IMG_0708IMG_0698It was the first time in past half a decade, that my husband was bringing a surprise cake for me and little ones, on his own. And half way through the tube in London, with a bag having Foret Noire cake from Paul-UK, that he double checked the dietary requirement to find out, the cake had alcohol. He had double checked from the sales person before buying, and even checked in the booklet containing list of ingredients but still, the mistake happened.

As a Muslim, alcohol is strictly forbidden in Islam. Not even the slightest minutest is acceptable to us. But what was he to do, half way to home?

 

He stopped at Kensington station, to get better signals for the mobile data, fortunately saw another branch of Paul-UK and popped inside the shop, to tell the manager his story.

The manager double checked everything, and then got him to choose from a £26.95 Croquet cake from the £14.5 he had paid for originally.IMG_0708

Come home, both him and I are enjoying the whole episode of not only yummiest, prettiest cake but also of excellent customer service.

Business is not about selling. It is not about making a customer. It is about making customer happy. Even if that means a short term loss. Making a one-off customer is easy. Retaining your hold is difficult. But with such stories like ours, Paul-UK didnt just make us a customer, they created a goodwill in our mind, and to many many others with writing it up. Its a win-win for both.

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Excellent business practices wins the heart. That is exactly what Islam teaches us. Amma khadija R.A sent a marriage proposal to Nabi kareem s.a.w after sending him for her trade activities and knowing of his practices. The sahaba R.A got many to convert to Islam, not because of their sword, but because of their deeds. And one of them was fine trade practices.

Look at the level of an honest businessman in a beautiful narration of Nabi kareem s.a.w  “The truthful, trustworthy merchant is with the Prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs.”

The nation of Prophet Shoib a.s was sent a torment of Allah SWT because of their evil practices in trade, amongst other reasons. They used to hide the faults in their merchandise. They were making profits in return for an eternity of loss.

(Read a learning from a live attended lecture by Zauja on Is Business deen or dunya?)

Having a small clothing business myself (Mishkah.Inc), I know how hard it is to stop myself from getting the ‘money’ when you have to unhide a fault. Or, you have to give facilities like exchanging, or even refunding. But my eyes are on making a customer happy and finding solutions for them, and ultimately on making Allah SWT happy. In this short life, I am like a fish outside the sea, but still breathing. Flapping the fins and gasping for every little possibility, be it as student of deen, a mother, a wife, a neighbor, or even a trades person that will become a source of my nijaat in aakhirah.

May Allah SWT accept our little efforts and give us according to His majesty and grandeur. Ameen.

Zauja Muhammad Ali

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