The Ethics of Marketing [Al-Adab At-Taswiq]

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It’s easy to understand why business is sometimes framed with a cautionary tale vis-a-vis religion, and wisely so. When the primary intention is towards profit, the following classic examples can occur:

1. Product: Over-promise and under-deliver, without customers knowing that they have been shortchanged.
2. Price: Over-pricing without real reasons for doing so other than to gain profit, yet nonchalantly and constantly using the reasoning that you’re providing a service.
3. Place: Restricting your channels of distribution towards areas that you’d profit most and not areas where people are wanting your product and you have the ability to deliver.
4. Promotion: Promoting other businesses and items more actively and taking advantage of your customers’ ignorance in exposure to material other than that which they had originally and intentionally wanted.

There are many verses in the Quran as well as hadith sahih which describe exemplary business and marketing ethics. I’d like to mention here of the Islamic scholars of the past, and one in particular whom we are familiar with by name: Imam Abu Hanifah.

Besides being an Islamic scholar, Imam Abu Hanifah was also admired as a businessman. He had four characteristics which made him exemplary:

1. Clear sense of integrity
2. Exemplary honesty
3. Kindness in dealings
4. A view that honest and fair marketing was a kind of worship

He was similar to Abu Bakr in his trading, showing the defects of the items he wanted to sell clearly to the customer and not concealing them, without placing the nicer ones on top to hide away the defects. He took all precaution to stay away from the temptations to cheat. Once an old woman came to him telling him that she was poor and asked if he could sell the dress at a fair price. Imam Abu Hanifah offered 4 dirhams, in which she was offended, thinking that the Imam had mocked and ridiculed her, offering such a low price than expected. Abu Hanifah then explained that earlier, he had another similar dress which was sold at 4 dirhams cheaper than normal, and he was only trying to get his fair share back from the old woman now. In other words, if it were not for that other dress, he would have charged her with nothing. (Pioneers of Islamic Scholarship, 2006).

So great, we have ethics. “The West” is always the one without these things… … right?

Selections from the Code of Ethics of the American Marketing Association (Hair et. al., 2006):

Honesty and Fairness:

1. Being honest in serving consumers, clients, employees, suppliers, distributors and the public
2. Not knowingly participating in conflict of interest without prior notice to all parties involved

Rights and Duties:

1. Products and services offered are safe and fit for their intended uses
2. Communications about the offered products and services are not deceptive
3. All parties intend to discharge their obligations, financial and otherwise, in good faith

(And many others. The list is long.)

So what’s the main difference between an external code of ethics and Islam’s code of ethics? Ours must be practised, there is no separation nor line with our dailiy lives. Because ours is built into our religion. There is no “time for business ethics and time for life stuff” … it’s the same thing.

So if you are someone who is dealing in business and marketing, thread with adab, be on your guard, remember that the luxuries you have are not priviledges but rather tests… and don’t transgress.

‘O believers! Do not consume one another’s wealth through unlawful means; instead, do business with mutual consent; do not kill yourselves by adopting unlawful means. Indeed Allah is Merciful to you.’ (4:29)

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