A Look at Leadership from an Islamic Perspective - Islam for Muslims - Wabsodlink

INTRODUCTION: Leadership is a position one can attain at one point or the other in life. During such period he/she becomes the leader who must lead his/her people aright in their economic, social and spiritual with calmness and in a secured environment. There are positions and there are positions! Some positions of leadership are more demanding than others depending on the magnitude of the subjects under control, type of services required, the orientation and principle of the people. Such task at any level is demanding. It is such an onerous work that needs both the consent of Allah and man for true success, that which will bring the sincere praise and prayer of man and the acceptance and blessing of Allah. Leadership therefore by its foundation may be clear or cloudy, straight or warp, easy or demanding respectable or disgraceful, depending on the ideology of such a leader. By all means, one must avoid the kind of leadership that incurs people’s curse and Allah’s wrath. PRECEPT FOR THE MUSLIMS: Islam is a way of life in the sense that it set the best precept and principle for whatever thing one wants to do or what one wants to become. This is either a clear-cut injunction from Allah or a relayed sample from the life of Prophet Muhammad(SAW) or his immediate companions. And leadership is not exemption. The Prophet instructed his followers:“Do not exaggerate my position in praise of me as the Christians did with the son of Mary, for I am only the slave of Allah, so call me slave of Allah and His messenger” (Bukhari). He didn’t want vain glory and prevented his followers from becoming sycophants. He also said:“One who deceives is not one of us”(Trimidhi). “…treat well those who treat you badly, and speak the truth even against yourself” (Ibn Najjar). He cherished justice, truth and encouraged forgiveness. “Be in this world as if you are a stranger or a way farer” (Bukhari). He restricted accumulation of material wealth. These are some of what he said and what became his principles by which, he acted and for the very reason he was nick-named Al- Amin (The Trustworthy), even by the Pagans before he became a Prophet! Among Abu Bakr first statement on mounting the pulpit as the first caliphate after the Prophet was:“O People! I have been given office although I am not the best among you. If I did well, support me and if I deviated rectify me. Truthfulness is a deposit and lying is treason. The weak person among you is strong with me till I restore his right and the strong person among you is weak with me till I take what he has usurped…obey me as long as I obey Allah…” Showing that, he saw leadership as a privilege not a birth-right or as the only person fit or who merit the post and he stood for justice and truthfulness. Abu Musa and two of his brothers went to the Prophet, and the brothers requested the Prophet to make them the heads of certain communities. The Prophet said unto them: ‘he who covets for a post shall not be granted the post” (Muslim). Meaning that public post should not be coveted or be ‘a do or die’ affair. Even a sensible ‘born leader’ or ‘natural leader’ must not think no other exists. It is at best if attained by right and credible way. These are enough guidance and excellent models for Muslims at every level of leadership - Q33: 21. ITS SCOPE: A Muslim must let both the spiritual teachings and moral principles of Islam on leadership interest and influence him/her tremendously, because that is where one’s eminence lies! By the fact of this Prophetic statement:“Take care! Each of you is a shepherd and each of you shall be asked concerning his flock: a leader is a shepherd over his people and he shall be asked concerning his flock, and a women is a shepherd over the house of her husband and over his children and she shall be asked concerning them; and the slave of a man is a shepherd over the substance of his master and he shall be asked concerning it. Take care then each of you is a shepherd and each of you shall be asked concerning his flock” (Muslim). It means leadership role is an inevitable position for everybody irrespective of age or gender, educated or illiterate, rich or poor, influential or unknown person. At any period of ones’ life, one assumes a status of leadership! Imam, governor, parliamentarian, union leader, community head, team leader, senior at work, elder, school prefect, father, mother, brother, sister, manager, master, chairman of society, are all leaders with specific roles. It could occur that the led at a place is a leader at another place at the same period. You can be a member of a society and be the president or holding key post of another one. An employee of a company or government establishment can be director of his own private business. Everybody is a leader at his own level! The Prophet has said: “Take care! Each of you is a shepherd and each of you shall be asked concerning his flock…” ITS IMPLICATION AND FOUNDATION: If the above is so, a child must be trained towards this inevitable life challenges of being a leader and a matured man must brace up and prepare himself for the challenges of every situation he/she finds himself/ herself as a leader at any level and period of life. Parents cannot make their children good and true leaders by bequeathing wealth to them. Neither can you as a child attained true leadership through abundant inheritance. No! It lies not in the status of ones parents but individual build-up, more importantly as a Muslim, on piety. This is so in that we’ve seen Prophets whose parents, wives, children or relatives failed to benefit from the perfect and true leadership status of their man! But remember the first person pronounced by Allah as leader- Ibrahim(AS), was on piety: “And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain commands which he fulfilled. He (Allah) said, I will make you a leader of man. Ibrahim asked, ‘and what about from my offspring?’ He (Allah) said, ‘my covenant does not embrace the transgressor” Q2:124. Meaning that non-pious man cannot make a true leader! Piety is the true driving force for good leadership due to the necessity of obeisance to one’s Lord and perception of grand accountability.