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Who Gets the Job? (Hadith No. 1957)
Bismillah.
Volume 3, Book 36, Number 462 :
Narrated by Abu Musa (radiallaahu `anhu)
I went to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) with two men from Ash’ari tribe. I said (to the Prophet), “I do not know that they want employment.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “No, we do not appoint for our jobs anybody who demands it earnestly.”
This is good proof that you don’t give the job to anyone who wants it. They have to be eligible for it, the criterion for eligibility having been decided by the employer.
At the same time, we’re encouraged to offer ourselves for any jobs that we know we’re eligible for. Shying away from such an opportunity isn’t the right thing to do. This is the sunnah of Prophet Yusuf (`alayhissalaam):
قَالَ اجْعَلْنِى عَلَى خَزَآئِنِ الاٌّرْضِ إِنِّى حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ
“Yusuf said: “Set me over the storehouses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge.” [12:55]
Does Work Keep You Busy? (Hadith No. 1772)
Bismillah.
Volume 3, Book 34, Number 277:
Narrated ‘Ubai bin ‘Umar:
Abu Musa (radiallaahu `anhu) asked Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) to admit him but he was not admitted as ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) was busy, so Abu Musa (radiallaahu `anhu) went back. When ‘Umar finished his job he said, “Didn’t I hear the voice of ‘Abdullah bin Qais (radiallaahu `anhu)? Let him come in.” ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) was told that he had left. So, he sent for him and on his arrival, he (Abu Musa) said, “We were ordered to do so (i.e. to leave if not admitted after asking permission thrice). ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) told him, “Bring witness in proof of your statement.” Abu Musa (radiallaahu `anhu) went to the Ansar’s meeting places and asked them. They said, “None amongst us will give this witness except the youngest of us, Abu Said Al-Khudri (radiallaahu `anhu). Abu Musa then took Abu Said Al-Khudri (radiallaahu `anhu) (to ‘Umar) and ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) said, surprisingly, “Has this order of Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) been hidden from me?” (Then he added), “I used to be busy trading in markets.”
Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) admitted that he was unaware of that statement of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) because his trade used to keep him busy. He didn’t have enough time to spend in the company of Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and increase his knowledge like some other Companions did, for example Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu).
Isn’t this the case with many of us today? Something or the other keeps us away from increasing our knowledge about Islam, be it studies, work or whatever else. While it’s not wrong to be busy with this stuff, one must try their level best to take out time for Deen as well. Depending on your situation and circumstances, you MUST be involved in some sort of Islamic classes or courses. If weekdays are busy, join weekend classes. If commuting is an issue, study online. There are a lot of options nowadays and you know you don’t have an excuse to not study Islam anymore. Take action now. Yes, Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) didn’t have as much knowledge of the Hadith as Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu) so to speak, but he didn’t become the second caliph for no reason. Get it?
Halaal and Haraam Earning (Hadith No. 1770)
Bismillah.
Volume 3, Book 34, Number 275:
Narrated Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu):
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “A time will come when one will not care how one gains one’s money, legally or illegally.”
How did the Companions earn their livelihood? [Examples of halaal earning]
- Trade, as in the case of Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq, ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan and ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allaah be pleased with him).
- Agriculture, whether they owned farmland or worked on the land; many of the Muhaajireen and Ansaar were involved in this.
- Skilled crafts, such as smithery, carpentry and so on.
- Jobs that were connected to the state, such as teaching, collecting zakaah, judging and so on.
- Earnings acquired through jihad, such as war booty
Haraam Earning:
Some jobs are haraam in and of themselves, such as working in riba-based banks and places where alcohol is sold. Some may be haraam because of things in the work-place that are contrary to sharee’ah, such as mixing between men and women, or because it is stipulated that one should wear haraam clothing or do other things that are contrary to sharee’ah, such as shaving the beard. It is not permissible for the Muslim to do either type of job.
Jobs of the second type vary in the degree to which they are haraam. The one which incurs the greatest burden of sin is that which involves writing down or recording riba (usury), then that which involves selling or manufacturing haraam things, then that in which the workplace environment is haraam. The last category should not be taken lightly, because it has an impact on the religious commitment and conduct of the worker, especially the fitnah of women which was the first fitnah of the Children of Israel and is the most harmful fitnah for the Muslim man, as our Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us.
If mixing between men and women is something that happens in your country and you can hardly find any job that is free of that, and you think that your being in that job will be beneficial and that you will be able to put a stop to some of that evil and reduce some of it, and you will be able to advise the employees who are under your authority, enjoining them to do what is good and forbidding them to do what is evil as much as you can, and you can take precautions and measure which will help you avoid the fitnah of women – such as hastening to get married if you are not married, not looking at them or being alone with them – and if the work requires you to sit with some of the female employees you can leave the door of the office open and not sit close to them and so on… then we think that your being present in the workplace and achieving some of the interests of sharee’ah and reducing some evils, is better than keeping the workplace devoid of the righteous and leaving it to those who do not pay any attention to religion or to the rulings of sharee’ah, so that these evils become more widespread and it becomes more difficult to fight them. How many teachers and university professors have taught in mixed institutions and Allaah has benefited many through them, and warded off a great deal of evil. We hope by Allaah’s grace that you will be one of them.
However, if you think, after taking the job, that you cannot adhere to your religious commitment and that you are being pulled into haraam gradually, then you have no choice but to leave that job immediately. If a person gives up something for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will compensate him with something better than it, as the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said.
Reference: http://islamqa.info/en/107144
Work Hard For The Rest Of Your Life
The Life Expectancy of males in Pakistan is 64 and a half years. Assuming that is how long I would live, I have already spent more than 1/3rd of my life. How much time in these years have I spent working and worrying for the life that’s NEVER GOING TO END? And how much have I worked for the few more scores of my life left in more than 22 years I have been breathing?
We are told by our parents and relatives “Beta, bas matric he sab kuch hai. Iskay marks sari zindagi sath chalnay hain. Achay college main chalay gaye tou agay asanian hongi (Son, Matric is everything. These marks will be with you all your life. You would have ease ahead if you get into a good college).”
When you get in a good college this statement changes to “Beta, bas FSc main achay marks le lo. Entry test k liye achi achi tayyari karlo. Aik baar achi university chalay gaye tou kuch ban k he niklo ge (Son, just take good marks in FSc. Prepare well for the entry test. Once you get into a good university you’ll come out as something at least).”
After you’re in a good university they tell you to work hard since your job depends on GPA. Be presentable in the interview. Don’t keep your pants above your ankles it won’t look good. Do anything you can but just get a job. You won’t get married without it of course.
Once you have a job it’s still not over. You have to keep working hard and harder. This is the age. You’re young and can work hard. This is the age. Do something for your wife and kids. Make the rest of your life easy for you.
Rest of my life? That’s a joke right? Because I’m 40 and my body has started to become weak now. I get tired easily. I can’t do the things that I “dreamed” of doing. What was the ease that I was looking for? Where is the “whole life ahead of me” that I was promised I would be able to enjoy?
Oh but wait, I’ve made a lot of money. I have a good name among people. They respect me because of my status – my worldly status. Now I can use this status to trap other youngsters into this game. I’ll do that because I lived my life this way and now this world is all I see. I’ve been institutionalized. It all makes sense to me. This is all that matters. Dying is easy now, since I’ve achieved my purpose in life. This is how our lives are supposed to go. This is how our lives do go….
It’s sad. It really is. This is what happens to most of us. This is what is happening to most of us.
I graduate in 2 months, if Allah wills. I’ve gone through all of this and still going through it. There are times when you just stop and think what are you doing? How many books have you read, yet not read the Quran with understanding? How you’ve stayed up all nights to prepare for your exam tomorrow, yet not stayed up even part of a night to prepare for the exam in the hereafter. How you’ve felt your nerves stretch for the fear of your result, yet you feel ease about the only result that would really matter. You get headaches thinking about what you would say in the interview, yet you do not get headaches thinking how you would answer the Lord of the Worlds.
It almost drives you crazy sometimes. Just look at the sky, and imagine these stars falling over you. Put your hand on the fire and imagine yourself burning, your whole body, for about 10 minutes? You can’t even imagine to bear the pain. Gives you the chills.
Or feel the gentle breeze touching your skin, the peace and calm you feel inside by it. Then imagine Jannah, the rewards Allah has promised. It leaves you immovable for a while.
We’re all in this mess. And I won’t tell you how to “escape” from this, for we all have different problems and you’ll have to find your way out of yours. Just remember if you’re sincere about your Akhirah and you rely on Allah then HE WILL get you through this. You’ll find a way out of it if you truly rely on Allah.
That is what the messengers did when they were threatened by their people.
“And why should we not rely upon Allah while He has guided us to our [good] ways. And we will surely be patient against whatever harm you should cause us. And upon Allah let those who would rely [indeed] rely.”
[14:12]
There are a million things one can keep writing, but the crux of it all is this: WE NEED TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT OUR LIVES. We need to stop worrying so much about our worldly life and start worrying more about our AFTERLIFE! The Quran is full of examples. We might read the translation but we seldom think upon it. I know I don’t. Because when you start contemplating upon the words of Allah then you start seeing how wrong you are living your life they way you’re living. We are lying to ourselves, all of us to some extent, and we need to stop that. We need to wake up before it’s too late and when there’s nothing left but regret. This is a reminder to myself first and foremost…
And Allah is the source of all strength. May He grant us enough to wake up to the reality of this world and do more for our hereafter than we do for this world. All good is from Allah and only the mistakes are mine.