Shakirah Hunter

Allah SWT has granted every person a specific ability and allows us to either be naturally talented or He guides us to our calling in life. There are those who have been granted the desire to heal and go into medicine , whilst others may be creative and go into the arts. Every skill set has been created by Allah Ta’ala to create a cycle of benefit between us humans . We all have passions and abilities but  it is only when those abilities are of benefit to mankind that it has value in our lives.

Looking at the life of Dawood عليه السلام  , Allah سبحانه وتعالى had blessed him with the skill of creating armour.

(وَعَلَّمۡنَـٰهُ صَنۡعَةَ لَبُوسࣲ

لَّكُمۡ لِتُحۡصِنَكُم مِّنۢ بَأۡسِكُمۡۖ فَهَلۡ أَنتُمۡ شَـٰكِرُونَ

We taught him the skill of making armor as dress for you to protect you from what may harm you (in combat). So are you grateful?

-Surah Al-Anbiya’, Ayah 80

Allah سبحانه وتعالى allowed him the skill of creating armour that was made of links and allowed for easier usage and movement. Armour prior to this was made of solid steel and didn’t allow for optimum movement. Allah Ta’ala had blessed him by allowing the iron to become soft in his hands or he was taught how to make the steel soft. Allah references this in the following ayah :

(۞ وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَیۡنَا دَاوُۥدَ مِنَّا فَضۡل

ࣰاۖ یَـٰجِبَالُ أَوِّبِی مَعَهُۥ وَٱلطَّیۡرَۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ ٱلۡحَدِیدَ)

Surely We bestowed grace on Dawūd from Us: “O mountains, pronounce with him Allah’s purity repeatedly – and you too O birds!” And We made the iron soft for him

-Surah Saba’, Ayah 10

Allah Ta’ala granted this ability to Dawud عليه السلام and in recognition of this blessing from Allah Ta’ala , he in turn used this skill as a means of benefit to others.

How did he use his skill set to create benefit?

1. Benefit to human kind at large by using his skill to solve a need: First and foremost he used this skill to benefit the armies in that they would purchase one coat of armour from him daily. According too Allama Katheer رحمه الله , he would gain six thousand dirhams from this trade.
2. Benefit to himself and his family. He would then use two thousand to create benefit for his family and the personal needs of the home.
3. Benefit to the larger Ummah from the profit. He would then use the remaining four thousand to create benefit for the Bani Israel by purchasing bread made of fine white flour to feed them all.

We learn an integral lesson in choosing our life’s purpose and our careers. It doesn’t matter   what field we choose to go into – our objective should always be to live within  a Halaal sustenece and to look after the needs of our families but more importantly we have to look at the benefit we create in the larger ummah.

The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has praised a person who creates a life of benefit to others as the best of people. We see this example in the life of Adam عليه السلام who was an excellent farmer and used this skill to benefit his people.

In making the choice of a career – choose a career wherein you benefit financially yourself, yet at the same time balance it with fulfilling the needs of your community, for it is in service to others that one finds purpose.

Business may seem a cut-throat world where the bottom line is the only focus, yet when one decides to use their business to solve a need or provide a service to mankind , this then changes the entire focus of ones business.

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