Even in the use of your employers' equipment and supplies...

Even in the use of your employers' equipment and supplies, you have to be very careful -if some amount of personal use is tolerated, then okay; but if there is a clearly stated policy against any personal usage of office supplies or equipment’s, then you must refrain from using it for your personal use. Question : A Muslim works in a non-Muslim country in a private office, in a government office, or on contract for a specific project where he or she is paid by the hour.

Is it permissible for that Muslim to waste some hours, work negligently or intentionally delay the job? Does he or she deserve the full wages? Answer : This is not permissible; and if one does that, he or she is not entitled to full wages.[^11] B. Truthfulness and Honesty We have already seen the ahadith that emphasize on truthfulness alongside trustworthiness. In the context of business ethics, great emphasis has been put on truthfulness in speech and honesty in measuring.

“Give full measure and weight with justice.” (6:152) In the pre-Islamic days, God destroyed nations because they cheated in measure and scale. To promote the attitude of honesty, the shari’a says that it is recommended for the sellers to measure out their merchandise slightly more than required in order to ensure that they have given what is due to their customers.

On the other hand, it is recommended for customers to take a little less than the announced price to ensure that they are not taking more than their right. The purpose of such recommendation is to make sure that the merchant does not transgress customers' right. This is the complete opposite of what the Prophet found among the people of Medina when be migrated to that city: “Woe to the defrauders, who, when they take the measure (for themselves) from men, they take it fully.

But when they measure out to others or weigh out for them, they are deficien t”. (83:1-3) C. Concern for Society’s Well-being In his famous epistle on Islamic governance, Imam 'Ali (a.s) wrote the following about traders and industrialists: ...They are sources of profit and the means of the provision of useful articles. They bring them from distant and far-flung areas throughout the land and sea, plains and mountains, from where people cannot come and to where they do not dare to go...

Know, along with this, that most of them are very narrow-minded, awfully avaricious, hoarding goods. This is a source of harm to the people and a blot on the officers in charge.