The standard of business morality in Islam

Islam is a complete way of life, and thus it is not limited solely to a person's spiritual side. Muslims act in an Islamic manner in their social, personal, and business lives. The Muslim trader needs to be stringent in his scruples, as the Qur'an emphasizes the virtues of honesty and fairness in transactions. Justice is crucial. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), himself a merchant, placed an emphasis on trade; his companions were also involved in commerce. Many ahadîth reflect the Prophet's strong demand that business be done in an ethical, moral, and righteous manner. Among the qualities that Muslims involved in commerce ought to possess are: honesty and truthfulness; correctness in weight and measure; behavior consistent with the written stipulations of a contract; goodwill in the trading arena; and resistance to greed. Poverty is so rampant on the Indian subcontinent because Muslims were insufficiently interested in trade and behaved improperly in industrial and exploratory acti