An important topic - Leadership in Islam but more importantly in the Student Islamic Societies in UK and beyond. Good Leadership is crucial to success of the Isoc and this is not the time to be shy. Rather we need to take firm steps to changing the World for the better
3. “Each one of you is a shepherd. And each of you will be asked about your flock. A ruler also is a shepherd and he will be asked about his flock. And every man is a shepherd to his family. And every woman is the custodian of her husband’s house and his children. Thus each one of you is a shepherd and each one will be asked about his flock.” SahihBukhari and Muslim
4. When three men travel together, they should make one of them their leader. Abu Dawud
5. Allah wants you to be a leader With the right intention...of course
6. And those who say: "Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders for the Muttaqun"
7. "Perish the slave of the deenaar, the dirham, the khameesah and the khameelah.If he is given these things, he is pleased and if he is not, he is displeased. May such a person perish and be of the losers and if he is pierced with a thorn, may he not find anyone to remove it. Felicity (state of happiness) is for the one who holds the reins of his horse to strive in Allah's cause, with his hair unkempt and his feet covered with dust: If he is placed in the vanguard, he will be found in the vanguard and if he is placed in the rearguard, he will be found in the rearguard. If he asks for permission, it is not granted and if he intercedes, it is not accepted." Narrated by Bukhari
14. And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah's) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). 3:159
15. And those who answer the Call of their Lord and perform As-Salat , and who (conduct) their affairs by mutual consultation, and who spend of what We have bestowed on them. 42; 38.
16. Think about it Allah and His Messenger did not stand in need of the advice of anybody, but God has made it (the seeking of advice) a source of mercy for men. Those who hold consultation will not stray away from the path of rectitude, while those who do not are liable to do so. Some benefits of Consultation The Amir comes to know the views of his followers. He is helped in arriving at a correct decision. Representative Muslims get an opportunity to think about, and take a personal It enables him to know the aptitude, aspirations and tendencies as well as the moral and spiritual condition of the different members of his community, and thus he becomes enabled to effect an improvement, wherever necessary, in his people.
19. “He who seeks guidance from the Creator and consults the creatures will never regret it.”
20. O Allah, I consult You as You are All-Knowing and I appeal to You to give me power as You are Omnipotent, I ask You for Your great favor, for You have power and I do not, and You know all of the hidden matters . O Allah ! If you know that this matter (then he should mention it) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and for my life in the Hereafter, (or he said: ‘for my present and future life,’) then make it (easy) for me. And if you know that this matter is not good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my life in the Hereafter, (or he said: ‘for my present and future life,’) then keep it away from me and take me away from it and choose what is good for me wherever it is and please me with it.”
23. Know your team... Whoever delegates a position to someone whereas he sees someone else as more competent (for the position), verily he has cheated Allah and His Apostle and all the Muslims. IbnTaymiyya
24. Be Gentle... The Prophet said, "The example of this man and me is like a man who has a she-camel who bolts from him. People chase it and they only make it shy away more. The owner calls to them to stay clear of him and his she-camel, saying, 'I am more compassionate and better to it than you.' He goes in front of it and takes some clods of dirt and drives it back until it comes and kneels. He saddles and mounts it. If I had given you your heads when the man said what he said, you would have killed him and he would have entered the Fire."
‘Abdullah ibnMasud (RadiallahuAnhu) has narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (SalallahuAlayhiWasallam) sayhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/rezavaziri/474383486/
on the Authority of Abu Sa’id ‘Al-Khudrihttp://www.flickr.com/photos/gilderic/4348304867/sizes/l/
Story of Usama bin Zaid leading the army to tabukIn his first speech as khalifah of the Muslims, Abu BakrRadhi-Allahuanhu said: "I have been appointed as ruler over you although I am not the best among you. I have never sought this position nor has there ever been a desire in my heart to have this in preference to anyone else... If I do right, you must help and obey me; if I go astray, set me aright... Obey me so long as I obey Allah and His Messenger. If I disobey them, then you have no obligation to follow me…”Imam Al Bukhari says, "Perish the slave of dinar, dirham, Qatifah (thick soft cloth), and Khamisah (a garment) for if he is given, he is pleased: Otherwise he is dissatisfied! Tuba - blessedness on a slave with disheveled hair and dirty feet who mounted his horse to strive in Allah's Way and did not care if he was at the front or the rear of the army."In this Hadith, the Messenger informs us that there are some people to whom the life of this world is all-important: It is all they know about and all they care about. Their first and last goals are wealth, luxury and ease. Such people will be destroyed and lost. The sign of these people is their absorption with all things material: When they are given something, they are pleased, but when they are not given it, they are angry. But there are other people who have no goal except Allah's Pleasure and the life of the Hereafter: Such people do not covet fame or glory; their only goal in life is obedience to Allah and His Messenger . The sign of such people as these is their simplicity and humility and their lowly position in society, so that whenever they request something from their leaders, they are refused, and whenever they intercede on behalf of another, their intercession is not accepted, but their final destination is Paradise and the best of rewards.http://www.flickr.com/photos/volkanatay/534362866/sizes/l/
Ask them why i have chosen these two people from the 1 point something Muslims in the world.Based on the definition of leadership, these two are the best i know! “leadership is depicted as the “process by which the leader seeks the voluntary participation of followers in an effort to reach organizational objectives.”Schriescheim, C. A., Tolliver, J. M. and Behling, O. C. (1978). Leadership theory: Some implicationsfor Managers. MSU Topics, Summer (26): 35.What does the above definition imply? It suggests that leadership is essentially a social exchange process. There can be no leader without followers, and no followers without a leader. The leader, as the organization’s visionary,must communicate the vision with clarity and conviction. He must articulate it in terms that they can understand and relate to. The followers must share the vision and be willing to climb aboard. During this whole process, a leader willbe a catalyst and a coach, a mentor and a role model. At all times, however, a leader must remember that he cannot force others to change. They must want to change.
Sa’ d ibnWaqas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Istikharah (seeking guidance from Allah) is one of the distinct favors (of Allah) upon man, and a good fortune for the son of Adam is to be pleased with the judgment of Allah. And a misfortune of the son of Adam is his failure to make istikharah (seeking Allah’s guidance), and a misfortune for the son of Adam is his displeasure with the judgment of Allah.” Ibn
ShurahContext – The Battle of UhudTAWAKULhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/aissi/2329431385/sizes/l/
TAWAKUL
Images normally associated with leadership – lonely/ so far ahead that no one else is with them,
Sa’ d ibnWaqas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Istikharah (seeking guidance from Allah) is one of the distinct favors (of Allah) upon man, and a good fortune for the son of Adam is to be pleased with the judgment of Allah. And a misfortune of the son of Adam is his failure to make istikharah (seeking Allah’s guidance), and a misfortune for the son of Adam is his displeasure with the judgment of Allah.” Ibn
IbnTaymiya
An-Nawawi holds that “after performing the istikharah, a person must do what he is wholeheartedly inclined to do and feels good about doing and should not insist on doing what he had desired to do before making the istikharah. And if his feelings change, he should leave what he had intended to do, otherwise he is not completely leaving the choice to Allah, and would not be honest in seeking aid from Allah’s power and knowledge. Sincerity in seeking Allah’s choice, means that one should completely leave what he himself had desired or determined.”
Sa’ d ibnWaqas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Istikharah (seeking guidance from Allah) is one of the distinct favors (of Allah) upon man, and a good fortune for the son of Adam is to be pleased with the judgment of Allah. And a misfortune of the son of Adam is his failure to make istikharah (seeking Allah’s guidance), and a misfortune for the son of Adam is his displeasure with the judgment of Allah.” Ibn
Responsibility of leader:Although Islam encourages leadership, Allah in His wizdom warns us of becoming complacent and arrogant.Balance thought on leadership after establishing its need in IslamSource:IbnTaymiyya, Assiyasah Ash-Shar’iyya, 1996http://www.flickr.com/photos/ukhti27/3339021592/
It is related that a bedouin came asking for something from him. He gave the man something and said, "Have I been good to you?" The bedouin said, "No, you have not and you have not done well." The Muslims became angry and went for him. The Prophet indicated that they should hold off. Then the Prophet got up and went into his house. Then the Prophet sent for him and added something to his gift and said, "Have I been good to you?" The bedouin replied, "Yes, may Allah repay you well in family and tribe." The Prophet said, "You said what you said and that angered my Companions. If you like, say what you said in my presence in their presence so as to remove what they harbour in their breasts against you." He said, "Yes." He came back later and the Prophet said, "This bedouin said what he said and then we gave him more. He claims that he is content. Isn't that so?" He said, "Yes, may Allah repay you well in your family and tribe." (Al-Bazzar from Abu Hurayra)Give people space...even if they end up making some mistakes