The issue of women's entrepreneurship is more active today than ever before. Almost every Muslim woman today wants to start her own business. However, in the pursuit of a business idea, it is important not to lose the right guidelines. Guidelines that point us in the right direction. One such guide for our Muslim sisters is certainly the "Mother of the Believers" - Khadija bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her).
Why Khadija in particular? As we will see from her biography, Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) was a real businesswoman. She was a merchant, a successful businesswoman, and the richest woman in Arabia. She earned a good reputation among the businessmen of Mecca and was nicknamed "al-Kubra" (a.s. "the Great").
It is reported that 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "The best woman (of the world in his time) was Maryam, the daughter of 'Imran, and the best woman (of this community) is Khadija (bint Huwaylid)"" al-Bukhari 3432
Moreover, Khadija was the only woman who was honored with a greeting from Allah Almighty Himself through the angel Jibril, who reported this to the Prophet ﷺ and rejoiced with the news of Paradise for his wife.
So what were the qualities that enabled her to earn such honor before Allah, succeed in business, and earn a good reputation among the Arabs? Let us turn to her biography.
Khadija inherited the skill of trading from her father, who came from a wealthy family of Quraysh merchants. When her father passed away, his trading business passed to his daughter. In order to conduct trade in Syria, Mecca, and Yemen, Khadija hired men who were honest, trustworthy, and able to endure the dangerous long journeys that she sent her trade caravans on. The fact that Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) was able to choose men with whom all her trades were profitable speaks of her ability to build the right team. In other words, one of Khadija's qualities was a well-developed emotional intelligence, or as it is sometimes called, good intuition.
Before her marriage to the Prophet Muhammad, Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) was a widow. For this reason, she received many offers from the wealthiest people in Arabia, but she always rejected them. It should be noted that she was already over 35 years old at that time, which shows her self-confidence and "tawwakul" (complete reliance on Allah).
During one of the most profitable trading months, Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) noticed a young man from her team who was distinguished by his high moral qualities and who was also supported by barakat. After receiving many proposals of marriage from the Arab elite of her time, Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) took the surprising step of proposing marriage to her employee, Muhammad (15 years before the Prophet's mission), who was not wealthy at the time but a very decent man.
This act of hers speaks to us of many qualities, some of which are farsightedness (or strategic vision) and also - courage in decision making. Not many girls have the courage to take such a step.
Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) played a great role in the history of Islam. She was the first woman to accept Islam and the first person to perform namaz with the Prophet (pbuh). She distributed thousands and thousands of dinars in the path of Islam and was the greatest supporter of our Prophet (pbuh). Our esteemed readers can learn more about Khadija's story and contribution to the development of Islam from the biography (sira) of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but with our topic in mind, let us return to the qualities that have been described for success in business.
By considering the qualities in this sequence, we realize that the position Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) achieved in business was not accidental. And it is a great lesson for us in the development of entrepreneurship.
As we can see, not much is needed to achieve success. Everything in this world works according to the laws of Allah, one of which is cause and effect. Take these tips into consideration, create causes and we wish you success in your endeavors! Amen
Why Khadija in particular? As we will see from her biography, Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) was a real businesswoman. She was a merchant, a successful businesswoman, and the richest woman in Arabia. She earned a good reputation among the businessmen of Mecca and was nicknamed "al-Kubra" (a.s. "the Great").
It is reported that 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "The best woman (of the world in his time) was Maryam, the daughter of 'Imran, and the best woman (of this community) is Khadija (bint Huwaylid)"" al-Bukhari 3432
Moreover, Khadija was the only woman who was honored with a greeting from Allah Almighty Himself through the angel Jibril, who reported this to the Prophet ﷺ and rejoiced with the news of Paradise for his wife.
So what were the qualities that enabled her to earn such honor before Allah, succeed in business, and earn a good reputation among the Arabs? Let us turn to her biography.
Khadija inherited the skill of trading from her father, who came from a wealthy family of Quraysh merchants. When her father passed away, his trading business passed to his daughter. In order to conduct trade in Syria, Mecca, and Yemen, Khadija hired men who were honest, trustworthy, and able to endure the dangerous long journeys that she sent her trade caravans on. The fact that Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) was able to choose men with whom all her trades were profitable speaks of her ability to build the right team. In other words, one of Khadija's qualities was a well-developed emotional intelligence, or as it is sometimes called, good intuition.
Before her marriage to the Prophet Muhammad, Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) was a widow. For this reason, she received many offers from the wealthiest people in Arabia, but she always rejected them. It should be noted that she was already over 35 years old at that time, which shows her self-confidence and "tawwakul" (complete reliance on Allah).
During one of the most profitable trading months, Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) noticed a young man from her team who was distinguished by his high moral qualities and who was also supported by barakat. After receiving many proposals of marriage from the Arab elite of her time, Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) took the surprising step of proposing marriage to her employee, Muhammad (15 years before the Prophet's mission), who was not wealthy at the time but a very decent man.
This act of hers speaks to us of many qualities, some of which are farsightedness (or strategic vision) and also - courage in decision making. Not many girls have the courage to take such a step.
Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) played a great role in the history of Islam. She was the first woman to accept Islam and the first person to perform namaz with the Prophet (pbuh). She distributed thousands and thousands of dinars in the path of Islam and was the greatest supporter of our Prophet (pbuh). Our esteemed readers can learn more about Khadija's story and contribution to the development of Islam from the biography (sira) of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but with our topic in mind, let us return to the qualities that have been described for success in business.
- Foresight and planning
- Good intuition or emotional intelligence
- Courage in decision making
- Tawakkul - reliance on Allah
By considering the qualities in this sequence, we realize that the position Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) achieved in business was not accidental. And it is a great lesson for us in the development of entrepreneurship.
- Do not step at random into the hightop topics, but carefully plan the actions that depend on us
- Select the right team, develop emotional intelligence. Reading different literature (including the hagiography of our righteous predecessors) is a good way to do this.
- Have the courage to make decisions, having previously done everything in our power (to purchase goods, order production, rent premises, etc.).
- Relying on Allah to achieve success
As we can see, not much is needed to achieve success. Everything in this world works according to the laws of Allah, one of which is cause and effect. Take these tips into consideration, create causes and we wish you success in your endeavors! Amen