This document discusses issues with Islamic leadership today and outlines what constitutes Islamic leadership. It provides definitions of leadership in general and Islamic leadership specifically. It then lists some current issues with Islamic leadership such as a lack of dialogue, courage among moderates, and debate over who is right or misguided. It also discusses challenges to Islamic leadership including desires of the body/self, society/culture, and corrupt leaders who may lead people astray from Allah's teachings. The ultimate goal of Islamic leadership and governance is to guide people to do right and avoid wrong according to the Quran and Sunnah.

1. GENERAL ISSUES WITH
ISLAMIC LEADERSHIP
TODAY
Open Sharing
“Thoughts are important”
Adzhar J. Madjid

2. WHAT IS LEADERSHIP
(IN GENERAL SENSE)?
The ability to influence and guide
followers or members of a group
to a shared vision and mission.
A Muslim’s ability to influence and guide
followers or members of a group to practice
what is right and avoid what is wrong in
accordance with the teachings of Islam.
WHAT IS ISLAMIC LEADERSHIP?

3. CURRENT ISSUES ON ISLAMIC
LEADERSHIP
• A lack of honest dialogue within the global Muslim community;
• An almost complete lack of courage among the progressives and
moderates within that same community.
• Debate of who is right and the misguided;
• In Philippines, seeking of knowledge became more expensive. And
Muslim parents invest more in secular education than the Islamic one.
• Some Teaching/Educational Institutions to some extent are encouraging
“Limitation of Knowledge” rather than “Continuing Education”.
• Lack of Good Management (Accountability/Transparency)
• Misguided by Dunya principle in relation to Islamic one.

4. THE ULTIMATE FUNCTIONAL GOAL OF LEADERSHIP AND
GOVERNANCE IS TO ENJOIN THE DOING OF WHAT IS RIGHT
AND TO PROHIBIT THE COMMISSION OF WHAT IS WRONG.
IN THIS CONTEXT, THERE HAS TO BE A YARDSTICK BY
WHICH RIGHT AND WRONG MAY BE MEASURED.
“YOU ARE THE BEST OF PEOPLES EVER RAISED UP FOR
MANKIND, YOU ENJOIN AL-MAHRUF, AND FORBID AL-MUNKAR,
AND YOU BELIEVE IN ALLAH.”
[SURAH ALI ‘IMRAN. 3:110]
“Kuntum khayra ummatin okhrijat lilnnasi ta’muroona
bil’mahruf wa tanhawna anil munkar wa tuhminoona
bi’llahi
wa law aman ahlul kitabi la kana khayran lahum,,
minhumul muhminoon, wa aktharahumul fasiqoon”

5. ISLAMIC LEADERSHIP
IN ISLAMIC GOVERNANCE
• Justice
• Equity
• Stewardship
• Good Management
• Transparency and Accountability
• The Goal is “enjoining what is right and
forbidding what is wrong”
“Tahmuruna bil mahruf wa tanhawna ani’l munkar”

6. i. Khalifa of ALLAH SWT on Earth
ْ
‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬َ‫و‬
ْ
َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬
َْ‫ك‬ُّ‫ب‬َ‫ر‬
ِْ‫ة‬َ‫ك‬ِ‫ئ‬َ‫ال‬َ‫م‬‫ل‬ِ‫ل‬
‫ي‬ِ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬
ْ
‫ل‬ِ‫ع‬‫ا‬َ‫ج‬
‫ي‬ِ‫ف‬
ْ ِ
‫ض‬‫ر‬َ‫األ‬
ْ
‫ة‬َ‫ف‬‫ي‬ِ‫ل‬َ‫خ‬
ْ
‫وا‬ُ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬
ْ
ُ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬‫ج‬َ‫ت‬َ‫أ‬
‫ا‬َ‫ه‬‫ي‬ِ‫ف‬
‫ن‬َ‫م‬
ْ
ُ‫د‬ِ‫س‬‫ُف‬‫ي‬
‫ا‬َ‫ه‬‫ي‬ِ‫ف‬
ُْ‫ك‬ِ‫ف‬‫س‬َ‫ي‬َ‫و‬
‫اء‬َ‫م‬ِ‫الد‬
ْ
‫ح‬َ‫ن‬َ‫و‬
ُْ‫ن‬
ُْ‫ح‬ِ‫ب‬َ‫س‬ُ‫ن‬
َْ‫ِك‬‫د‬‫م‬َ‫ح‬ِ‫ب‬
ِْ‫د‬َ‫ق‬ُ‫ن‬َ‫و‬
ُْ‫س‬
َْ‫ك‬َ‫ل‬
ْ
َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬
‫ي‬ِ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬
ْ
ُ‫م‬َ‫ل‬‫ع‬َ‫أ‬
‫ا‬َ‫م‬
ْ
َ‫ل‬
َْ‫ون‬ُ‫م‬َ‫ل‬‫ع‬َ‫ت‬
“And when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth
representative." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption
therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?" Allah
said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know." (2:30)
ii. Slaves of Allah on Earth:
ِْ‫ون‬ُ‫د‬ُ‫ب‬‫ع‬َ‫ي‬ِ‫ل‬ْ َّ
‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬ْ َ
‫نس‬ِ‫اْل‬َ‫ْو‬َّ‫ن‬ ِ‫ج‬‫ْال‬ُ‫ت‬‫ق‬َ‫ل‬َ‫خ‬ْ‫ا‬َ‫م‬َ‫و‬
“And I have created the jinn and the mankind (for no other reason but only) that
they should become slaves to Me.” (51:56)
iii. Test Performance to see Who are the Best
‫ِي‬‫ذ‬َّ‫ال‬
َْ‫ق‬َ‫ل‬َ‫خ‬
َْ‫ت‬‫و‬َ‫م‬‫ال‬
ْ
َ‫ة‬‫ا‬َ‫ي‬َ‫ح‬‫ال‬َ‫و‬
ْ
‫م‬ُ‫ك‬َ‫و‬ُ‫ل‬‫ب‬َ‫ي‬ِ‫ل‬
ْ
‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ُّ‫ي‬َ‫أ‬
ْ
‫ح‬َ‫أ‬
ُْ‫ن‬َ‫س‬
ْ
‫ال‬َ‫م‬َ‫ع‬
َْ‫و‬ُ‫ه‬َ‫و‬
ُْ‫يز‬ ِ
‫ز‬َ‫ع‬‫ال‬
ُْ‫ور‬ُ‫ف‬َ‫غ‬‫ال‬
“It is He Who has created death and life that He may try you which of you is best
in duties. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving”. (67:2)
Purpose of Creation? Why Allah created human beings in this world?

7. • Desires (Hawa) of Body (Nafs): Internal Enemy
َْ‫ت‬‫ي‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ر‬َ‫أ‬
ِْ‫ن‬َ‫م‬
ْ
َ‫ذ‬َ‫خ‬َّ‫ت‬‫ا‬
ْ
ُ‫ه‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬
ُ‫ه‬‫ا‬َ‫و‬َ‫ه‬
َْ‫نت‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ف‬َ‫أ‬
ُْ‫ون‬ُ‫ك‬َ‫ت‬
ِْ‫ه‬‫ي‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬
ْ
‫يال‬ِ‫ك‬َ‫و‬
“Have you seen him who took his low desires for his god?
Will you then be a surrogate to him? (25:43)
ْ
‫م‬َ‫أ‬
ُْ‫ب‬َ‫س‬‫ح‬َ‫ت‬
َّْ‫ن‬َ‫أ‬
ْ
‫م‬ُ‫ه‬َ‫ر‬َ‫ث‬‫ك‬َ‫أ‬
َْ‫ُون‬‫ع‬َ‫م‬‫س‬َ‫ي‬
ْ
‫و‬َ‫أ‬
َْ‫ون‬ُ‫ل‬ِ‫ق‬‫ع‬َ‫ي‬
ْ
‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬
ْ
‫م‬ُ‫ه‬
َّْ
‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬
ِْ‫ام‬َ‫ع‬‫ن‬َ‫َاأل‬‫ك‬
ْ
‫ل‬َ‫ب‬
ْ
‫م‬ُ‫ه‬
ْ
ُّ‫ل‬َ‫ض‬َ‫أ‬
ْ
َ‫س‬
ْ
‫يل‬ِ‫ب‬
“Or do you think that most of them do hear and (therefore)
comprehend? They are only like animals. Nay, they are
even straying farther off from the Way (of Allah)”. (25:44)
CHALLENGES

8. • Society-Culture-Fashion-Customs
‫و‬
‫ا‬َ‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬ ََ
ْ
َ‫ل‬‫ي‬ِ‫ق‬
ْ
ُ‫م‬ُ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬
‫ُوا‬‫ع‬ِ‫ب‬َّ‫ت‬‫ا‬
‫ا‬َ‫م‬
ْ
َ‫ل‬َ‫نز‬َ‫أ‬
ْ
ُ‫الل‬
ْ
‫وا‬ُ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫ق‬
ْ
‫ل‬َ‫ب‬
ُْ‫ع‬ِ‫ب‬َّ‫ت‬َ‫ن‬
‫ا‬َ‫م‬
‫ا‬َ‫ن‬‫ي‬َ‫ف‬‫ل‬َ‫أ‬
ِْ‫ه‬‫ي‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬
‫ا‬َ‫ن‬‫اء‬َ‫ب‬‫آ‬
ْ
‫و‬َ‫ل‬َ‫و‬َ‫أ‬
َْ‫َان‬‫ك‬
ْ
‫م‬ُ‫ه‬ُ‫ؤ‬‫ا‬َ‫ب‬‫آ‬
ْ
َ‫ل‬
َْ‫ون‬ُ‫ل‬ِ‫ق‬‫ع‬َ‫ي‬
ْ
‫ئا‬‫َي‬‫ش‬
ْ
َ‫ل‬َ‫و‬
َْ‫ون‬ُ‫د‬َ‫ت‬‫ه‬َ‫ي‬
“And when it is said to them: “Follow what Allah has sent
down”, they said: “Nay! We follow what (the way) we found
our fathers upon”. Even if their fathers were not mindful nor
did they attain Guidance? (2:170)
(see also Al Maidah 104-5; Yunus 78; Luqman 21)
CHALLENGES

9. • Corrupts Leaders
(Family, Social, Economic, Political and Religious)
َْ‫و‬
‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬
ْ
‫ع‬ِ‫ط‬ُ‫ت‬
َْ‫ر‬َ‫ث‬‫ك‬َ‫أ‬
‫ن‬َ‫م‬
‫ي‬ِ‫ف‬
ْ ِ
‫ض‬‫ر‬َ‫أل‬‫ا‬
َْ‫وك‬ُّ‫ل‬ ِ
‫ُض‬‫ي‬
‫َن‬‫ع‬
ِْ‫ل‬‫ي‬ِ‫ب‬َ‫س‬
ْ
ِ‫الل‬
‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬
َْ‫ُون‬‫ع‬ِ‫ب‬َّ‫ت‬َ‫ي‬
ْ
َّ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬
َّْ‫ن‬َّ‫الظ‬
ْ
‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬َ‫و‬
ْ
ُ‫ه‬
ْ
‫م‬
ْ
َّ‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬
َْ‫ُون‬‫ص‬ُ‫ر‬‫خ‬َ‫ي‬
“And if you obey most of those in the earth, they will lead
you astray from Allah’s Way. They follow but conjecture and
they only lie.” (6:116)
CHALLENGES