Event Review: Young Muslim Entrepreneur Seminar
What: Young Muslim Entrepreneurs Seminars
Where: Singapore Management University
Who: Harasha Bafana, NurHafihz Noor, Ustaz Syed Mustafa Alsagoff, Ustaz Muhammad Tarmizi Abdul Wahid, Aminordin Omar, Mohamed Nassir Abdul Shukur
When: 11th January 2014
By: SIM Malay Cultural and Muslim society
Entrepreneurship has become a lost trade in the Muslim community, and something which Muslims do not hold on to with pride. It was nice to see people of different ages yearning to learn the tricks and trades of business and came under one roof to learn together. The six speakers who were present gave deep insights and fresh perspective on what business is about and how imperative it is in developing the Muslim community in Singapore and beyond.
Each speaker had their own insights on business, and personally I feel everything that was said and stated in the notes has tons of benefits that we can implement in our lives, but I shall elaborate more on the main points which I feel is important and more beneficial for the readers.
The seminar kicked off with zeal as Ms. Harasha Bafana attacked the audience with wild ideas and creative insights as to what being an entrepreneur really means. Her puns never failed to crack the audience up.
She began by asking:
What is entrepreneurship?
“Entrepreneurship” she says, “are those who identify a need – any need – and fill it.”
“It is the urge to identify the need of the people, the problems that bother them and serve them in the best way possible, thereby making the world a better place,” she adds on.
She gave six main points on why we should become an entrepreneur:
1) Entrepreneurs take charge of their lives; are proactive when it comes to controlling their incomes.
2) Entrepreneurs stretch themselves – they will do anything to stretch their potential.
3) Entrepreneurs create their ideal lifestyle
4) Becoming an entrepreneur enables one to help their community
5) It enables them to improve the condition of the world
6) To get closer to Allah SWT
Mr. Nurhafihz Noor, focused on Islamic marketing, and why we should dive into this ‘relatively new term’ as mentioned by him. It’s interesting that he infuses his presentation, or rather his marketing just by deriving lessons from the Qur’an and seerah of Rasulullah (S). This goes to show value that the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Rasulullah (S) have in our lives and the relevancy that upholds our lives today.
One of the examples that he used was from Surah Luqman verse 27, in which Allah SWT states, “And if all the trees on the earth were pens, and the sea replenished with seven more seas, the Words of God would not be spent. Truly God is Mighty, Wise.”
We can derive two lessons from this: One, Allah SWT uses analogies so as to make us ponder upon His Divine Words, and secondly, analogies, if used in marketing, is useful when a comparison is made in order to aid the purpose of explanation or clarification.
He says ‘Islamic Marketing’ is still new, and hopes that people would take their time to learn marketing by infusing Islamic concepts and marketing, because part of learning Islamic marketing enables one to be smarter in their dealings and it will also get them to learn more about their Deen.
Ustaz Syed Mustafa Alsagoff presented the concept of wealth from the Islamic perspective, and he shared with us that ‘’Islam gives complete freedom to economic enterprise, and that freedom does not and must not operate without a sense of responsibility.” He further emphasized that wealth is a responsibility that every Muslim must accounts himself for, and that it is important to understand the halal and haram of doing business; the fiqh of wealth and business, the fiqh muamalah, so as to please Allah SWT.
Brother Mohamed Nassir, founder of SimplyIslam, focused on ‘doing business with Allah SWT’. The factors that he heavily emphasized were:
- Have pure intentions and be sincere, for the main goal is to please Allah SWT, and no one else.
- Avoid worldly ambitions, for competition for fame and attention will only sway a person away from really seeing the true Goal.
- Ihsan, for striving for excellence in our actions and deeds bring us closer to Allah SWT.
- Having complete reliance on Allah SWT, for at the end of the day, it is Allah SWT who provides for us.
- Always supplicate to Allah SWT, for what are actions without dua’? Always make dua’ to Allah SWT for assistance in whatever you are doing and that He may be pleased with our efforts to please Him.
Throughout the seminar, I managed to pick out the main message all speakers were trying to get across:
- Muslims are entrepreneurs and should practice accountability
- Muslims should build a community to support one another.
- And lastly, Muslims should work with the intention to please Allah SWT and only Him alone.
Comments by Attendees:
Nadzeef, student
“I’ve learnt a lot about entrepreneurship and I feel I still have a long way to go. The word itself encompasses a broader topic that needs further education upon: Islamic Business. I hope many more seminars like this will be organized in the future, Insya’Allah.”
Firdaus, 20, student
“A beautiful seminar full of knowledge and interaction. Though named ‘youth seminar’, I saw that many of those who came which are considered young at heart. What is beautiful in this is that a portion of our society are willing to give up their Saturday to come to this Seminar. In search of the pleasure of Allah SWT and also in the name to uphold the Deen and to help propel our society; for the betterment of our society.”
Bio of Speakers
- Harasha Bafana, Centre Director, SME centre (SMCCI)
Harasha Bafana is an entrepreneur who focuses on Business Coaching, Branding and Communication. She holds an MBA from NTU’s Nanyang Business and a Social Science honours degree from National University of Singapore.
- Nurhafihz Noor, author of super da’wah
Brother Nurhafihz Noor is the author of Super Da’wah – How to invite Super Crowds to your Super Message, and founder of Islamicmarketing.org.
- Ustaz Syed Mustafa Alsagoff, director, syariah consultancy, education and training..
Ustaz Syed Mustafa is a bachelor of Islamic Jurisprudence from Al-Azhar university, Cairo, Egypt. He also holds a certificate in the fatwa of Darul Ifta, Egypt. He was a teacher and Head of Department, Syariah at Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah for seven years and served the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore as an executive in the Madrasah Policy and Planning Strategic Unit
- Ustaz Muhammad Tarmizi Abdul Wahid – CEO, Safinah Holdings
Ustaz Tarmizi Wahid provides facilitation, training and advisory services in areas of risk management. He served in the Office of the Mufti department at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), dealing with matters relating to Friday Sermons, Islamic education, as well as Fatwa Development.
- Aminordin Omar – Founder self DNA
Mr Aminordin Omar is a certified Wealth Mentor, Financial Behavior Consultant and DNA Behaviour International Country Representative of Singapore. He was also involved in the inception of Certified Consultant Academy and the maiden launch of Professional Enterprise Award in 2007.
- Mohamed Nassir Abdul Shukur – Founder and Managing director, Simply Islam
Mohamed Nassir graduated with a Frist Class Honours Degree (B.Sc.) from Staffordshire University (UK). He worked for many years in the software industry before spending some 8 years working for da’wah organisations like Darul Arqam and Abdul Aleem Siddique Mosque.
He was listed in “The 500 Most Influential Muslims 2009” and is currently listed in “The 500 Most Influential Muslims 2010”.
Hazrul Fitri
Hazrul Fitri is a lover of books and aspires to be an advocate of reading to the younger generation.
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