Seeks Advice for Opening a New Business
Fatwa No: 84907

Question

I am opening a new shop of electronics goods and I am new to this business. I want to know what are the things I need to do apart from being honest and not cheating so that Allah may bless my business with prosperity and let it flourish. What are the Dua's or supplications or prayers I need to perform everyday in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah? What should I do when I first open the shop, i.e. are there any supplications or Salat I need to perform everyday and what should I do when I close my shop. Please answer me in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah and reply soon as my shop is starting this week. I am afraid as whatever I did I did not succeed and this time lots of hard earned money of my father is being invested. As my father is growing old, day-by-day his strength is diminishing and I need to do some thing so that my father gets a rest. If I do not succeed my father will have to continue working. Please help me for the sake of Allah and pray to Allah so that my business flourishes and I can give my father the much-required rest.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Dear inquirer!

We ask Allah, The Exalted, to grant you success in this worldly life and in the Hereafter, to shower you with His Blessings, and to bless your family and wealth.

Know that success is based on the following:

1- Seeking Allah's Help and supplicating Him since He is The Most Generous. It is proved in the Hadeeth recorded by At-Tirmithi and Abu Daawood and others that the Prophet said: “Your Lord is bashful to turn away His slave empty-handed (i.e. not responded to) when he raises them (his hands) to Him asking Him for any good.” [Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah]

2- Persevere in truth and sincerity and search for what is lawful, for the Prophetic Hadeeth: “The seller and the buyer have the right to keep or return goods as long as they have not parted or till they part; and if both parties spoke the truth and described the defects and qualities of the goods, then they would be blessed in their transaction, and if they told lies or hid something, then the blessings of their transaction would be lost.” [Al-Bukhari]

3- Seeking the help of experts in the field that you are considering so that they can help you choose successful projects and their best useful means.

In this concern, it is proved in the Sunnah that Umm Salamah said: "The Prophet used to say after performing the Fajr prayer: “O Allah! I ask you for useful knowledge, abundant livelihood, and acceptable actions.” [Ahmad in Al-Musnad]

As for bringing down Allah's Blessings, it is proved in the Sunnah as recorded in Al-Musnad from ‘Ali that the Prophet said: “O Allah! Bless the mornings of my Ummah (nation)."

When you enter a marketing place, you are advised to supplicate with the Hadeeth of the Prophet that reads:
مَنْ دَخَلَ السُّوقَ فَقَالَ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ حَيٌّ لَا يَمُوتُ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ أَلْفَ أَلْفَ حَسَنَةٍ وَمَحَا عَنْهُ أَلْفَ أَلْفَ سَيِّئَةٍ وَرَفَعَ لَهُ أَلْفَ أَلْفَ دَرَجَةٍ ".

Whoever enters a market place and says: 'There is no God but Allah, He has no partners, to Him belongs the authority, His is all Praise, He grants life and causes death, He is The Living One, He does not die, good is in His Hand and He has power over all things’; Allah will write down one million good deeds for him (in his account with Him), and wipe out one million bad deeds from him, and promote his rank one million degrees more.

Another Hadeeth reads: “Whoever desires to be pleased with abundance in his provision, or that his age be lengthened, should keep good ties with his blood relatives.” [Al-Bukhari]

The above-mentioned Hadeeth states that having good relations with relatives and treating them well brings about more livelihood.

Allah knows best.

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