The news on Friday, November 22

There are insights within the history of Karbala that only a trader can fully comprehend.

Take the example of Zuhayr ibn Al-Qayn Al-Bajalī, who was initially a follower of Uthman’s caliphate and an admirer of Muawiyah. Immersed in trade, he avoided involvement in the political conflicts of his time.

It is reliably narrated that during the events of Karbala, Zuhair ibn Qayn coincidentally found himself traveling on the same route as Imam Hussein’s caravan. Unwilling to confront the Imam directly, Zuhair took deliberate steps to avoid any interaction. Whenever the Imam halted for rest, Zuhair chose to continue his journey, and when the Imam resumed his march, Zuhair would stop and delay. This calculated effort was to ensure that he would not have to face Imam Hussein or engage in a conversation about joining the war against Yazid.

Until fate unfolded, and at one of the waystations, he shared lodging with the Imam. A messenger came from the Imam's tent to the tent of Zuhair and invited him to his presence.

Initially resistant, Zuhair was persuaded by his wife, Dalham, who urged him to at least hear what the son of Fatimah had to say.

Zuhair said, "If I go and do not respond, I do not know how I will answer the Prophet on the Day of Judgment for leaving his son alone in such a dire situation."

Delham said, "Even if you do not go, people will say that Zuhair was afraid, and whenever they want to call a coward like a mouse, they will say, 'Zuhair ibn Qain' instead."

This remark deeply offended Zuhair, so reluctantly, he stood up and went to the Imam.

However, when he returned, he was no longer the same Zuhair.

He had left upset, but he returned joyful, joined the Imam’s army with love, fought valiantly in Karbala, and ultimately achieved martyrdom.

It is narrated that the Imam, peace be upon him, showed him his place in Paradise through two of his fingers.

Is this not an example of the Imam using a promise as a method?

Is this not a type of promotion that transformed Zuhair?

It is narrated that during the battle, Umar ibn Sa'd spoke to Zuhair, saying, "Zuhair, you are a merchant engaged in commerce. Why have you come to fight?"

Zuhair responded, "I have found in martyrdom alongside Hussain a trade whose profit cannot be compared to the profits of my prosperous business. Thus, martyrdom alongside Hussain has become more desirable to me."

It is also narrated that on the morning of Ashura, the Imam, peace be upon him, said to Zuhair, "Why are you sitting?"

Zuhair replied, "My Imam, what should I do?"

The Imam said, "Bring your goods, spread your wares, and sell your merchandise."

Zuhair responded, "My Imam, in such a state, knowing that its profit will not benefit me and that these goods will not remain for their buyers?"

The Imam replied, "God loves trade and commerce, and He has mercy on those who work. He dislikes those who are idle.

I wish for God to see you working until the moment of your last breath."

Now the question arises:

You, esteemed individuals, are merchants, and you understand that merchants, due to possessing higher intellect compared to the general society, do not accept words from just anyone.

In your opinion, who was Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) that even the rebellious Zuhair softened toward him?

According to historical studies, Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) was the greatest textile merchant of his time.

You must have heard that his garments were removed from his body because he wore expensive clothing.

Even prominent figures like Sayyid Ibn Tawus have reported that Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) returned to the tent and changed his clothes before entering the battlefield.

When Lady Zaynab asked him why he changed his garments, he replied, "I fear my clothes, due to their high value, might be taken from me."

Nonetheless, even that simpler attire of the Imam was considered valuable to the destitute and impoverished army of Umar ibn Sa'd, and they showed no mercy toward it either.

If you've heard that the tents were attacked, it was because some of the tents contained valuable clothing and fabrics.

If you've heard that they did not spare the earrings and anklets of the women, it was because Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) had purchased precious jewelry for his sisters and daughters.

Wealth and affluence flowed from the household of Prophethood, while poverty and deprivation were the hallmark of those vile individuals who attacked the Imam's camp.

I do not know what perception you hold of the household of the Prophet, but if you research a little, you will realize that anyone who saw Imam Hussain's caravan from afar understood that it was a caravan of nobles, aristocrats, and wealthy individuals. On the other hand, anyone looking at Yazid's army could see that it was a group of the poor, the beggars, and the destitute.

Here, as the writer, I must say: perhaps the reason why the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Imam Ali (peace be upon him) strongly emphasized commerce to the Arabs was that, had they been merchants, they would not have united under Yazid's meager payment to kill the son of Zahra.

Interestingly, many of Imam Hussain's companions, such as Muslim ibn Awsaja, Habib ibn Muzahir, Wahb ibn Abdullah al-Nasrani, and many other martyrs of Karbala, were also engaged in trade.

Mukhtar (may God have mercy on him), the avenger of Imam Hussain's blood, was also a honey merchant. Unfortunately, this aspect was not addressed in the tv series; otherwise, where do you think he obtained the honey to mix into the saltwater, sweetening it without anyone among his companions noticing?

You respond to a customer when, as we mentioned, it's best that your energy level is higher than theirs.

However, there are times when a customer reaches out, and you’ve said that you can’t respond right now, but then you forget about it.

Or, they’ve sent a message that you haven’t even seen for a long time, or you’ve seen it but haven’t replied, and so on.

In short, the time to respond as expected by the customer has passed.

Now, you remember today.

If you approach them with the same energy as before, you won’t get a response.

Why?

Because every customer has an initial temperature when they message you.

For example, customer A has a temperature of 42 degrees. 😁

You’ve likely heard that traders are called the kings of their businesses.

For example, they refer to someone as the "King of Pistachios," the "King of Saffron," or the "King of any other product."

Whether we want it or not, each of us is a king in our own life.

Some have a weak reign, while others have a strong one.

Some rule over lands, fields, and territories, while others reign over hearts.

In this discussion, we mention Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), and in many poems and prayers, we refer to him as a king.

We call Imam Reza "Al-Sultan Aba al-Hasan."

While these great figures never ruled over any piece of land during their blessed lives, it's true that they never ruled over the earth, but they were kings of the hearts of their passionate followers.

One of the powers of kings is to give orders, and a king is only a true king when people, upon hearing his command, eagerly say, "We hear and obey."

What value does it have to have a king who gives orders but is not obeyed?

If having lands and territories is the goal, how much of the earth can a king personally live on?

To prove the kingship of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), imagine that you are in a very heavy situation—complaining about someone or demanding money, or even seeking revenge, or you have the right to exact punishment on someone.

If the mayor of your town says to you, "Forgive this money or blood," would you say "Yes"?

What if the governor said it?

What if a member of parliament or the president said it?

Would you give up that money or blood?

No, you wouldn’t.

Now, what if someone like Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas (a companion of Imam Hussein) told you, "Forgive this money or blood"? What would your response be?

Could anyone dare to speak against Abbas's words?

Unconsciously, we would say, "Yes, my master."

I swear that the kingship of Abbas is more powerful than the kingship of all rulers.

Imam, of course, is unmatched, and his status is beyond description.

Why am I saying all this?

Each of us has a business, which is like our kingdom, and every day we strive to expand our domain and increase our influence within it.

Every day, we should sit down and think about the way of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). What did this great man do to win our hearts so deeply that we unconditionally acknowledge his kingship over our hearts, souls, and bodies?

If we take lessons from his principles and apply them in our dealings with others, others will also recognize our kingship in their hearts.

Imam Hussein is the Imam for everyone, but for us, the people of Arad, in addition to everything he is for others, he is also a teacher in commerce.

He is our mentor in our businesses.

He is our model in our exports.

If we truly believe this and learn from his behavior, we will undoubtedly have a more expansive and influential domain.

The word "king" has an equivalent in Arabic, which is "Sultan."

"Sultan" comes from the root S-L-T.

Other words you may have heard, such as "tasallot" (dominance), "musalat" (dominant), "saltanat," and so on, all come from this same root.

Do you want to know how dominance is achieved?

Take a look at the supplication of Amir al-Mu'minin in the Mosque of Kufa.

In this supplication, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) relates each quality he attributes to himself with a similar attribute for Allah.

For example, he says:

You are the Living, and I am the dead, and who but the Living can have mercy on the dead?

This means the dead are revived through connection with the Living.

You are strong, and I am weak.

This means the weak become strong through connection with the strong.

Now, regarding our discussion:

You are rich, and I am poor.

So, the poor are meant to reach wealth through the path of the rich.

Now, the question is: How does one achieve dominance over customers, where we capture their hearts and souls so that they recognize no one but us?

In this supplication, Imam says:

My Lord, O My Lord, You are the Sultan and I am ..., and who can show mercy except the Sultan?

The ellipses are there for you to pause and think.

What word do you think should go in those places?

The path to achieving this sovereignty, where does it pass through?

I will leave a few dots for you to think about and, unknowingly, your eyes will not find the answer. Then, come down and I’ll provide the answer.

Imam Ali (AS) says:

"My Master, O my Master, You are the Sultan and I am the tested one, and who can show mercy to the tested one except the Sultan?"

Tested. (Mumtahan)

What does it come from?

M, H, N.

You must have heard this word: Test.

"Mumtahan" means one who has been tested.

"Mahn" means to examine.

"Mumtahan" means someone who has been experimented on.

Tests and examinations lead to mastery.

If Arad tests you every day, it's not because they want to make things hard for you, but because they want to increase your mastery.

It is because of this mastery that your business influence in your domain grows more powerful.

It is because of this mastery that your domain expands.

So, take the tests seriously as they will greatly accelerate your growth.

If you believe that these seemingly simple tests will bring a magnificent future for you, you will find that soon, you will first take the test, then read articles on the website, leave comments, and then move on to the rest of your tasks.

And how hard it is to change your beliefs.

How beautifully Imam Ali (AS) said this bitter truth:

"Changing beliefs is harder than moving mountains."

And there is only one way to make it easier: you have to help yourself and change. Otherwise, if we try to change it, it is like moving mountains, and I, as a writer, do not have the power to do this unless you want to change and make it happen.