In the Saturday Guardian, 2nd July 2011, pp. 16, Ogunmupe, B. says in his piece entitled ‘How to Change Your Life’:
Exceptional men and women look up to … people of character and accomplishment. They strive to and live up to the ideals of people whose respect is of the great value to them. In a study of successful men, researchers found that these people had almost all been avid readers of biographies and autobiographies when they were young. Reading the stories of these famous men, they imagined themselves having the same qualities of the people they were studying.
He had said earlier on the same page:
There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking.
Attaining a lofty station in life by any man, and especially by a Muslim therefore, requires that a believer should always think of how to become the like of the Holy Prophet saw. In view of the above, Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an:
Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much. [33:22]
Picture of his ideal character should be painted, kept and held for life in one’s minds so as to continue to be like him for the entire life. These, however, cannot be achieve if one does not read and study the books that present the golden history and story of the Prophet saw and his pious early and latter companions. God willing, such a person who would endeavour to do so shall also be eulogized by God, His angels and man that:
And thou dost surely possess high moral excellencies. [63:5]
Respected Sadr, honourable guests, and dear brothers, it is against the above backdrop, I believe, that the topic- Muhammad : Man, Leader, Prophet- is chosen to be discussed this moment. We shall therefore try our best to lead us in a brief journey through the golden life of Muhammad Mustapha to see how most excellently he lived his life as a man, a leader and a prophet. But to be successful in this stationary and literary journey we shall require endurance and patience of all.
MUHAMMAD : A MAN
Ajikobi, D. (2007) says:
…the main chief purpose of man here is to create and preserve that which gives significance to human existence- Values of Human Life.”1
Muhammad lived his pious life exactly fulfilling to the fullest the import of the above quoted words.
For forty years prior to the revelation, the Prophet Muhammad was indisputably known to be of sound morals. Amongst his tribe he was known as “As-Sadeeq Al-Ameen,” meaning the honest and trustworthy one.
How he lived his life was so impeccable that Allah the Almighty asked him to cite it as a criterion for people to use in weighing his claim to prophethood. The Holy Quran says:
Say, ‘If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. I have indeed lived among you a whole lifetime before this. Will you not then understand?’ [10:17]
There are many instances in the records of biographers that illustrate the moral soundness of Prophet Muhammad . One of these stories exemplifies the strength of the trust people had in him.
It happened near the beginning of his prophethood. He summoned the people of Quraysh to the foot of a mountain and called out to them, saying: “Would you believe me if I told you an enemy host was waiting behind this hill to attack you?” Everyone, including those who would soon become his enemies, agreed that they would believe him.
It is said that the people had so much faith in Muhammad that they would advise one another to seek his services when needed. They would say: “If you want to entrust your wealth for safeguarding, entrust it to this trustworthy, honest man, for he will never touch it. If you look for someone who never tells a lie and never breaks his word, go directly to Muhammad , because whatever he says is true.”
Even at a young age, Muhammad showed amazing consideration to those around him. Despite the lack of a steady parent and the many trials he endured in his youth, the Prophet continued to persevere and serve those who were around him.
After the death of his grandfather, he was sent to live with his Uncle, Abu Talib. Abu Talib had many children but he always treated the Prophet Muhammad as his own and did not deprive him of what he needed. He was known to be a generous man and would always feed the pilgrims when they would come to make pilgrimage.
Because of his intense generosity, Abu Talib was poor and struggled to keep his family fed. At the young age of thirteen, Prophet Muhammad decided that he never wanted to be a burden on the shoulders of his uncle and wanted to fend for himself. In a time where being a shepherd was seen to be lowly and unrewarding, the young Muhammad sacrificed his own image and became a shepherd, receiving the lowest pay possible.
He did whatever he could to make sure that his uncle did not have to struggle to keep him fed and carried his own weight around the house. He stayed patient and rose in ranks in the work force until he became a successful business man by the age of twenty-five. It is at this time that the highly referred Hadhrat Khadijahra hired him to work for her. Just as his ego did not prevent him from a lowly job when he needed it, again his ego did not prevent him from working for a successful woman, whom he would eventually marry.
When Prophet Muhammad did finally marry Khadijahra, he did not forget the generosity of his uncle. It was not enough for him that he had carried his own weight when living with his uncle, he also wanted to give back. The Prophet returned to Abu Talib and made a noble and dignified request. He asked for one of the children of Abu Talib so that he could raise him and care for him, just as his uncle had once done for him. Abu Talib agreed and gave him Ali, who would later be a great torch bearer of Islam.
At an age where many young men are only thinking about themselves, the Prophet was already catching every opportunity to make the lives of others easier. Had he not returned to foster one of his cousins, Abu Talib would not have been hurt because he did not expect such a gesture. Rather, it came from the pure unselfish heart of the Prophet . He was truly a man of consideration, asking for nothing in return.
Chapter ninth of the Glorious Quran describes Muhammad in the following terms:
Surely, a Messenger has come unto you from among yourselves; grievous to him is that you should fall into trouble; he is ardently desirous of your welfare; and to the believers he is compassionate, merciful. [9:128]
Muhammad was a man who was enveloped in mercy, who cared for the weak, encouraged the women, and stood up for anyone in need. His garb of mercy was not only for his followers after becoming the Prophet; it was also generously used by him all the time all the moment to cover the unbelievers and his ardent enemies. Even in war. This is described in the above verse of the Holy Quran. The merciful mind and compassionate eyes of the Prophet were not gender based, were not religious based; they were not tribal inclined. They were for all.
Muhammad ’s compassion was vast and inclusive. He spread it far and wide to the point that even animals could find refuge in his kindness. Of the many instances that are breathtakingly vibrant with the clemency of the Prophet is that of a helpless bird. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’udra was travelling with the Prophet and a few other men. One of the men took an egg from the bird’s nest. Out of despair, the bird came and flapped its wings at the Prophet , and he took immediate notice to her sad state. He turned to his companions and asked them who had made this poor bird miserable. Upon finding out that her egg had been taken, he ordered the man to return the egg to her as a sign of mercy and compassion. At a time when many humans were not being shown kindness, the Prophet taught kindness to mankind and was already encouraging kindness and rights for animals.2
In the face of the apprehension of the Holy Prophet at the receipt of the first revelation, Hadhrat Khadijah consoled him saying:
God is witness, He has not sent you this Word that you should fail and prove unworthy, that He should then give you up. How can God do such a thing, while you are kind and considerate to your relations, help the poor and the forlorn and bear their burdens? You are restoring the virtues which had disappeared from our country. You treat guests with honour and help those who are in distress. Can you be subjected by God to any trial?3
These words of encouragement from Ummul Mu’mineen(ra) summarizes the golden life the Prophet lived as a man.
In short boldly express our mind that only Muhammad represents the fullest essence of man; for he was the only one readily available to accept the agonizing and sensitive responsibility of world reformation when the World was in dire need of a saviour. Allah says:
Verily, We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it and were afraid of it. But man bore it. Indeed, he is capable of being unjust to, and neglectful of, himself. [33:73]
No wonder Allah the Almighty addresses Muhammad unequivocally as:
O perfect Man [20:2]
MUHAMMAD AS A LEADER
The best of the teachings to any would-be leader was given to Muhammad in the Holy Quran. Every kind of leadership style was taught to him by Allah the Almighty. And all he perfectly and excellently put to practice! To appreciate the kind of leader Muhammad was, it is important to discuss along with different leadership styles that scholars advance. But it is pertinent to also note that Muhammad was never a rigid leader; that was why he could use different style of leadership appropriately and rightly!
Leadership Styles4 and Muhammad
Many are the leadership styles that have been theorized by scholars. Among those styles are: Authoritarian, Paternalistic, Democratic and Laissez Faire styles.
Authoritarian Leadership Style
The authoritarian leadership style or autocratic leader keeps strict, close control over followers by keeping close regulation of policies and procedures given to followers. Looking at this style through mirror of Muhammad ’s life, Holy Prophet would always stamp his foot on ground when the occasion arises to establish the oneness of Allah and all other fundamentals; and he would never allow an iota of compromise.
As an illustration; all of us would remember the episode that involved Usamah bn Zayd and a supposed Mushrik in an encounter. It was reported that when Usamah raised his sword, the ‘mushrik’ said ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ but Usamah still killed him. The incident was then reported to the Holy Prophet . As a leader, who was expecting victory of Islam and of the viceroys he sent out; but instead of celebrating the victory when they arrived; he reprimanded and asked him Usamah rhetorically: ‘What will you do when La ilaha llla Allah comes on the day of Judgement and witnesses against you?’
So he displayed authoritarian leadership style here to let people know that whatever happens and in any circumstance, establishment of words and spirit of our foremost Kalima is not negotiable.
Paternalistic Leadership Style
The way a Paternalistic leader works is by acting as a father figure by taking care of their subordinates as a parent would. In this style of leadership the leader supplies complete concern for his followers. In return he receives the complete trust and loyalty of his people. Followers under this leader are expected to become totally committed to what the leader believes and will not strive off and work independently. The relationship between these followers and leader are extremely solid. They treat each other like one family and feel for each both on inter and intra personal issues.
Allah illustrates this style of leadership in the Holy Quran:
And remember the time when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, show me how Thou givest life to the dead.’ He said, ‘Hast thou not believed?’ He said, Yes, but I ask this that my heart may be at rest.’ He answered, ‘Take four birds and make them attached to thyself. Then put each of them on a hill; then call them; they will come to thee in haste. And know that Allah is Mighty, Wise.’ [2:261]
It is Paternalistic leadership style that is being emphasized here for the Prophet . If we all recollect, immediately the Prophet arrived in Madinah, he quickly arranged means and sources of average livelihood and self-sufficiency for all the Muhajiroon. The Ansar were also readily available and dedicated to support the proposals of the Prophet out of obedience and love for the Prophet, and compassion for their brothers in faith. This is recorded in the phrase:
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are hard against the disbelievers, tender among themselves. [48:30]
It was not difficult therefore for the earliest Muslims to spontaneously appreciate and reciprocate the kind leadership style of the Prophet by not resting on the oars in their obedience and dedication to the cause of Islam. Even after his demise of the Prophet .
Democratic Leadership Style
The democratic leadership style consists of the leader sharing the decision-making abilities with group members by promoting the interests of the group members and by practicing social equality. This style of leadership encompasses discussion, debate and sharing of ideas and encouragement of people to feel good about their involvement. The democratic leadership style encompasses the notion that everyone, by virtue of their human status, should play a part in the group's decisions. However, the democratic style of leadership still requires guidance and control by a specific leader. The democratic style demands the leader to make decisions on who should be called upon within the group and who is given the right to participate in, make and vote on decisions.
Allah says in the Holy Quran:
And it is by the great mercy of Allah that thou art kind towards them, and if thou hadst been rough and hard-hearted, they would surely have dispersed from around thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in matters of administration; and when thou art determined, then put thy trust in Allah. Surely, Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.[3.160]
Such Democratic leadership style that is introduced here was applied by the prophet many a time in moving the cause of his community forward. Example of such was at the time of preparing for the war with the confederates that is today known as Battle of Ditch. Mirza Bashiruddeen Mahmud Ahmadra succinctly describes the situation:
The enemy was twenty to twenty-four thousand strong, and the Muslims hardly three thousand including...all the males of the town, the old and the young. When the prophet heard of the huge enemy preparations, he held a council and asked for advice. Among those who were consulted was Salman the Persian, being the first Muslim convert from Persia. The prophet asked Salman what they did in Persia if they had to defend a town against a huge army. ‘If a town is unfortified, and the home force very small,’ said Salman, ‘the custom in our country is to dig a ditch round the town and to defend from inside.’ The Prophet approved of the idea.5
The rest continues in the history. That was Muhammad , a democratic leader who took the advice of a non-Arab follower for the safety of all and sundry.
Laissez-faire Leadership Style
The laissez-faire leadership style is where almost all the rights and power to make decisions is fully given to the follower. This was first described by Lewin, Lippitt and White in 1938. The laissez-faire style is sometimes described as a "hands off" leadership style because the leader delegates the tasks to their followers while providing little or no direction to the followers. If the leader withdraws too much from their followers it can sometimes result in a lack of productivity, cohesiveness, and satisfaction. Laissez-faire leaders allow followers to have complete freedom to make decisions concerning the completion of their work. It allows followers a high degree of autonomy and self-rule, while at the same time offering guidance and support when requested. The laissez-faire leader using guided freedom provides the followers with all materials necessary to accomplish their goals, but does not directly participate in decision making unless the followers request their assistance.
Respected listeners, it is this leadership style that is enshrined in the following verse of Holy Quran:
O ye who believe, ask not about things which, if revealed to you, would cause you trouble; though if you ask about them while the Quran is being sent down, they will be revealed to you. Allah has left them out. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Forbearing. [5:102]
Muslims are left to take decisions on some matters discretionally, especially on private matters that are not hitherto and expressly indicated and cleared in any way. This is laissez-faire leadership style; a style taught to the Prophet to lead his followers.
That was Muhammad . He was a model leader per excellence. No wonder Allah addresses him as:
O perfect leader [36:2]
Muhammad : a Prophet
Muhammad was not an innovation as a Prophet (Q46:10) and there are prophecies about his advent both in the Torah and the Gospels (Q7:58). The Holy Prophet had a promise of divine protection (Q5:68) and was guarded and helped by the angels (Q13:12 & Q66:5). He received his call from God at the age of forty to proclaim the message of Islam to mankind that:
There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.
The Holy Prophet 's life was dedicated to the dual purpose of re-establishing on earth the Unity of God, our Creator, Who alone is worthy of our worship and through establishing that relationship with God people should become civilized and behave justly towards one another. His mission was to recite the Signs of God, teach people the book and wisdom and purify them (Q2:130 & Q62:2-3). It is a historical fact that when the Meccans offered to give him anything he wanted, his reply was totally uncompromising on the question of the Unity of God. He said:
…even if they were to place the sun on my right and the moon on my left, I would not desist from preaching the truth of the
One God. I must go on doing so until I die. 6
The Holy Prophet and his followers suffered all kinds of injuries and persecution at Mecca for thirteen long years and when life for them became unbearable, they migrated to Medina. The Meccans having failed in their plot to kill the Prophet now pursued the Muslims to Medina. God then permitted the believers to fight the aggressors in order to end persecution and to defend their rights.
The Holy Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet for about twenty-three years which was just completed before he died at the age of sixty-three. The religion of Islam was firmly established in Arabia.
God says:
O Prophet, We have sent thee as a witness, and a bearer of glad tidings and a warner, and as a summoner unto Allah by His command and a light-giving sun. [33:46-47]
Hadhrat Muhammad was Allah's Messenger for all mankind (Q4:80, Q7:159, Q34:29). He was sent as a mercy for all mankind (Q21:108).
He received revelation from God as did previous Prophets (Q4:164, Q42:4) and he was enjoined to convey the revelation to the people (Q5:68). He was commanded to be alert and ever ready to spread the truth (Q74:2). He saw his success in the propagation of Islam during his life time (Q110:3). His message was universal (Q34:29) and he always yearned that mankind should believe (Q18:7, Q26:4, Q93:8). He was the Seal of the Prophets (Q33:41) and he achieved the highest status in nearness to Allah (Q53:9). The Holy Quran says:
Whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger shall be among those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favours - the Prophets, the Faithful ones, the Martyrs and the Righteous; and they are excellent companions. (4:70)7
The divine message of Muhammad is summarized in the following words:
It was a many-sided Message and of great ultimate significance, not only for Arabs but for the whole world. It was a Message from God. It said: The Creator of the world is One. None else is worthy of worship. The Prophets have ever believed Him to be One, and taught their followers so. Meccans should give up all images and idols. Did they not see that the idols could not even remove the flies which dropped on the offerings laid at their feet? If they were attacked they could not repel. If they had a question put to them, they could not answer. If they were asked for help, they could do nothing. But the One God helped those who asked for His help, answered those who addressed Him in prayer, subjugated His enemies, and raised those who abased themselves before Him. When light came from Him, it illumined His devotees. Why then did the Meccans neglect Him and turn to lifeless images and idols and waste their lives? Did they not see that their want of faith in the One True God had made them utterly superstitious and incompetent? They had no idea of what was clean and what was unclean, of right and wrong. They did not honour their mothers. They treated savagely their sisters and daughters, and denied them their due. They did not treat their wives well. They tormented widows, exploited orphans, the poor and the weak, and sought to build their prosperity on the ruins of others. Of lying and cheating they were not ashamed, nor of burgling and loot. Gambling and drinking were their delight. For culture and national advance they did not care. How long were they going to ignore the One True God, and continue to lose and lose, and suffer and suffer? Had they not better reform? Had they not better give up all forms of exploitation of one another, restore rights to whom they were due, spend their wealth on national needs and on improving the lot of the poor and the weak, treat orphans as a trust and regard their protection as a duty, support widows and establish and encourage good works in the whole community, cultivate not merely justice and equity, but compassion and grace? Life in this world should be productive of good. "Leave good works behind", the Message further said, "that they may grow and bear fruit you are gone. There is virtue in giving to others, not in receiving from them. Learn to surrender that you may be nearer to your God. Practise self-denial for the sake of your fellow-men, that you may multiply your credit with God. True, the Muslims are weak, but do not go after their weakness, Truth will triumph. This is the decree of Heaven. Through the Prophet a new measure and a new criterion of good and evil, of right and wrong, will be set up in the world. Justice and mercy will reign. No constraint will be allowed in the matter of religion, and no interference. The cruelties to which women and slaves have been subjected will be obliterated. The Kingdom of God will be instituted in place of the kingdom of Satan.8
The message was well spread and successfully established by the Prophet himself so much that the people that were formally known to be notoriously backward in almost all facets of life became the leaders of pious people. They became bright stars whose lights one can walk through to see the pleasure of Allah.
The Promised Messiahas, the Holy Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community catches the summary of end result of Holy Prophet ’s successful prophethood:
He says:
You found them dirty like a heap of dung;
And transformed them into a piece of pure gold.9
The promised Messiah(as) also eulogizes his master in the following terms:
The man who in his being and his attributes and his actions and through his spiritual and holy faculties set an example of perfection, in knowledge and action and in sincerity and steadfastness, and was called the perfect man was Muhammad .... The man who was most perfect as man and as Prophet, and came with full blessings, and who through a spiritual revival and resurrection manifested the first Judgment in the world and revived the dead world, that blessed Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets, the leader of the righteous ones, the pride of the Prophets, was Muhammad , the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. Our Lord, send down on that beloved Prophet that mercy and blessing that Thou hast not sent down on anyone since the beginning of the world. Had that grand Prophet not appeared in the world then we would have no proof of the truth of lesser Prophets like Jonah, Job, Jesus son of Mary, Malachi, John, Zechariah, etc. Though they were favourites and honoured and were beloved ones of Almighty God, they are under obligation to this Prophet that they were accepted in the world as true Prophets. O Allah, send down Thy blessings on him and on his people and on his companions, all of them. Our last word is that all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.10 [Itmam-ul-Hujjah, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 8, p. 308]
Respected listeners, Muhammad was the most perfect man . Muhammad was the most perfect leader. Muhammad was the greatest, most glorious and most successful Prophet.
Endnotes
1. Ajikobi, D. (2007) Verbal Arts: A Promising Mountain of Gold, Ibadan, Krafts Books Limited, pp 330
2. (http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/about-muhammad/his-character/453230-prophet-muhammad-a-man-of-character.html) LAST RETRIEVED 14.4.2014
3. Ahmad, M.B.M. (2005), Life of Muhammad, U.K. Islam International Publications Ltd, pp27
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership_styles LAST RETRIEVED 14.4.2014
5. Ahmad, M.B.M., op.cit pp133
6. Ibid, pp41
7. Dr. Rasheed S. Azam ‘The Holy Prophet of Islam’ The Review of Religions February 1993/ http://www.alislam.org/library/links/hp.html LAST RETRIEVED 15.4.2014
8. Ahmad, M.B.M., op.cit pp38-40
9. http://www.alislam.org/library/qaseedah/q006.htm LAST RETRIEVED 15.4.2014
10. Essence of Islam, Vol 1 pg 199
