1. Special Podcast for Newcomers
Starting anything is naturally hard due to unfamiliarity, but most jobs remain difficult as you go on. However, trade is an extremely easy profession, and its start is not hard, even with Arad, making it accessible.
2. Special Article for Newcomers
The author explores the roots of career interest based on nature, emotion, and reason. He outlines the difference between rich and poor countries in making this choice and presents a theory to challenge the reader deeply.
3. The World of Export is in Your Hands
⏱️ 1 minute
4. Starting a New Market in Export
⏱️ 58 minutes
5. Kenya’s Representative at Arad Branding Factories
⏱️ 1 minute
6. Oman’s Representative in Iran
⏱️ 1 minute
7. Avoid Taking Loans as Much as Possible.
The word Qist is mentioned in the Book of God, which is the origin of the word Qisti, the installment we pay when we take loans. However, there is a significant difference between the concept of Qist in the sight of God and the Qisti (installments) we pay, which is often many times higher than the original amount borrowed, and they are in direct contrast to each other.
The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "I seek refuge in Allah from disbelief and debt."
It was said, "O Messenger of Allah, can debt be equated with disbelief?" He replied, "Yes."
It is also narrated from Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (peace be upon him) that he said:
"Debt is one of the forms of slavery."
He also said: "The abundance of debt turns the truthful into a liar and the trustworthy into a betrayer."
Those who are familiar with Arad know this well, but I mention this point for the newcomers: Arad, in its 18 years of operation, has never taken a single rial in loan from any bank, nor has any organization given it any grant, either with or without compensation.
8. Pull the Scales to Justice
However, Qist (meaning "justice," "fairness," or "equity") means accurate and fair measurement, which should be distributed justly and without any discrimination or unfairness.
God, in His book, has addressed the concept of Qist in various ways, especially in economic and financial matters.
If you remember, a few days ago we reviewed the verse 282 of Surah Al-Baqarah, where God commands that all debts, no matter how small or large, be written down, and you should not dislike this documentation, except when the transaction is cash-based and circulates among you.
Then, God explains the reasoning behind this, saying:
This is more just in the sight of Allah.
God also says in Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse 42:
Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.
In Surah Al-A'raf, verse 29, He says:
Say, "My Lord has commanded justice."
Prophet Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) said to his people, the people of Madyan:
And O my people, give full measure and weight in justice, and do not deprive people of their due. Surah Hud, verse 85
God commands us to use justice when weighing what we sell and reminds us of the Day of Judgment:
And We will set up the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so that no soul will be wronged in the least. Even if it is the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it, and sufficient are We as accountants. Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 47
God also commands His servants to act justly when weighing goods and products, as stated in:
Do not transgress in the balance.
And establish the weight in justice and do not make the balance deficient. Surah Ar-Rahman, verses 8 and 9
The emphasis is so strong that God revealed a whole chapter for those who shortchange others and do not act justly with the scales and measurements, called Al-Mutaffifin (The Defrauding).
And in the very first verse of that chapter, He says:
Woe to those who give less.
Now, the question arises, who are these people?
They are those who, when they take from people, they take it in full. Al-Mutaffifin, verse 2
But when they give or weigh for others, they reduce the quantity. Surah Al-Mutaffifin, verse 3
This is a very dangerous flaw in business.
You take money for a specific quantity of goods, but when you deliver the goods, God forbid, you reduce the quantity, even if it’s just a little, thinking the customer won’t notice.
Why is this so?
God says:
Do they not think that they will be brought forth? Surah Al-Mutaffifin, verse 4
Meaning, if someone truly believes that they will soon stand before God and will be held accountable for all their actions, they would never engage in such practices.
The matter of Qist is so significant to God that He considers it as part of establishing justice.
Just as He commands to "establish prayer" (Iqama as-Salat), He also commands to "establish justice" (Iqama al-Qist).
He commands all believers to be among those who uphold justice:
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice. Surah An-Nisa, verse 135
And knowing that there will be situations where only you and the one to whom you’re sending goods will be present, and there is a possibility of reducing the weights, God immediately adds:
As witnesses to Allah. Surah An-Nisa, verse 135
This means that those who seek to uphold justice have no higher motivation than to consider God as a witness and observer of their actions.
9. Who can be like this?
Look at all the pathways through which money can be earned in a general sense.
Some of them are based on knowledge.
All specialists in any field who earn good money have come through knowledge.
A person who becomes a medical specialist has done so through knowledge.
Someone who reaches a high level in hairdressing has extensive knowledge in this field.
Someone who excels in bodybuilding has profound knowledge of bodybuilding.
A person who achieves top positions in equestrianism has vast knowledge about horses and riding.
Someone who becomes globally famous in music has done a lot of scientific study in this field.
You will not find a specialist who has become wealthy through their expertise without having knowledge.
In contrast, there are also those who have no connection to knowledge.
These are the people who rise through cronyism and corruption.
They advance through favoritism and bribery.
They sit in positions by eliminating their competitors, either physically or non-physically.
And right after Prophet Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) advised the people of Madyan to uphold Qist, he immediately followed it by saying:
And do not spread corruption on the earth.
(Surah Hud, verse 85)
So, there are two groups of wealthy people.
One group rises with Qist through knowledge, and the other group becomes wealthy through corruption and decay.
We have both models.
Which group do you want to belong to?
The choice is yours.
If you want to be among those who uphold justice, never separate yourself from knowledge.
This is God's command, where He says:
And those who possess knowledge are the ones who uphold justice.
(Surah Aal-e-Imran, verse 18)
10. An Alarm for Aradi Traders
Most of you didn’t know much about business before joining Arad.
I make a prayer, say "Ameen":
O Lord, if there is anyone entering business with Arad but does not wish to increase their knowledge of business.
They don’t attend the business school.
They don’t listen to podcasts.
They don’t read the articles on the website or the texts.
And days pass, and their knowledge doesn’t grow. They are simply waiting to do business without knowledge.
O Lord, do not grant success in business to such people, for they will become part of the "hit-and-run" crowd, swindlers, and fraudsters. Arad was not established to provide society with dishonest and unskilled traders.
O Lord, make the business of those who do not take the science of business seriously ineffective, so they either confront their business with knowledge or abandon it altogether.
And bless those who seek the knowledge of business every day and strive to uphold justice in their trade.
11. An Important Question
A few days ago, I read in a comment from one of you, it was written as follows:
"I wonder what Arad has done that Arad traders don't have reports of fraud and theft, while outside of Arad, it's full of deception?"
Arad has tied business with knowledge, knowledge derived from the teachings of the Prophet.
A thief or a fraudster, as soon as they see Quranic verses on the website, they are so repelled by it that they never visit the site again.
So, who remains in contrast?
Those who have love for God and His Messenger in their hearts.
Thus, those who were deceitful were easily filtered out and left, and found no success in business.
And those who wanted to trade with honesty, purity, and trustworthiness remained and became successful traders.
If you want the honest truth, until the question of this esteemed person was raised, I didn’t know exactly why I had been instructed to always include a verse or hadith in every piece of writing. But when this question arose, I reflected and wondered why the honesty rate of Arad traders is so high, and reports of violations are nearly zero?
I realized that one of the effects of Quranic verses and hadiths is that they drive away the deceivers and fraudsters.
It was at that point that I became certain that the senior managers do not want everyone who enters business with Arad to become a trader, but they prefer those who are devoted to justice to become traders.
I haven't yet had the chance to share this insight with my dear managers to see if I understood correctly, but I firmly believe that my understanding is likely correct.
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