Spirituality as an Integral Part of Islamic Business: The Case of Global Ikhwan

The Global Ikhwan group of companies was founded in 2008 to succeed the Rufaqa’ Corporation, established in 1997 to take over the business interests of Darul Arqam after its members consistently landed in trouble with Malaysia’s Islamic authorities. Banned in 1994, Arqam members survived state repression by reconfiguring themselves as successful businessmen operating under the banner of Global Ikhwan, whose steady expansion outlived the demise of its controversial chairman, Ashaari Muhammad, in May 2010. Spreading its wings transnationally even to Haramayn—the hub of Islamic worship in Saudi Arabia—Global Ikhwan was distinctively helmed by a woman, Khadijah Aam, one of Ashaari’s widows. An analysis of the business experience of Global Ikhwan adds a fresh perspective to understanding Muslim economic norms. Global Ikhwan has carved out a philosophy for its members that is spiritual and traditional, yet at the same time enterprising and innovative. Global Ikhwan attributes its phenomenal success directly to its endeavour to apply Sufi doctrines to the economic realm, despite a common taxonomy of knowledge in Islam which discusses spirituality and business as if they were separate worlds. While Islam does outline moral guidelines for regulating business, whether intra-Muslim or between Muslims and non-Muslims, it has been unusual for the ulama or Muslim religious scholars and Muslim entrepreneurs to ascribe Muslim success in business to Islamic precepts, let alone Sufi principles. Global Ikhwan is an instructive exception.

精神性作为伊斯兰商业活动的一个内在部分：以全球兄弟会集团为例

关键词：全球兄弟会集团，澳尔根组织，阿沙哈里·穆罕默德，伊斯兰教，马来西亚

全球兄弟会公司集团建于2008年，其前身是始建于1997年的鲁法卡（ Rufaqa）公司——它是澳尔根组织（Darul Arqam）成员不断与马来西亚伊斯兰政权产生摩擦而麻烦缠身后，为继承该公司商业利益而创立的。1994年该教派被禁后，澳尔根组织成员通过转型重构，从国家镇压中幸存下来；他们变身为全球兄弟会集团旗下的成功商人，而全球兄弟会集团稳步扩张，2010 年五月，在它们饱受争议的主席阿沙哈里·穆罕默德（Ashaari Muhammad）去世后仍安然存活。全球兄弟会不断跨国扩张，甚至发展到了沙特阿拉伯的伊斯兰崇拜中心——哈拉曼（Haramayn）， 但不同寻常之处是，它由一位女性—阿蒂查·艾（Khaidjah Aam），阿沙阿里的寡妇之一—掌舵。分析全球兄弟会集团的商业经历为我们理解穆斯林经济规范增添了一个崭新的视角。全球兄弟会集团为它的成员打造出了一个既是精神性的也是传统的姿态，然而同时也具有企业家精神和创新性。尽管在伊斯兰教中有个通用的知识分类法，对精神性和商业事务的讨论中它们仿佛属于不同的世界，全球兄弟会集团却把自己引人瞩目的成功直接归结于其将苏菲教义应用于经济领域的实践。尽管伊斯兰教的确给出了用以规范商业活动（不论是穆斯林内部还是穆斯林与非穆斯林之间）的道德指南，对乌拉马（或穆斯林宗教学者）以及穆斯林企业家来说，把穆斯林的商业成功归结于伊斯兰宗教规则，这已经很不寻常，更不要说将之归结于苏菲教派准则了。全球兄弟会集团是一个富有教育意义的例外案例。

Translated from English by Li Guo