Al Salam Alaikum 🌱 

In the early Islamic period, merchants didn’t travel alone. They formed caravans- not just for safety from bandits, but because collective success was the only success that mattered.

The convoy moved at the pace of the slowest camel, because leaving someone behind wasn’t an option.

The strong protected the weak. The experienced guided the novice. Resources were shared. Risks were distributed.

But somewhere between the 7th century and the Shopify store, we forgot this. We bought into the myth of the “self-made” entrepreneur.

We started seeing other Muslim business owners as threats instead of travel companions.

And the Ummah’s economic power has been fractured ever since.

🦠 The Scarcity Virus

We are trapped in a psychological trap: We operate from a scarcity mindset disguised as ambition.

When you see another Muslim entrepreneur in your space and feel threatened, what you’re really saying is: “There isn’t enough. Allah’s provision is limited. If they win, I lose.”

That’s not just bad business thinking. That’s bad theology.

The One who provides rizq (sustenance) owns the heavens and the earth. He’s not running out of customers. He’s not stressed about market saturation. When you hoard opportunities, hide strategies, and compete ruthlessly with fellow believers, you’re acting like the provision comes from the market instead of from Allah.

You’re essentially saying: “I don’t really trust that my rizq is written, so I better fight for every scrap.”

🤍 What the Prophet Molded

Before prophethood, the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known for his business integrity. But what’s often overlooked is that he was also known for his collaborative approach.

When he formed the Alliance of the Virtuous as a young man, it wasn’t a business competition- it was a collective commitment to justice in commerce. Merchants banded together to ensure fairness for all, especially the vulnerable.

After prophethood, this principle expanded. The markets of Madinah weren’t designed for cutthroat competition. They were designed for collective prosperity. The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited:

• Price manipulation that hurt other sellers

• Hoarding goods to create artificial scarcity

• Spreading rumors about competitors

• Intercepting customers before they reached the market

Why? Because the health of the community’s economy mattered more than individual profit maximization.

🎭️ The Contradictions We Normalize

Let’s be brutally honest about the mental gymnastics we perform:

🚃 The Convoy Model in Practice

So what does it actually look like to move together instead of racing ahead alone?

1. The Pace of the Slowest: In a true Islamic business community, success isn’t measured by how fast you personally scale. It’s measured by how many people you bring along.

This means:

• Openly sharing what’s working in your business

• Mentoring newcomers without expecting anything in return

• Creating pathways for others to enter your industry

• Being willing to slow your own growth to ensure others aren’t left behind

2. Shared Resources, Distributed Risk: The caravan model meant pooling resources: water, food, protection, knowledge. In modern terms:

• Creating tool libraries (equipment, software licenses, resources)

• Forming buying cooperatives for better supplier rates

• Establishing mutual aid funds for entrepreneurs facing hardship

• Building referral networks based on trust, not transaction

3. Celebrating Each Other’s Wins as Your Own: When another Muslim entrepreneur succeeds, that’s a win for the entire convoy. Their success:

• Proves the model works

• Attracts more resources to the community

• Creates opportunities for partnerships

• Expands the market for everyone

4. The Experienced Guide the Inexperienced: In a convoy, the merchants who had made the journey before didn’t gatekeep their knowledge. They shared:

• Which routes were safest

• Where water sources were located

• How to negotiate with different tribes

• What mistakes to avoid

Your “competitive advantage” isn’t supposed to be guarded like state secrets. It’s supposed to be shared like the sunnah- openly, generously, for the benefit of all.

Stop racing ahead. Stop leaving people behind. Stop treating believers like obstacles.

Join the convoy. Move at the pace that ensures everyone arrives.

Here’s your practical challenge for the next 7 days:

Day 1-2: Identify Your Convoy: List 5 entrepreneurs in your industry or adjacent fields. Not clients. Not mentors. Peers who you’ve been treating as competition.

Day 3-4: The Generosity Gesture: Choose one person from that list, and share something valuable with them (a strategy that’s working for you, a client referral, an introduction to someone who could help them, or public promotion of their work on your platform).

Day 5-6: The Convoy Proposal: Reach our to 2-3 entrepreneurs and propose a simple convoy agreement:

• Monthly check-ins to share wins, challenges, strategies

• Commitment to refer work to each other when apppropriate

• Creating a shared resource list

• Mutual support during slow seasons or difficulties

Day 7: The Public Pledge: Post something publicly (social media, newsletter, community group) that commits you to the convoy model. Make it real. Make it public. Make it binding.

💌 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 🌱 

🤲 Closing Dua

“O Allah, we ask You from Your bounty, for indeed You are the Owner of Great Bounty. And provide for us alongside our brothers and sisters. And place in our hearts love and cooperation.”

Ameen