The Five Pillars of Prosperity
The Five Pillars of Prosperity provides readers with a balanced and sensible approach to financial planning and security.
The book is unique in that it is written by a leading Muslim financial expert who draws on Islamic teachings while showing how these Islamic values are consistent with Jewish and Christian values.
Though the primary audience may be American Muslims (and geared towards a young-adult audience), anyone interested in financial security will find this practical guide helpful in making wise financial decisions.
Interweaving teachings from the Prophet Mohammed and from other sources from the Abrahamic faiths, Dr. Mirza presents a powerful and provocative case for arranging one’s life — and the material pursuits — in ways that not only benefit the reader but also society at large.
The book starts off with a forward written by Dr. Mohammad Siddiqi, a renowned economist and scholar. After a brief introduction to the topic of personal finance and its relationship to one’s faith, Dr. Mirza launches into the topic, shows how the attainment of wealth and prosperity can be achieved by following five key activities:
For each area, Dr. Mirza explores some of the basic principles and fundamentals that are involved, citing numerous personal examples as well as referencing many 3rd party sources to emphasize the key points.
Throughout the book, he provides many compelling references from the teachings of the Abrahamic faiths, including not only the Qur’an, but also from sources such as the Torah and the Bible.
While Dr. Mirza covers a lot of ground that may be familiar territory to many who have read books on personal finance, he makes a very strong case for ideas not often seen in personal finance books, such as the following: Social Entrepreneurship; Faith-based investments; Charitable giving and Inheritance.
The author closes with a discussion on wealth building strategies and wealth preservation. Additionally, he provides a section of resources and an extensive bibliography for further reading. The book is rich in investment strategies and advice and though the topic is often complex Dr. Mirza’s writings are clear and accessible to a general audience. www.fivepillarsbook.com
About the Author
Dr. M. Yaqub Mirza is President and CEO of Sterling Management Group, Inc.
Sterling negotiates mergers, acquisitions, and sales of various sized companies located in different parts of the world. Sterling and its affiliates operate in the United States, Canada, Chile, Egypt, Malaysia, Turkey, and Zimbabwe. In addition, Dr. Mirza has more than 30 years of experience in stock investments and portfolio management, involving assets ranging from $10–$110 million.
Dr. Mirza has served as a Trustee and Treasurer and later as Chairman of Amana Mutual Funds (1987–2003), an Advisor (2003–2009), and currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Amana Mutual Funds, which is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an open-end investment company and is managed by Saturna Capital Corporation. In addition, Dr. Mirza currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sterling Agricola, S.A., a Chilean company. He also serves on the boards of numerous other organizations, including several for-profit, not-for-profit, as well as academic institutions.
Dr. Mirza is a member of the Boards of Advisors for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and the Institute for Entrepreneurship, Byrd School of Business, Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia. He is a trustee on the George Mason University Foundation, serving on their investment committee.
He has received numerous awards and recognition for his work in entrepreneurship and community service including: The 2002 Entrepreneur Award by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (San Jose, California); 2006 Award Recipient – Byrd Distinguished Entrepreneur Speaker Series, Byrd School of Business at Shenandoah University, 2012 Recognition Award for Community Service by the Muslim American Citizens Coalition and 2013 Award from the Public Affairs Council.
Most notably, Dr. Mirza was featured in an article on faith-based entrepreneurship, published in the 2010 Spring edition of the New England Journal of Entrepreneurship. Dr. Mirza holds a M.Sc. from the University of Karachi (1969), a Ph.D. in Physics (1974) and M.A. in Teaching Science (1975) from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Dr. Mirza is a United States citizen and has resided in the Herndon, Virginia area for the past three decades.
