Transforming society through Halal business

By Kamarul Aznam Haji Kamaruzaman, Editor, Halal Media

Muslims the world over must come forward and play an active civilisational role to transform society, as only Islam has the solution; and the only way to do this is by engaging in wealth creation through Halal business activities.

Tan Sri Dato' Muhammad Ali Hashim

In an exclusive interview with Halal Media, Malaysian corporate leader Tan Sri Dato’ Muhammad Ali Hashim calls for all young Muslims, particularly the Malays, to dismiss the negative mindset that business activity is this-worldly, that it will only lead to the abandonment of the Akhirah (the Afterlife).

“Islam is not against wealth creation, but it is against undertaking the pursuit of wealth by justifying all means, and this is where Halal comes in,” said Tan Sri Ali. “We want to develop a mindset among Muslims to be the “upper hand”, or the hand of the giver rather than the hand of the receiver.”

Calling for a jihad (sacrifice for a higher cause) in business, Tan Sri Ali, who is also the Deputy President of the Malaysian Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, suggests Muslims to relate wealth to a higher cause, “in order not to loose sight of the higher ideals of living, which gives meaning to life,” he said.

“Of course you see this happening today, businessmen engaging in unethical ways, lying, cheating, doing everything that is mungkar (evil, non Halal ways to attain wealth). As a result, businesses today are doing a lot of harm to society,” he added.

“(But) if too many of us are thinking along the same lines, this is only going to be to our own detriment. Because today in the business-driven world, we (Muslims) are always going to be on the fringes, alienated, deprived, poor. So there is no two ways about it. Once you are richer, you will be able to do a lot more for Islam.”

To be able to do this, it is very important for Muslims to associate business and wealth with doing maximum good for society. “The more wealth you have, the more you become the ‘upper hand’, the more you can contribute, change society, reform, transform, at least prevent the society from degenerating into the narrow-minded, selfish, decadent the way it is now.”

He also calls for Muslims to do business differently, the Islamic way, and hence the call of business jihad to serve a higher cause than mere wealth accumulation for self interest.

“The message is therefore very clear: for Islam to provide a solution, for the decadence today, the corruption, for all the wrongs that has been done to social and biological life, Muslims have to come forward and play an active civilisational role. We cannot do this if we do not have access to wealth, because wealth is the means of doing good,” he said.

“And when you say business jihad, it is a jihad of peace and prosperity. We do not go blowing up people; we prosper even the non Muslims who we do businesses with. So make a success of it. Let us transform our businesses to become more merciful.”

Hear the full transcript of Halal Media’s interview with Tan Sri Ali Hashim here:

Email the writer at kamarul@hmedia.my. For more in depth explanation of the concept of Business Jihad, please log on to BusinessJihad.com.

Cover picture by Spekulator, Indonesia.