Mountainous Debt & Slow Business - Parents Very Upset - Please Pray for Us

[anonymous]

:bism:

Dear Islamic Board:

Assalam-Alaikum.

My parents' business is doing horribly, and they are very financially unstable. They also have a mountainous debt.

She and my father run the store, but they are tired and worn of the same day-to-day financial problems and mental worries of running a business.

Today, my mother was especially very upset about not having any money and payments due.

Since I am a student and don't have money, I can't help my parents.

SO, PLEASE PRAY for my parents and their business so that their financial problems go away, and their business immediately starts doing well.

ALSO, PLEASE PRAY that I make my parents happy and am not a burden to them.

AND PLEASE ADVISE on how I can console and cheer up my parents.

It might take you a minute to send your prayer to the Heavens, but it might make a great difference in the life of my family.

May Allah bless you and your family and save you from the situation my parents are facing. Ameen.

Sincere Regards & Wishes,
Anonymous

 

[Insaanah]

May Allah ease your family's affairs, relieve you of your debt, and rectify all your problems with beautiful outcomes, and bless with you with much khayr and blessings in this world and the hereafter, ameen.

Also, make the following du3as, from the sunnah, which are for anxiety, sorrow and distress, the first mentions asking refuge against the burden of debts specifically:

‘O Allaah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being over powered by men.’

‘O Allaah, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshipped except You.’

‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah Forbearing. None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, Lord of the magnificent throne. None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the Earth and Lord of the noble throne.’

‘None has the right to be worshipped except You. How perfect Your are, verily I was among the wrong-doers.’

O Allaah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You name Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety.’

 

[Snowflake]

May Allah, The Guardian and Protector, The Provider and Sustainer, relieve your family's hardships and provide your family with halal sustenance. Ameen.


My dear sis/bro,

Please, please do not find what I say offensive. I am not suggesting that your parents are to blame for their failing business, but rather bringing something beneficial to your attention insha Allah. Firstly, my sis/bro take a closer look at your parents business to make sure there are no elements of 'haram' involved in it. By this I mean, interest riba. Sometimes people do not realize the seriousness of the prohibition or assume that it only applies in certain situations. Perhaps the business was set up with loans with interest? Perhaps the business includes selling items which you know will be used in a haram manner. See here for fatwa from Islamqa for this insha Allah. A person may not even know about such prohibitions. So take it upon yourself to make sure your parents business is clean from all things prohibited in Islam.

Secondly, zakah is another obligation which must not be overlooked. Zakah purifies one's wealth and withholding is a sin. Insha Allah your parents are mindful of their duties to Allah?


If you are not satisfied about all of the above, then bring those matters to your parents attention insha Allah. On the other hand if you are satisfied that the lack of barakah in your parents business not due to the above, then you could help your parents and scrutinize the business as to why it's failing and making losses. Google provides a lot of articles on all business matters from experienced business advisers. It's not impossible to save a failing business. Once the causes have been identified a fixed, a failing business can be turned around to succeed insha Allah. Look at how one of the Dragon's Theo Paphitis buys failing businesses and turns them into profitable affairs.



However, whatever our struggles are, we must always remember that we will be tested in different ways Allah says in the Noble Quran:

"Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return":- They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance. [Quran 2:155-157]

​

Just as acquiring too much wealth, not spending it in the way of Allah and being ungrateful can be a bad thing, the loss of something can be a good thing too. As explained in the following hadiths:

Narrated By Abu Said Al-Khudri and Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that." (Sahih Bukhari Vol 7, Book 70, #545)
​

Narrated By Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials."(Sahih Bukhari Vol 7, Book 70)
​

But.. On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear [Quran 2:286]


​

Insha Allah, for those who are patient there is great reward from Allah.

Ye shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in your personal selves; and ye shall certainly Hear much that will grieve you, from those who received the Book before you and from those who worship many gods. But if ye persevere patiently, and guard against evil,-then that will be a determining factor in all affairs. [Quran 3:186]
​

May Allah remove your difficulties and set your affairs in order. Ameen.




:wa:

 

[Snowflake]

.............