161007P - THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD AS A MODEL LEADER

Presented at the MSA workshop HongKong on October 7-8, 2016 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

MUHAMMAD THE MAN

• Preparation for leadership: respected lineage, difficult childhood as an orphan, as a youth he engaged in virtuous acts and avoided immoral ones. Leadership qualities in a dispute about placing the black stone.
• Excellent personal conduct endeared him to the people and he was known as the trustable one. He was a model character (uswat hasanat) 
• He was of respectable appearance. He used to turn his body in whole.
• He lived in poverty and did domestic chores. Mixed with the poor and weak.

MUHAMMAD- PERSONAL TRAITS 1

• Speech: Truth of speech, spoke only if there was a need and was concise, His laughter was only a smile.
• Time management: He divided his time into 3: Allah, the family, himself, and the ummat, fulfilling duties, long contemplation and deep thought, long periods in salat and dhikr, continuous work, and never rested, his eyes slept but his heart did not, he did not wander in markets, He used to keep himself away from what does not concern him
• Attitudes: loved optimism, hated pessimism, preferred the easier alternative; loved the good; hated the bad, was shier than a virgin

MUHAMMAD- PERSONAL TRAITS 2

• Emotions: He never became angry for his personal sake, he was forgiving. He never took revenge for himself. He only revenges when Allah’s limits were violated
• Moderation: He was moderate, each situation had its special approach, no wasting of food and dress
• Generous: he told Bilal to give and not fear poverty
• Intimate: Another dimension in the life of the prophet is the intimate and personal relationship he had with even non-living things. He gave individual names to his animals (horses, bighaal, donkeys, camels), swords, spears, armors.

MUHAMMAD – IN HIS ASSEMBLY 1

• Greeting: starting the greeting, did not withdraw his hand on handshaking
• Sitting:  He sat at the end of the assembly, did not distinguishing himself from companions in dress and sitting, He was patient with the people sitting with him until they left, he sat wherever there was a place, he hated people standing for him. When he sat or rose up he made dhikr
• Ambiance: His assembly was an assembly of kindness, modesty, patience, and trust. In his assembly, he was always happy.

MUHAMMAD – IN HIS ASSEMBLY 2

• Listening: He gave everybody presents a chance to speak, He never interrupted anybody’s conversation, Voices were not raised in his assembly. Attitude: He did not pay attention to what he did not like. He did not abuse anybody, he did not embarrass anyone, and did not spy on people’s secrets, 
• Speech: He never talked except about what has an expectation of reward, he had a slow deliberate conversation, he joked but said only the truth.

MUHAMMAD – THE HUSBAND 1

• Family fun: He took time to amuse his family. He took Aisha to watch martial arts performed by Abyssinians and stayed with her until she got bored. She used to foot race with Aisha; 
• Kind and tolerant: The prophet was kind and considerate towards his womenfolk. He did domestic work His wives used to argue with him and annoy him but he remained patient. His kindness and tolerance however did not prevent him from taking a firm stand.

MUHAMMAD – THE HUSBAND 2

• Loyal: He was very faithful and loyal to his first wife Khadijah. He kept remembering Khadijah so much that Aisha was jealous of her even if she never saw her. He remembered that she believed him when people disbelieved, she remained true when people called him a liar, she enriched him when people deprived him
• Sensitive: He told Aisha that he would know if she was happy or angry with him. In the former case, she would swear by the Lord of Muhammad and in the latter case by the Lord of Ibrahim. 

MUHAMMAD – THE LOVING FATHER 1

• The prophet was a loving father. He had only daughters and loved them a lot unless the then-existing Arab custom of despising girls. He rebuked a nomad who said he did not kiss his children. He used to welcome his grown-up daughter Fatima kindly and kiss her. He shed tears on the death of his son Ibrahim.
• He used to hold Usamah Ibn Zayd, a son of his freed slave, and Hassan, his grandson, on his lap and hugged them. He interrupted his speech to pick up his two grandsons who were running towards him and falling on their shirts. He used to play with Hassan by protruding his tongue and he would hurry to him.

 
MUHAMMAD – THE LOVING FATHER 2

• He prayed with umaamah on his shoulders. 
• In Madina, he was always surrounded by children. He greeted them, prayed for them, and wiped their heads. He used to joke with a boy ‘Umayr about his pet bird nughayr. 
• His love for children did not prevent him from being strict. He did not greet his beloved daughter Fatima when he found her wearing a gold necklace until she sold it and used its proceeds to buy the freedom of a slave.  He said that if Fatima stole he would not hesitate to cut off her hand as the Law dictates.

MUHAMMAD – THE SOCIAL LEADER 

• The community: The prophet was an example in taking care of community welfare. As head of state, he said that whoever left a debt he (the prophet) would be responsible for it and whoever left any property it is for the inheritors
• The whole world: The prophet was sent to all people to bring glad tidings. He is rated as the most influential person in history
• The environment: The prophet taught cleanliness of the environment
• Animal rights: The prophet taught kindness to animals
• Human rights: The prophet taught and practiced the essential equality of all humans. He raised the status of women. He also started a process of emancipating slaves.

MUHAMMAD – THE SUCCESSFUL POLITICAL LEADER

• Muhammad (PBUH) was the only messenger who witnessed the complete success of his mission in his lifetime. The Qur’an talks about this in surat al Nasr. 
• By the time he passed away, Islam was well established in the peninsula and was on its way to spreading outside the peninsula.

MUHAMMAD – THE MILITARY LEADER

• As a military leader the prophet defended Islam and Muslims. 
• He commanded 26 military campaigns, ghazawaat, in person. He dispatched 35 raiding parties, saraayat.