Corporations in Muslim countries have religious duty

by: Mohammed Kazim

The holy month of Ramadan is characterised by the beautiful sound of prayer echoing from the tops of minarets, religious lectures hosted around the clock, and sincere generosity shown by so many people. The most anxiously awaited month in the year, it brings with it humility, charity and the tradition of honouring one’s family.

Muslims believe this ninth month of the Islamic calendar was specifically chosen by Allah to reveal to His Prophet Mohammed the verses of the Holy Quran. It is the month when Muslims believe the doors of Paradise are opened and the doors of Hell are locked. However, what makes this month most unique in terms of daily life is the act of fasting. In this month, Muslims around the world refrain from food, drink, misconduct, and other worldly desires from sunrise to sunset in pursuit of attaining piety.

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil) (or attain piety)

The Holy Quran [2:183]

Individuals in the Muslim world are responsible for achieving the a state of piety, but corporations should be too. Although strict regulations have been introduced to govern corporate behaviour, we still witness ethical abuses by corporate executives and a decided lack of will on the part of regulators to rectify those abuses.



In order to build a trusted and socially responsible brand – and attain this “state of piety” – it is imperative that corporations use the holy month as a tool to evaluate themselves and to ensure that justice, diligence, respect and accountability are key elements of their operations.

Fusing these values with the corporate culture of business entities in the region would eliminate many widespread problems that have been subject to public scrutiny over the past few years. Some of these problems include delays in paying labourers their wages, medical malpractice due to negligence, and embarrassing standards of customer service.


First, corporations in the Muslim world should ensure that justice is the basis for their interactions with customers, suppliers, and employees. This entails abiding by contractual terms, consciously avoiding manipulative behaviour, and ensuring the quality of products and services.

The numerous complaints received by the Ministry of Labour about the mistreatment of labourers – including unpaid wages and harsh living conditions – are just one example of the lack of justice as a fundamental corporate principle.

Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.

The Holy Quran [5:8]

Second, professions that offer services that are based on trust and affect the physical or financial well-being of their clients (such as doctors, brokers and engineers) are responsible for the appropriate level of due diligence. There should be no doubt of negligence or fault in these professions.



Multiple accounts of medical malpractice and unjustifiable consultant recommendations have occurred over the past few years due to carelessness or a lack of caution. In some cases, these errors led to death, permanent disability or bankruptcy.

Soon will Allah observe your work, and His Messenger, and the Believers: Soon will ye be brought back to the knower of what is hidden and what is open: then will He show you the truth of all that ye did.

The Holy Quran [9:105]

Third, corporations should ensure that respect and accountability are characteristics demonstrated by all staff members. This element is especially crucial because it is the basis for social interaction. Respect and accountability as core corporate values ensure that tasks are completed accurately and promptly and that customers are treated properly.

In some cases, this will require paying higher salaries or providing special training, but the benefits are worth the expense. There have been many incidents where otherwise reputable business have mistreated their customers simply because of insufficient training.

Fear Allah (or be pious) wherever you are. Follow up a bad deed with a good deed (rectify) and it will blot it out. And deal with people in a good manner (with respect)

The Prophet Mohammed [Sunan al-Tirmidhî]

Devout Muslims around the world spend the last 10 nights of Ramadan in prayer and worship, asking Allah to bestow upon them a state of piety to achieve the purpose of fasting for the entire month. There is no reason that this standard should not apply to people’s professional lives as well.



Ramadan has been an excellent time for corporations and individuals to review their values and ensure that they are characterised by justice, diligence, respect and accountability. As mosques recite the words “Allahu Akbar” glorifying the Creator’s greatness to mark the arrival of Eid, the question we’re left with is: have we attained piety?

Mohammed Kazim is an Emirati health-care analyst and commentator based in Abu Dhabi


The National

Three Steps to Restore the Arabic Tradition of Thought

by: Mohammed Kazim

After attending the Friday sermon last week at the neighbourhood mosque, I felt as though I had been detached from the world. I could not stop thinking about the points highlighted by the imam. “Proactive thought,” he said again and again through the course of the sermon. It made me realise that a lot of our actions in society are performed as a matter of habit rather than with attention to their significance.



The process of thought and reflection, along with educated reasoning before performing an action or formulating an opinion, is not only something our culture has boasted about for many centuries, but also an important point emphasised in Islam. However, in recent times, with busy lifestyles and demanding jobs coupled with the easy availability of the necessities of life, this process of thought has begun to disappear from our society.



Many people today are constantly running away from thought and reflection by keeping themselves busy with work or indulging in some kind of entertainment or hobby. As a result, many follow trends blindly and form beliefs based on popular consensus rather than a calculated thought process. This gives birth to a form of ignorance which is detrimental to a society’s intellectual development and parasitic to our intelligent and rich culture.


The lack of conscious decision making and opinion formulation in our society has led to irresponsibility and disastrous outcomes such as domestic abuse, adultery, personal bankruptcy and corporate embezzlement. In addition, it has also contributed towards the lack of credibility of and trust in professionals and individuals across the region.

In order to revive a diligent thought process, it is crucial that individuals understand its roots in the culture and value for civilisation. I believe this revival can be achieved by following three steps, which I believe are supported by Quranic verses.



The first step towards educated reasoning is attaining knowledge. Knowledge forms the basis for thought and is a foundation upon which opinions can be built. It is the key to understanding and participating in a thought process. Knowledge also confers instant credibility when used appropriately.

Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?

Quran 39:9

The importance of education was further emphasised in Islam by putting education before all matters and placing it in the first words of the Quran that were revealed to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

Read! in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher …. He Who taught (the use of) the pen,- Taught man that which he knew not

Quran 96:1-5

The next step towards reviving an intelligent thought process is to understand its significance. Why this is important can be seen from an Islamic and cultural perspective. In Islam, thinkers and scholars are exalted and described as the ones who truly fear Allah (Quran 35:28). Islam has also repeatedly praised those who think and contemplate the wonders of Allah’s creation of the heavens and the Earth and has described them as men of understanding and their reward as gardens of paradise under which rivers flow (Quran 3:191-195).



The extensive amount of praise and reward for reasoning and contemplation is actually directed toward the end result of this thought process, which is a conscious testimony that has earned the Islamic nation superlative praises (Quran 3:110).

Although Islam had a significant role in encouraging thought and contemplation, Arabs were also known for their determination, which resulted from a form of conscious reasoning. Their love for poetry and the perfection of the Arabic language was to some extent sparked by their will to communicate these beliefs accurately. This led to the establishment of devout morals and manners driven by conscious efforts which earned Arabs respect and credibility.



Finally, the third step towards reviving thought and contemplation is communication. Thoughts and ideas should be shared between people of different backgrounds, dialogue should be facilitated and communication should be promoted. This exchange of ideas allows for more understanding of the big picture and the ability to perceive others’ perspectives.

The exchange of thoughts and ideas also causes a firmer understanding of what may be an initial framework for a belief. This concept is beautifully summarised in this excerpt from the Quran:

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair of) a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other

Quran 49:13

Initially, I had wished these three steps were laid out to me by the preacher on Friday instead of the passion-filled sermon that had no basis for verification. But as I thought more about it, I was grateful that I had the opportunity to research and formulate an opinion of my own.



A friend once told me: “Sometimes I take time off to think and I go for a walk.” It’s about time we also added more value and credibility to our decisions and opinions even if it means we need to take time out to take a walk, metaphorically or otherwise.

Let’s attain the appropriate knowledge, understand the significance of thought and be able to communicate with others. Let’s think.



Mohammed Kazim is an Emirati health-care analyst and commentator based in Abu Dhabi

The National

Glorious Obsession

Glorious Obsession

by: Mohammed Kazim

Thought contemplation reflection perpetual
a collision of emotions my mind's attire

rumination a desire for a special individual
no description in words for how i admire

her composition the progression of love gradual
her presence.. my body and my soul require

smiles sighs erruption of emotions consensual
yearning..craving.. a fusion of our flaming fire

intangible yet so splendid this obsession mutual
the jealous and heinous to undo this conspire

do they know not that we're beyond that sequel?!
efforts so useless to them my advice is retire

dedicated envy to part loved ones habitual??
cowardly and sly yet unshaken we stand higher

a passion.. a longing.. a yen for her effectual
these feelings I will yell from every tower & every spire

to make known to them that this bond is continual
that no dent can they make in our forted empire

Allah's protection I beg from evil so luctual
His justice I await on a day for them so dire

impatient ardent athirst for sanctuary spiritual
an existence incomplete until in my arms i acquire

my angel my peace my shelter my haven my ritual
my glorious obsession who makes my life entire

My Country .... My People

This poem was written in 2005 for the National Day. It was when HH Sheikh Khalifa, President of the UAE & Ruler of Abu Dhabi, announced the establishment of the Federal National Council

My Country .... My People

By: Mohammed Kazim

A pen i hold hoping to convey
accurately what lies in my heart if i may

the happiness and satisfaction i feel today
is a result of your wide generosity ray

unlimitted is the affection that you portray
spread out for all like a magnificent buffet

For your path oh Emirates I strive each day
hoping to benefit you always without delay

I wish i could express my feelings of dismay
for those who mask you with a false display

34 years have you nurtured us without sway
YET they live their desires and continuously stray

Oh my people let's not our Lord betray
let's remember the Provider of this wonderful bouquet

let's use free time wisely to repay
Allah's amazing bounties which he can decay

people before us He has punished blazing away
their wealth, their families, now nothing do they weigh

let's renew our faiths and Allah obey
and resist satan and all things astray

Let's stand in fear, lines in an array
in front of Allah, the Most Gracious, and pray

5 times without fail prostrating everyday
eyes with tears of joy we obey we obey

let's unite in purpose and each other survey
correcting our faults as we progress on our way

our deeds will not go forgetten as we return to clay
He promised us gardens under which rivers lay

Oh Khalifa like a father you spoke to us this holiday
your words arose a feeling of loyalty in an elaborate way

May the changes you propose benefit us tomorrow and today
I'm certain Blessed Zayed would be proud of you as we are day by day

I pray to Allah your obstacle path to defray
through which i hope you will comfortably sleigh

Thank you Zayed for constructing the legacy relayed
following it we hope to benefit humanity the same way

A pen i put down hoping to have a matter conveyed
i hope my words were not merely a cliche

How young Emiratis can put us all on the fast track

By: Mohammed Kazim


We all know the stereotype: the average Emirati cannot work and lacks motivation. But let’s examine the bigger picture.

Since the formation of the UAE, the federal Government has protected Emiratis by giving them priority for jobs in both the public and private sectors. The Emiratisation programme requires companies to hire and train a quota of UAE nationals.

The programme might be considered essential for a young country in which its own nationals are a minority, and often lack the experience or knowledge to perform certain tasks; but it has led to inefficiency, to young Emiratis being in the wrong jobs, and to an induced over-reliance on the system. This manifests itself in some Emiratis as either laziness, or a lack of passion or drive for what they do.


As I see it, there are three main issues here. The first is the socio-economic background of many young Emirati professionals who join the corporate world seeking self-development, and because they want to contribute to the nation-building process. They are not driven to work by necessity, and need incentives other than money; that is already available to them.

The second issue is the absence of a respect-driven disciplinary system that would hold UAE nationals accountable to deadlines and professional standards, while taking into account cultural perceptions.



The third issue is the lack of trust in Emirati employees – a perception within some elements of the expatriate community, based on a few bad experiences they may have had, that Emiratis are not diligent. This lack of trust from mentors and colleagues further alienates Emirati employees and destroys their motivation to excel.

Expatriates interact most frequently with young, educated Emiratis, often new graduates and the first in their families to hold degrees.


We all need mentors in the early stages of our professional development. The key ingredients that define our early self-confidence are the trust our mentors have in us and the tools we are provided with. We feel we cannot betray that trust, so we strive to deliver using those tools.

The developmental psychologist Erik Erikson described this "trust versus mistrust" phenomenon as the first stage of a human being’s social development from infancy to adulthood. Similarly, a fresh graduate or a young employee can be compared to an infant in the corporate world.



To optimise Emirati potential and enhance teamwork, managers – both national and expatriate – need to learn how to revive that desire in Emiratis to contribute to the nation-building process. That desire, along with respectful disciplinary measures, trust in Emiratis’ competence, and a little mentoring, would yield fascinating results.

Which brings me to this month’s Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi – an event with a genuinely global profile that brought an influx of visitors to the UAE.



Forget for a moment the visually stunning Yas Marina circuit, the infrastructure that supports it, and the world-class development going on around it. For me, the truly impressive part was what was happening in the grandstands, full of motor-racing enthusiasts and others there just to have a good time.

Amid the sea of red Ferrari caps bearing the logo “Mubadala – Abu Dhabi” were a large number of young Emirati men and women in national dress. Their job was to help the crowds and to educate them about the event, and about the UAE in general. Representing their country, the level of service and hospitality these volunteers demonstrated surpassed all expectations.


I had a conversation with one of them, a young Emirati professional called Safeya, who works for one of the event sponsors and had joined up with Takatof, the flagship social volunteering programme of the Emirates Foundation. When I asked her what had persuaded her to do this, she told me: “All it took was a little trust and the desire to contribute to my country.”

Seeing Safeya, elegantly dressed in her abaya and volunteer ribbon, waving the UAE flag with pride as guests left the grandstands, made me realise the passion that Emiratis have to offer. If this passion is channelled correctly, we can enhance teamwork and build a nation with quality and dedication.



The question is: are you ready to leave your comfort zone, abandon the stereotype, and trust us?



Mohammed Kazim is an Emirati healthcare analyst and commentator based in Abu Dhabi

The National Copy (Original)

Al Arabiya Copy