Al Salam Alaikum 🌱 

Welcome to another edition of our series, “Everything I Learned About Entrepreneurship, I Learned from the Quran.”

We’re now at lesson #33 of 40, and this week we’re tackling something subtle yet spiritually dangerous: the ego.

In the world of entrepreneurship, it’s easy to make yourself the center of everything. Your name, your brand, your vision, and your goals. You’re told to hustle harder, dream bigger, claim your worth, and “build your empire.”

And while confidence and clarity are important, if we’re not careful, we can slip into something far more damaging: worshipping the self and our desires.

The Noble Quran repeatedly warns us about this. It’s not just about arrogance- it’s about where we anchor our identity, our striving, and our sense of success.

📈 Entrepreneurial Ego vs. Quranic Humility

The Quran reminds us:

Entrepreneurship, if left unchecked, can become a form of self-worship. When our nafs (ego) drives our decisions, we lose sight of our role as servants and stewards.

We may begin to serve our own ambitions rather than serving Allah and His creation.

But faith-first entrepreneurship doesn’t make you the hero. It places Allah (SWT) at the center- you’re simply the vessel. You’re the means, not the end.

👊 Prophetic Humility and the Dangers of Pride

Consider Iblis (Satan)- his downfall wasn’t ignorance or laziness, it was ego. He thought he was superior to Prophet Adam (AS), and because of that, he refused to obey the Almighty.

Contrast that with the humility of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), who despite being the best of creation, lived simply, walked among the people, and constantly reminded others that he was only a servant and a messenger:

He could have built an empire of personal glory. Instead, he built a community of believers.

💰️ The Story of Qaroon: When Ego Meets Wealth

No Quranic example illustrates the spiritual danger of ego in entrepreneurship better than Qaroon.

Qaroon was from the people of Prophet Musa (AS) and was granted immense wealth, the likes of which people envied. But rather than recognizing these blessings as a test or a trust, he saw them as proof of his own greatness.

He claimed credit for what Allah Almighty gave him, arrogantly attributing his worldly success to his own knowledge and effort. He fell into the trap that many entrepreneurs fall into today: believing “I built this” on their own terms.

But the end of the story is chilling:

Let that sink in.

The very ground that held his empire turned on him.

His wealth didn’t save him- it exposed his pride. His name became a warning.

The faith-first entrepreneur sees their business as a test of their humility.

🌱 Faith-First Entrepreneurship as Dawah

Your business isn’t your identity. It’s a tool. A platform. A form of service. A test. And more importantly: it can be a means of dawah.

Your business can embody the ethics, Ihsan, and sincerity of a believer. It can show the world what it means to be principled in a world of profit-chasing. It can be a quiet, powerful form of dawah- calling people to Allah not just through words, but through your character, choices, ad consistency.

So ask yourself: is your work pointing people toward you- or toward Him?

🔑 Key Takeaways

🔑 Check Your Intentions Constantly: The ego loves praise, attention, and control. Keep returning to your why. Make your niyyah about service, not self-glory.

🔑 Watch Your Nafs Disguised as Branding: Not every brand is bad. But when it becomes a shrine to the self, it’s time to course-correct.

🔑 Lead with Humility: True leadership is servanthood. The Prophets led by serving others, not by demanding status.

🔑 Use Your Business as Dawah: Let your values speak louder than your marketing. Every client interaction, every product or service, is a chance to reflect the deen.

Take 15 minutes this week to engage in a self-purification (tazkiyah) practice around ego:

🔍️ Reflect (5 mins): In what ways does your ego show up in your work?

🎯 Realign (5 mins): How can you redirect those moments toward sincerity and service?

🖼️ Reframe (5 mins): Choose one habit or action you’ll approach with humility this week.

💌 I’d Love to Hear From You!

Thank you to those of you who reached out to me and shared your thoughts with me. 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

“O Allah, purify our hearts from arrogance, self-worship, and pride. Make our businesses a means of dawah, not distraction. Let us serve You through our work, and never let our ego come between us and sincerity.”

Ameen