DHIKR OF ALLAH DURING BUSINESS

Dhikr of Allah at intervals while engaged in business is a source of great reward and merit. It is mentioned in  hadith that in a place where people are oblivious of dhikr, remembrance of Allah is like being steadfast in jihad  when others are running away. (Targhib, p.193, vol. 3, ref. Bazzar & Tabrani).

Abu Qalaba, one of the famous followers (tabi'in) say that once two men met in the market and one said 'Come let us seek Allah's pardon when others are forgetful of Allah". The second man did it. Then one of them died  and the other saw him in a dream saying, "Allah had pardoned us on the very same evening we lead met in the market".

Certain adhkar have been specially recommended in hadith. Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) has quoted  the following words of our blessed Prophet: Our Prophet - upon whom be peace - has said that whosoever  recites these words upon entering the market is granted a thousand merits by Allah and Allah pardons his  thousand (minor) sins and elevates him by a thousand stages (Tirmidhi)

These words should be committed memory and recited off and on during work.

TAKING BACK SOLD GOODS

Sometimes a buyer wishes to return a thing he has bought. In such a case the seller is not bound to take it back, but if he does it in view of the buyer's need or his embarrassment, it would be an act of very high merit. Abu  Hurairah has quoted the following Prophetic words:

He who takes back a thing sold has his sins pardoned on the Day of Judgement (Abu Daud)

GIVING LOAN TO THE NEEDY

Giving loan to a needy man is an act of great merit. Abdullah ibn Masud has quoted the Prophetic words "Every loan is a sadaqah", (Baihaqi and Tabrani)

Some ahadith tell us that the merit of giving loans needy man is more than that of a sadagah. (Targhib. Tabrani and Baihaqi).

This is probably because a loan is usually of amount which is not intended as sadagah, and is given to needy  person, who does not beg, and so its merit and reward arc correspondingly higher.

TELLING THE TRUTH IN TRADE

Trading is a mundane activity, but if it is done with a view to obtain lawful and' honest living and to fulfil the  lawful needs of oneself and one's own family, trading because a source of reward and merit, provided one  avoids unlawful activities. Honesty and truth in trading has been much lauded in hadith. Abu Said Khudri has  quoted the following Prophetic tradition:

A trader who is truthful and honest shall be in the company of Prophets, Siddiqun and Shuhada' (Tirm idhi).

PLANTING TREES

Planting plants and trees in appropriate places is an act of great merit. Anas has quoted the following Prophetic saying:
A man plants a tree or sows a field and a man or bud eats from it, the tree or field becomes a source of  sadaqah for him. [Bukhari and Muslim)

In other words the merit of advantage taken by a man of beast from a plantation goes continuously to the  planter as a sadaqah jariyah.

KILLING HARMFUL ANIMALS

Killing harmful animals which cause pain or loss to men i in act of merit that carps reward, e.g. killing of snakes  and scorpions has been promised rewards. Once Abdullah ibn Masud was preaching when he saw a snake  crawling on a wall; he interrupted his sermon and killed to snake with a stick; then he said that he had heard the following saying from the Holy Prophet - may he be eternally blessed:
One who kills a snake or scorpion acts as if he has killed a mushrik whose killing is lawful
(Targhib, -p. 403 , vol. 4, ref Bazzar)

The Holy Prophet has ordered of lizards. Abu Hurairah has related that the Holy Prophet - may he be blessed  eternally - has said that he who kills a lizard with one blow would earn so much merit and who kills it with  second blow would earn so much (here the Holy Prophet enumerated less merits than before) and who kills it  with the third blow would earn so much (here the Holy Prophet enumerated even lesser than before. (Sahih  Musiim)

Familiarly killing of other dangerous and harmful animals cares merit.

GOOD TREATMENT OF ANIMALS

Islam has ordained rights of animals just as there arc rights of men. It is prohibited to unnecessary cause pain to  harmless animals. Even the animals to be slaughtered are to be slaughtered in such a way that their suffering is  maximum. Our blessed Prophet has ordered that knife should be properly sharpened before slaughter and  every care possible should be taken of the animal to be slaughtered. (Tirmidhi)

Having mercy on animals, rearing them and giving them comfort is very pleasing to Allah and is very meritorious and rewarding.

Our Prophet - upon whom be peace - once related a story of man of earlier ummahs: He felt great thirst during  a journey. After a great search, he found a well which lacked a bucket to draw up the water. He went down  into the well and slaked his thirst and came out of the well, then he saw a thirty dog licking wet earth. The man  felt great pity and felt for the dog's suffering, lie took off his leather socks and, climbing down into the well, he  felt them with water and climbed out with socks held in his teeth. Allah was so pleased with this act that tic pardoned him.
(Bukhari and Muslim).