Al Salam Alaikum 🌱 

⚠️ The Danger of Constant Motion

There’s no denying that in today’s hyper-connected business world, we’ve been conditioned to believe that “success” comes from constant action.

We check email before our fajr prayers, attend back-to-back meetings, and pride ourselves on our packed schedules. Respond instantly to messages. Make quick decisions. Push forward relentlessly.

But what if this relentless pace is actually hindering our ability to make wise decisions?

The Noble Quran offers a different paradigm- one where wisdom emerges not from frantic activity, but from thoughtful contemplation and deep reflection.

📖 The Quranic Foundation for Contemplative Business

Allah (SWT) repeatedly calls us to reflection throughout the Quran:

The Arabic word “yatafakaroon” (give thought) appears throughout the Quran, emphasizing deep contemplation as a pathway to understanding.

For faith-first entrepreneurs, this suggests that our best business insights may come not during our busiest moments, but during our quietest ones.

🪨 The Prophet’s Practice of Solitude

Before receiving his prophetic mission, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would regularly retreat to the cave of Hira for contemplation. This wasn’t escape from responsibility- it was preparation for it.

The Prophet also said:

In our business context, this hadith (prophetic sayings of the Prophet) reminds us that when we’re constantly arguing, debating, and reacting, we can lose sight of the clear path forward.

Sometimes the wisest course is to step away from the noise and seek clarity through quiet reflection.

📈 The Contemplative Advantage

When we build stillness into our entrepreneurial practice, several things happen:

🪞 Clarity Emerges from Chaos: “And it is He who sends down rain from sky- causing all kinds of plants to grow- producing green stalks from which We bring forth clustered grain.” (Quran 6:99).

Just as rain allows seeds to grow, periods of contemplative stillness allow insights to germinate and take root. Solutions that seemed impossible during busy periods often become clear during moments of reflection.

💎 Values Realign with Actions: The Quran asks: “Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would have certainly found in it many inconsistencies.” (Quran 4:82).

Regular reflection helps us examine whether our business practices align with our stated values, identifying contradictions before they become problems.

☪️ Divine Guidance Becomes Apparent: “And whoever relies upon Allah- then He [alone] is sufficient for them. Indeed, Allah achieves His Will.” (Quran 65:3).

In stillness, we create space to recognize Allah’s guidance in our circumstances, opportunities, and challenges.

🛠️ Practical Implementation

☀️The Morning Reflection: Begin each day with 10-15 minutes of quiet contemplation. Review your intentions, ask Allah for guidance, and set your focus on serving Him through your work.

🗓️ The Weekly Retreat: Prophet Muhammad said: “Take advantage of five before five: your youth before old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your spare time before your preoccupation, and your life before your death.” (Narrated by Ibn Abbas and reported by Al Hakim).

Use your spare time for weekly reflection sessions. Review the week’s decisions, contemplate lessons learned, and plan the week ahead with divine guidance in mind.

⏸️ The Decision Pause: Before major business decisions, implement a “contemplation pause.” Give yourself at least 24 hours to reflect, pray, and seek counsel before committing to significant changes.

🍃 Nature’s Classroom: The Quran repeatedly points to nature as a source of reflection. Take walks, observe creation, and allow natural patterns to inform your understanding of business cycles and growth.

Choose one area of your business where you feel stuck or uncertain. Instead of immediately seeking more information or taking action, commit to three days of contemplative reflection on this challenge.

Each day, spend 15-20 minutes in quiet thought about this issue: Ask yourself:

🌱 How does this challenge serve Allah’s divine purpose for you?

🌱 What might Allah (SWT) be teaching me through this difficulty?

🌱 What would the Prophet (peace be upon him) do in this situation?

🌱 How can I respond in a way that honors my faith?

Often, the breakthrough you’re seeking is waiting in the stillness.

💭 Final Reflection

In a world that profits from our anxiety and rushed decisions, choosing contemplative stillness is both an act of faith and a competitive advantage.

It’s trusting that Allah’s wisdom is more valuable than the world’s urgency.

Your business doesn’t need another strategy as much as it needs divine guidance. And that guidance most often comes not in the noise of activity, but in the quiet of contemplation.

P.S. As we near the completion of this series, "Everything I Learned about Entrepreneurship, I Learned from the Quran” (just 5 more lessons after this one!), this lesson on contemplation offers a foundational practice that can enhance every other principle we’ve discussed.

New to the series? Catch up on all previous lessons below 👇️ 

👀  Sneak Peek of Next Week’s Topic

Next week we’ll explore “The Prophetic Model of Customer Service” and how the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) interactions with people can transform how we serve our customers.

If this newsletter benefitted you, please share it with a fellow faith-first entrepreneur who might need this reminder about the power of contemplative leadership.

🤲 Closing Dua

“May Allah grant us the wisdom to seek His guidance in stillness and the courage to act upon what He reveals to us.”

Ameen