Dear blessed brothers,
Let us increase our taqwa to Allah
s.w.t. Fulfill all of Allah?s commands and refrain from all His prohibitions.
Let us continue to be guided by the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet s.a.w. in leading our religious
life.
My dear brothers,
Each one of us is a leader and
assumes a leadership role, whether in our families, 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 s.w.t created Prophet Adam
a.s. 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 God.
For example, Allah s.w.t says to
Prophet Abraham a.s. in surah Al-Baqarah verse 124:
?And remember that Abraham 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 dear brothers,
From this verse, it is clear that
every leadership position signifies a covenant and promise to Allah s.w.t.
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 s.a.w. 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 God?s creation.
The Prophet s.a.w 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 Quraisy 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,
The Prophet s.a.w said in a hadith
which means, ?Each of you is a leader, and each leader will be held accountable
for what he has led.? (Hadith narrated by 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
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, 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.
Amin.
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