essay on the great leader hazrat muhammad

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21 Leadership Lessons from the Life of Prophet Muhammad

“Everything rises and falls on leadership.”

This is a quote made famous by America’s top leadership guru, Dr. John C. Maxwell, in his bestselling book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership .

The first time I read this quote was in 2002, when I was a rookie teacher at an Islamic school.

I remember staring at that statement and thinking, “what does he mean by that?”

To find the answer, I kept reading the rest of the book, and my life has never been the same.

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I started to look at everything from a leadership lens. The good and bad of every school, masjid, organization, family and even country were directly related to the quality of their leaders.

I was so fascinated by this topic of leadership that I went on to study it in graduate school.

I also implemented as many good leadership principles as possible in my classrooms as a teacher in public, private, charter and international schools, and as a principal in private Islamic schools in the Virgin Islands and in Houston, Texas.

Now, I teach these leadership principles day in and day out in companies, schools, non-profits and masjids internationally, because I know the kind of positive impact that great leadership can make.

When leadership is great, success inevitably follows. Likewise, when leadership is poor, failure inevitably follows.

Think about it: give me some examples of successful countries, businesses and masjids and I will point you in the direction of the strong leader that orchestrated their success.

This is the first in a series of articles about leadership in which I discuss why all of us need to understand and live out the principles of great leadership.

It doesn’t matter whether we are teachers, parents, CEOs, doctors, imams, engineers, sons or daughters; we are all responsible for being leaders.

Abdullah bin Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock. An Imam is a shepherd and he is responsible for those in his care. A man is a shepherd in respect of his family and is responsible for those in his care. The woman is a shepherd in respect of her husband’s house and is responsible for what is in her care. The servant is a shepherd in respect of his master’s property and is responsible for what is in his care. All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock.”

What is the modern-day equivalent to the word shepherd in this hadith?

IT’S LEADER!

So reread the hadith above, but this time, replace the word shepherd , with the word leader .

I believe that it is our responsibility to become leaders, because that’s what our beloved Prophet taught us to be, and that is what he was.

He exemplified leadership in all areas of his life, and, if we are truly followers of his example, then we will seek to do the same.

Also, by looking at the life of the Prophet Muhammad through this lens of leadership, my hope is that we will gain an even greater appreciation of how incredible he was, and our love for him will increase.

So let’s take a look at the life and leadership of the greatest leader in the history of the world, the Prophet from the lens of the 21 Irrefutable Laws.

As you’re reading, be sure to contemplate on how we all can follow in the Prophet’s  example and live out these laws in our lives.

Law of the Lid: Leadership Ability Determines a Person’s Level of Effectiveness

The Law of the Lid states that leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness; the lower an individual’s ability to lead is, the lower the lid on his potential.

Likewise, the higher an individual’s ability to lead is, the higher the lid on his potential.

In other words, if your leadership ability is judged on a scale of 1 to 10 – with 1 being completely ineffective and 10 being extremely effective – your potential will coincide with your level of leadership.

So, if your leadership ability is a 9, you’re going to get incredible results, but if your leadership is a 2, your results will be less than stellar.

Let’s look at this law based on the life of the Prophet.

How effective was the Prophet in his mission?

What was his level of effectiveness?

The fact that I’m writing this article on this blog is proof of how incredibly effective the Prophet was as a leader.

Based on the definition of the law provided earlier, the Law of the Lid proves clearly without a doubt that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the most impactful human being to ever walk the face of the earth.

His leadership ability was through the roof; therefore, he was able to change the course of human history forever. He was a perfect 10!

Reflection Questions on the Law:

• So what is your leadership lid? If we’re not striving to be 10’s, then we’re not striving to be like the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Law of Influence: The True Measure of Leadership is Influence – Nothing More, Nothing Less

The Law of Influence states that leadership is measured based on a person’s ability to influence others; nothing more, nothing less.

Let’s look at the influence of the Prophet (peace be upon him):

Only a few short years after the Prophet  and his followers were forced out of their hometown of Makkah, he came back accompanied by 10,000 others and became the ruler.

Within the next 100 years, the Islamic Empire stretched from Morocco to China. Fourteen hundred years later, Muhammad is the most popular name in the world, and there are over 1.3 billion Muslims spread out across the entire globe.

His name is being repeated across the globe millions of times daily. His life is being studied in homes, masaajid and universities across the globe.

Whether you walk into a mosque in Tokyo, Delhi, Dubai, London, New York City, Los Angeles, Bogota or Sao Paulo, you will hear Surah al-Fatiha recited and see people praying the way that the Prophet used to pray.

The incredible ways Prophet influenced the course of human history would require volumes upon volumes of books to enumerate.

• How are we influencing or making a positive impact in the world?
• How are we influencing our families, communities, co-workers, children, cities and countries?
• If the Prophet’s mission was about changing the world, shouldn’t ours be too? Should we not also be people of influence?

Law of Process: Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day

The Law of Process states that growth in leadership happens every single day, not in a single day.

Have you ever heard the story about the Prophet  taking a day off from his leadership responsibilities?

Of course you haven’t because it didn’t happen!

He worked tirelessly for the sake of humanity . He worked tirelessly for you and me.

Every day was a new challenge for him; a new problem to manage, a new threat on his life or the lives of his followers; a new hypocrite to deal with; a new tribe to negotiate with, a new rumor about him or his family to quell; a new strategy to develop; a new leader to give dawah to, a new Muslim to teach; and a new world to create.

Day in and day out he faced the kinds of challenges that developed and sharpened his leadership skills, to the extent that he became the greatest leader ever.

• What do we do to develop our leadership skills, day in and day out?
• How can we intentionally follow the Sunnah of growing as leaders, day in and day out?

Republished with the author’s kind permission from Muslimmatters.org.

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Lessons in Leadership from the Life of the Prophet Muhammad

October 5, 2010 • 6 min read.

The Leadership of Muhammad is a new book by British management scholar John Adair that mines the life of the Prophet Muhammad to highlight his extraordinary qualities as a leader. According to Adair, success is a function of leadership, and his short work provides anyone interested in learning how to lead and motivate with a wealth of insight, according to this review by Muqtedar Khan, an associate professor of political science and international relations at the University of Delaware.

Over the years, Muslim and non-Muslim historians have written many books about Prophet Muham mad as a leader, highlighting the divinely guided qualities of his personality as the final messenger of God, according to Islamic beliefs. But in the past century or so, a modernist, rationalist school of Islamic thought has emerged, which focuses on examining Prophet Muhammad as a charismatic leader as well as being the messenger of God.

Developed by thinkers like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Shibli Nomani in India and Sheikh Muhammad Abduh and Rashid Rida in the Arab world, this school seeks to minimize the miraculous nature of the Prophet’s biography to explore the rationalist and humanist dimensions of his personality. Their interpretations are formed by many categories that guides modern thinking — the Prophet Muhammad as statesman, as a businessman, as a political leader and a spiritual guide.

British management scholar John Adair’s new book, The Leadership of Muhammad, joins this body of work, even though he is not a modernist Muslim. But Adair’s interpretation is different from most Muslim biographers of Prophet Muhammad in several key ways. First, Adair, who served with a Bedouin regiment in the Arab Legion, emphasizes the context in which he lived over abstract moral principle. His narrative is rich with discussions of tribal practices and the day-to-day habits and traditions that had an influence on Prophet Muhammad. If Adair’s goal is to argue that leadership styles must conform to the cultural context in which they find themselves, he succeeds. In episode after episode, he shows how Prophet Muhammad’s understanding of the tribal norms of Arabia helped him become an inspirational leader as well as an effective manager .

Leading from the Front

Adair is singular in his focus on Prophet Muhammad as a leader. Unlike other commentators, he does not aim to explain or glorify Islam and Islamic teachings, and this allows him to home in on the aspects of Prophet Muhammad’s personality and cultural context to illuminate his leadership qualities.

Metaphors, such as comparing leaders to shepherds, and adjectives like humble and courageous appear frequently throughout the book. A good shepherd guides his sheep, unites them, works for their welfare without taking advantage of them and cares for each individual. Adair sees those characteristics in the Prophet Muhammad. Not only did he care for the well-being of each and every member of his flock, he was uncompromising in his determination to protect the integrity of his mission.

Adair conveys many nuggets of wisdom about what constitutes leadership, how it can be developed and understood, using a simple narrative style to tell the story of a very special man, one who was at once a business leader, a political authority, a community activist, a social entrepreneur, a divine source and a humane role model.

Adair has strong views about what makes great leaders stand out. They lead from the front and lead by example. They must eschew arrogance, exude humility, be truthful, be prepared to share any hardship with followers, and provide both vision and dedication to achieving a task at hand. Success to Adair is a function of leadership, and Muhammad — as a prophet who transformed Arabia and much of the world with his teachings — could not have achieved success without being a good leader. This is the unstated assumption that holds the book together.

Based on that, Adair mines the life of Muhammad to highlight his extraordinary qualities as a leader and the acumen with which he deployed these attributes. One is an account of an encounter between one of his followers and the Prophet while he was drawing up the formations of Muslims before the battle of Badr, a key military victory for the fledgling religion:

As Muhammad was walking up the line straightening it with an arrow in his hand, he came to one Sawadi Ibn Ghaziya, who was standing too far out of line. "Stand in line, O Sawadi," the Prophet said, gently pricking him in the belly with his arrow. "You have hurt me, O apostle of God," Sawadi cried, with a much-exaggerated cry of pain. "God has sent you to teach us about right and justice, so please allow me to retaliate". "Take your retaliation," said Muhammad with a smile, uncovering his own belly. Sawadi kissed it and embraced him. "O Messenger of God," he said. "You see what is before us, and I may not survive the battle, and as this is my last time with you I want my skin to touch yours.’ Muhammad then blessed him. With soldiers like that you tend not to lose battles.

Elsewhere, Adair captures the love and affec tion that Prophet Muhammad’s followers showered on him. As the thinking goes, You can be appointed a commander or a manager, but you are not a leader until your appointment is ratified in the hearts and minds of those who you lead.

The Advice of Women

Adair’s book is neither a scholarly nor a systematic study of the subject. It is a short book of 117 pages, which brings insight into the decisions of the Prophet. It does have one shortcoming: The author fails to explore fully how the Prophet Muhammad respected the opinion and advice of women even while making very serious decisions. One of his anecdotes from the Prophet’s life captures this quality aptly:

After Prophet Muhammad agreed to the terms and conditions in the peace treaty imposed by the Quraysh tribe at Hudaybia, many of his companions were profoundly upset with him, since the terms were favorable to the enemy. All of his companions refused to obey a direct command of his, which was to make the sacrifices and complete some of the rituals of the Hajj. Prophet Muhammad, saddened and worried by this development, retreated to his tent where his wife Umm Salama, advised him to go back out and silently perform the very acts he had ordered. When his companions saw him lead by example, they immediately followed him and a major mutiny was averted.

At a time when the public sphere is filled with Islamophobic narratives determined to caricature the noble Prophet and demonize the Islamic faith, this cameo about his leadership lessons comes as a welcome and edifying relief.

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6 Leadership lessons from Prophet (PBUH)

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was “ the only man [we can say leader] in history who was supremely successful on both the secular and religious level ”, says Michael Hart in his book The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. It was Allah Almighty who appointed Prophet (PBUH) as the leader of the Muslims of Madina and also for the rest of the Muslim Ummah:

“And We made them into leaders to guide people in accordance with Our command, and We inspired them to good works, and to establish Prayers and to give Zakah. They worshipped Us alone” (Quran 21:73).

And His choice, as we know, can never be anything less than extraordinary.

There are many characteristics that make Muhammad (PBUH) a successful leader and many lessons lay in the Prophet’s (PBUH) leadership that is still relevant for Muslims today. Let us elucidate what makes the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) an excellent leader and what we can learn from him. A good leader should:

Be Merciful

In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says about Prophet (PBUH):

“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds” (21:107).

And indeed the Prophet (PBUH) was the epitome of peace and mercy. Whenever he was wronged by anyone, he would forgive them and would refrain from holding grudges. It is narrated by Anas that once a Jewish woman tried to poison the Prophet (PBUH) and upon knowing her deed, he let her go without so much as a punishment (Muslim). This shows that the Prophet (PBUH) was not only merciful and mindful of the Muslims but was also kind to non-Muslims.

Care for the Poor

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) proved himself to be the most kind and charitable leader there was. He preached his Ummah to take care of the poor and needy, to not wrong an orphan and to keep for you (as a leader) only what is necessary for subsistence. The Prophet (PBUH) did not appropriate any wealth while he lived and he instructed his companions to distribute among the poor whatever was left after his death:

"Not even a single Dinar of my property should be distributed (after my death to my inheritors, but whatever I leave excluding the provision for my wives and my servants, should be spent in charity." [Bukhari, “Laws of Inheritance” 33].

This hadith is proof that even in his death he was mindful of and worried about the poor and wanted to help them as much as he could.

Allah Almighty clearly states in Surah Al-Ma’un that those who deny rights are to be looked down upon:

Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense? For that is the one who drives away the orphan. And does not encourage the feeding of the poor. So woe to those who pray. [But] who are heedless of their prayer - Those who make show [of their deeds]. And withhold [simple] assistance (Quran 107:1-7).

As a leader, one should not only do anything in their power to make the lives of his people easier but should also offer assistance whenever approached. In addition, a leader should be just in such a way so as to not discriminate against anyone based on gender, race or class status.

Be Trustworthy

The Holy Prophet was known as Sadiq and Ameen and everyone knew that he could be trusted fully. Even those who did not believe in the message of Islam sometimes gave him their assets for safekeeping. For someone, who had so many enemies (based on the opposition of Islam), to be trusted in such a manner is a testament to the kind of person and leader he was.

Ibn `Abbas (RA) reported: “after the verse 'and warn your closest kinsmen' was revealed, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) went out, climbed the hill of Safa and shouted to get their attention. They said, “What's this?” and gathered before him. He addressed them, saying, “If I was to inform you that horsemen were in the valley behind this hill ready to attack you, would you believe me?" They replied, "Yes, for we have never known you to lie”. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Indeed, I am a warner to you of severe punishment” (Bukhari).

It is important for the people to trust in their leader and hence it is a quality that must be present in anyone who aims to be a good leader.

Understands the need of time

A good leader is also one who acts according to the situation and circumstances of those he rules over. The Prophet (PBUH) made sure that he did not burden his companions more than was necessary. The Muslims were weak in Makkah and so neither Allah nor the Prophet asked them for Jihad. But once the Muslims had migrated to Madina, the Prophet (PBUH) knew that their hold had become stronger which is why the Prophet (PBUH), by the permission of Allah guided them towards Jihad for the one true religion.

However, a good leader does not create unnecessary warfare and tries to lessen the damage as much as possible – he did not only care for people on his side but even for the enemy. A good leader is hence compassionate and empathetic as well.

Involve the people in decision-making process

The Prophet (PBUH) took his people and their recommendations seriously. The Battle of Trench is one example of how the Prophet (PBUH) took the suggestions of his companions seriously. It was Salman Farsi’s decision to dig a trench as a strategy against the enemy and although the Prophet (PBUH) could have disagreed, he decided to trust Salman (RA) and the decision proved fruitful. In the Quran the Lord says:

“So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]” (3:159).

The Prophet (PBUH) was a successful leader because he was patient, kind, just and truthful. These traits not only allowed him to lead better, but they also made him a good humanitarian, which is the most a good leader can hope to be. There is no bigger humanitarian than Muhammad (PBUH) and in him we will always find an example of a great leader.

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21 Lessons in Leadership From the Prophet Muhammad | Part 1

“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” This is a quote made famous by America’s top leadership guru, Dr. John C. Maxwell, in his bestselling book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership . The first time I read this quote was in 2002, when I was a rookie teacher at an Islamic school. I remember staring at that statement and thinking, “what does he mean by that?” To find the answer, I kept reading the rest of the book, and my life has never been the same.

I started to look at everything from a leadership lens. The good and bad of every school, masjid, organization, family and even country were directly related to the quality of their leaders. I was so fascinated by this topic of leadership that I went on to study it in graduate school. I also implemented as many good leadership principles as possible in my classrooms as a teacher in public, private, charter and international schools, and as a principal in private Islamic schools in the Virgin Islands and in Houston, Texas. Now, I teach these leadership principles day in and day out in companies, schools, non-profits and masjids internationally, because I know the kind of positive impact that great leadership can make.

When leadership is great, success inevitably follows. Likewise, when leadership is poor, failure inevitably follows. Think about it: give me some examples of successful countries, businesses and masjids and I will point you in the direction of the strong leader that orchestrated their success.

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This is the first in a series of articles about leadership in which I discuss why all of us need to understand and live out the principles of great leadership. It doesn’t matter whether we are teachers, parents, CEOs, doctors, imams, engineers, sons or daughters; we are all responsible for being leaders.

Abdullah bin Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

“All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock. An Imam is a shepherd and he is responsible for those in his care. A man is a shepherd in respect of his family and is responsible for those in his care. The woman is a shepherd in respect of her husband’s house and is responsible for what is in her care. The servant is a shepherd in respect of his master’s property and is responsible for what is in his care. All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock.”

What is the modern-day equivalent to the work shepherd in this hadith? IT’S LEADER! So reread the hadith above, but this time, replace the word shepherd , with the word leader .

Law of the Lid: Leadership Ability Determines a Person’s Level of Effectiveness

The Law of the Lid states that leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness; the lower an individual’s ability to lead is, the lower the lid on his potential. Likewise, the higher an individual’s ability to lead is, the higher the lid on his potential. In other words, if your leadership ability is judged on a scale of 1 to 10 – with 1 being completely ineffective and 10 being extremely effective – your potential will coincide with your level of leadership. So, if your leadership ability is a 9, you’re going to get incredible results, but if your leadership is a 2, your results will be less than stellar.

Reflection Questions on the Law:

Law of Influence: The True Measure of Leadership is Influence – Nothing More, Nothing Less

• How are we influencing or making a positive impact in the world?
• How are we influencing our families, communities, co-workers, children, cities and countries?
• If the Prophet’s mission was about changing the world, shouldn’t ours be too? Should we not also be people of influence?

Law of Process: Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day

The Law of Process states that growth in leadership happens every single day, not in a single day.

• What do we do to develop our leadership skills, day in and day out?
• How can we intentionally follow the Sunnah of growing as leaders, day in and day out?

To be continued next week

Adnan Jalali M.Ed. is a former School Teacher and Principal/Head Master turned Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach and International Keynote Speaker. He has provided guidance, leadership and consultation for schools, non-profit organizations and corporations in the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and the United States. Adnan is the founder of The Jalali Group (jalaligroup.com), a Consulting firm focused on Leadership & Personal Development. The mission of the Jalali Group is to develop inspirational leaders across the globe.

Adnan received his Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from Texas State University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston. He holds a Teacher’s and School Director’s License in Texas and is a certified Leadership Trainer, Coach and Speaker with the John Maxwell Team. He is currently working on a project to develop inspirational leaders in Colombia, South America

The Invitation – Part 2

A Sunni, a Shia, and a Pizza

Adnan Jalali is a former School Teacher and Principal/Head Master turned Leadership Trainer, Executive Coach and International Keynote Speaker. Adnan is the founder of The Jalali Group (jalaligroup.com), a Consulting firm focused on Leadership & Personal Development. The mission of the Jalali Group is to develop inspirational leaders across the globe. Adnan received his Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from Texas State University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston. He holds a Teacher’s and School Director’s License in Texas and is a certified Leadership Trainer, Coach and Speaker with the John Maxwell Team. He is currently working on a project to develop inspirational leaders in Colombia, South America.

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23 comments.

October 28, 2014 at 3:03 PM

A lot to think about from a new perspective!

Adnan Jalali

October 29, 2014 at 7:46 PM

Thanks! My only wish is that these articles benefit many people.

Randy Orton just kidding its abdul

October 11, 2015 at 1:07 PM

Did he just say dr John Cena

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Lela Ashkarian

October 29, 2014 at 6:57 AM

Maxwell is an evangelical Christian. John Calvin Maxwell is an American author, speaker, and pastor The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: I believe his coaching and teachings are inspired by Jesus Christ. God is using you my friend. Keep preaching.

*This comment was edited by the MM Comments Team in order to comply with our Comments Policy*

October 29, 2014 at 7:45 PM

Yes, I am aware that John Maxwell is a former pastor, and as a Muslim I am honored to work with him and learn from him. I have also learned from the teachings of the Buddha, Aristotle, Jesus, MLK Jr., Gandhi, Confucious, John Locke, Thomas Paine, Auguste Comte and many others.

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Tadar Wazir

December 16, 2014 at 9:18 AM

We’re taught via a hadith that an imam is the mirror image of his ummah, and the ummah is a mirror image of the imam. And it and what our Bro. Dr. John C. Maxwell has stated are two truthful rays of light from the same source.

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August 5, 2015 at 5:04 PM

i would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Aly Balagamwala

August 6, 2015 at 10:34 AM

Please visit http://muslimmatters.org/subscribe-muslimmatters-biweekly-newsletter/

mohamed ali

August 9, 2015 at 12:52 PM

Nowadays muslim Ummah have forgotten to read Holy Quran with understanding each & every Verse to follow Allah’s guidance and wasting their time & energy to fight for Fikh and divide the Commuunity. If this continues without checking & preaching the importance of Allah’s message atleast now, we fear in the future say after few centuries that there will be chaos among the community and also need not tell about branding us as terrorists because of few people’s misunderstanding about Jehad & killing innocent, which is forbidden in Islam.

Most of us forget the Teaching Allah & Prophet ( SAW ) and these teaching are kept aside and give importance of Prophet’s ( SAW ) Saliva, his family members, his appearance etc. Please boost your dawa’ in Teachings of Allah & Prophet, Insha Allah.

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May 27, 2016 at 8:08 AM

Jazak Allah Khair

November 20, 2016 at 4:28 AM

boring! not helpful!

December 13, 2016 at 2:30 AM

Jazakumullah khairan for the post and I also pray that it benefits the reader in sha Allah

Riyaz Shaikh

July 20, 2017 at 4:38 AM

JazkAllh Kahiran for the your efforts brother.

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Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a Political Leader

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was both a prophet of Allah and a statesman. His leadership was most comprehensive and dynamic. He was the paragon of virtue and spirituality. He was a noble and compassionate teacher, guide, and reformer. He was a family man. Indeed, he was also a political leader. As a political leader the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) unified the Arabian peninsula, established a great state whose capital was Madinah, defeated his enemies, and had most successful military expeditions. However, his real political leadership was in the realm of morality and spirituality in which he conducted himself perfectly in situations of weakness as well as strength. His way of dealing in Makkah and Madinah indicates his great political leadership.

He was always willing to help others. Allah granted him the special gift to resolve conflicts and disputes. Even before he became the Prophet of Allah, he was able to resolve a major dispute between the people of Makkah. It is reported that the people of Makkah were repairing the walls of the Kabah. When the time came to place the Black Stone in its place in the southeast corner of the Kabah, each tribe wanted to have this honor. Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked to be the judge and decide the matter fairly. He resolved this dispute with great wisdom in an amicable way. He spread his own cloak on the ground and placed the Stone upon it. He then asked representatives of each tribe to lift the cloak together. When the Black Stone reached the required height from the ground he went forward and set it in its place.

He always wanted to make peace among people. At an early age it is reported that when some people of Makkah wanted to establish a committee to suppress violence in their society, he immediately joined them. This committee took a pledge of virtue known as the Hilf al-Fudul. Later during his prophetic life he recalled this pledge and praised it highly and said, “Even now if I am called upon in the name of this pledge, I shall not refuse.”

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was a man of ideals but he was also a practical man. He preached the message to all and did not isolate himself from his society. He used any of the good traditions and customs they had and benefited from them. Although his uncle, Abu Talib, did not accept his message of tawheed, he was willing to give him all his support and help in the Islamic work. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) appreciated his uncle’s help. After his uncle’s death he went to Ta’if to seek alliances with some other tribes there. He did not succeed, but it is important to note that he was trying to seek alliances for the cause of Islam.

The Hijrah to Ethiopia is also an example of his political skill in seeking alliances with others. When the persecution increased in Makkah and some of his followers found it difficult to live in that environment, he allowed them to migrate to Ethiopia and seek the help of the Christian King there. In Ethiopia Muslims found peace and they reciprocated the King’s hospitality with prayers and support for the King and his party. Muslims’ relations were so good with the monarch that he grew to love Islam and before his death he became a Muslim.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was a skillful and courageous political leader. His enemies could not scare or intimidate him. He never succumbed to any temptations. The people of Makkah tried to turn him away from his message and mission by offering him a great deal of money or anything that he wanted for himself but with one condition that he would give up his mission. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) very firmly, yet politely, turned down all their offers.

In Madinah he established a state where all people were equal, where matters were decided through consultation, and where all people had to follow the same law. It was a state without any favoritism in favor of any family or group. Even a non-Muslim was not to be mistreated under his rule. The story of Tu’mah ibn Abraq is an excellent example of justice and human rights for all people under his authority. Tu’mah, who was a Muslim, stole someone’s armor in Madinah and then he blamed a Jew. Allah sent a special revelation to warn people against such injustice (see Surat An-Nisaa’: 110-112). The Jewish citizen of Madinah was declared innocent and Tu’mah was found guilty.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took great care of his people’s religious as well as economic needs. Not only did he preach, but he was also concerned about their economic well-being. He made treaties and alliances with many tribes. He had great diplomatic skills. He taught the world diplomacy that was built on morality and honesty. He honored all his treaties and he defended his people. He was aware of the surrounding circumstances and made his people ready and alert. He never initiated a battle or a war, but when he was attacked he was firm and decisive. He always emphasized peace and harmonious relations.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was a man of great patience and resolution. There are many lessons for us to learn from his life. The most important aspect of his leadership was that he was always honest and truthful. Even his enemies could not find any flaw in his honesty and truthfulness. The most beautiful example of this we find in the conversation between Heraclius, the Emperor of Byzantium, and Abu Sufyan who was a bitter enemy of the Prophet at that time. This conversation took place in the year 628 CE when Heraclius received a letter from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Heraclius was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem when he received this important letter. After receiving the message, the Emperor sent for his chief of police and told him to search the country for a man from the same tribe as the one who claimed to be a prophet. Abu Sufyan, a leader of the Quraysh, who was a bitter enemy of the Prophet at that time, happened to be trading in Gaza with some of his companions from Makkah. The Emperor’s search party found them there and they were immediately taken to Jerusalem.

Heraclius called them into his court and he had all the senior Roman dignitaries around him. He called for his translator who translated Heraclius’ questions and said to them, “Who amongst you is closely related to the man who claims to be a prophet?” Abu Sufyan replied, “I am the nearest relative (amongst the group) to him.”

Heraclius said, “Bring him (Abu Sufyan) close to me and make his companions stay behind him.” Abu Sufyan added, “Heraclius told his translator to tell my companions that he wanted to ask me some questions regarding that man (the Prophet) and that if I told a lie they (my companions) should contradict me.” Abu Sufyan added, “By Allah! Had I not been afraid of my companions labeling me a liar, I would not have spoken the truth about the Prophet.”

The first question Heraclius asked me was, “What is the status of his family among you?” I replied, “He belongs to a good (noble) family amongst us.” Heraclius further asked, “Has anybody else amongst you ever claimed the same (that is, to be a prophet) before him?” I replied, “No.” He said, “Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?” I replied, “No.” Heraclius asked, “Do the nobles or the poor follow him?” I replied, “It is the poor who follow him.” He said, “Are his followers increasing or decreasing (day by day)?” I replied, “They are increasing.” He then asked, “Does anybody amongst those who embrace his religion become displeased and renounce the religion afterwards?” I replied, “No.” Heraclius said, “Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim (to be a prophet)? I replied, “No.” Heraclius said, “Does he break his promises?” I replied, “No. We have a truce with him but we do not know what he will do.” I could not find the opportunity to say anything against him except that. Heraclius asked, “Have you ever had a war with him?” I replied, “Yes.” Then he said, “What were the outcome of these battles?” I replied, “Sometimes he was victorious and sometimes we were.” Heraclius said, “What does he order you to do?” I said, “He tells us to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to be chaste, and to keep good relations with our kith and kin.”

After this conversation it is reported that Heraclius said:

“I asked you about his family and your reply was that he belonged to a very noble family. In fact, all the Messengers come from noble families amongst their respective peoples. I questioned you whether anybody amongst you ever claimed such a thing, your reply was in the negative. If your reply had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man was following the previous man’s statement. Then I asked you whether anyone from his ancestors was a king. Your reply was in the negative, and if it had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom. I further asked whether he was ever accused of telling lies before he said what he is now saying, and your reply was in the negative. So I wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others could ever tell a lie about Allah. I then asked you whether the rich people followed him or the poor. You replied that it was the poor who followed him. And in fact all the Messengers are followed by the poor in the beginning. Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing. You replied that they were increasing, and in fact this is the way of true faith, till it is complete in all respects. I further asked whether there was anybody, who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and discarded it. Your reply was in the negative, and in fact this is (the sign of) true faith when its light enters the hearts and mixes completely. I asked you whether he had ever betrayed. You replied in the negative and likewise Messengers never betray. Then I asked you what he ordered you to do. You replied that he ordered you to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him and forbade you to worship idols and ordered you to pray, to speak the truth, and to be chaste.

If what you have said is true, he will very soon occupy the place underneath my feet and I knew it (from the scriptures) that he was going to appear, but I did not know that he would be from among you, and if I could reach him I would go immediately to meet him and if I were with him, I would certainly wash his feet.”

By Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi

www.pakistanlink.com

All articles published not necessarily the official points of view held by islamonline

Discover how Prophet Muhammad championed knowledge and education, leading to an era of enlightenment in Islam. Learn about his teachings on intellectual growth, science, and the pursuit of knowledge.

What does humanity as a whole find in the prophet Muhammad's characters? What makes his character a role model not just for believers but for anyone searching for the “perfect human”?

The article delves into the truthfulness of Prophet Muhammad's prophethood, addressing common misconceptions and providing evidence to support his divine mission.

Allah gifted His servant prophet and Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with all sublime morals. In this context, Almighty Allah says: [And surely thou hast sublime morals] (Al-Qalam 68:4). On his part, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I was sent (by Allah) to perfect the sublime morals.”

It is by Allah's grace that you have dealt gently with them. Had you been harsh and hard- hearted, they would surely have broken away from you

The brief narration of the Prophet's hijrah (migration) to Madinah after getting Allah's permission.

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The Leadership of Muhammad: A Historical Reconstruction

2020, Swansea, UK: Claritas Books

Given Prophet Muhammad’s a immense impact on history, there are surprisingly few books that specifically analyse his leadership. The few that exist maintain that Muhammad was a wonderful leader because he was a wonderful man; that is, he succeeded in his mission because of his superior morality and personal qualities. Although it is widely agreed that Muhammad was a moral and decent man, this explanation seems incomplete and almost inadequate. Joel Hayward approaches the Prophet’s leadership from a different vantage point by scrutinising ancient sources to ascertain whether Muhammad’s conscious actions, behaviour, and methods can provide any substantial and meaningful insights about the effectiveness of his strategic leadership. Through meticulous research and rigorous analysis, Hayward demonstrates that Muhammad was an uncommonly astute and self-reflective man with the ability to create and communicate a believable strategic vision of a necessary and desirable future. This engaging yet deeply scholarly book makes a major contribution to both leadership studies and the Prophet’s biography.

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The article is a logical and positive argument to William Montgomery Watt’s Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman, which represents to the Western reader imperfect depiction about the Prophet Muhammad’s successful statesmanship as part of his Prophethood. This claim represents a secular ground that the Prophet Muhammad has politically founded Islam. In spite of misunderstanding of Islamic leadership as being religious, Prophet Muhammad cannot be branded as a statesman. It is fairly clear that the Prophet's leadership is a worldly method which is applicable in real life even without being an Islamic state. The Prophet Muhammad’s techniques in his leadership played a significant part in achieving his goal to deliver the message of Islam to the world. He had all the necessary leadership attributes for success in every aspect of life. Allah the Almighty says, ‘Most certainly, you have in the messenger of Allah an excellent pattern (of behaviour)’.

Yusuf Bamigboye

The basic problem of governance in modern society is leadership. Almost all the world nations suffer from poor leadership as the leaders and their leadership styles fall short of the fear of God. In the pre – Islamic period, before the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), there was no known form of administration nor governance. People just did what they liked in the way they felt as there was no distinction among leaders, the led, managers or administrators. Prophet Muhammad, with his great virtues of genuine humility, patience, Godliness, honesty and sincerity, established the first Muslim Government in Medina. This paper examines some of the leadership principles of the Prophet with the objective of making a case for adoption of these leadership styles in the bid to revive the modern society and prevent it from collapse. Historical research method is adopted for the work while data were collected from printed and electronic sources. It concludes by asserting that the harmonious environment of the Muslim community during the reign of the prophet and beyond was a product of the prophet's perfect leadership style. It is therefore pertinent for the modern society governments to borrow from Muhammad's positive leadership traits for the revival of the world.

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In fact, every human being is a leader, either for himself or for others. The nature of leadership is closely related to a leader. Leadership is a trait that can influence, move or encourage others to achieve a predetermined goal. The essence of leadership in Islam leads a servant to true servitude to Allah. In Islam, a leader must be an example for his group, such as the Prophet Muhammad saw. The personality of the Prophet Muhammad saw. as a leader is exemplary because of his toughness which is not affected by the circumstances of the surrounding community which are still ignorant. This study aims to analyze the leadership style of the Prophet Muhammad that can be applied today. The data collection technique used reading and note-taking techniques and the data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive. From the results of this study, it can be explained that the leadership style of the Prophet Muhammad that can be applied today is a democratic attitude. This study concludes tha...

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People have continuously tried to improve their lives in all aspects of life and leaders play a major role in guiding people effectively or ineffectively in critical times to achieve their dreams and ambitions. In this paper, we aim to analyze the strategic leadership of Prophet Muhammad by breaking down his leadership behaviors in different situations to identify his leadership qualities and styles as an outcome of psychological, personal, and cultural system. Also, to provide an evidence for the effectiveness of his leadership and his deservedness of being one of the top leaders in the history by applying the leadership code of Dave Ulrich on him. So, from this discussion, we have recognized the unique result of the Prophet Muhammad leadership that included unique vision, mission, values, and leadership styles. Also, we have concluded that he met the 5 rules of the leadership code model that included his effectiveness to shape the future, get things done, manage others, invest in his followers, and demonstrate personal proficiency.

Miles Davis , John Winn

Few events of history are as commonly misunderstood in the West in general, and the US in particular, as are the Muslim Conquests of the 7th and 8th Century or the “Crusade Periods” of the 11th and 12th Centuries. Unfortunately, much of what Americans know about early Islam and the Crusades are skewed by post-9/11 politics or obscured by popular culture such as Ridley Scott’s recent movie, “Kingdom of Heaven” (2005). Typically, Islam and its leaders are portrayed as fanatical religious zealots, violently intolerant of other religions or cultures. Fortunately, these eras are extensively documented by contemporary scholars, Muslim, Christian and Jewish alike (Aslan 2011; Lewis 2008; Housley 1992). While there were certainly some instances of “conversion by the sword,” (Levy-Rubin 2000) as early as the 8th Century, cities under Muslim rule (i.e. the “Pax Islamica”) hosted theological debates with invited Christian scholars (Griffith 1992). Jews fleeing brutal persecution within Christendom were promoted to high-level administrative posts under Caliphate rulers (Lewis 1984). During the same period, the “House of Wisdom” in Baghdad (under Al-Maʾmūn ibn Harūn 786-833 CE) was the multicultural intellectual center of the World for the study of humanities as well as sciences including mathematics, engineering, astronomy, medicine, cartography, chemistry, and zoology (Al-Khalili 2012, Lyons 2010). While to completely discount the sanguinary nature of these periods would be naïve, the overwhelming weight of scholarship suggests the vast majority of peoples who converted to Islam did so willingly, if not even enthusiastically. Antony Adolf (2009) noting that “[T]he rapidity of these vast early territorial gains is no less stunning than the low degree of violence Muslims used to achieve them.” Schuon (2003) writes that “Islam is often reproached as having propagated its faith by the sword; what is overlooked is that persuasion played a much greater role than war in the expansion of Islam.” It should also be noted that typically, Christians and Jews were not actually forced to convert to Islam, although were required to pay the “jizya,” a type of tax or tribute payable to the local authorities (Nyazee 2000; Schacht 1964). What have not been adequately critiqued, at least in a contemporary leadership/management context, are successful leadership traits of both the Prophet Muhammad and his early civil and military successors, which arguably can be said to have helped Islam spread throughout the known world and allowed it to rule far flung empires for over 500 hundred years. Previous scholarly work has explored how religion influences behavior at both the macro and micro level (Dana 2010). Specific attention has been given to the role Islam plays as a variable in the behavior of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship as experienced within the context of the Islamic faith (Dana 2009, Ramadani et al 2015). Dana (2009) and Ramadani et al (2015) make the case for specific attributes, qualities and characteristics, which provide a context to evaluate effective entrepreneurial behavior. This article extends the previously mentioned scholars research by drawing on exemplars that would allow further research on what effective leadership within an Islamic context looks like. Meritocracy, honesty, tolerance, personal courage, and compassion for others were essential underpinnings of the expansion of Islam from the borders of China to the Atlantic coast of Spain. A model for a conceptualization and examination of Islamic Leadership has been developed. The model involves a refinement of previously proposed, but not fully conceptualized, frameworks of Islamic Leadership.

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Leadership in Islam

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Never before was exemplary leadership demonstrated as was the period of the prophet Muhammad. In him was seen a social leader, a noble character with an outstanding sense of morality and extraordinary self-sacrifice. He was an exemplary spiritual and state leader who was adjudged the best role model in ethical leadership. The Medinan State was described as the best, just, and civilized society. The legacies of the Medinan state, would ever remain a role model for generations yet unborn. These paper using mainly secondary sources of data, and content analysis in its assessment. Examines the Islamic model of the prophet Muhammad (SAW), which was widely known as the “Medinan State” his life and leadership was exemplary worthy of emulation, likewise the event that took place during and after his departure are full of lessons that has become a reference point that guides our lives today and will continue to do so till the end.

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Top Leadership Qualities of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Who is a leader? This expression contains a key word “lead” which means “to show the way”. It is a quality of a person who can drive people forward with a view to achieve a common goal, like a captain on a ship, commander in chief of Army Forces, and CEO of a company etc. There are some general inevitable characteristics that an individual must possess to be able to become a successful pioneer, such as confidence, honesty, communication skills, empathy, optimism, encouraging, intuition, acting as a role model and so on. For Muslims, no one has ever come closer to Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) in having headship distinctiveness and they consider Muhammad S.A.W as the greatest reformist and leader . Allah SWT has regarded Him (PBUH) in the Holy Quran in these words:

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” [Quran, 33: 21]

Because of possessing great leadership capabilities, He (PBUH) was chosen as having the honor of being the last Prophet of the Almighty, and is said to be followed and obeyed in order to thrive in the hereafter. The entire life of the Apostle (PBUH) of God, the Exalted is full of such instances and examples where He showed exceptional traits of an unbeaten principal in both the religious service as well as in handling a lot of secular issues. He was always observed as a personification of morality, honesty, truthfulness, understanding of others, and enlightening effective commanding etc. which is why we are directed by the Creator of universe to pursue His “ Uswa Hasanah ” (the Best Examples) in every walk of life .

Let us discuss a few of the excellent leadership qualities of the Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH) which revolutionized lives of millions, and still are as valuable as they were 1400 years ago:

Awareness And far Sightedness Of Matters

Every organization needs to have a clear vision and set goals for being able to succeed in the long run. That is why top ranked companies in the world make strategic plans for upcoming two to three decades in advance. All of this is made possible through the insightful efforts of great figureheads, who foresee imminent changes in the market and drive their business in their direction. The Messenger (PBUH) of Allah had an unparalleled foresight and could take decisions that at first looked unfeasible, but proved to be fruitful in the future. For example, when He (PBUH) decided to offer Umrah (minor pilgrimage) at the Holy Kaaba in Makkah, in the sixth year after migration, He set out from Madina with 1400 companions. But Muslims were held back from practicing Umrah from Qureysh. Thereupon, Muslims were forced to enter on a pact containing stipulations favoring only the non believers.

The Muslims shall not carry out their pilgrimage this year but shall wait till next year. And no man shall come from Quraish without the approval of his master seeking shelter with the Muslims but he shall be returned to Quraish. And that no man from the Muslims shall come to Quraish seeking protection but he shall be permitted to stay with Quraish. They also agreed to abstain from fighting for ten years and that whosoever wished to enter into Muhammad’s pact and treaty could do so, and whosoever wished to enter into Quraish’s pact and treaty could do so. Muhammad (PBUH) agreed to this truce which was named “The Truce of Al-Hudaibiyya”

Initially, Muslims were not happy with this treaty, and regarded as an entirely one sided one. But with the passage of time, they realized its larger repercussions which benefited them. There were two main advantages that were achieved: first the number of new entrants to Islam increased many folds when those who were returned to Qureysh escaped from their masters, lived as outlaws and attacked on Makkans` trade caravans. And because of that, Qureysh allowed Madinans to keep the escapees with them, which lead to entry of individuals into the religion of peace with any fear of retribution. Second, Muslims were less powerful at that stage than the Qureyshis, so it would not be wise to commit jihad at that time, so Muhammad (PBUH) entered into peace pact, and took some time to increase in number and resources. Finally when treaty was broken by the non believers, Muslims had a crucial victory in the battle of Makkah. It shows the Prophet`s (PBUH) realistic thinking and great vision, which paved the way towards the final coup of Muslims over non believers.

Influential Power

It is one of the rudiments of a prominent controller to be charismatic and influential enough in order to convince and mould peoples` views and actions in the way of achieving set targets. People lose focus and motivation in the workplace if their managers do not reinforce a reason to work for them. The Apostle (PBUH) of the Almighty Lord was an epitome of this leadership attribute, which is the reason why He transformed the miserable lives of Arabs and gave them purpose of their lives. Then, spreading of Islam throughout the world has also been made possible by His meaningful and effective Sunnah that is why His name is taken and referred to in almost every matter not only by Muslim addressers, but also by the followers of other religions.  Michael Hart in “The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in the History”, New York, 1978, p. 33, says:

“My choice of Muhammad (PBUH) to lead the list of world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in the history who was supremely successful on both the secular and religious level. It is probable that the relative influence of Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus Christ and St. Paul on Christianity. It is this unparalleled combination of the secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad (PBUH) to be considered to be the most influential single figure in human history.”

There is no doubt that there have some other renowned leaders lived on the face of earth as well, like Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Mahatma Gandhi, Neslson Mandela, and many more, but their influence was narrow. On the other hand, the swaying ability of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) were and still prominent in both spiritual and social issues of life. His method of influence was greatly attached to His personality characteristic of “Acting as an Example”, as He used to act upon the enforced Islamic teachings Himself first, and then show others to do so.

Embodiment of Familiarity And Consideration

There are two common ways of making people work, through use trustful relationship or by the use of force. The former is attributed to gaining respect of public and is more helpful, while latter is thought to be enforcing fear in people and is less effective. Every successful person in charge achieves the trust and reliance of its group that it is managing, by showing a sense of belongingness and sympathy for them. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to remain within proximity of His followers and was fully aware of their conditions. He had enough empathy to know their sufferings and always used to be a part of them. Allah SWT also refers to His (PBUH) this leadership aptitude in the Sacred Scripture as:

“There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.” [Quran, 9: 128]

The above mentioned Ayah clearly refers to Muhammad`s (PBUH) sense of close acquaintances with His people, which proved to be vital for getting their admiration and belief in Him. By knowing His followers in person and building close relationships with them, He would appoint the best man for every task, who would readily accept the challenge in the way of Allah and His Prophet (PBUH), which eventually resulted in increased output and productivity.

Courage and Determination

The highly successful leaders are fearless to take any action in the favor of common good. They are not negatively influenced by any kind of threats from the powerful figures. They not only take bold decisions, but also remain steadfast on their initial stance. The life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) consists of many examples of bravery and willpower. First, He declared being the last Prophet and called people towards righteousness, knowing that they would repl. Second, when He was threatened to leave His preaching about Islam, He remained resolute and never backed down from His religious and moral endeavor. When migrating from Makkah to Madina, when kuffaars (non believers) gathered around the cave they were taking temporary refuge, Abu Bakr (R.A) trembled with fear, but Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) remained composed:

If you do not aid the Prophet – Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, “Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.” And Allah sent down his tranquillity upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah – that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.

It shows His valor and how firm He remained on His stance, which is why He never mishandled any of His undertakings and used to stay right at the front of every battle that He fought against kuffaars (non believers).

In short, the biography of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) consists of numerous occasions, where He demonstrated many of the presently believed essential qualities of great leaders almost 1400 years ago. From vision to courage, from influence to empathy, and from awareness to selflessness, He had all sort to characteristic in His character which differ Him from other famous personalities that lived, and rank Him at the top of the list of the most influential person in history.

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College of Islamic Studies CIS Hamad Bin Khalifa University Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Leadership Qualities of the Imam: Our Prophet as a Role Model

By Sultan bin Ali Al Jaradi*

Contemporary reality of the preaching activity requires a leading Imam who has a sharp mind, pure heart and righteous moves to lead and guide people. Our prophet (PBUH) was really a great role model in all fields including preaching and leadership. He was an insightful Imam, educator and guide to the way of Allah, who acted wisely and provided good advice deriving guidance and insight from His Lord. 

The preaching career of our prophet was characterized by notable leadership qualities. He managed to unify people and establish a great nation that had a great resonance all over the world. Leading His nation wisely has resulted in a resounding success, which drove it to gain the benefits of this world and the hereafter. After Allah’s grace and support, this huge success and excellence is attributed to leadership characteristics, in addition to kind traits and manners that qualified Him to be a paradigm and a role model of a successful wise leader who is capable of leading the nation to achieve the goals and objectives that Islam came to establish. Below are the most important leadership characteristics that distinguished our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): 

First: Forgiveness and Tolerance 

A leader needs this characteristic to succeed in leading those whom he leads to gain their loyalty. Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an (So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], You were lenient with them. And if You had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about You) (Al Imran: 159). Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a tolerant leader who forgave and made excuses for the offenders and pardoned them. His forgiveness encompassed both enemies and friends. It was clearly manifested on the day of the conquest of Mecca when he entered the city as a victorious conqueror. On that day, the polytheists had no refuge or escape. His noble manners and goodness were manifested when he forgave and pardoned them. 

Second: Firmness 

Despite his tolerance and easiness, He was firm in making some decisions. He was not known for reversing his decisions or being lenient in implementing them when necessary. Examples of his firmness include his order to cut off the hand of a Makhzumi noble woman who had committed theft. 

Third: Taking Advice and Consultation 

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to consult His companions in important matters and accept the sound opinion and logical reasoning in public affairs that have not been decided over by a revelation from Allah. He was in the habit of doing so to accustom His companions to think about public affairs, to raise their sense of responsibility and to implement the commands of Allah ordering Prophet Muhammad to apply the mutual consultation practices. 

Fourth: Reconciling Hearts and Removing Grudges 

The successful leader needs this characteristic to unite the ranks and increase intimacy and love between people. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a paradigm and a role model in doing so.

Fifth: Assignment of Tasks and Roles 

The successful leader should assign tasks and roles to people according to their energies, inclinations and efficiencies. One of the well-established facts in leadership is that most people do not achieve success without receiving help from others. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to assign tasks and roles to His companions according to their efficiencies and capabilities. 

Sixth: Paying Attention to People and Appreciating Them 

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to pay attention to his people and appreciate them. He was very compassionate, loving and merciful to his companions. Our prophet used to console them in times of sorrow, visit them to ask about their conditions and teach them good manners and ethics.   

Finally: Setting Priorities

Among the leadership qualities required by a leader or an Imam is the skill of setting priorities and giving attention to the most important issues, both wisely and fairly. A true leader should give priority to the public interests compared to private interests by paying attention to preventing mischiefs and favoring this over bringing benefits. This element plays a great role in achieving success, victory, and empowerment.

* Sultan bin Ali Al Jaradi is an MA Student at the College of Islamic Studies (CIS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). 

This article is submitted on behalf of the author by the HBKU Communications Directorate. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the University’s official stance.

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The Prophet Muhammad Achievements Essay

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Introduction

Works cited.

Throughout the history of mankind the messengers of God’s divine message have been reduced to victims of violence and ridicule; from Adam to Muhammad this trend has been repeated. Many achievements in this world can be attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)(Cheema 1).

Generally speaking, Prophet Muhammad was a great benefactor of mankind and this discussion will seek to understand the person that he was, especially in light with this age where narrow-mindedness and prejudice has caused the teaching of the great Prophet to be misunderstood. Therefore, it’s important to independently look at the character and the person that the prophet was and hence this article.

Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet of God according to The Quran, the Muslims holy book. Prophet Muhammad was born the year 560 AD in the city of Mecca Saudi Arabia. Muhammad was raised by his uncle Abu Taib after he became an orphan at an early age. No documentation exist indicating whether he received a formal education in regards to reading and writing, however as illustrated by The Quran the experience between the Prophet and Angel Gabriel demonstrates that he didn’t receive any formal education(Kathir 190).

In the region that Prophet Muhammad originated from, immorality, cruelty, polytheism, idol worshiping and illiteracy existed at a very high rate. Slavery on its part had become so rampant on that part of the world.

Prophet Muhammad was a soft spoken young man who kept aloof from those who participated in paganism and the rituals associated with the region at that time.He began to preach about the existence of only on God –Allah and at the age of 40 after he received his first revelation (Kathir 191).

His preaching of the existence of only one God attracted opposition from the pagans of Mecca (Quraysh).They offered him gifts, power, honor and material things in the hope that he would abandon his preaching and instead preach about the idols. The prophet refused this offer stating that he would never renounce his mission even if the sun will be put on his right hand and the moon on his left hand.

Having taken this stance he and his followers were banished from Mecca after being tortured and some of them being brutally killed by the Quraysh. He immigrated to Medina where he established himself after being warmly welcomed (Azzam 14).

The pagans of Mecca were determined to root out the new religion forcing Muhammad to defend himself in several wars. He was successful in his defense, with the help of a small force, 10,000 followers; he was able to defeat a huge, well equipped and well trained force (Rizvi 13).

Near the end of his life he returned to Mecca, his hometown where he took over it and declared a general amnesty for everyone including those who had committed serious crimes. He brought law and order within a short period of ten years to people who were well known for lawlessness, immorality and ignorance. From there, Islam spread to the greater part of Arabia and now to all corners of the world.

No man with Muhammad’s accomplishments as yet again been produced to the world. The Prophet had uncountable accomplishments in his life live alone the world, including but not limited to being a prophet, judge, reformer, political leader and a moralist.

Besides these accomplishments he was a person of exemplary character who practiced what he preached as demonstrated in the Hadiths . He had the best morals characterized by truthfulness, forgiveness humbleness and many others.

The prophet Muhammad had a great love for the almighty God. For majority of his life since he was a child, he dedicated his life to trying to establish a close relationship with God by praying, fasting and spending a lot of time supplicating to him. The Prophet frequented a cave in Hira where he often went to fast and pray. It was during such a situation when he received his first revelation from God (Cheema 2).

During hardships and suffering the prophet showed a lot of patience and nothing took hold of him as he was never discouraged by adverse conditions or personal desires. Besides the death of his father and later his grand father, the prophet had been faced by the death of several of his wives including Khadija and seven of his children.

Nonetheless the Prophet remained very patient and dignified in his manners, a character not observed in the people around him, this character was demonstrated in one of the occasion that he admonished a woman who was occupied in loud mourning of the death of her child to which the Prophet told her to be patient and accept gods will, not knowing that she was talking to a Prophet of God, the woman told him that he(the Prophet) couldn’t understand the pain that comes with losing a child as he had never lost any to which the Prophet told her that he had lost seven children(Cheema 5).

Muslims have been enjoined by the Prophet to treat the poor kindly as narrated by Abu Said Al-Khudri, the Prophet encouraged Muslims to help other Muslims by giving them clothes, foods and drinks and in return they will be rewarded in paradise by being given cloths by green garments of paradise, fruits of paradise and pure wine (Cheema 11)

Acquisition of wealth is not discouraged by the Prophet or prohibited but instead he insists that they should be acquired lawfully and a part of it given to the poor.

Throughout his life the Prophet encouraged hard work, independence and nobleness of the people. He encouraged charity; the Prophet was relatively rich, however in his house he never for more than a day remained without distributing his wealth to charity, the Prophet mostly used his wealth to please God (Cheema 12).

Millions of people all over the world still love and adore Prophet Muhammad(saw), he has changed the lives of many including women by bringing respect and dignity to them. Islam’s foundation is based on His believes and teachings and it is for this reason that the barriers of tribalism, racism, power and wealth have been able to be broken.

The destiny of humanity is still largely influenced by his revolution and the document which bears God’s message sent through him, Quran, continue to bring wisdom, guidance, and influence to all men all over the world. Philosophers, historians, students of religion, leaders, Muslims and non-Muslims alike continue to acknowledge and admire the Prophet thousands of years after his death (Akhtar 10).

Akhtar S.H. Prophet Muhammad . Austin Texas. 2009. Web.

Azzam K.A. Life of The Prophet Muhammad . New York. 2003. Web.

Cheema M.A. The Holy Prophet Muhammad . New York: Hart publishiung. 2001. Web.

Kadhir I.A. Stories of The Prophets , Al Azhar(Trans). Riyadh: Darusalam. 2005. Web.

Rizvi S.S. The Life of Muhammad the Prophet. TZ: Oxford publishing. 2009. Web.

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• Using the information from Albl, define both faith and reason
• The Islamic Societies History
• The Positive Portrayal of Prophet Muhammad
• Muhammd: as a seal of prophet
• The Word of God Scripture
• "A God of Incredible Surprises: Jesus of Galilee" by Virgilio Elizondo
• Introduction to the Science of Hadith
• The Messiah and Messianic Prophesy in Jewish and Christian Thought
• Ethical and Moral Theory in Christian Worldview
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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1. IvyPanda . "The Prophet Muhammad Achievements." March 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/prophet-muhammad-and-his-characteristics-3/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Prophet Muhammad Achievements." March 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/prophet-muhammad-and-his-characteristics-3/.