible to predict the outcome. If the surrogate mother delivers a baby with serious disabilities, would the commissioning couple accept an abnormal child?

I have attended many conferences where many Muslim jurists and doctors participated to address the issue of surrogate motherhood and here are the conclusions.

1. Islam does not accept the practice of surrogacy because it is demeaning.
2. It creates problem
3. If it happens, the (surrogate) woman who delivers the baby is considered as the Mother (Qur’an 58:2).

On the positive side, we have Stem cells that are the blue-print cells in the embryo that have not gone through the process of cell differentiation and therefore have the potential to give rise to many different kinds of specialized cells. For instance, a stem cell could be used to produce liver cells, brain cells, heart muscle cells, blood cells, etc.

Dr. Omar Alfi, a scientist in Genetics explains, “During pregnancy, the fetus leaks the stem cells that goes to the mother and becomes part of her.”

So each mother is carrying in her the parts of the original material that made her child. Hence with the advent of modern science, the mother-child relationship is much more than what we had ever known before. This probably explains the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) when a man came to him and he was asked, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Your mother. The man said, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Then your mother. The man further asked, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Then your mother. The man asked again, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Then your father (Bukhari).

Hijab: Suppression Or Liberation?

“Why do Muslim women have to cover their heads?” This question is one that is asked by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. For many women, it is the truest test of being a Muslim.

The answer to the question is very simple – Muslim women observe the hijab (covering the head and the body) because Allah has told them to do so.

Allah (SWT) said, “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That is better in order that they may be known (as free respectable women) and not annoyed…” (Holy Qur’an, 33:59)

Other secondary reasons include the requirement for modesty in both men and women. Both will then be evaluated for intelligence and skills instead of looks and sexuality. A Muslim woman who covers her head is making a statement about her identity. Anyone who sees her will know that she is a Muslim and has a good moral character.

The Muslim woman who covers is filled with dignity and self-esteem; she is pleased to be identified as a Muslim woman: as a chaste, modest, pure woman. She does not want her sexuality to enter into interactions with men in the smallest degree.

A Muslim school girl is quoted as saying, “We want to stop men from treating us like sex objects, as they have always done. We want them to ignore our appearance and to be attentive to our personalities and minds. We want them to take us seriously and treat us as equals and not just chase us around for our bodies and physical looks.”

The word “hijab” comes from the Arabic word “hajaba” meaning to hide from view or conceal. In the present time, the context of the hijab is the modest covering of a Muslim woman. The question now is what is the extent of the covering? The Holy Qur’an says: ” Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and protect their private parts. That will make for greater purity for them. Verily, Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And tell the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not to display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof and to draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands…” (Holy Qur’an, 24:30-31)

These verses from the Qur’an contain two main injunctions:
1. A woman should not show her beauty or adornments except what appears by uncontrolled factors such as the wind blowing her clothes.
2. The headcovers should be drawn so as to cover the hair, the neck and the bosom.

Islam has no fixed standard as to the style of dress or type of clothing that Muslims must wear. However, some requirements must be met.

The first of these requirements is the parts of the body which must be covered. Islam has two sources for guidance and rulings: first, the Qur’an, the revealed word of Allah, and secondly, the Hadith or the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who was chosen by Allah to be the role model for mankind.

The following is a Tradition of the Prophet (PBUH): ” ‘Aeshah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that Asma’a, the daughter of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him,) came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) while wearing thin clothing. He approached her and said: ‘O Asma’a! When a girl reaches the menstrual age, it is not proper that anything should remain exposed except this and this. He pointed to the face and hands.” (Abu Dawood)

The second requirement is the looseness. The clothing must be loose enough so as not to describe the shape of the woman’s body. One desirable way to hide the shape of the body is to wear a cloak over other clothes. However, if the clothing is loose enough, an outer garment is not necessary.

Thickness is the third requirement. The clothing must be thick enough so as not to show the color of the skin it covers or the shape of the body. The Prophet (PBUH) stated that in later generations of his Ummah there would be “women who would be dressed but naked and on top of their heads (what looks like) camel humps. Curse them for they are truly cursed.” (Muslim)

Another requirement is an over-all dignified appearance. The clothing should not attract men’s attention to the woman. It should not be shiny and flashy so that everyone notices the dress and the woman.

In addition, there are other requirements:
1. Women must not dress so as to appear as men. “Ibn Abbas narrated: ‘The Prophet (PBUH) cursed the men who appear like women and the women who appear like men.'” (Bukhari)
2. Women should not dress in a way similar to the unbelievers.
3. The clothing should be modest, not excessively fancy, and also not excessively ragged to gain other’s admiration or sympathy.

Often forgotten is the fact that modern Western dress is a new invention. Looking at the clothing of women as recently as seventy years ago, we see clothing similar to hijab. These active and hard-working women of the West were not inhibited by their clothing which consisted of long, full dresses and various types of head covering.

Muslim women who wear hijab do not find it impractical or interfering with their activities at all levels and walks of life. Hijab is not merely a covering dress but more importantly, it is behavior, manners, speech, and appearance in public. The dress is only one facet of the total being.

The basic requirements of the Muslim woman’s dress apply to the Muslim man’s clothing with the difference being mainly in degree. Modesty requires that the area between the navel and the knee be covered in front of all people except the wife. The clothing of men should not be like the dress of women, nor should it be tight or provocative.

A Muslim should dress to show his identity as a Muslim. Men are not allowed to wear gold or silk. However, both are allowed for women. For both men and women, clothing requirements are not meant to be a restriction but rather a way in which society will function in a proper, Islamic manner.

Never Underestimate Anyone Or Any Reminder

There are moments in life, unexpected, that unfold before our eyes, leaving us in wonder over the Power of the Almighty. Sometimes, Allah sends forth a person who speaks words, few in number, weighty in sincerity, that forever changes our lives.

Sheikh Saleh Al-Meghamisi (may Allah preserve him), Imam of Masjid Quba, went through such a humbling, lesson-laden moment that leaves us with much to reflect on. He relates his story saying:

I was in the intensive care unit, just beginning to regain consciousness after undergoing a 24-hour open-heart surgery when the nurse in charge of me noticed a change in the blood.

He informed a doctor, who informed another. A third doctor was then called, until 14 people, among them doctors and professionals, had gathered to discuss what they should do regarding my case.

They were reading the signals from the devices over my head, and although I had no idea what the situation was, I could read fear in their faces. It seemed that the signals were not pleasant.

They called Dr. Adam, a successful Sudanese doctor, to come and see. He studied the monitor and concluded that there was congealed blood on the heart and that it had to be removed. The news came down on me like a thunderbolt. The doctor sought my permission, and although fear began to overwhelm me, Allah guided me to utter the Shahadah, followed by my head nodding in agreement.

I was disconnected from the devices around me, and the doctor left to prepare for the operation.
At that same moment, there stood to my left a Lebanese nurse who seemed to feel sorry for me due to the situation I was in. Allah guided her to gently remind me:
“Listen. Salli ‘ala al-Naby (send blessings on the Prophet), and your Lord will relieve it.”
Instantly, as anyone would respond, I said: “Allahumma sallee ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala Aali Muhammad.” Just like that, I said it.
I said it and all the blood came down.

The signals indicated by the machines differed, and they were unsure as to what had occurred. They called the doctor back. He arrived, looked at the screen, and said, “Sheikh Saleh, what we wanted to do and rid you of, Allah rid you of it from above the seven heavens.”

This story is not about Saleh (the Sheikh). It is about that woman whom Allah granted Tawfeeq to speak these simple words of reminder. And this is based on the teaching of the Prophet (peace be upon him), when Ubayy Bin Ka’b said, “I’ll devote all of my prayers to sending blessings on you.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “In that case, it will protect you from your worries.”

And Allah saved us from this distress with the sending of peace and blessings on his Prophet.
But again, this is not about me personally, it is about the success of this woman so that we do not think poorly of the Muslim women. If someone were to see her guise and dress, they would not assume that she knew Allah even for a moment. While I, known as the Imam and Khateeb of (Masjid) Quba, it did not cross my mind to say those words.

Sheikh’s story carries messages that we ought to reflect on for a moment. From the advice of the nurse, we are brought back to the teaching of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to his companion, Ubayy Bin Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him).

Ubayy Bin Ka’b narrates: I asked, “O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), I send much blessings on you. What proportion of my prayer should I devote to (sending blessings on) you?” He said, “As much as you like.”
I said, “A quarter?” He said, “As much as you like, and if you increased it would only be better for you.”
I said, “Then a half?” He said, “As much as you like and if you increased then it would only be better for you.”
I said, “Then two thirds?” He said, “As much as you like and if you increased it would only be better for you.”
I said, “I’ll devote all of my prayers to sending blessings on you.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “In that case, it will free you from your worries and your sins will be forgiven.” (Jami’ Tirmidhi)

From the Sheikh, we find an example of humbling oneself and accepting the advice of others, regardless of the position we hold. Although he is a person of knowledge, this did not prevent him from heeding the advice of the nurse, responding with immediate action.

Finally, we should never underestimate the value of a simple word of advice. Whatever we know, an effort should be made to teach it to others.
Do not belittle a sincere reminder, of appropriate timing, to your Muslim brother and sister. It may have a dramatic effect on their spiritual well-being; on their heart. Perhaps even literally.

– by Mariam E.

Allah, The Exalted Has Power Over All Things (Matters)

[ALLAH’S Quran 3:189 – Shakir] “And Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and Allah has power over all things.”

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said :
[Bukhari, Book #54, Hadith #514] “Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “If one says one-hundred times in one day: “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Alone Who has no partners, to Him belongs Dominion and to Him belong all the Praises, and He has power over all things (i.e. Omnipotent)”, one will get the reward of manumitting ten slaves, and one-hundred good deeds will be written in his account, and one-hundred bad deeds will be wiped off or erased from his account, and on that day he will be protected from the morning till evening from Satan, and nobody will be superior to him except one who has done more than that which he has done.”