Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillahir- Rahmanir-Rahim
1. Preface
In accounting, we know profit as the excess of income over expenses. Yet in the psychology of integrity, true profit is the alignment between what is in the heart and what appears outside. A tranquil soul is one that does not hang its self-worth on “external validation.” When we feel loss merely because we are criticized, or feel gain merely because we are praised, we are actually letting others control our happiness. Real profit is when the inner self feels peace because we know who we are before the Creator.The Qur’an reminds us that a person’s fate and moral responsibility lie with himself, not in the opinions of others:
قَالُوْا طٰۤىِٕرُكُمْ مَّعَكُمْۗ اَىِٕنْ ذُكِّرْتُمْۗ بَلْ اَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُّسْرِفُوْنَ
“They [the messengers] said, ‘Your fate is with yourselves. Is it because you were reminded [that you threaten us]? Rather, you are a transgressing people.’” (QS. Yasin: 19)
The Messenger ﷺ also affirmed that nobility in the sight of Allah is often hidden from human eyes:
رُبَّ اَشْعَثَ اَغْبَرَ مَدْفُوْعٍ بِالْاَبْوَابِ لَوْ اَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ لَاَبَرَّهُ
“Many a person with disheveled hair and covered in dust, turned away from doors [because he is deemed lowly], yet if he were to swear by Allah, Allah would fulfill it for him.” (HR. Muslim)
2. Explanation
The value of gold does not turn into iron just because a million people call it iron. Your standard is your Lord; as long as your relationship with Allah is good, the entire world opposing you cannot reduce your nobility by even a drop. Imagine a street cleaner ignored by the world; he may be considered “losing” in status, yet every step he takes is followed by the prayers of angels because of his honesty. When death comes, he returns carrying “gold” in his chest, while those adored for their falseness return empty-handed. Real profit is not what we carry in our pockets, but what we carry in our souls.Life is like holding precious metal. If you hold pure gold and people accuse it of being cheap metal, the gold will not lose its value. You are still a winner. But if you hold rusty iron and manage to convince the world it is gold through image-building, you are actually the greatest loser because the real value you hold is zero. We can be funny sometimes; we fear our “rating” dropping in the eyes of neighbors more than in the eyes of Allah. We busy ourselves checking out skincare so our faces glow before people, but rarely check out repentance so our faces glow on the Day of Judgment. Remember, people’s praise is like perfume; pleasant to sniff for a moment, but don’t swallow it, because it can become poison that kills humility.
3. Lessons and Message
The fundamental lesson for us is that true freedom is when we stop being slaves to human tongues.
The moral message: focus on the quality of the “metal” within your soul, not on the “labels” the world sticks on you. If you know yourself well before Allah, then praise will not make you float (arrogant), and criticism will not make you fall (despair). Make Allah’s pleasure the sole indicator of profit in the ledger of your life.
4. Conclusion
Beloved brothers and sisters, profit and loss in life are determined by our obedience to Allah. Focus on your inner quality, because in the end we will face Him alone, without carrying along other people’s comments or likes. Focus on being “gold” in the eyes of Allah, even if the world sees you as dust. For in the end, only His assessment will determine our fate in eternity
والله أعلم بالصواب
الحمد لله رب العالمين
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
By : Abu Sultan Al-Qadrie
