By Sadiyya Patel
For some Muslim entrepreneurs, it seems as if success comes effortlessly, whilst others seem to struggle all the time. Why is it that given the same opportunity, one person succeeds and the other fails miserably? Why is it that some people seem to achieve more in one week than others do in one month?
Outwardly, these successful, productive Muslim entrepreneurs may not seem much different from anyone else. But upon closer inspection, they have several qualities that set them apart from everyone else.
Before we dive deeper into what those qualities are, let’s define what success and productivity really mean. We need to ask: is the successful entrepreneur the one who makes a lot of money forgetting all else, including their duty to Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He), their relationship with their loved ones and their health?
Well, the definition of success that we should consider true is not a one-dimensional one, measured only by the tangible amount of money you have. It’s a more holistic, well-rounded view instead, that places success in the Hereafter as the ultimate goal. No matter how “successful” we are in this world, if we have failed to achieve the pleasure of Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He), and thus, Paradise, we have failed.
Furthermore, our view of success should encompass all areas of a person’s life. Yes, certainly a successful business is part of it, but so are good relationships, health and overall happiness and life balance.
Our view of success should also be closely intertwined with productivity, the fruitful use of your time. A person may have millions of dollars in his bank account, but if he spends every second of his life just working to earn this money, is he really productive? Time is the currency of this life. When you think about it, time is really all you have. The time you have on this earth is what you spend to do good deeds and earn you a place in Paradise in sha Allah.
Now that you know just how closely related time is to your success or failure, wouldn’t the productive use of your time be of utmost importance? Of course, it is. That’s why I’ve focused on both productivity and success because you cannot have one without the other.
Now that you know what my definition of success is, let’s dive into what qualities and attitudes you need to develop in order to achieve it. I call them my 15 Golden Keys to success.
Golden Key #1: Make your business an extension of your imaan
The first key to productivity and success as a Muslim entrepreneur is to develop an awareness that both your worldly success and your success in the Akhirah are inextricably intertwined. In Islam, there is no conflict between the material and spiritual worlds…if handled correctly.
Earning a halal income should be viewed as an extension of your religious faith and as a religious obligation. After you have fulfilled your primary religious obligations, one of the most productive uses of your time is to use it to earn a halal income.
Golden Key #2: Put your duty to Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He) first
If you want ultimate success, you need to always put your duty to Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He) first. When it comes to fulfilling your religious obligations, your business should not stand in your way. This means that when it’s time to perform salah, you need to stop what you’re doing and head to the prayer room or masjid, without any worry that you are leaving your work as you are fully aware of the fact that Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He) is the One who provides sustenance.
Golden Key #3: Proudly embrace your Muslim identity
In a world that is becoming increasingly Islamophobic, and where anti-Muslim rhetoric spreads faster than a wildfire, don’t be afraid to be proudly Muslim. Be empowered by your faith, rather than ashamed or apologetic about it. And as you go about your business, always remember that you are an ambassador of Islam, so take great care to exemplify the conduct of Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). Honesty, integrity and good conduct should form the cornerstone of all your business dealings and interactions.
Golden Key #4: Use your time wisely
Successful Muslim entrepreneurs use their time wisely. Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He) has given everyone exactly the same number of hours in the day. But successful entrepreneurs seem to get far more done in that same 24 hours than the average person. In essence, they are far more productive. How is that possible?
The successful person is aware of the value of their time and they spend it on the things that matter. There are six aspects to maximum productivity and effective time management:
1. Know the value of your time
2. Outsource and automate
3. Prioritize
4. Focus
5. Have a clear start and end to your workday
6. Using leisure time constructively
Golden Key #5: Set and maintain high standards
If you want to be a successful Muslim entrepreneur then you need to set high standards for yourself, your products and your employees. Having high standards means that you are always striving to excel at what you do… to provide world-class products and superlative customer service. This attitude should permeate your entire organization and everyone should share the same vision.
Golden Key #6: Have a genuine desire to serve
Successful Muslim entrepreneurs are driven by a strong desire to help and serve people through their products and services.Your business will succeed to the extent that you provide value to the marketplace. The more value you provide, the more money you will make. It’s that simple.
Golden Key #7: Become a life-long learner
I’ve touched on this point briefly in the section on spending leisure time productively, but it’s so important that it bears repeating and expanding upon. If you really want to be at the top of your game, you need to become a lifelong learner.
Golden Key #8: Adopt a positive mindset
When problems crop up – as they inevitably will – you need to remain positive, upbeat and focused on solutions. Our motto should be the words of Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him),“How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him” [Sahih Muslim]
Golden Key #9: Develop a powerful vision that propels you forward
Develop a clear vision of what you’d like your business to look like and keep moving forward in that direction. And share that vision with your partners & employees in a way that inspires and motivates them as well.When everyone in your organization from the receptionist to the CEO, all share the same vision for the company, you will all become more productive, and the company as a whole will become more successful, In sha Allah.
Golden Key #10: Develop an attitude of abundance
Truly successful entrepreneurs have an abundance mindset. They don’t buy into the concept of scarcity because they know well that the treasures of Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He) are infinite and limitless. Just take a look at nature if you have any doubts. Can you count the number of stars in the sky? Or the drops of water in the ocean? Or what about the grains of sand in the desert? How about the blades of grass in your own garden?
Golden Key #11: Develop a spirit of co-operation rather than competition
When you come from a mindset of abundance rather than one of scarcity, you can approach your competitors in the spirit of co-operation rather than one of competition. In fact, you shouldn’t look at them as competitors at all. Look at them as potential partners instead. This opens the doors to opportunities for joint ventures and collaboration that wouldn’t have existed before. And when you have collaborators and partners instead of competitors, you are leveraging both yours and other people’s assets. This means that you can achieve much greater success than you could ever achieve on your own with far less effort. Now that’s what I call being super-productive.
Golden Key #12: Learn from your mistakes and never give up
If you read the biographies of successful people, you will notice a common thread. Most of them have often experienced several failures before they achieved success. But the key difference between successful Muslim entrepreneurs and unsuccessful ones is that the successful people learn from their mistakes and failures. And they never stop trying. If they fail, they look for the lesson contained in the failure and then, armed with that new knowledge, they pick themselves up, dust themselves off and try again. Always remember that whatever happens, Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He) has written our rizq for us, so what is meant for you will not miss you.
Golden Key #13: Give back
As a successful entrepreneur, you need to be cognizant of the fact that your success comes with a social responsibility to give back and to play a part in making the world a better place. As a Muslim, we have advantages in this dunya and the Hereafter as we know that giving in charity will only increase barakah in our lives.
Golden Key #14: Make decisions not from where you are now, but from where you want to be
Making decisions is always challenging. So how can you make decisions that boost your productivity and increase the odds of your succeeding? Wayne Gretzky, one of the greatest ice-hockey players of all time said: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.” So how does that apply to your business? If you want to set your business on the path of accelerated growth, start making decisions from a place of where you want to be, rather than from your current condition or circumstance.
Golden Key #15: Work hard and leave the final outcome to Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He)
Do the hard work that’s necessary to succeed, but remain fully aware that Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He) is the one in charge of the final outcome of your efforts. This will keep you humble and always grateful to Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He) for His many blessings, including the opportunities you have, for your intellect and for the unique abilities and talents that Allah has given you.
I want to conclude this final point by leaving you with a saying by billionaire businesswoman Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics – “Work like it all depends on you, pray like it all depends on Him.”
Editor’s Note: This article has been edited for brevity, read the complete article at the productivemuslim.com
SOURCE: The productive Muslim
