Khalid Baig
At their most basic and visible level
trade and business involve
exchange of goods and services. But there is much more to business than
moving goods and services in one direction and money in the other. The
product, the packaging, the delivery system, and the advertising
messages that accompany it, all of them carry statements about what is
good, or acceptable, or desirable, and what is not. Through this much
larger exchange --- at emotional and intellectual levels --- business
can be a powerful agent of cultural change.
This role is increased manifold in the
age of the media and
professional marketing campaigns. In simpler times, the role of the
seller was generally to satisfy demand arising out of genuine needs. In
the age of glut we are witnessing today, the role of the marketer is to
create demand first, so he can then satisfy it. This is done in the
only way it can be done; by replacing needs (which are limited) with
wants (which can be unlimited). They sell fantasies and status symbols.
They appeal to our basest desires.
In the world's most "developed"
economies advertising messages come
at the consumers from all directions, at all times of day and night.
Their persistent message: Buy, buy, buy. Consume, consume, consume.
Indulge your desires. This is consumerism --- a morbid outcome of
materialism under capitalism. Its spread far and wide around the globe
is part of what is called globalization.
Consumerism's creed: we live to
consume. For every problem in the
world, it has one solution. Buy something. Its victims try to fill the
emptiness within them with the newest gadgets and try to congratulate
themselves for living in such an era of progress. But as they
accumulate more and more of the goods, the meaninglessness of all this
increases even more. The hollowness deepens.
Further, behind the glitter of the
slick handiwork of the marketer,
one can see the ugly face of exploitation. Consider the recruitment of
female charm for selling everything from automobiles to toothpastes to
zoo admissions. Never before in history were women demeaned and
exploited on such a massive scale. Those who can make money from it
have filled every square inch of available space with the picture of
women in varying degrees of undress. Unfortunately, the environment has
been so saturated with this filth that like the person living in a
sewer we no longer feel its stink.
What is truly saddening is the failure
of Muslim societies in
putting up a challenge to this onslaught. An equal or probably greater
responsibility lies with the business leaders there. They could have
rethought the purpose of advertising, marketing, packaging, and
selling. They could have used their considerable muscle to launch a
counter campaign to challenge the pop culture. They could have
demonstrated the high ethical and moral teachings of Islam through
distinguished practices to a world that badly needs them. Instead, they
have been blindly following the tricks and techniques of the business
enterprises from the "developed" world. The best of them have gone to
the elite business schools and have concluded that marketing is all
about manipulation. Their outlooks, goals, mindsets, and tools are the
same as those of their masters.
The failure here is at two levels.
First there is a failure to
understand the role of business in today's society. That is why even
big Muslim enterprises show no vision of promoting their language,
culture, and moral values. They are there just to make money. If their
owners and leaders have some religious inclinations, they will spend
some of that money on charity. But the idea that they need to
incorporate Islamic teachings and moral values in everything from
product conception and design to marketing communications and business
policies and practices does not occur to them.
Second, there is a failure to remember
the responsibilities of a
business under Islam. There are several ahadith that tell us the merits
of a righteous businessman. According to one hadith the Prophet 
said: "The honest and veracious businessman
will be (in the Hereafter) with the prophets, the siddiqs (the
Truthful), and martyrs." [Tirmidhi]. According to another hadith he was
asked about the best means of earning a living. He replied: "Righteous
trade and working with one's hands." [Musnad Ahmed].
The company of the prophets and martyrs
is the highest rank one can
imagine. How can it be that one attains such an exalted status in the
Hereafter while spending his time making money? Because by bringing
truth, honesty and God consciousness to one's business, one brings
righteousness to life. Righteous trade is a comprehensive expression
that encompasses piety in all aspects of running one's business.
It was the Muslim traders who had
imbibed these ideals who spread
Islam in the four corners of the world. Muslims did not establish
missions to convert people. But as local people came in touch with
Muslim traders, the latter's piety and honest and truthful business
dealings won them over. This happened in land after land in large parts
of Asia and Africa. Thus emerged a new dawn that ended corruption and
exploitation and brought in a new era of peace and prosperity.
To the people possessing wealth, like
Qaroon (Korah in the Bible)
this is the message given by the Qur'an: "But seek, with the (wealth)
which Allah has bestowed on you, the Home of the Hereafter. Do not
forget your portion in this world: but do good, as Allah has been good
to you, and seek not (occasions for) mischief in the land: for Allah
loves not those who do mischief." [Al-Qasas, 28:77].
Thus one's wealth --- and wealth making
efforts --- should be geared
towards seeking the Home in the Hereafter and one must not use them to
spread mischief on earth. Today we have forgotten the first
commandment. What is worse, through our blind following of what we
mistakenly think to be successful business practices, we are engaged in
spreading mischief, although we may not even realize it.
There is a grave responsibility and a
tremendous opportunity here.
By broadening their vision Muslim businesses can make a formidable
force challenging the spread of consumerism, materialism and pop
culture. Through carefully thought out business policies and practices,
they can end exploitation --- of women, of consumers, of the poor. This
is what the world needs. This is what they need themselves. For
righteous trade is the only trade in which one can never lose.
