1. Tools for Permanent Growth
⏰ 63 minutes
2. Representative of Kenya in Arad Branding Supply Factories
⏰ 3 minutes
3. Business Meeting Between the Kenyan Representative and Aradi Traders, Promotion Level 9 and Above
⏰ 6 minutes
4. Arad Documentary
⏰ 3 minutes
5. Love Your Job.
⏰ 1 minute
6. How Should One Progress?
When you observe people, you see that each of them, to be fair, puts in considerable effort to progress. Yet, they don’t achieve the level of success they desire.
Not to mention that most efforts take place in the wrong direction, which drains a lot of their energy, but imagine that even if their efforts were in the right direction, you would still see that it did not align with human desires.
I want to introduce you to the concepts of individual progress and collective progress.
We all firmly believe that change is 100% necessary for progress.
If someone says, “I am who I have always been,” and expects to progress, their expectation is entirely misplaced.
There is a narration from Imam Reza (peace be upon him) that says: “If a person places their trust in God but does not strive for the matter they have trusted Him with, expecting results, they are mocking themselves.”
A similar narration conveys this idea:
“Whoever calls upon God but disregards the means He provides for the fulfillment of their prayer has not truly recognized God. This is because God does not answer directly; instead, He has agents on Earth who fulfill people's prayers on His behalf.”
Therefore, it’s evident that change is an inseparable part of progress. Without change, no progress is possible.
Now let’s assume there’s someone who is genuinely making an effort in the right direction and is also undergoing significant changes. Even so, they might still find that things don’t turn out as they desire.
At this point, they may complain, saying, “Oh God, didn’t You say You wouldn’t change people’s circumstances unless they changed themselves first?
I’ve made many changes in the right direction, so why haven’t I reached the position I deserve?”
This is where someone needs to tell them: “Oh dear one, could you please read that verse about God’s promise regarding change once again?”
Allow me to recite this divine word.
“Indeed, Allah does not change the condition of a nation (qawm) until they change what is in themselves.” Surah Ar-Ra’d, Ayah 11
Read this verse several times. It will help you better understand why those who change themselves and work hard in the right direction still might not achieve significant progress. If you still don’t grasp the concept, the writer will explain further.
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Pay attention to the word "nation" (qawm).
God states that He does not change the condition of any nation until the souls of that nation—that is, the individuals within it—change themselves.
Here, two very subtle points are present, which are the key to the ever-growing progress of the Aradis and also explain why many fail.
God’s promise pertains to a nation, not an individual.
Most people pursue personal advancements through individual efforts.
But God says that if you want to achieve constructive change, you must first become part of a nation.
As we previously discussed, the term qawm or nations means "steadfastness," which is from the same linguistic root as qiyam (standing or rising up).
God says that if you want Me, God, to bring change into your life, you must first join a nation—a group of people who strive collectively to transform their souls. Then, you will see that I will transform the condition of that nation.
Essentially, God’s blessings are reserved for communities.
You’ve surely heard the saying, “God’s hand is with the group.”
You’ve also heard how the reward of prayer increases manifold when performed in a congregation rather than individually.
Most of our people do not think about progress at all.
Those few servants of God who, in my view, are quite oppressed and wish to advance, often tread the path of change and growth alone.
Because they are alone, they do not receive that special divine favor.
The first secret of our progress as Aradis is that we are a nation.
Being a nation means being a group united by a common goal, led by a unified command, and driven by a shared mission, advancing on a singular path.
Our path is clear.
Our goals are clear.
Our position is clear.
We know where we stand.
So, God’s promise applies to nations, not individuals.
We are a nation solely focused on economy and trade.
And God says, “Well done for joining a nation!”
When examining addiction recovery, you see two scenarios: one where an individual tries to quit alone, and another where they join NA groups in rehabilitation clinics.
The difference between the two is vast.
Why do we view drug addiction as a destructive habit but fail to see poverty as equally ruinous?
For meaningful change, one must join a nation with a foundation for transformation. Individual change without being part of a collective will lack impact and effectiveness. God Himself states that His promise of support and victory is for nations, not individuals. If you weren’t part of a nation but made solo efforts, they would lack the divine backing.
There are countless narrations about the drawbacks of isolation, including a saying from Imam Sadiq (AS): “A lone human is prey to Satan.”
However, another critical subject regarding transformation is the essence of the change itself.
God says, "You have fulfilled the first condition correctly by joining a nation and desiring change."
But then comes the question: what do you aim to change?
If you say, “My hand,”
Or, “My speech,”
Or, “My foot,”
Or even, “My intellect,”
God replies, “All these are correct, but I seek a more significant transformation.”
You ask, “What do You seek, O Lord?”
God answers, “I want you to change your soul (nafs).”
For instance, when following up with a customer, what troubles you?
Is it your hand? No.
Your foot? No.
Your tongue? No.
Your intellect? No.
Where does it hurt?
Your soul (nafs).
God declares, “I have promised to transform the condition of a nation that transforms their souls.”
If before joining Arad, following up with a customer strained your soul, and today it still does, then you have not changed your soul.
I promise to transform the condition of a nation whose souls have changed.
Why do we confidently claim that Arad will progress continuously?
Is it because we’ve hired a skilled fortune-teller to reveal the future?
Absolutely not.
Do we have seers who inform us of this?
Not at all.
Do we rely on mystical books like Jafr?
By God, we do not.
So why do we say with such confidence and certainty that the progress of the Aradis will increase day by day?
Because we have faith in God’s promise.
God sets two conditions.
First: You must be a group, as He has little interest in individuals acting alone.
And we respond, “O Lord, see that we are a group.”
At least 1,400 of us leave comments daily, not to mention the many esteemed members who don’t comment but are active.
Last night’s meeting with Mr. Talia exceeded 1,000 participants at one point, leaving others unable to join because the room was full—at 10 to 12 PM!
If you tell anyone in the world about a nation gathering more than a thousand individuals for trade and economic purposes, they’d be astonished.
Google Meet, as older users may recall, originally had a maximum capacity of 500 participants. The first group to negotiate directly with Google to increase this capacity to 1,000 was the Aradis, a process that took about a month for Google’s R&D team to implement.
This demonstrates that no one before us had requested a 1,000-participant meeting capacity.
Thus, we fulfill the first condition of being a nation.
The second condition is that we must change our souls, and this is exactly what we are doing every day.
O Lord, look at our business enterprise owners! Despite facing daily denials from the public, they persist, leaving their souls humbled.
Look at our traders! They relentlessly follow up with customers, subduing their egos.
Ninety-five percent of their families, according to their own surveys, do not support them until they achieve large-scale businesses. Instead, they are met with sarcasm and ridicule every day, leaving them with no energy or will to resist.
And even if any remnants of ego remain, O Lord, You are witness that I, as the writer, occasionally use my words to admonish these noble individuals who stand firm on Your path. With those words, I reduce whatever is left of their egos to dust.
For this reason, we hope Your promise regarding us is fulfilled and that we become the nation whose souls have transformed, so You also bring transformation to our lives.
Let us pray, and say Amen.
O Lord, we have changed to the extent of our limited ability, but do not transform our lives merely in proportion to our efforts. Instead, let Your transformation be commensurate with Your grandeur and majesty.
7. Incorporate this principle into your negotiation, and witness its remarkable results.
You want to start the negotiation.
In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Before you begin, if I ask you a question, will you answer it honestly and sincerely?
Truly, if the person you are negotiating with agrees to everything you propose and says "Yes" to you, how much goodness and prosperity would they gain?
You don’t need to answer me—answer this question for yourself.
Can you honestly say that if this person collaborates with you, they will gain immense benefits, and if they don’t, they will face a great loss?
Be truthful with yourself and answer.
Look at Arad.
Look at the business enterprise owners.
Out of every hundred people, only three accept and step into the world of trade.
Arad is 100% certain that these three people achieve significant success, while the 97 who rejected the opportunity suffer irreparable losses in their lives, even if they don’t realize it.
This is Arad's certainty.
Do you have this same level of confidence in your trade?
For the product you are working with, can you make the same claim as the one I just stated?
Can you say, “If you don’t collaborate with me, you’re depriving yourself of immense goodness”?
Or, “If you collaborate with me, you will achieve an indescribable level of success”?
Here, I divide you into two groups, as the responsibility for these groups differs.
The first group: Those who say, “Yes, I can make such a claim because I am certain this is true about myself.”
The second group: Those who say, “No, I cannot make such a claim because it’s not true, and if I were to say such a thing, I would know in my heart that I’m lying.”
My message is to the first group, esteemed individuals who have worked hard and raised yourselves and your brand to a level where you can make such bold declarations.
Why don’t you proclaim this boldly?
Why don’t you firmly and confidently make such promises during negotiations?
Now that you’ve become so valuable, why negotiate in a loose and half-hearted manner?
State boldly: "If you collaborate with me, your life will transform completely.
If you take my product and sell it, you will earn profits unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard of."
Just last night, I attended a meeting by Mr. Talia and watched a video he shared. In it, when an Arab customer told Heshmat Ferdos, "I haven’t tasted this before," he confidently replied: "No one has tasted it, no one has even heard of it." Such a bold declaration meant: by collaborating with me, you will reap immense profits, and by cutting ties with me, you will incur significant losses.
Even among business enterprise owners, there are those who, when inviting people to trade, fail to convey the true scale and significance of their business. If you ask the other party, "Based on the explanation this person gave, how large do you think their company is?" they might respond, "It seems like a small start-up with at most 20 employees."
Well then, why couldn’t you communicate the grandeur and greatness of Arad to this person?
The answer is clear: because you yourself haven’t yet reached that level of certainty.
It takes exactly six months for an enterprise owner to become effective at their job.
Isn’t Arad the same Arad?
Yes, it is.
It’s the person who needs time to realize the immense treasure they have in their hands.
So, today’s key takeaway is this: Those of you who have elevated yourselves to a position where collaboration with you leads to growth, progress, and profit, and rejecting collaboration results in loss and harm—state this firmly in your negotiations.
Don’t say, “The other party hasn’t seen it yet, so I shouldn’t say anything.”
Have you seen Heaven or Hell?
No.
But God, with absolute certainty, speaks of them so decisively that when we consider committing a wrongdoing, we vividly imagine that burning fire right before our eyes—despite never having seen it, only heard of it.
This is God’s promotion strategy: He stirs and motivates us with the promise of Heaven and Hell.
Of course, God Himself says that these promises only affect the believers, and no matter how much you try to scare or comfort the others, it doesn't make a difference, as they are only like cattle;- nay, they are worse astray in Path. Surah Al-Furqan, verse 44.
So, you too should increase your effort to promote your customers in negotiations.
You must speak in such a way that if I do not want to cooperate with you, I will not be able to sleep at night and will see myself in great loss.
You must speak in such a way that when I want to give you money, I see myself at the beginning of the road to happiness and prosperity.
However, the second group are those who say that we have not reached such a point where we can even say to ourselves that if the other party cooperates with us, they will be saved, and if they do not, they will be doomed.
In fact, we may believe that cooperating with us will lead them to misfortune, and cooperating with others brings them closer to salvation.
Do not lose hope in yourself at all, my dear ones.
There is no problem.
You have just entered business, and you should not be worried or discouraged about this at all.
We will fix it together.
No brand is the same in its first year as it is in its fifth.
To make such a claim, we must create an advantage.
Look at this very trade.
What did God do to make trade stand out?
He placed advantages in it that He did not place in other professions.
Nine-tenths, that is, 90% of wealth is placed in trade, while in other professions—of which there are more than ten thousand—only 10% is placed in total.
This is what makes it an advantage.
It means something that exists in business but not in others.
An advantage is something that exists in you but not in others.
God placed two-thirds of intellect in trade, and according to His infallible ones, He said that anyone who does not enter business should forget about those two-thirds and focus on the remaining one-third.
He gave job security to trade, which He has not given to any worker, employee, or free profession.
He gave such prestige, status, and social rank to trade that if you claim any profession, people will accept it, but if you say you are a merchant, they might mock you. This is because business holds such a high status that people do not easily accept it.
He placed all these advantages in business and not in other professions. Then, through His book, His Prophet, and His Imams, He began making promises about trade to promote and elevate people.
Trade is mentioned nine times in the Qur’an, while other professions are mentioned only nine times in total, and each other profession is mentioned only once.
In the Qur’an, you do not find a profession called teaching.
You do not find a profession called the stock market, cryptocurrency, forex, and these made-up things, while God had no hesitation in saying that in the end times, professions would emerge in which the salvation of humanity would lie.
If there were indeed salvation in these professions, God would have informed us about them in His book, the same God who has not neglected anything, big or small, in His book. Surah Saba, verse 3.
So, when He has not even mentioned something, it means there is no good or economic blessing in it, otherwise He would have made it known.
Therefore, we know that if we want to be a source of goodness, such that not cooperating with us would lead to loss for an individual, we must first create an advantage.
Once we create these advantages, we will see that gradually we turn into a unique personality and brand.
This advantage can be in ourselves, our product, our employees, the way we collaborate, and anything else.
But it requires time, thought, and hard work for these advantages to be created step by step.
It’s not overnight.
Gradually, you will create advantages within yourself and rise.
Look at Arad.
Did we have these foreign representatives, who now come to Iran as if it were their aunt's house, three years ago?
No.
But today, we have created them.
Did we have showrooms and foreign offices four years ago?
No, but today we do.
Certainly, in the future, we will have things in Arad that we do not have today.
All these things must be created over time, and when God sees that we are growing our people, He will bless us.
So, strive to create advantages.
Once you have created advantages, you will become like the first group.
Now, you must speak firmly and confidently in the negotiation.
And the second-to-last point refers to the beautiful hadith of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) who said:
"The fearful merchant is deprived, and the courageous merchant is blessed with abundant sustenance."
Courageous comes from the root "jusr," meaning a bridge, which refers to someone who creates a bridge over every obstacle and passes through.
Courage means a spirit of standing firm and fighting against any danger.
Let’s be courageous and firmly claim and make sincere promises that the provision and sustenance that God has for His merchants lies in this.
And as for my final point, is there any hadith that says, for example, a teacher with a certain trait has less sustenance, and a teacher with another trait has abundant sustenance?
Or that a builder with such-and-such a trait has less sustenance, and a builder with another trait has abundant sustenance?
You only see such recommendations made by our Imams regarding traders. There is no such recommendation for other professions.
Why?
Because the other professions do not have a specific provision tied to them that the Imam (peace be upon him) would say, 'If you are like this, you will become wealthy,' because there is no wealth in them.
When all other professions combined hold only 10% of the world's wealth, it becomes meaningless to say, for example, that a driver with such-and-such a trait has less sustenance, and a driver with another trait has abundant sustenance.
That is why for other professions, only general characteristics are mentioned, and no profession is singled out by name. For example, the infallibles (peace be upon them) have all agreed in saying:
'Pleasant disposition increases sustenance.'
That is to say, whether you are a builder, carpenter, or mechanic, if you have good character, your sustenance will increase. And certainly, this advice is even more impactful for traders.
But when it comes to specific advice about a profession, aside from trade, we do not see or hear such recommendations from the infallibles (peace be upon them).
Praise be to God that we are in the right place, with the right people, and on the right path, and we are happy with this.
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