Islamic Branding: The blessed way forward

Muslims have a rich and lengthy history of being the torchbearers of two-thirds of the world. It was Islam that enlightened many parts of the world as Muslims spread across the global village. Not only did Muslims prosper, but whole societies were enriched by the Islamic way of life. It was a rule of justice and knowledge, characterized by the Islamic economy.

From the blessings of Allahﷻ was that Muslims were at the forefront of change, innovation in dunya matters, discoveries and collaboration; striving to improve the condition of societies. All of this was connected to their level of obedience to Allahﷻ, but as Muslims slowly forgot about Allahﷻ, Allahﷻ made them forget about themselves. We see clearly today how the ummah has completely lost their way.

Allahﷻ clearly informs Muslims that He has chosen for mankind Islam as a way of life, making it superior to all other ways of life. We must make a clear caveat though: Islam is free from the actions of Muslims if they are not in harmony with it. In the Muslim consumer market, the actions of Muslims who have strayed from the straight path, have been adopted as the standard for what they term as “Islamic Branding.” This is the farthest from the truth.

The foundational blocks of branding, some of which include psychology, anthropology, business, sociology, communication and even ideology, were laid from the time of the initial inhabitants of the dunya. The concept of branding as we know it today has been led predominantly by the kufaar who have concentrated their efforts toward a consumerist-materialist-capitalist model, making people believe that this is synonymous with the concept of branding. So two sprouts of very different belief systems and worldviews have become apparent—one ignoring the purpose of life (the Kufaar) whilst the other embraces it (Islam). The former being propagated today as the truth.

Brand Management experts have formulated workable models in order for businesses to benefit from the consumer market. There has been mainly two paradigms: Positivist and Constructivist (also known as Interpretive). These, according to Western thought, spanned over three periods: Company/sender focused (1985–92), Human/receiver focused (1993–99) and Cultural/context focused (2000 and beyond). Over this period, seven brand approaches became apparent and resulted in workable models: The economic approach, the identity approach (comes under Positivist, Company/sender focused); the consumer-based approach, the personality approach (comes under Positivist, Human/receiver focused); the relational approach, the community approach and the cultural approach (comes under Constructivist, Cultural/context focused). In short, what this means is that paradigms and schools of thought have been developed in branding that—although they may have been successful and in line with Capitalist objectives—they all fail in addressing Islamic branding.

So what is Islamic branding?

Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire—of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return.—Qur’an 3:14

A Muslim brand can never be an Islamic brand unless and until it strictly adheres to the Islamic way of life. Otherwise, it remains a Muslim owned brand because a Muslim businessman is subject to sin/err and follow desires, whereas Islam is a perfect way of life. Islamic Branding, therefore, is a sharia governed Muslim owned brand with an Islamic business model that includes a deliberate halaal dimension seeking to acquire profit in both the dunya and the akhirah, while fulfilling its Islamic rights, obligations and overall purpose in life which includes being instrumental in the realization of the higher, established Islamic objectives; to please Allah with the aim for success in the akhirah.

Why Islamic branding?

By definition, it constitutes features unique to the Islamic way of life, such as:

• The niyah to attain success in both the dunya and akhirah Strives for tayib and virtuous deeds with the niyah to please Allahﷻ Fosters brotherly relationships with stakeholders and customers Dawah to tawheed and the correct aqidah, upon the manhaj of the Salaf Establishes amr al ma’ruf nahi al-munkar in the organization The display of praiseworthy akhlaaq and adaab from stakeholders Considers maslahah in dealing with competitors Enjoins and facilitate ubudiyah in the workplace Products/Services that are mabroor and halaal Business operations performed with ikhlaas Respect others’ rights and give them their haqq Content with the qadr of rizq

Conclusion

Getting back to becoming leaders of mankind again, requires individual and collective striving that can only start with purification. Success in Islam is a multidimensional approach of which the primary objective is to please Allahﷻ and to strive for Jannah. The goal is to set up and facilitate frameworks of purity within your Islamic business as part of an Islamic brand model and by doing so, we hope to fulfill Islamic branding. Moreover, utilizing this system is a surefire way for your brand to become a means of success for you, your stakeholders, your employees and your customers insh’ Allah.

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The Contemporary Muslim Businessman In The Light of Success and Islamic Revival

Muslims are being persecuted, oppressed, stigmatized—waves of commotion everywhere. Muslims at the mercy of the Non-Muslim. Wait…

Say what?

How did we get here? Once a great nation, now on our knees?

Or are we?

You ask Muslims today, “Where is the hotspot for success, business development and innovation?” Most would point to Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area, known for its conglomerate of entrepreneurs, techies and businessmen. We’re all familiar with Apple, Google and Facebook, the most prominent of Silicon Valley real estate; buzzing with value-added ideas that could at any time be cashed out into trillions of tangible dollars. Valuable indeed?

Success?

On the contrary, how many Muslims businessmen today are familiar with Baghdad? Not the capital of a now crippled, war-torn country, but the center of scientific and economic development, innovation and the arts. A place where diverse Muslim scholars came together to lead the world’s foremost discoveries; their contributions being the very reason we are thriving as a modern civilization today.

We can make many comparisons but that’s not the goal. Rather, it is the hope that Muslim entrepreneurs and businessmen may take this away: no doubt, the Non-Muslims made many contributions towards what we have as modern civilization today. It also has to be said that much of these were done on the backs of Muslims who set the tone over the course of hundreds of years. You have a legacy that not only superseded the Non-Muslims, but also benefited them in many ways. The West suffered long under the clouds of The Dark Ages whilst Islam was glowing from The Golden Ages.

“Because Europe was reacting against Islam, it belittled the influence of Muslims and exaggerated Greek and Roman heritage. So today, an important task for us is to correct this false emphasis and to acknowledge the Arab and Islamic world.”—W. Montgomery Watt (1)

Here is a Western man who realized and acknowledged the contributions of Islam, yet till today, it’s still downplayed by the West. You just have to look at The Rand Report to witness their agenda under the auspices of democracy, freedom and human rights, all while the UN is watching.

In contemporary times, the contributions by Muslims, are negligible. Statistics that don’t even make for good reading. It is indeed time that we get out of this.(2)

Muslims know very little of their own rich history and it is no wonder, that when Muslim businessmen today think of models of success, their thoughts are filled with images of the contemporary Non-Muslim businessman. They have made the Non-Muslim way of life their own, in an attempt to integrate—to go “unnoticed” in pursuit of success. In fact, since the fall of the Ottoman Empire many Muslims left their countries and fled to the Non-Muslim lands of ‘milk and honey,’ per chance they’ll make a ‘better living.’ All while Allah and the Prophet emphatically reprimanded Muslims otherwise: instead to make hijrah to the lands of the Muslims. Because they (the Non-Muslims) will not fail to corrupt your beliefs and your Islamic way of life—exactly fulfilling what the Prophet said: “You will indeed follow the ways of those before you, hand span by hand span, and an arms length after another. Even if they enter into a lizard’s hole, you will follow them.” We (the Sahabah) asked, “Is it the Jews and the Christians?” He replied, “Who else?”(3)

So, is the definition of success the same for the Muslim as it is for the Non-Muslim? Most would define success along the lines of material, financial or positional gain; many doing “whatever it takes” to reach it—thanks to capitalism, and courtesy of the West.

“Business success has been discussed widely in the context of non-Muslim notions especially based on Western models where it hinges solely on material elements. The exploratory attempt on the concept of business success known as al-falāḥ from the Islamic perspective is hence crucial as it is seen as a more relevant approach that should be adopted by Muslimpreneurs in measuring their business success. Al-falāḥ is a holistic approach that covers a spiritual-physical relationship which provides a guideline on what Muslimpreneurs should actually achieve in their business. As a khalifah in this world, al-falāḥ primarily emphasizes the individual’s responsibility towards religiosity obligation in performing ibadah as the benchmark of true success. This is a reassuring finding that proves that good individual spiritual deeds can strengthen Islamic values in business practices specifically in entrepreneurial activities.”—Ummi Salwa Ahmad Bustamam, Exploring The Concepts of Al-Falāḥ (Success) In Business: An Insight From Muslim Experts

Muslims are different.

The Prophet said, “Be different to the disbelievers,”(4) so both our way of life and our model of success are different. Remember The Battle of Badr, when the Non-Muslims boasted one thousand strong and the Muslims just over 300 in number? What was the end result? The Muslims were victorious! The most important lesson here, is that victory came because of the correct belief in Allah, placing their trust in Him and following the Prophet with complete obedience. Allah will certainly cause the Muslims to be victorious, in the same way He did for them (aforetimes) and Allah is ever All-Powerful, All-Mighty (5). He is the One who provides for you a way out when you put your sole reliance in Him (6).

In the same way Islam gave new meanings and definitions to things, it has redefined success too (7). Success is having the correct belief about Allah and worshiping him through (the guidance of) the Sunnah (as it was understood by the first three generations) (8). When we act upon this with a constant strive, we too will achieve similar success. Then, and only then, would we have fulfilled our purpose of life (9).

So with a renewed understanding of your Islamic identity, and your purpose; all coming together as a complete way of life—like our predecessors enjoyed before and during the Golden Age—true success awaits us too. The formula for success is clear and simple. We are reminded of it day in and day out, by way of the Adhaan: “Come to success” (i.e come to the worship of Allah). Allah Azza wa’ Jal said:

“Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah: among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to death]; and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration.”—Qur ’an, 33:23

The good news is that there will be another Golden Aged upon us soon and it will be another window of opportunity for those who seek to strive for this deen; these men will get fifty rewards of that of the Sahabah (10).

Allah Azza wa’ Jal says:

“Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allah?’ Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!”—Qur’ an, 2:214

Imam Ibn Jareer at-Tabari commented on this verse (an excerpt from a longer commentary):

“But you have not yet been shaken as they were shaken, i.e., you have not yet suffered extreme fear and terror at the hands of your enemy, so that you think that the help of Allah is slow in coming and you say “When will Allah help us?” Then Allah told them that His help was near to them, and that He would cause them to prevail over the enemy and defeat them…”—Tafsir, at-Tabari 4:288

I hope your contribution to life, business and society will stand you in good stead and that you’ll be one of the emerging heroes Islam will produce—once again. So take heart in following your own role models, following your own Islamic way of life and believing in your own abilities. In short, become the torchbearer this era is in much need of. Islam already gave you the power, honour and permission to do so.

Go Forth! #islamicrevival #muslimbusiness #muslimbusinessmen #islam #muslim #islamicbranding #islamicbrand #islamicbrands #islamicidentity #islamicdesign

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Footnotes:

01. Islamic Surveys: The Influence of Islam on Medieval Europe; Edinburgh, England; 1972; p.84

02. https://islamqa.info/en/149636

03. Hadith, Bukhari

04. Hadith, Bukhari/Muslim

05. ”Verily! It is I and My Messengers who shall be victorious. Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.” Qur’an, 58:21

06. Qur’an, 65:2–3

07. Qur’an, 24:55

08. Qur’an, 2:137

09. Qur’an, 51:56–58

10. Hadith, at-Tirmidhi