The win win deal

In Surat Fatir, Allah Almighty praises those who recite the Book of Allah, reflecting on it and putting its teachings into practice.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ
Those who recite the Book of God, and perform the prayer, and spend of what We have provided for them, secretly and publicly, expect a trade that will not fail. (35:29)
Recite
The first things Allah Almighty mentions in this verse is those who recite Allah’s Book. All prophets and messengers invited their nation to do this – recite Allah’s book and apply the revelation in their life. Our message is the final message. Allah Almighty completed and perfected this message.
It is a form of worship to read Allah’s words, and another form of worship to apply it, and a yet another to disseminate it and teach it. These are three different things.
Recitation is not merely something we should do for the sake of it. The Book was revealed to be applied. It is not good hanging a certificate on the wall and not practising what you got it for – whatever it was. Therefore, the Book of Allah has to be applied.
Establish salah
The next thing second thing Allah praises are those who establish prayer. He used the words aqamu as-salah (establish prayer) not pray. This means He is referring to those who pray properly according to the pillars. They do not pray in a robotic, autopilot or supersonic way. This is no the salah Allah is referring to here. Allah is referring to the salah which straightens out your life as iqama means to straighten something which is bendy. Thus salah is supposed to make our lives straight.
Spend
The third thing Allah Almighty mentions here is spending – whether it is paying zakat or giving sadaqa or supporting others. This goes against our internal desire to hoard money. Allah Almighty is asking us to spend because He gave us the wealth. It was not ours and we did not acquire it through our own intellect and muscles, it was Allah who granted it to us.
Those who perform all three of these have made a deal with Allah which will always be successful and profitable. The people of Makkah and Madina were business-minded, they wanted to be prosperous and Allah speaks their language and appeals to this aspect of their thinking.
In life, there is no business which never makes a loss, however if you go into business with Allah you will never lose. It is the best business.
Depending on which project you invest in, your profit might be 10% or more or less, but when you partner with Allah in business with Allah your profits will soar in massive multiples.
May Allah enable us to do business with Allah. Ameen
Shaykh Haytham Tamim Tarawih
- Growing up as a young Muslim (part 2)
- Growing up as a young Muslim (part 1)
- Being good neighbours
- Mirroring the Prophet (peace be upon him)
- Knowing Allah through His Beautiful Names – Al Jameel, Al Jaleel, Al Kareem

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