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The life and teachings of the Prophet ﷺ are an enduring source of guidance in every facet of life. While his spiritual teachings are widely embraced, there is a lesser-known dimension of his Sunnah that pertains to conducting business with firm ethical and moral considerations. This brief article aims to explore how the Prophet ﷺ provided a holistic blueprint for blending spirituality and ethics in business through his words and deeds. It underscores that engaging in commerce with a conscious connection to Allah ﷻ is a means of worship and outlines ten of the moral guidelines imparted by the Prophet ﷺ.

1. Both the seller and the buyer should exercise fairness and be easy in their interactions. The seller should refrain from setting exorbitant prices, while the buyer should abstain from making unreasonably low offers.

رَحِمَ اللَّهُ رَجُلاً سَمْحًا إِذَا بَاعَ، وَإِذَا اشْتَرَى، وَإِذَا اقْتَضَ

“May Allah's mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in demanding back his money.” (Bukhari 2076). 

2. In the event that a buyer wishes to cancel a transaction, it is advisable for the seller to exhibit flexibility and amicably agree to the return of the item.

مَنْ أَقَالَ مُسْلِمًا أَقَالَهُ اللَّهُ عَثْرَتَهُ

“Whoever annuls a sale for a Muslim, Allah will annul his errors on the Day of Judgment.” (Abi Dawud 3460). 

3. Sellers are obligated to provide comprehensive and transparent disclosures of all pertinent information regarding the product. This information may include where the product was made, when it was manufactured, and especially any defects that may hamper full enjoyment of the product.

إِنَّ التُّجَّارَ يُبْعَثُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فُجَّارًا إِلاَّ مَنِ اتَّقَى اللَّهَ وَبَرَّ وَصَدَقَ

“Indeed, the merchants will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment as sinners, except for those who feared Allah, acted righteously, and were truthful.” (Tirmidhi 1210). 

4. Sellers should abstain from the act of hoarding essential commodities, especially when confronted with increased demand and constrained supply. The act of imposing exorbitant prices for vital goods in times of crisis, as exemplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, is particularly reprehensible.

مَنِ احْتَكَرَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ طَعَامَهُمْ ضَرَبَهُ اللَّهُ بِالْجُذَامِ وَالإِفْلاَسِ

“Whoever hoards food (and keeps it from) the Muslims, Allah will afflict him with leprosy and bankruptcy.” (Ibn Majah 2155). 

5. It is advisable to abstain from taking oaths, even if the oath is true, as the name of Allah is sacred, and its invocation in commercial transactions is considered inappropriate for the sake of selling merchandise.

الْحَلِفُ مُنَفِّقَةٌ لِلسِّلْعَةِ مُمْحِقَةٌ لِلْبَرَكَةِ

“The swearing (by the seller) may persuade the buyer to purchase the goods but that will be deprived of Allah’s blessing.” (Bukhari 2087). 

6. Sellers are encouraged to engage in regular acts of charity as a means of seeking atonement for instances of swearing, dishonesty, cheating, concealing relevant information, and displaying poor etiquette in the course of their sales transactions.

الْحَلِفُ مُنَفِّقَةٌ لِلسِّلْعَةِ مُمْحِقَةٌ لِلْبَرَكَةِ

“O merchants, selling involves lies and false oaths, so mix some charity with it.” (Nasa’i 3797). 

7. When two parties are in the process of finalizing a transaction, it is generally considered inappropriate for a third party to interject with their own offer, until and unless the deal in question has fallen through.

وَلاَ يَبِعْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَيْعِ بَعْضٍ

“Do not enter into a transaction when others have entered into that transaction” (Muslim 2564).

8. Buyers should refrain from engaging in the practice of artificially inflating the price of a product through bidding, without a genuine intention to purchase the item being auctioned.

لا تَنَاجَشُوا

“Do not inflate prices for one another.” (Muslim 2564).

9. Employees should be treated with respect and dignity, and it is essential to promptly remunerate them for their labor.

أَعْطُوا الأَجِيرَ أَجْرَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَجِفَّ عَرَقُهُ

“Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries.” (Ibn Majah 2443). 

10. Engaging in buying or selling activities after the adhan on Friday is considered makruh (disliked). Trade is no longer discouraged once the Friday prayers have concluded.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (٩)

Believers! When the call to prayer is made on the day of congregation, hurry towards the reminder of God and leave off your trading––that is better for you, if only you knew. (62:9)

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