Once You Dig a Well, Don't Close It
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Once you dig a well, don't close it.
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A friend of mine once received this advice from a wise man.
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He passed it on to me, and today I want to pass it on to you.
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I have thought about it quite a bit, particularly in business and our professional lives.
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We have a job, and when a better opportunity comes, we cannot wait to leave the old one behind.
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We build a business, and when a more exciting idea appears, we suddenly lose interest in what we spent years building.
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Sometimes, we even begin to dislike the very thing that once provided for us.
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But think about it.
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You spent years digging that well.
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You invested your time, developed skills, built relationships, earned trust, and perhaps even established a source of income.
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Why close it simply because you found another well to dig?
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The Albanian Proverb Every Entrepreneur Should Remember
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In Albania, we have a beautiful saying:
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"Kur nuk rrjedh, pikon."
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Meaning, "Even when it doesn't flow, it still drips."
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This simple proverb carries an important lesson for entrepreneurs.
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Not every business will continue growing at the same pace.
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Not every professional relationship will immediately produce opportunities.
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And not every investment of our time will deliver the returns we initially expected.
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But that does not mean they have become worthless.
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Sometimes, a small but consistent source of income can be more valuable than an exciting opportunity that never materializes.
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Sometimes, there is more barakah in the little that continues than in the abundance we are chasing.
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Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
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"If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allâh), I will give you more (of My Blessings)..." (Qur'an 14:7)
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Gratitude should influence how we approach the opportunities, relationships, and resources Allah has already placed in our hands.
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Before abandoning something because we have discovered a more attractive opportunity, we should consider whether we are overlooking the value of what we already possess.
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Don't Destroy the Relationships and Businesses You Have Built
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Consider how this principle applies to our professional lives.
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Perhaps that previous business can still generate some revenue.
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Perhaps that former employer can become a future client.
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Perhaps those relationships can open doors you never imagined.
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A founder who spent years developing a business has accumulated more than revenue.
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He has built relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, and other business owners.
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He has developed expertise, established processes, and earned a reputation.
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These are valuable assets, even when the business itself is no longer his primary focus.
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The same applies to employment.
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Leaving a company for a better opportunity does not require damaging the relationships you developed there.
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A former employer may become a customer, partner, mentor, or source of future opportunities.
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The way you leave something can determine whether its benefits continue long after you have moved on.
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For Muslim founders, this is particularly important because building a strong economy requires more than continuously launching new ventures.
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As discussed in MuslimBiz, strengthening Muslim entrepreneurship also means developing lasting businesses, professional relationships, and institutions that continue creating value.
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We should not be so focused on the next opportunity that we unnecessarily destroy the foundations we have already established.
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Not Every Well Is Worth Keeping Open
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Of course, not every well is worth keeping open.
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Some genuinely need to be closed.
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A business may be consistently losing money.
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A professional relationship may have become harmful.
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An opportunity may demand more time, energy, or resources than the benefits it provides.
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And sometimes, continuing an activity may prevent us from fulfilling more important responsibilities.
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Islam does not teach us to preserve something simply because we have invested years into it.
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We must also consider whether continuing it is beneficial, sustainable, and permissible.
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The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
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"Be keen on what benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not give up." (Sahih Muslim 2664)
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This guidance reminds us to pursue what is beneficial while relying upon Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
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Sometimes, that means continuing to develop something we have already built.
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Other times, it means recognizing that our time and resources would be better invested elsewhere.
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The lesson is not to keep every well open forever. It is to avoid closing a valuable well simply because another opportunity looks more exciting.
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Building Wealth Also Means Preserving What We Have Built
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Entrepreneurs are naturally attracted to new opportunities.
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We enjoy creating, experimenting, solving problems, and building something from nothing.
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But constantly starting over comes with a cost.
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Every new venture requires time.
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Every new business requires relationships.
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Every new opportunity demands attention, capital, and effort.
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And while we pursue the next exciting idea, we can easily neglect something that is already working.
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Sometimes, the better decision is not to start another business.
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It is to improve the systems of an existing one.
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Sometimes, it is not to pursue another customer.
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It is to strengthen relationships with the customers who already trust us.
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Sometimes, it is not to abandon an old income stream.
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It is to find a way for that income to continue without requiring our constant involvement.
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This principle is especially relevant when thinking about long-term Muslim ownership and economic development.
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If we want to build businesses and institutions that serve the Ummah for generations, we must learn how to preserve and strengthen what previous efforts have already established.
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Sometimes, building wealth is not about constantly starting something new, but preserving what we have already built.
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Moving forward should not automatically mean destroying what we have built behind us.
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A well that no longer flows as strongly as it once did may still provide something valuable.
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And sometimes, even a few drops are worth preserving.
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What is one well from your past that you believe is still worth keeping open?
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