The news on Thursday, January 23

1. Special Podcast for Newcomers

2. Special Article for Newcomers

3. Arad Visual Documentation

⏱️ 1 Minute

4. Presence of the Indian Representative in Iran

⏱️ 1 Minute

5. How to Present a Product to Foreign Customers

⏱️ 16 Minutes

6. Presence of the Portuguese Representative in Iran

⏱️ 1 Minute

7. Business Meeting of UAE Representative with Aradi Traders of Promotion 9 and Above

⏱️ 7 Minutes

8. Foreign Offices of Arad Branding in Pakistan, Cameroon, and Gambia

⏱️ 1 Minute

Form for Utilizing the Capacity of Foreign Offices

9. Visit of the Senegalese Representative to Arad Branding Factories

⏱️ 1 Minute

10. A Proper Definition of the World

Heard someone condemning and blaming the world.

He said:

"O you who reproach the world while you yourself have been deceived by falsehood, and you rebuke the world while you are enamored by it.

Has the world wronged you, or have you wronged the world?

When did the world lead you astray, and when did it deceive you?

Did it mislead you with the graves of your fathers, who have laid to rest in the earth, or with the tombs of your mothers, who are buried therein?

While the world, with its instructive events, has informed you of its transience.

Indeed, the world is a place of truth for the truthful, a home of comfort for those who understand it, a source of wealth for those who gather provisions, a house of admonition for those who take heed, a mosque for the friends of God, a place of prayer for the heavenly angels, the place where the divine revelation descends, and a marketplace for the friends of God.

Yes, you read that correctly.

This is the speech of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, found in Sermon 131 of Nahj al-Balagha.

Indeed, the world is the marketplace of the friends of God.

11. Food or Clothing?

If you remember, yesterday we discussed the priority of a car over a house.

And we said that a car takes precedence over a house.

Now, let's present another question and, God willing, we will state a general rule.

Food or Clothing?

Imagine a poor person who can only afford to buy clothes and show himself to be neat and stylish, but as a result, he won't be able to eat good food and will have to stay hungry.

Or, he could spend that money on good food, but if he does that, he won’t be able to buy nice, beautiful clothes.

Which should he choose?

I’ll leave a few dots here so you can think carefully and then continue reading the text.

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When God wants to introduce a group of His dignified and approved poor, He speaks of them like this:

"[Charity is] for those in need, who, in Allah’s cause are restricted [from travel], and cannot move about in the land, seeking [For trade or work]: the ignorant man thinks, because of their modesty, that they are free from want. Thou shalt know them by their [Unfailing] mark: They beg not importunately from all the sundry. And whatever of good ye give, be assured Allah knoweth it well." Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:273

You’ve seen those who are weak and say, “We are weak because we were born in such and such a geographical area, and they consider us weak.”

In response, God says:

"They said, 'We were oppressed in the land.'"

"The angels said to them, 'Was not the earth of God vast enough for you to migrate in it?'" Surah An-Nisa, 4:97

This means that if your living conditions are not suitable, migrate.

However, the poor whom God praises and honors in His book are those who are confined in their own circumstances. They even lack the means for migration and travel costs, and they refuse to steal or engage in unlawful acts. Therefore, God has said “they were confined in the way of God”, meaning they were trapped due to their commitment to God’s path and didn’t resort to haram methods for making money. And He said “they cannot travel on the earth”, meaning they are unable to pay for the cost of moving or migrating.

Now, we want to answer the question we initially raised.

Should a poor person prioritize food or clothing?

God says about the dignified poor: “Anyone who does not know them would think they are wealthy.”

Now, tell me, did they prioritize food or clothing?

Exactly.

They prioritized clothing, which makes people think they are rich because they wear fine clothes.

But, Mr. Author, how do you know they sacrificed their food to afford clothes?

Because God said, “Thou shalt know them by their [Unfailing] mark.”

You recognize them by their faces, which show they are poor.

When a person wears clothes, the only part not covered by clothing is the face.

These poor people wear such fine clothes that you can’t tell they are poor.

However, since they haven’t had good food, the effects of this lack of nutrition are visible on their faces, which are not covered by their clothes.

The paleness, weakness, and thinness of their faces show that they do not eat well.

It was asked from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him):

Does God love the poor?

The Imam replied: Not all of them.

He was asked: Which ones does He love?

The Imam (peace be upon him) recited this verse.

He was asked: How can we know that He loves them?

The Imam replied: If He didn’t love them, He wouldn’t praise them, nor would He mention them in His Book.

He was asked: What trait of theirs does God love, which has made them the subject of praise and admiration?

The Imam replied: From their self-restraint, meaning their ability to abstain.

These are the people who thought to themselves that if they don’t wear good clothes or eat good food, people won’t notice their good diet, but they will notice their worn-out clothes and say, "Look at him, he claims to love God."

They would think, "Look how God doesn’t pay attention to him, and keeps him in poverty and need."

Thus, to the people, God might seem unkind toward them.

But if they wear good clothes, even though they don’t eat well, people won’t notice their lack of good food, but they will see their clothes and speak well of the God they worship, saying, "Look at him, he is a devout worshipper of God. How kind God is to him!"

So, they reflected on these two situations and preferred to wear good clothes while staying hungry.

Therefore, God praised their self-restraint and revealed this verse about them.

Then the Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Anyone who puts himself through hardship in order to make God appear kind in the eyes of the people, God will never abandon him, and soon He will guide him from poverty to wealth."

12. A General Rule

The God we worship is the one who prioritizes what is visible over what is unseen.

Do customers and suppliers see your car or the house you live in?

Well done, they see your car, so the priority is your car.

Do they see the food you eat or the clothes you wear?

Well done, they see your clothes, so the priority is your clothes.

Do they see your inner self or your outer appearance?

Well done, they see your outer appearance, so the priority is your appearance.

He is the God who, when introducing Himself, says:

"He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent." Surah Al-Hadid, 57:3

He has mentioned His outward self before His inward self.

Imagine someone eating the food his mother made for him, thanking God but not thanking his mother.

God says: "You do not thank your mother, who is right before your eyes, but you thank Me, who is unseen?!!!

I do not accept your gratitude."

And when you raise your hands in prayer, you recite this verse:

"Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire." Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:201

You see that good in the world is mentioned first, followed by the Hereafter.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was asked:

Why is the world mentioned before the Hereafter?

The Prophet replied: "He who has no livelihood in this world has no afterlife."

Livelihood (Ma'ishah) is derived from the root word "Aish", meaning pleasure or enjoyment.

And livelihood (Ma'ishah) refers to life and economic sustenance.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to his companions:

What do people say about "and protect us from the punishment of the Fire"?

They replied: "They say it refers to protection from the Hellfire."

Imam said: "These people, whom God described in His Book, first asked for the good of this world and then the good of the Hereafter. So how is it that they ask for protection from the punishment of the Fire in the Hereafter but do not ask for protection from the 'Fire' in this world?!!!"

They said: "You are right, O son of the Messenger of God. What is the punishment of the Fire in this world?"

Imam replied: "Poverty and an incompatible spouse."

13. It Was Written on the Back of a Pickup Truck...

A few days ago, our colleagues saw a pickup truck with a sentence written on the back of it, and they took a picture of it.

For a merchant, sorrow and joy have no meaning

I asked the person who took the photo: "Did you see the driver’s appearance?"

He said: "Yes."

I asked: "Was he dressed well?"

He said: "No, he looked very worn out, and his condition was not good at all. He seemed like someone who hadn't bathed for a couple of months."

I thought: "Oh God, this person understood the value of trade."

How much I feel for those whom God grants the opportunity to learn about trade, yet it never occurs to them to become merchants.