1. Practical Meetings of Specialized Commissions
From now on, practical meetings of the specialized commissions of the Policy Council will be held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10:00 to 11:00 PM.
The eight specialized commissions of the council come to the aid of traders to boost their businesses.
- Branding: Increasing leads and signals for traders
- Independent Media: Building credibility for traders with their customers and suppliers
- Supply of Goods: Providing the products traders need for their businesses.
- Logistics: Transporting and delivering goods from origin to destination
- Financial Transactions: Building trust for domestic customers and addressing transaction challenges under sanctions
- Management: Enhancing traders' managerial performance in individual and organizational behaviors
- Information: Increasing traders' business knowledge
- Communications: Expanding traders' internal and external connections in constructive economic and non-economic contexts
2. Special Podcast for Newcomers
How can I select a business product based on the geographical region, city, or village where I live to maximize my profit?
Download the podcast: Choosing a Product Based on Your City
3. Special Article for Newcomers
4. Report on the Policy Council Meeting of Arad Branding
⏳ 18 minutes
5. Authority in Trade
⏳ 56 minutes
6. Arad Branding in 60 Seconds
⏳ 1 minute
7. The Niger Representative with Aradi Traders
⏳ 5 minutes
8. Business and Holidays
In all professions, there are weekly holidays, and the specific days vary across countries.
Some countries observe Friday as a holiday, others Friday and Thursday, and many observe Sunday or Saturday and Sunday as weekends.
In addition to these, there are also occasional holidays in every country, which is a common practice.
But the question is: what is the true essence of these holidays for a trader?
For Muslims, Friday is considered the weekly day of rest. A reflection on Surah Al-Jumu'ah, verse 9, reveals Allah's guidance:
"O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday [the Day of Assembly], hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah, and leave off business [and traffic]: That is best for you if ye but knew!"
Then Allah continues:
"And when the Prayer is finished, then may ye disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah: and celebrate the Praises of Allah often [and without stint]: that ye may prosper."
In the final verse of Surah Al-Jumu'ah, Allah further states:
"But when they see some bargain or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it, and leave thee standing. Say: “The [blessing] from the Presence of Allah is better than any amusement or bargain! and Allah is the Best to provide [for all needs].'"
9. The Profession of Believers During the Prophet’s Time
The first question is: What was the profession of the believers addressed by Allah in this verse of His Book?
If they were laborers, Allah would have said, "When you are called to prayer, hasten to Allah and leave your labor."
If they were teachers, He would have said, "Hasten to Allah and stop your teaching."
If they were investors or involved in activities like trading stocks, He would have said, "Hasten to Allah and abandon your investments."
However, none of these professions are addressed, even though such occupations certainly existed during the Prophet’s time.
Instead, Allah states: "Hasten to Allah and leave trade."
As we know, trade (Bay‘) refers to buying and selling, which is considered the simplest and most fundamental form of business.
This implies that Allah specifically addressed the group of believers who were traders, calling them in a VIP and exclusive manner to attend Friday prayer, inviting them directly to the Prophet’s side.
Don’t you feel delighted that your Lord has specifically invited you, as a trader, to Friday prayer, giving you a special status, and did not mention any other profession?
10. Wasn’t Friday Supposed to Be a Day Off?
If the traders during the Prophet’s time were already taking Friday off, what need was there for Allah to tell them to leave their trade and buying and selling for prayer on Friday?
This clearly shows that they did not stop their trade or business activities on Fridays, and that is why Allah specifically commanded them to abandon their buying and selling for the sake of attending Friday prayer.
11. Should All Hours of Friday Be a Day Off?
If we closely examine the verse, Allah commands believers to leave trade when the call for Friday prayer is made.
We know that Friday prayer includes an adhan (call to prayer), after which the Imam delivers two sermons.
Allah did not instruct to cease trading from the beginning of Friday but rather only from the moment the adhan is proclaimed.
Some may argue that by the time one hears the adhan, gets ready, bathes, dresses in clean clothes, and reaches the sermon, the prayer might already be over.
But my dear, these are traders. A trader has already bathed and dressed in clean clothes early in the morning. The moment the adhan is called, they immediately leave for prayer without any need for additional preparation.
This indicates that traders are engaged in their business on Friday mornings as well.
When Friday prayer arrives, they are commanded to leave their trade and attend prayer.
Now the question arises: What happens after the prayer?
Let’s look at the next verse.
"And when the Prayer is finished, then may ye disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah."
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), commenting on this verse in Tafsir al-Burhan, states that seeking Allah’s bounty refers to continuing one’s trade.
Therefore, even after Friday prayer, there is no break from trade.
At this point, those accustomed to the mindset of labor or office jobs, with a habit of taking regular breaks, might wonder: “Then when do we get a day off?”
12. Why Do You Seek a Day Off?
Isn’t the purpose of taking a day off to enjoy yourself?
Isn’t it to relax and engage in entertainment and leisure?
Traders, however, enjoy themselves every day, not just on designated holidays when laborers and employees are taking breaks.
Some might question, "Where do you get this idea from?"
Let’s carefully examine the last verse of Surah Al-Jumu'ah.
"But when they see some bargain or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it, and leave thee standing."
If trade and amusement were two distinct things, the verse would have said, “rushed to them (ilayhima),” using the dual pronoun.
Instead, it uses “rushed to it (ilaiha),” which refers to something singular and feminine.
Between trade (feminine) and amusement (masculine), the feminine refers to trade. Thus, they rushed to trade, not to amusement. If they had rushed to amusement, the verse would have said “ilaih,” the masculine form.
So, what role does amusement play when the focus is entirely on trade?
This implies that amusement is inherently part of trade.
Trade and its associated leisure are not two separate entities.
A trader’s life is full of enjoyment within the trade itself.
While others take days off to travel, a trader doesn’t need such breaks.
A trader can travel anytime they wish.
Aradi traders know that even on business trips, they can bring along their spouse and children. Typically, only an hour or two of the day is dedicated to business meetings, leaving the rest of the time free. During these meetings, the family can enjoy the luxurious amenities of the hotel, such as the pool, gym, dining hall, or even explore the hotel’s marketplace.
Because we are accustomed to an employee’s or worker’s lifestyle, this trader-centric way of life might seem unfamiliar or even strange to us.
13. Conclusion
Thus, we understand that the profession of the believers whom Allah mentions in His Book is trade. For those who criticize Arad for focusing so much on trade while seemingly neglecting other professions, let us remind them that Allah Himself has ignored all other professions when it comes to Friday prayer, exclusively addressing traders.
Go ahead and question Allah—why has He elevated trade to such a high status while not even mentioning other professions in this context?
We also established that there is no break from trading before or after Friday prayer.
We explained that employees and laborers seek holidays for entertainment and leisure, while for traders, entertainment is inherently part of their daily lives. Traders do not need to wait for Friday to enjoy themselves—they experience leisure throughout the week.
Oh, how delightful it is to have a Lord who has made trade so special and exclusive, to the extent that He overlooks others in the presence of traders—even though the majority of people are not traders.
Because Allah is self-sufficient and does not need His creations, He declares: "I, as God, prefer traders. If you want to be within My circle of attention, engage in trade. Otherwise, I will not mention you."
And so, Allah has mentioned trade nine times in His Book, while referencing only nine other professions, each mentioned just once.
14. Another Evidence of the Bond Between Trade and Amusement
To further reinforce the inseparability of trade and amusement, let us refer to this verse from the Book of Allah.
"Men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah." Surah An-Nur, Verse 37
The first question: What is the profession of these devout men?
Trade and sale.
Why?
Because if they were drivers, Allah would have said, "Men whom driving does not distract from the remembrance of Allah."
So, they were traders, as Allah said, "Their trade and sale do not distract them from the remembrance of Allah."
Anyone who seeks the truth and reflects upon this verse would say, "I too should become a trader."
But one whose eyes are blind to the truth and refuses to turn to trade will sink into deep resentment and perish in frustration.
Now, let’s focus on the word "tulhihem".
The "hem" at the end refers to them, meaning the traders.
The "t" at the beginning is to indicate the present tense.
What remains is "lhi", derived from the same root as amusement (lahw). In Arabic, instead of saying "tulhwuhum", which is harder to pronounce, they say "tulhihem".
Thus, the precise meaning of the verse is:
"No amusement inherent in trade and sale distracts these devout trading men from the remembrance of Allah."
O Allah, we are grateful to You.
O Messenger of Allah, we thank you.
O Commander of the Faithful and the noble family of the Prophet, we are indebted to your guidance.
We are grateful to you, dear President, for founding Arad and introducing us to the world of trade.
To our dear senior managers, who inspire us every day to persevere in trade, we express our gratitude.
You introduced us to trade, which is cherished by Allah, and stood by us until we became traders.
We, in turn, promise never to treat any day as a holiday and to strive relentlessly in the path of trade.
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