Vol. 3 No. 8 Rabiath-Thâni 1419/August 1998
EDITORIAL
LIVE LIKE BROTHERS, DEAL LIKE STRANGERS-WITH AMITY AND MERCIFUL HEARTSWhat is the difference between a piece of diamond and a piece of coal? Both are minerals deep in the bowels of the earth; both have carbon as their core element, yet one is precious and the other relatively worthless. Both have sustained pressure as their beginning, yet one is consumed by fire and other isn’t. We, as humans also undergo the test of fire and pressure. When you are under stress, how do you react? Does the fire of anger consume you or do you sparkle in resolute refinement? Very often, this fire in our analogy takes the form of differences of opinion among us - be it as a spouse, a parent, business partnership or a position of authority. Each of these entails a relationship with one or more people. Too often, this relationship goes from amity to enmity. If one gets to the root of a dispute in a business partnership, it invariably revolves around money and property. The times of friendship and unity in a business relationship, whether it is between family or friends is not its true measure of strength! Rather, this bond is tested when there is disagreement! When the flames of discord, the pressure of difference arise -this is when the people involved are either consumed like coal, or sparkle like diamonds!
Mercy
Allâh Ta’âla reminds us to "be merciful in our dealings (with each other) and to be firm with the disbelievers". Yet, the oppo-site holds true. We exercise harshness in our dealings with each other, we extract our pound off flesh from our brother, we are stern in our attitude and wayward with our tongue. But to the disbelievers, as meek as lambs we become and grant them every liberty we have denied our brother!
Clarity and due Reward
Mufti Muhammad Taqi Uthmâni on com-menting on this social malaise has said: "Live like brothers, deal like strangers." What this means is that we should live our social lives as brothers. We should assist each other wherever possible, we should overlook each other’s shortcomings and conceal them; above all, in matters pertaining to business, partnerships, property, the distribution of shares, we should be like two strangers in the civility of our transactions. There should be no grey areas, no ambiguity for conflict to arise.
Very often, the people closest to us are the ones we take most for granted. In a family business, several brothers are partners in the same business, often with the father (without any records being kept).
All the "partners" take their expenses from the business and spend as they wish. The position of each person in the business is not clearly defined. Is the son or brother in the business an employee or is he a partner? If he is a partner, what is his percentage of the profits? Furthermore, if any of the partners happens to do more work than the other, it should first be established whether he is doing this extra work on a voluntary basis, or will he be compensated for it. If he will be compensated, will it be in the form of an increased share of profits or a fixed remuneration? Frequently, one or more - of the partners will generate more ideas, will close more deals, will strive with greater initiative, using his time and money for the greater good of the business. Is he taken for granted, whilst we will happily pay a hefty commission to professional consultants to do the same work he is doing? What if this brother’s son or the brother’s wife is brought into the business? Is he or she an employee or a partner? If this family member has no capital to buy into the business, is he or she given an interest free loan or gift to do so? Do we really empower our own people? If an honest, reliable employee of the business wants to opt for a share in the enterprise, do we really help to facilitate this? Do we give credit where it is due, in freely rewarding those that enhance and add value to the business?
Gratitude
These are some of the vexing issues that face all business and partnerships but they do not end there. We are all connected by way of ‘Ukhuwa’ to each other. In all of our relationships, truth should be the abiding virtue. Whether as spouses, friends, brothers, parents, partners, or colleagues, we should re-focus our hearts to each other, to energise the Ihsân, kindness and love that is latent in us. Life is too short for poisoned attitudes and heaps without gratitude.
Ethics of Disagreement
In all of our endeavours, in our partner-ships, our businesses, family structures and organisations; conflicts will arise, disputes will happen. How we resolve these disputes, how we react to the intense heat of the pressure, is the acid test. What is the quality of our ethics in disagreement? What mercy is there in our dealings with each other, as commanded by Allâh? How refined is our conduct and how conducive is our speech in making this Rahmah reality in our interaction? To earn the gaze of the Most Merciful, we should act with mercy, lest we consume each other in the flames of enmity and the dying embers of thankless hearts.
INTEREST:
A Contract of Servitude
Throughout the history of man, there existed various forms of slavery. In the dark ages, people were captured and sold on the slave markets. Thereafter, the colonial masters enslaved entire nations. Today we have perhaps the most intricate network of enslavement strategies ... Strategies that threaten to enslave the entire human race. The institution of "ribâ" (interest) through financial houses like the World Bank and IMF govern and control practically every developing country in the world. Under the guise of foreign aid, the mineral wealth of an entire country is usurped and every individual directly or indirectly contributes to servicing the foreign debt of his country. A child is born into this world already indebted. "Debtorship" is the unique inheritance and heritage bestowed on him by his country, ‘The tragedy is that these injustices not only go unpunished, they go unrecognised.
MALAYSIAN PM WARNS OF ABSOLUTE CAPITALISM
Prime Minister Mohathir Mohammad has cautioned against emergence of absolute capitalism as a new ideology and said naked capitalism can no longer be obstructed by governments or by international agencies or anyone.
Mohathir stated this while addressing the Harvard project for Asian and international relations conference in Kuala Lumpur.
He said: "Governments have abdicated their roles in favour of those who control capital. From now on the people who control money will run the world with only one objective, to make more money."
New Ideology
"If it becomes necessary to overthrow governments in order to do so, then governments will be overthrown. This is the new ideology - so powerful that it is the only one permitted."
"No opposition will, be, tolerated. In order to hide the ugly face of capitalism it is now renamed ‘market forces’", he added.
HILLARY CLINTON’S WORLD ORDER FOR MUSLIM WOMEN
Speaking at the United Nations Economic and Social Council Chamber, Mrs Hillary Clinton took the first steps in challenging the Shari’ah, probably to test the waters. ‘And in too many places today what we fail to see are the injustices done to women.’ She said without mentioning Islâm, but the reference was obvious. ‘In too many places female heirs are seeing less inheritance than male heirs are. Inequitable divorce laws compel women to remain in cruel marriages. And courts of law require the testimony of two women to equal that of a solitary man.’ So, the laws of inheritance, marriage, divorce and testimony of a Muslim country are now to be dictated by the US.