Skip to: Site menu | Main content

About

We believe that a true and comprehensive understanding of Islam would not be possible without careful recognition of the Prophetic Tradition and the Prophet's Household. And Allah is the Source of Strength.
 

How We View The World

" In my short career in business development, i learnt a reality of life which was so blatantly obvious out there but it took some lessons learnt for the realization to actualize.

Whatever investment is made, is prone to risk. No matter how much the risk is managed or mitigated or investigated, the final decision will always, always depend on our view of the market or the project.

An investor or group which has a positive view on the market will also undertake the risk associated with that market as compared to a group which does not believe in the growth of the market.

Growths of the market are sensitive to a hundred different variables which no one can control or predict, hence the view of the market will always be a best guess, based on prudent approach and the logical analysis of the scheme of things. There are no right or wrong answers, there are answers based on possibilities. 

For example, what will be the price of internationally traded crude oil 2 years from now? 2 Years ago it was more than USD 100 a barrel, today it is half that. One school of though will always believe the prices will increase tomorrow, one will have a counter belief whereas one view will be that the prices will remain constant, it is an argument vs an argument, a view vs a view, my word vs your word.

The people who make money in today's world, have the right argument, but it does not stop there, they also believe in their own argument for if they did not, they would not make such investments which reciprocate their views.

To simplify the correlation, religion or faith today, is our opinion, our view, an individual's choice. You can have a view that there is no God (and only time can tell or not tell) and I can have a view that there is a God (and only time can tell or not tell).

If your views do not form their rationality and foundation on the Quran and authenticated teachings of Prophet (SAW) (and his Ahlulbayt (AS)), then any investment that you make will be lost, because you made the wrong bet. If you developed the right view, but did not believe in it, you would not have invested in it and hence will make no money out of your view. And if you develop the right view and believe strongly in it to make your investment, you need to give your investment its natural gestation period before dividends or returns can be paid off.

This has been captured so precisely in Surah Asr, that surely all are in loss, Except those who believe (develop the right view) and do good and enjoin on each other truth (invest / act on their view), and enjoin on each other patience (wait for the right time for the dividends).

Imam Jaffar Sadiq's (AS) had implied by one of his sayings that the best form of tableegh is one where you do not require to use your tongue (so that your actions speak for you or that you believe in your own views).

Quran 57:27 states that the Christians themselves innovated monkery or monasticism, it was not prescribed to them. They introduced it as an initiative to seek Allah's pleasure. The language of the Quran then shows agitation against the same people because they themselves did not observe it with its due observance, they did not believe in their own view.

The foundation of Quran and authenticated teachings of Prophet (SAW) and his Ahlulbayt (AS) are based on knowledge, morals, ethics, excellence, rationality, cleanliness. Any fatwa etc (which is the view of a specific person, learned person or institute) which violates the sanctity of such a foundation is indeed flawed.

And we have seen many examples of bad investments made by renowned investor groups because they misread the market for the very reason that there are limitations (of acumen,  resources, farsightedness and knowledge (which is infinite)) .

If it is your view that Allah is just, then surely he will punish the oppressors and usurpers and those who have killed innocents and women and children (even in the name of religion). If it is your view that Hub e Ali is Rehmatallah, then surely Bughz e Ali (AS) will be lanatallah. If it is your view that Allah guides those who guard against evil (Quran 2:2) then surely you must guard yourself from your mental conditioning and desires before you expect of Allah's help and guidance to reach you.  "

Feel free to email your comments/replies to this article at author@sdol.org or post a message at our Forum, no registration Required.