Business as a Moral Calling: A Sufi Perspective on Ethics and Profit

Sufism and business are often perceived as belonging to two distinct and separate domains. When people speak of business, they usually focus on economic gains and profit maximization—business is business, as the saying goes. Ethical considerations are often treated as a different matter altogether. Business is seen as part of the profane sphere, while ethics and spiritual values, rooted in religious teachings, are placed in the transcendent realm. As a result, business and ethics are frequently regarded as difficult to reconcile, much like oil and water.

However, for those who recognize the importance of ethics in business, Sufi values can serve as a powerful motivation to conduct business properly. Principles derived from Sufism—along with Islamic law and jurisprudence—such as honesty, justice, patience, and mutual trust, form a solid foundation for sustainable business success. Those who entirely disregard ethics in business are likely to engage in unethical practices and may obtain profits that lack true blessing. Examples include falsifying measurements, inflating budgets, or selling products unfit for consumption.

For Muslim entrepreneurs, ethical conduct in business should be a fundamental principle. When business is conducted through deception, exploitation, and excessive capitalism, social justice becomes difficult to achieve. Under such conditions, economic inequality widens and harms the broader community.

For centuries, Sufi scholars have emphasized proper conduct in business. One of the key principles they promote is caution and ethical responsibility, particularly in safeguarding public welfare. Business practices inspired by Sufism are grounded in collective benefit rather than individual or group interests. Ethical vigilance ensures that no party is harmed. Consequently, Sufi-oriented business prioritizes moral goodness in this world while aiming for happiness in the hereafter.

Deception, fraud, and other unethical business practices are regarded as sinful acts. For Sufis, business objectives are not limited to short-term gains but extend to long-term and broader moral purposes. Sufism teaches that the afterlife is better and everlasting compared to worldly life (wal-ākhiratu khayrun wa abqā). Accordingly, worldly business is viewed merely as a means toward attaining eternal well-being. If business activities neglect moral goodness and are driven by unethical motives, they will not earn divine approval. Without God’s approval, profits become meaningless, even if they provide physical comfort.

Sufis also emphasize that what enters a person’s body profoundly influences their actions. Actions stem from intention, and intention resides in the heart. A corrupted heart leads to corrupted intentions, which often give rise to spiritual unrest and unchecked desire. Unethical business practices typically originate from impure intentions and uncontrolled desires. To satisfy such desires, individuals may resort to any means necessary, including immoral business conduct.

BUSINESS AS A DIVINE BLESSING

Today, many businesspeople face bankruptcy and legal consequences due to the absence of ethics in their practices. Conversely, numerous companies thrive precisely because they prioritize ethical conduct. Those who dismiss ethics argue that it exists only in theory, insisting that in practice business remains business, regardless of moral considerations.

Ethics in business is indispensable. Legal frameworks alone—particularly those created by humans—are insufficient as moral foundations. This explains why many business actors still engage in fraud to secure greater profits despite existing regulations.

In Islam, business is encouraged as a means of attaining a decent livelihood, consistent with humanity’s role as khalīfah fī al-arḍ—God’s steward on earth. However, God also warns that pursuing worldly sustenance should not result in neglecting the afterlife. Likewise, prioritizing spiritual pursuits while abandoning worldly responsibilities is equally prohibited (Qur’an 28:77; 62:10).

Business is a means to achieve worldly life, but in Islam it also serves as a pathway to success in the hereafter. To balance these dual orientations, integrating Sufi values into business becomes essential. Values such as honesty, patience, justice, and trustworthiness must guide business actors. Without ethical commitment and spiritual awareness, deceptive character traits will emerge, ultimately harming others and even the business itself.

For centuries, Sufis have demonstrated how business can be driven by ethical and spiritual values. Spirituality, in their view, is not confined to metaphysical or transcendent realms; it can be internalized within everyday, worldly activities, including commerce. Ethical business inspired by spirituality thus becomes not merely theoretical but a dynamic force that enables companies to grow sustainably while maintaining public trust.

This relationship between ethics, spirituality, and business performance was discussed by Daryati P. Ahmad in Panjimas (August 23, 2003), drawing on the framework developed by Gay Hendricks and Kate Ludeman in The Corporate Mystic. She observed a growing trend among Western business leaders—particularly in the United States—to prioritize ethics in business, including conducting ethics training within companies.

According to Daryati, this ethical awareness later evolved into a broader movement of spiritual management and business. For instance, approximately 67,000 employees of Pacific Bell California participated in Krone training, a form of New Age spiritual development. Many multinational corporations have invested millions of dollars annually to hire consultants associated with this emerging spiritual movement.

A business environment that embraces ethics and spirituality has shaped the character of business leaders, resembling mystics or spiritual figures in religious institutions. This conclusion is not exaggerated, as the rise of spiritual management has encouraged major U.S. corporations to enhance the spiritual development of both leaders and employees.

After conducting over 1,000 hours of interviews with hundreds of successful entrepreneurs and executives, researchers concluded that many business leaders possess traits commonly associated with mystics. They view companies as collective expressions of spirit, rely on intuition, and know how to apply it effectively. Such individuals are often described as corporate mystics.

Their rationale is that deep spiritual awareness enables them to work with integrity, pursue vision passionately, and unlock the potential of others. They enter business not only to fulfill economic needs but also as an expression of conscience and inner calling.

According to Hendricks and Ludeman, corporate mystics share at least twelve core characteristics, including honesty, justice, self-awareness, contribution-focused work, efficiency, openness to change, balance, discipline, long-term vision, and attentiveness to present realities.

While they may not explicitly claim mastery of these traits, they function as modern-day saints or Sufis within corporate and organizational environments. They uphold ethical standards and honor spiritual values, living from a foundation of personal spirituality, collective spirituality, and awareness of the surrounding world.

They move dynamically between the spiritual and business realms, maintaining grounded visions, holistic perspectives, and egalitarian outlooks. Spirituality here is not a rigid or institutionalized doctrine, but a living and dynamic force embedded in everyday professional life.

These leaders do not merely believe in spirituality; they actively embody and utilize it. They are global executives and entrepreneurs who achieve business success with elegance, attaining both financial and spiritual well-being. They prosper without losing their sense of God—within themselves and within the businesses they lead. Wallāhu a‘lam.

This article was published in the Opinion column of Media Indonesia on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.