[Friday Sermon] The Science Of Being An Exemplary Leader
By
Imam Murtadha Gusau
In The Name Of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful
All thanks and praises are due to Allah, we seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the consequences of our evil deeds. Whoever Allah guides will never be led astray, and whoever Allah leads astray will never find guidance.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, He is alone without any partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger.
“O you who believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims in submission to Him.” [Quran, 3:102]
“O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Verily, Allah is Ever-watching over you.” [Quran, 4:1]
“O you who believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will then amend for you your deeds and forgive your sins, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.” [Quran, 33:70-71]
Verily, the most truthful speech is the Book of Allah, the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the worst affairs are newly invented matters (in the religion). Every newly invented matter is a religious innovation, and every religious innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.
Dear Blessed Brothers and Sisters! Let us increase our Taqwa and our fear to Allah the Almighty. Fulfill all of Allah's commands and refrain from all His prohibitions. Let us continue to be guided by the Noble Quran and the Sunnah of the Noble Prophet (Peace be upon him) in leading our life.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters! Each one of us is a leader and assumes a leadership role, whether traditional leadership or political leadership or in our families or among colleagues and friends, or to anyone else who look at us for good examples through our actions. It is thus important for us to be aware of this role that we play, whether consciously or otherwise.
Allah the Most High created Prophet Adam (AS) as His viceregent and a leader in this world. He was also equipped with knowledge to assume that role. The Prophets and Messengers after him were also tasked to lead humankind to the path of Allah.
For example, Allah the Almighty says to Prophet Ibrahim (AS) in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 124:
"And remember that Ibrahim was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled: He said: I will make you a leader to mankind. He pleaded: And also (leaders) from my offspring! He answered: But My Promise is not within the reach of those who are unjust."
My Respected Brothers and Sisters! From this verse, it is clear that every leadership position signifies a covenant and promise to Allah the Almighty. Secondly, the basis and core of leadership is to strive for justice and fairness in delivering duties, and to refrain from being unjust and unfair in all matters and responsibilities.
Let us reflect upon the life of our greatest leader, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). How was his leadership in his family life, within the Muslim Ummah and even beyond Muslims.
Suffice for us to say that he was always loved and needed by others because of his excellent character and his merciful dealings with each and every of Allah's creation.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) showed the best examples in leadership. He fulfilled the natural needs of humankind, through attributes such as trustworthiness, truthfulness, explaining the truth, and wisdom.
According to Islamic history, even before his Prophethood, leaders of the Quraish tribe had already called the Prophet as The Trustworthy One or Al-Amin because of the Prophet's integrity when offering his service and contributions to his society. Known as such in his community, the Prophet had created love and trust of others towards him. But he earned so because the Prophet placed his community before himself, and he was a selfless leader who only sought Allah's pleasure and blessings for all that he did.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters! The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said in a Hadith which means:
"Each of you is a leader, and each leader will be held accountable for what he has led." [Al-Bukhari]
So what can we learn and how can we improve in performing our leadership roles in life? For example, in our family life, each parent, say the father, will need to consider the needs of each family member fairly and not place his self-interest above the rest in making any decision. But more importantly, we must also be aware that real leadership in family life takes place through our own actions and behaviours. Our actions are being watched, especially by our children, and they take cue and model themselves after us, more than what we preach and say to them.
In our work life and in society, an effective leader is one who leads by example; the example of his acts and contributions. Infact, you may be an ordinary employee or worker, and you may not have any subordinates. Yet, if you are the most diligent or industrious, you will become an example to others, and with that, indirectly, you have become a very effective leader.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters! So let us reflect upon ourselves and ask how have we carried out our leadership role, whether back at home, or at our work places, in the society or among friends or family? Do we hold on firmly and strongly to principles, and we pursue Allah's pleasure and blessings, or do we place ourselves and our self-interests above everything else when we make decisions? Do we only criticise others, yet do not offer alternatives? Do we only order and command, but we do not give a helping hand to those under our charge? Have we strived to become a good example for others? In other words, do we lead through example? Let's think about it, dear blessed congregation.
Imagine the outcome for our Ummah and community, if each and everyone of us is a successful leader in his or her own right. So we ask Allah that He grant us continued guidance for us to perform our roles and responsibilities successfully in the best possible manner. Ameen.
- Qualities Of An Exemplary Leader
Respected Servants of Allah! Allah the Almighty said to His beloved Messenger (Peace be upon him):
"Owing to Mercy from Allah, you were gentle in dealing with them [your Companions]. Were you harsh [and crude], hard of heart; they would have fled from you. Therefore, pardon their abuses, seek [Allah’s] forgiveness for them, and consult them in the affair. Once you have resolved on a course of action [be decisive] and trust in Allah. Surely, Allah loves those who trust in Him." [Quran, 3:159]
This verse contains a wealth of instruction to guide those who are leaders, and as Muslims we should all be leaders. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) mentioned:
“All of you are shepherds, and each of you will be asked concerning his flock.” [Al-Bukhari]
Now let us examine some of the implications of the verse relevant to leadership:
"Owing to Mercy from Allah…"
Here Allah is reminding His Prophet (Peace be upon him), that the mercy he displays, in fact all of the virtues or favours that he enjoys are all from Allah. This is a critical point for any leader to realize, because of the propensity of those in positions of leadership to assume that they are in those positions because of something they have done, or they are better than anybody. While it is certainly true that in many instances, hard work and perseverance have assisted a particular individual in his or her rise to the top, even the possession of those qualities is due to Allah.
Acknowledging this at the very beginning of our affair is one of the keys to real power as it helps to render us humble, and humility before people unlocks for that person the power of Allah. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), mentioned in that regard:
“No one humbles himself for the sake of Allah except that Allah elevates him.” [Al-Tirmidhi]
Those who doubt the efficacy of such an approach — forgetting this was the way of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) — should consider the insights offered by Jim Collins in his book, 'Good to Great.' He mentions what he calls Type 5 Leaders. They are those exceptional leaders who lead companies in their transition from being good to great. [See Jim Collins, Good to Great, New York: Harper Collins, 2001, page 17-40]
He said, they combine personal humility, which is essential for gentleness in one’s dealings, with intense will. This unique combination of virtues is the essence of the message this verse is presenting to us, as we shall see.
Recognizing that everything comes from Allah is also one of the keys to gaining an increase in good things, for we can not gives thanks for a blessing we do not recognize. In recognizing Allah for blessing us with the qualities that may have helped us to become capable leaders, we are able to thank Him for those blessings. Hence, we are subject to a rule He has established to govern our etiquettes in responding to a blessing:
"If you give thanks [for my blessings] I will increase you in them…" [Quran, 14:7]
Recognizing that everything comes from Allah also helps us to realize our limitations. We come to understand that we must work hard to accomplish our goals. However, at the end of the day, we do not control the outcomes of our strivings. As soon as we can accept that fact we instantly gain peace of mind, for we do not endeavour to burden ourselves with things beyond our control. Furthermore, when in positions of leadership, we are less likely to look for oftentimes innocent parties to blame for failures that occur. This helps to create a healthier and more productive work environment for everyone.
"…You were gentle in dealing with them [your Companions]."
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
"Gentleness does not exist in anything except that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything except that it defiles it.” [Abu Dawud]
In many instances when we are in a leadership position we try to impose our authority on others. In some instances this only engenders stubborn rebellion and opposition. In others it brings about grudging compliance. Neither situation is healthy. Gentleness, on the other hand encourages willing compliance.
"Were you harsh [and crude], hard of heart; they would have fled from you."
Here Allah is telling His Prophet (Peace be upon him), that despite your charisma, your sincerity, your gaskiya, your concern for the talakawas, your concern for the believers and all of your other positive characteristics, were you harsh and hard-hearted in your policy, your Companions would have left you, your supporters would have left you. Therefore, you must avoid those characteristics. This is a lesson for us in terms of how we should approach leadership and positions of authority.
People who are harsh in their leadership styles oftentimes demand respect. They should be mindful of the fact that respect that is demanded is seldom lasting, and it is never sincere. People who are gentle in the appropriate situations, compassionate, empathetic and magnanimous command respect. Respect that is commanded is sincere and lasting.
Leaders who are fair and gentle attract talented individuals, while those that are harsh are usually intimidated and threatened by talented people and generally repulse them. Their insecurity is sensed by talented people who are secure within themselves. This leads to them shying away from harsh individuals. This in turn leads to a corrupt or incompetent inner circle developing around leaders who demand respect through harsh treatment and crude mannerisms. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), mentioned that:
"When Allah desires good for a leader He gives him a good circle of advisers. The opposite is also true." [Al-Bukhari]
In the long run, magnanimity will always trump tyranny. Tyranny may achieve temporary victories, but the fruit of those victories is bitter and the season of its harvest is very short. This is true in interpersonal relations as well as in relations between nations. We have to strive to be people who at every level are committed to being open-hearted and magnanimous in our character.
"Therefore, pardon their abuses…"
We should be quick to pardon others, where our rights are involved, or where the transgressions we observe arise from ignorance. One of the greatest lessons we enforce upon ourselves when we are quick to pardon is that perfection is Allah’s alone. Recognizing that, we do not expect perfection from ourselves, nor do we expect it from others. We do strive for perfection and constant improvement. However, we realize that perfection is simply not our lot in life. When our parents, spouses, children, employees, coworkers, and others understand that they have room for error in their dealing with us they are more relaxed and therefore less likely to err. This is a simple yet unappreciated truth.
Also, we have to understand that when we are merciful and forgiving, we invite Allah’s mercy and forgiveness into our life. Allah mentions in the Quran:
"O believers! Verily, among your spouses and children are those that are enemies unto you. If you pardon them, overlook their faults and seek forgiveness for them; then you should know that Allah is Oft Forgiving and Most Merciful [to you]." [Quran, 64:14]
Our beloved Prophet reminded us that:
"The merciful people are those Allah will show mercy to…” [Al-Tirmidhi]
This Hadith involves a promise and a principle. It is especially relevant for leaders, for those leaders who show no mercy, will be shown no mercy — neither by Allah, nor by those they oppress if they ever gain the upper hand over them. One rare exception is the mercy our Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), showed to the members of his tribe, Quraish, once he was given authority over them.
"Seek Allah’s forgiveness for them…"
When we seek Allah’s forgiveness for someone we are acknowledging that there is only so much we can do for them. After that we are implicitly saying that we are deputing their affair to Allah, who can do so much more for them. We are also letting them know that we are concerned for their ultimate wellbeing and salvation.
When this message is conveyed to our subordinates we will find them most happy and committed, ready to serve, for they understand that we do not just see them as an asset to be exploited, rather we see them as a servants of Allah who we can help along on the road to salvation.
"And consult them in the affair."
Mutual consultation, listening to people's advice is one of the pillars of social relations in Islam. As the saying goes:
“Two heads are better than one.”
The more people we can involve in a project or decision, the more thorough our approach to that project or decision will be. Islam has high respect for the idea of due diligence in public decision-making methodology. We should deliberate and consult before making what will sometimes be far-reaching decisions. One of the reasons for our contemporary weakness is that we have gotten away from this idea.
Here the Prophet (Peace be upon him), who is divinely guided in religious affairs, in the broadest sense of religion, is encouraged to consult his Companions because he is laying the foundation for effective rule and leadership to guide those succeeding him. However, we will only be the beneficiaries of the wisdom he bequeathed to us if we implement those teachings in our lives. This area of endeavour is no exception.
We should also understand that a team will always accomplish more than a single individual. These instructions will help us to build strong teams. We should also understand that “good” can always be “better.” One of the first things mentioned by Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, upon assuming the Caliphate, was:
“If I do well help me to do better.”
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was sending out two messages. The first was that I can always do better but only with your help. The second was an invitation to get involved. Good leadership does not wait for involvement to happen, it actively encourages it.
"Once you have resolved on a course of action [be decisive]…"
Once a course of action has been chosen it must be accompanied by decisiveness. Great leaders are decisive, after due diligence has been exercised. The greatest of all leaders, the five great Prophets, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad are described as Ulul Azm the possessors of decisive resolve. No one will follow an indecisive leader. Decisiveness is a function of will. This is the second quality mentioned by Collins in his book, Good to Great.
In confronting the challenges before us as Muslims in Nigeria, we should understand that resolve is one of the qualities we will need to have. Allah mentions in the Quran:
"You will surely be tested in your wealth and your lives and you will hear from those given the scripture before you (Ahlul Kitab) and from the idolaters much abuse. If you patiently persevere and remain mindful of Allah, [you should know] that is a manifestation of resolve." [Quran, 3:186]
As we listen to the attacks on us, defamation of our religion and the slander of our beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him) and our religion, we should not allow that to dishearten us or turn us away from the good works we are doing. We should persevere, we should forge on, and we should realize that we are not violating any laws nor transgressing against any of the principles upon which this great nation was founded — even thought the leaders of the nation themselves oftentimes does not honour those principles.
"And trust in Allah…"
Allah never disappoints. When we trust in Him, we will never be disappointed. People will eventually disappoint us, in real or perceived ways. Although those disappointments usually do not result in any permanent damage to our relationships they can be frustrating. When we place our trust in Allah we remove this great cause of our frustrations.
When we trust in Allah, we also are less demanding of people. This is one of the ways to encourage others to do more for us in a spirit of willful volunteerism. What is given voluntarily is given sincerely. Sincerity is a quality that helps bring blessings to our actions. Ultimately, the value of our actions is associated to the blessings they contain, and not their abundance.
Allah loves those who trust in Him. If Allah is for us no one can be against us. As leaders we want Allah on our side. This is one of the keys in moving from good to great, for when we ally ourselves with Allah we ally ourselves with the source of all strength and power. Trusting in Allah is just one of the things we can do to invite His love. He mentions in the Quran:
"Verily, Allah loves those who do good." [Quran, 2:195]
"Surely, Allah loves those who turn to Him in repentance." [Quran,2:222]
And:
"Allah loves those who purify themselves." [Quran, 2:222]
"Allah loves those conscious of him." [Quran, 3:76]
"Allah loves those who manifest excellence in their faith." [Quran,3:134]
"Allah love those who are patient." [Quran, 3:146]
"Verily, Allah loves those who rely on him." [Quran, 3:159]
"Allah loves those who are just." [Quran, 5:42]
Hence, trusting in Allah, being good and excellent in all of our affairs for His sake, turning to him in repentance, being conscious of Him, purifying ourselves, patiently persevering and being just, these are all qualities and actions that invite Allah’s love into our lives.
When we are beloved to Allah then, as He mentions in a sacred tradition (Hadith Qudsi):
“I become the hearing with which he hears, the sight with which he sees, the hand with which he grasps and the feet that convey him. [In this state] if he were to ask anything of Me, I would grant it. And were he to seek my protection, I would protect him.” [Al-Bukhari]
This does not mean that Allah becomes a part of us. However, it does mean that He will bless us to use all of our faculties in ways that are pleasing to Him.
Dear Brothers and Sisters! What could be better or more beneficial for us than this?
Respected Servants of Allah! I ask Allah to assist us in living by the Quran and Sunnah. I pray that He lets us recognise the truth for what it is and helps us to follow it, and that He lets us see falsehood for what it is and helps us to avoid it.
O Allah! Guide us and protect us from the causes of ignorance and destruction! Save us from the defects of ourselves! Cause the last of our deeds to be the best and most righteous! And forgive all of us.
Dear Brothers and Sisters! Anything good I have said in my today’s Sermon is from Allah the Almighty, and any mistakes are my own and I seek refuge in Allah from giving wrong advice and from all forms of calamities and fitnah. And I ask Allah’s forgiveness if I stepped beyond bounds in anything I said or I do.
May Allah be praised; and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.
With this I conclude my Sermon and ask Allah, the Almighty and the Sublime, to forgive all of our sins. So seek his forgiveness, He is all forgiving and Most Merciful.
This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday Sermon) was prepared for delivery today Friday, Ramadan 16, 1439 AH (June 1st, 2018), by Imam Murtadha Muhammad Gusau, the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdurrahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene Kogi State, Nigeria. The Imam can be reached through: gusaumurtada@gmail.com or +2348038289761.