Al Salam Alaikum 🌱 

In a marketplace where “growth hacking,” “disruption,” and “winning at all costs” dominate the conversation, there’s a prophet whose message we desperately need to revisit.

His name was Shuaib (peace be upon him), and Allah sent him to a people who had mastered business- but lost their souls in the process.

🌆 The City That Had Everything (Except Integrity)

The people of Madyan were entrepreneurs, traders, merchants. Their city sat on major trade routes. Business was booming. The economy was thriving.

But beneath the surface, rot had set in.

They cheated their customers.

They gave less than full measure and weight.

They manipulated prices.

They blocked competitors from entering the market.

They hoarded resources to create artificial scarcity.

Sound familiar?

Allah didn’t send them a prophet to talk about prayer or theology first. He sent them Prophet Suhaib (AS)- and his primary message was about business ethics.

💬 What Prophet Shuaib (AS) Actually Said

Let’s break down what he was calling them to fix:

1. Full Measure and Weight: Stop short-changing people. Whether you’re selling products, services, or time- deliver what you promise. No hidden fees. No bait-and-switch. No “fine print” designed to decieve.

2. Don’t Deprive People of Their Due: Pay your employees fairly. Honor your contracts. Don’t exploit people’s desperation or ignorance. Give customers real value, not empty hype.

3. Don’t Spread Corruption: Your business practices don’t exist in a vacuum. When you cheat, you normalize cheating. When you exploit, you create a culture of exploitation. Your corruption spreads.

4. What Remains from Allah is Better: The barakah (divine blessings) in halal earnings, even if less, is better than mountains of haram wealth. Sustainable, ethical business beats quick, dirty money every single time.

📣 The Pushback (Sound Familiar?)

How did the people of Madyan respond?

Translation: “Mind your business, Shuaib. Don’t bring religion into economics. What we do with our money is our choice.”

They separated faith from business. They claimed economic freedom meant freedom from moral accountability.

Prophet Shuaib (AS) wasn’t having it.

He reminded them: This wealth? These skills? This marketplace? Allah of it is from Allah. And all of it comes with responsibility.

❓️ The Modern Madyan: Where Do We See This Today?

Let’s get uncomfortable for a moment. Where do we, as Muslim entrepreneurs, fall into the Madyan trap?

⚖️ What Full Measure Looks Like Today

Here’s what Prophet Shuaib’s message means for your business right now:

⚠️ The Ending (Spoiler: It Doesn’t Go Well for Madyan)

The people of Madyan rejected Prophet Shuaib’s message. They mocked him. They threatened him. They chose their corrupt business practices over accountability.

And Allah destroyed them.

Not gradually. Not with a warning shot. Completely.

All that wealth? Gone.

All those trade routes? Irrelevant.

All that “success”? Meaningless.

Because business built on oppression and deception doesn’t have barakah. It has an expiration date.

Prophet Shuaib didn’t just preach. He lived it. The Quran tells us he said:

He held himself to the same standard. He practiced what he preached. He built his own business on the principles he called others to.

That’s the challenge for us: Don’t just read this and nod. Don’t just share it and feel good.

Actually do the audit.

Actually make the changes.

Actually be the entrepreneur who chooses integrity, always.

Because the marketplace needs modern-day Shuaibs- Muslims who refuse to separate faith from business, who give full measure even when no one’s watching, who build with barakah (divine blessings) and the akhira (hereafter) in mind.

Will you be one of them?

This week, I want you to do a “Madyan Audit” of your business:

Day 1: Product/Service Check: Are you delivering full measure? Is there anywhere you’re cutting corners or overpromising?

Day 2: Pricing Review: Are your prices fair? Is everything transparent? Any hidden fees you’ve justified?

Day 3: Team Treatment: Are you giving your team their full due- in pay, respect, time, opportunity?

Day 4: Marketing Honesty: Review your website, ads, emails. Any manipulative language? Exaggerated claims? Pressure tactics?

Day 5: Competitor Relations: How do you talk about your competitors? Are you creating barriers or building brides?

Day 6: Long-term Impact: Is your business spreading good or corruption in your industry/community?

Day 7: Make It Right: Choose ONE thing from this audit and fix it this week. Not eventually. This week.

💌 I’d Love to Hear From You!

If this reflection sparked something in you, I’d love to hear it. You can reply directly to this email- I read and respond to every message. Share your thoughts or tell me how you’re planning to start using leverage in your own life! 🌱 

🤲 Closing Dua

“Ya Allah, show us the value of what You’ve already given us. Help us to use our health, time, wealth, knowledge, and relationships in ways that bring benefit to others and draw us closer to You. Put barakah in our efforts and make us among those whose leverage multiplies goodness in both worlds.”

Ameen