Aslam

and commerce and earning livelihood. If he forgets it, he will when be ruined and he will be then one of those who sell their next world in lieu of this world, but the wise man is he who protects his capital. His real capital is his religion and matters relating to the next world. A certain sage said : The best commodity in this world to a wise man is what is absolutely necessary for him in this world. The necessary things in this world are praise-worthy in the next world. Hazrat Muaz-b-Jabal gave his death instruction by saying : What has been decreed for you from the fortunes of this world will surely come to you, but it is more necessary on your part to look to your fortunes of the next world. So begin your actions for the fortunes of the next world.
God says : Don't forget your portion in this world. In other words, don't forget the portion of your fate in the next world from your portion of fate of this world, as the world is a seed ground for the next world.

SEVEN THINGS MAKE THE RELIGION OF A BUSINESS MAN PERFECT

(1) Keep your faith firm and perfect and have good intent in business at the start of your business. Do business, with the objects of saving yourself from depending on others, to restrain from the greed of what is with the people, to remain satisfied with lawful earnings, to earn keeping on the paths of religion and to maintain family. Intend to do good to the Muslims and love for them what you love for yourself . Follow the path of equity, justice and Ihsan as mentioned above and join good and forbid evils you find in the market.

(2) Intend to be upon the duties of Farze Kafayah like trade, commerce, industry thinking that, if the various kinds of trade and industry are given up, it will be difficult for the people to manage their livelihood and the majority of the people would be destroyed. One people are responsible for one kind of work. If all remain busy in only one kind of work, all other works would remain idle and hence the people would be destroyed . With this object, the Prophet said : The difference of my people is a blessing. There is in Hadis: The business of cloth is the best of all your trades and the work of sewing is the best of all industries.
There is in another Hadis: Had the inmates of Paradise had trades, they would have the trade of cloth. Had the inmates of Hell had any trade, they would have carried on business of

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exchange of coins. There are four works in which there is fear of lessening of intellect-weaving of cloth, sale of cotton, weaving of thread and teaching, because in these works mostly women, boys and men of little intellect are engaged. As intellect ! increased in association of intellectuals, so also it lessens in association of less intellectual men.