Anees-ur-Rahman

SAP: 7032
BS A&F-4
Subject: Islamic Studies
Sir Syed Farooq Aziz

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 Prophet (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.

Establishing the principle of consulting others

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was in the habit, before making any important decision
concerning the nation or the route of an army, of gathering the early converts to Islam, the
leaders of the army and also the youth to consult them about the matter. In fact, this is what
his Lord ordered him to do in His Book. Allah (Glorified is He) says,

{…and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah
loves those who rely [upon Him]} [Surah Al-Imran: 159].

This happened for the battle of Uhud when Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) formed a
military advisory council with the early converts to Islam from the Muhajareen (immigrants to
Medinah) and the leaders of Al-Aus and Al-Khazraj (in Medinah). They all exchanged their views
about what should be done in that particular situation.

The Prophet’s opinion was that they should stay in Medinah to protect it, and not leave the city,
but some of the renowned Companions who did not partake in the battle of Badr suggested
that they go out to meet the enemy. They kept insisting on their view; Hamza (may Allah be
pleased with him) encouraged this idea the most.

Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not follow his opinion, although it was the
more correct view, and followed the view of the majority instead. Consequently, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) decided to leave Medinah and meet the enemy on the battlefield.

Establishing a just state which gives equal rights for all

With regards to solving conflicts, the Prophet (peace be upon him) established a just rule to
judge between those who have a disagreement. It is: The one who makes the claim has to bring

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the evidence, and the one who denies is considered innocent until proven guilty. The Prophet
(peace be upon him) said,

“If you accepted what people claim, a man would claim the wealth of others and their blood.
However, the one who makes a claim has to bring the evidence [to support his claim], and the one
who denies [the claim] is considered innocent until proven guilty” [related by Al-Bayhaqi].

Due to the Prophet’s great concern for justice and giving everyone their rights, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) warned about using eloquent speech and false arguments as a means of
taking the rights of others. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also stated that if he gave a
judgment which turned out to be not just, it is not permissible for the one who won the case to
take what is not his right. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

«I am only a human, and you bring your disputes to me. Some of you may give a more eloquent excuse
than others and so I judge in his favor according to what I heard [from him]. But, whatever is judged
for someone from the rights of his brother should not take it (this right), as it is a piece of fire for
him» [related by Al-Bukhari].

Protecting the society and making it safe and secure

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

«The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the best one from among the people, and the most generous
and the bravest. One night, the people of Medinah were alarmed by some sound, and therefore they
went towards the noise. The Prophet met them as he was returning [from the sound]. He had reached
the source of the noise before them, riding Abu Talha’s horse with no saddle on it. Around his neck
was a sword and he was saying, ‘Do not worry, do not worry’» [related by Al-Bukhari].

The Prophet (peace be upon him) reached the sound which had scared the people before they
reached it. This was in order for the Prophet (peace be upon him) to protect them. After that,
he calmed their fears with gentle, comforting words.

Justice is a great character trait which is inherent in the Prophet’s personality

[The readiness of this man to endure persecution for his belief, the high moral character of
those who believed in and followed him and considered him to be their master and leader, and
the great achievements he [the Prophet] attained, all of this is proof of the justice and integrity
inherent in his [the Prophet’s] personality. The view that Muhammed is an imposter is a view
that raises more problems and does not solve anything. In fact, there is no Western leader in
history who was not recognized as he should have been as much as Muhammed was]

The Prophet’s wisdom was accompanied by firmness and steadfast on the Islamic way of life

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It is known that the Prophet steadfastly held onto principles and did not forgo any of these
principles, contrary to what is known of politicians being concerned about their personal
interests; they change their ideals according to the wishes and desires of the leaders.

A clear example of the Prophet’s steadfastness can be found in his stance with the Bedouin who
went to the Prophet to swear allegiance to him [Ibn Al-Khasasiyah (may Allah be pleased with
him)].

Ibn Al-Khasasiyah said, «I went to the Prophet to swear allegiance with him to enter Islam. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) told me to bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah
and that Muhammed is His slave and Messenger; to pray five prayers [in every twenty-four hours]; to
fast in Ramadan; to pay zakat; to perform pilgrimage to Mecca; and to fight in the cause of Allah. I
then said, ‘Oh Prophet, there are two of these I will not be able to do; concerning zakat, I only have
ten camels, which my family use to travel and to carry their loads. Concerning fighting, anyone who
runs away from the battlefield earns Allah’s anger, and I fear that if I go to fight I may dislike death
and fear for myself.’ Consequently, the Prophet (peace be upon him) held my hand strongly and then
started to shake it. Then the Prophet said, ‘No charity and no fighting in Allah’s cause?! How will you
enter paradise?’ I then told him, ‘Oh Prophet, take my pledge.’ So he took the pledge from me with all
the conditions» [related by Al-Hakim and Al-Bayhaqi].

Leadership Lesson from Prophet (PBUH):

THE successful career of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a political leader, aside
from his primary role as a spiritual guide, is yet to receive widespread attention from religious
leaders, let alone the general public. Politics is not just a matter of governing, but also a vital
tool for education, spiritual, awareness, human understanding and the dissemination of values
and principles. Islam teaches us to achieve this through various peaceful means, including
through sincere advice, providing role models, rational persuasion, exemplary leadership, and
others.

Politics in Islam aims to guide people towards good and abstain from evil. Integrity, honesty,
and trust are key Islamic values that also apply to politics. These values are underpinned by the
firm conviction that the ultimate reward lies not in this world, but in the hereafter and
admission to paradise. These are among the ethical principles of taught and practiced by
Prophet Muhammad. Another exemplary leadership trait of his, as the leader of the city state
of Madinah, includes open consultation (shura), where different views and constructive
criticisms are welcomed, and input from the Companions were taken into consideration, and
sometimes acted upon.

The Prophet also practised delegation of power. This can be seen in the appointment of Muaz
bin Jabal as a governor to Yemen. This was done to the extent that the Prophet allowed Muaz

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to practise his independent reasoning (ijtihad) in matters on which no clear text was found in
the Quran and Sunnah.

The Prophet’s leadership also emphasises persuasion as opposed to coercion. Winning the
people’s hearts has always been the Prophet’s primary approach. It is through his high spirit,
inspiring leadership, a keen understanding of societal reality, and humanitarian values that the
Prophet successfully transformed his people from the state of ignorance (jahiliyyah) and idol-
worshipping, to worshipping Allah, the one and only Creator.

Aside from transforming his society, the Prophet was also known to engage with major
personalities and train them into new generations of future leaders. Notable instances included
the second caliph, Umar Khattab, a once famous drunkard and a fierce opponent of Islam, who
became one of the bravest companions in the history of the Khulafa al-Rashidin, and the first
Muslim leader to vastly expand the Islamic territories.

Gaining power has not always been the Prophet’s goal. The ultimate objective of leadership lies
in his message to invite humans to the ways of Islam. The Prophet was not hostile to non-
Muslims, but invited them in a peaceful and felicitous manner. In a famous narration, the
Prophet said: “The best among you are those who have the best manner and character.”
(Bukhari)

If however, they refused to do accept Islam peacefully, they were will then are protected by the
state under the “zimmi” agreement. The zimmi agreement was in fact ahead of its time in the
era of tribal warfare, and far from intending to treat non-Muslims as second-class citizens.

The so-called Machiavellian attitude of “the end justifies the means” is not at all compatible
with Islam and must be vigorously opposed and discouraged. Islamic principles dictate that
both the means and the ends conform to the teachings of Islam. Mere imbuing of Islamic-
sounding names or terminology in political activities do not make them Islamic. Such instances
of abuse include cases where religious vocabulary is used to mislead innocent and uninformed
folks for political gain. Also not in line with the Prophet’s teaching is the practice of uncovering
or scrutinizing the personal and private shortcomings of political rivals and disclose them in
public to gain support. This contradicts the Prophetic teaching of concealing the faults of
others, so that Allah does the same for us in the hereafter.

This, however, does not include matters of public interest. Aside from the many Prophetic
principles and values above, the practice of tolerance and understanding are essential to
preserve peace and harmony in a multicultural society. The single pursuit to gain votes and
acquire power, at any cost, is not only against the precepts of Islam and the way of the Prophet,
but would only lead to chaos and abuse in society.