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Where we are in the series We started this series, Seeking Halal Earnings, a while ago now, a few months back. We began with the book of Imam Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, the student of Abu Hanifah, and the one to whom the Hanafi school is indebted, because he recorded the Hanafi madhhab of Abu Hanifah….
As we continue this journey through the main principles of Islam relating to halal earnings, we are still focusing on seeking the lawful, on its etiquettes, its conditions, and its finer details. Alhamdulillah, this topic sits at the heart of a believer’s life, and it touches every interaction, every transaction, and every choice that brings…
The original title of this series is Al-Kasb, meaning halal earning. In this journey we have been following the footsteps of Imam Muhammad bin al-Hassan al-Shaybani, the student of Abu Hanifa and the one who recorded and preserved the Hanafi school. The Hanafi tradition is deeply indebted to him. He is the one who wrote…
Contemporary practice of mudaraba In modern settings, the most common example of mudaraba (profit sharing) is when you deposit money into an Islamic bank. The bank acts as the mudarib, investing the money in Sharia-compliant ventures, while you, the depositor, are the rabb al-mal. You remain a silent partner, and the bank conducts the business….
Introduction to Mudaraba In this section, we will explore the contract of mudaraba, following the sequence of Imam al-Ghazali, in his renowned work Ihya Ulum al-Din, particularly in the section about al-kasb (earning). Imam al-Ghazali divided earning into six common contracts that people frequently use in business transactions. We have already discussed most of them,…
Continuing the series, Seeking the Halal, the Ijarah contract is the fifth type of contract, based on Imam al-Ghazali’s categorisation in Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din, in Kitab al-Kasb (The Book of Lawful Earning). Imam al-Ghazali divided the subject of earnings into six main types of contracts, around which most forms of trade and business revolve. We have…
Istisnaʿ is a sale contract where a buyer (the mustasniʿ) requests a manufacturer or seller (saniʿ) to produce or construct a specific item according to agreed specifications, for an agreed price and delivery time. In the previous session, we mentioned that the salam contract originally began in an agricultural society. Farmers usually lacked cash…
Seeking halal earnings (part 6) – The Salam contract As part of our series on finance, we will look at one of the forms of contracts. In this, I am following Imam al-Ghazali, in his book Iḥyaʾ ʿUlum al-Din. He has a section that speaks about halal earnings, and under that he mentioned the common…
Core Principles Justice and fairness are the foundation of Islamic financial dealings. Riba is prohibited because it perpetuates oppression and exploitation. Money is a medium of exchange, not a commodity to be sold for profit. Trade involves risk and effort; charging for money itself without value addition is forbidden. Islam promotes economic balance, not extremes…
While his character has been described in detail by scholars such as Imam al-Tirmidhi and Qadi Iyad, I will focus on the mercy of the Prophet ﷺ and how we can embody and apply it in our own lives. The reason I’ve chosen the attribute of mercy is because it sums up the mission of…
Foundations of halal earning: contracts in Islamic transactions On the subject of halal earning (al-kasb al-halal), we started by exploring one of the earliest works on the topic, written by Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani, a prominent student of Imam Abu Hanifah. He was a mujtahid in his own right and wrote a short yet…
Halal income Halal earning refers to how to earn your living in a way that pleases Allah. It also includes how to avoid falling into haram, doubtful matters, disliked things, or areas that are grey and uncertain. In the previous session, we mentioned the work of Imam Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, the student of Abu Hanifah….
Seeking halal income Earning a ḥalāl living, which is called al-kasb in Arabic, is a very important topic related to everyone’s business transactions, dealings, sales, and so on. It’s essential to understand what is permissible, what is not, the boundaries, the details, and so forth. As I mentioned last time, the first to write on…
Chastity is an important topic, and we need to cover as much as possible from it to apply in our reality. We have plenty of challenges, but nevertheless, this is life, and life is full of challenges. It doesn’t mean if we have difficult topics that we stop. We continue. We do our best…
The Islamic value of chastity and protecting honour Chastity is a long and deeply layered topic in Islam. It has many branches, like a tree spreading out, and today we continue discussing its importance and the way Islam treats this concept. One of the main objectives of the Sharia is the protection of lineage (hifz…