“WORK ETHICS: THE SOURCE OF SOCIAL PEACE”
Dear Muslims!
In the verse I have recited, our Almighty Lord states, “Each person will only have what they endeavored towards, and that the outcome of their endeavors will be seen in their record.”1
In the hadith I have read, our Prophet (saw) says, “Verily, Allah the Almighty loves for you to perfect a good deed when you perform it.”2
Dear Believers!
One of the purposes for which our great religion, Islam, was revealed is to build a society that adopts good morals as its guide in every aspect of life. Just as Allah the Almighty has commanded us to worship for happiness in this world and the Hereafter, He (swt) has also commanded us to have good morals in our work.
Work ethics reflects core values such as integrity, trust, respect, and fairness in our work. It is about doing our job well, respecting the rights of other people and the public, and being upright in what we say and in what we are. It is about always striving for the halal, not allowing the haram to be in our earnings and the lies in our words.
Dear Muslims!
Work ethics is a virtue that impacts the whole of a person’s working life. Just as there is a code of ethics in being a subordinate, there is also a code of ethics in being a superordinate. Just as there is a code of ethics in being an employee, there is also a code of ethics in being an employer. Just as there is a code of ethics in being a seller, there is also a code of ethics in being a customer.
The Messenger of Allah (swt), who was sent to perfect good character, says, “No one of you shall become a true believer until he desires for his brother what he desires for himself.”3 and advises us not to be obsessed with personal interests, to observe the rights and laws of others, and to be fair and balanced in social life. What falls upon us is to adopt the sense of loyalty of our beloved Prophet (saw) and to undertake each and every one of our tasks with the awareness of entrustment. Our duty is not to violate the employee’s rights and to be more attentive to occupational health and safety by observing his (saw) sensitivity to rights.
Dear Muslims!
Let us view all the means bestowed upon us as entrusted by our Lord (swt) and as an opportunity to earn His pleasure. Let us make both our life in this world and in the Hereafter prosperous by doing our job well. Let us observe the sensitivity of halal in everything we do. Let us not forget that what makes us valuable in the sight of Allah (swt) is that we act according to the purpose of our creation and reflect Islamic morals in everything we do.
[1] Najm, 53/39-40.
[2] Bayhaqi, Shu‘ab al-Iman, 4/334.
[3] Tirmidhi, Sifat al-Qiyamah, 59.
FRIDAY KHUTBA of TOKYO CAMII “WORK ETHICS: THE SOURCE OF SOCIAL PEACE” (PDF)