Trade is an important activity in the economical and social life of the people, extended to individual, societal, regional, national and international levels. Islam greatly encourages trade because it directly contributes to improving the standard of living and providing worldly comforts to mankind. Trade is not only a source of a living but it is among the branches of faith that can draw us closer to Almighty Allah. Making the Trade as a form of worship will encourage Muslims to become entrepreneurs who are faithful to God. Islam has ideal principals that serve as benchmarks for Islamic traders. These principles include trustworthiness, honesty, friendliness and love which should be the guiding principles that direct Islamic traders. Traders who fear will always be committed to serve in order to realize a holistic and balanced trade ship. Islam places great emphasis on regulation and trade ethics in human life. Ethics as a rule good or bad, right or wrong, moral teachings about behavior and actions, especially in the economy comes out to the Muslim faith. Whatever is done will be linked to the objectives in this world and hereafter. Ethics is an important factor to develop small and medium trades and businesses. Therefore, the main requirement that must be emphasized is the practice of good trade ethics and social responsibility of the company.
Muslims are prohibited to obtain property by wrong (unethical) means like fraud, corruption, breach of trust or practicing usury. The guidelines are focused on business discipline and fairness before the community, with the aim to keep the faith and devotion to Allah.
This is must just to ensure that every trader who dabbled in the business avoids all evil nature (Mazmumah) and to illuminate merit (Mahmudah). This is important to ensure the interest of the community is safeguarded from all the elements that can trigger conflict, injustice, oppression and a sense of dissatisfaction. In addition, they are able to protect the rights of both parties, the seller or the trader and the consumer as a customer of goods. An appreciation of holyQur’an and Sunnah can help traders to the attain the broader objective of real faith and the root cause of the formation of highest standards of ethics and morality. This shows that Muslims are prohibited to obtain property by wrong (unethical) means like fraud, corruption, breach of trust or practicing usury. The guidelines are focused on business discipline and fairness before the community, with the aim to keep the faith and devotion to Allah. Thus, values in trade operations should be undertaken to establish and develop the business successfully and to maximize the potential within themselves and the trade. In the Qur’an Allah is saying: Meaning: “O you who believe, do not eat each property among yourselves in vanity, except there be trading that occurs between your love match” (Surat an-Nisa 4: 29). If a trader takes care of business ethics of Islam, he will attain superiority that is “Al-Falah”, success in this world and in the hereafter.
