prerequisites of leadership-imam ali (pbuh), a master of leadership part 2

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Imam Ali (PBUH), a Master of Leadership

Part 2: Basic Prerequisites of Leadership

Farhad Zargari, MD, PhD

[email protected]

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Introduction

3Principles of Administration

The letter 53 of Imam Ali’s (PBUH) book,

Nahj-ul-Balagha, is a précis of the

principles of administration and justice

as prescribed by Islam. It deals with the

duties and obligations of rulers and

leaders, their chief responsibilities, the

question of priorities of rights and

commitments, dispensation of justice,

control over secretaries and subordinate

staff; distribution of work and duties

amongst the various branches of

administration, their co-ordination with

each other and their co-operation with

the center.

4Combat Corruption and Oppression

In the letter Imam Ali (PBUH) advises his companion, Maalik

to combat corruption and oppression amongst the officers, to

control markets and imports and exports, to curb evils of

profiteering, hoarding, and black-marketing.

5Combat Corruption and Oppression

In it he has also explained stages of various classes in a

society, the duties of the government towards the lowest

class, how they are to be looked after and how their

conditions are to be improved, the principle of equitable

distribution of wealth and opportunities, orphans and their up-

bringing, maintenance of the handicapped, crippled and

disabled persons and substitutes in lieu of homes for the aged

and the disabled.

6The Rights of Leaders and the Followers

Then Imam discusses the army, of whom it should consist of

and how the ignorant, ruthless and corrupt mercenaries

should not be allowed to join the army as their profession. He

lays great stress upon the honor and the nobility of volunteers

who in time of need, offer their voluntary services to defend

the Islamic State. Finally, he comments upon the rights of

rulers over the ruled and of the ruled over the rulers.

7 Main Central Theme

There is a main central theme running all through these

instructions, like one single thread out of which the cloth is

woven, and it is the faith to the Almighty Allah. The rule is of

Allah, the governors and the governed are both creatures of

Allah, and their respective duties are laid down by Allah. The

Almighty expects each one of them

to fulfil his obligations and to do his

duties. The orphans and the

depressed are the trust of Allah,

the army is the army of Allah, whose soldiers should not

behave like haughty and arrogant guerrillas but like honorable

and noble knights, everyone is expected to do his duty to the

best of his ability. He will be rewarded in this world and

Paradise accordingly.

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Divine Administration of the People for the People and by the People

The famous Arab Christian, jurist, poet and philosopher Abdul

Masih Antaaki who died sometime in the beginning of the

20th Century while discussing this letter 53, writes that it is a

far superior and better code than the one handed down by

Moses and Hamurabi, it explains what a human

administration should be like, how it is to be carried out and it

justifies the claims of Muslims that Islam wants to introduce a

Divine administration of the people for the people and by the

people and it wants a ruler to rule not to please himself but to

bring happiness to the ruled and no religion before Islam tried

to achieve this end, Imam Ali should be congratulated for

having introduced these principles during his rule and for

have written them down for the future generations.

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Leadership Definition

10Leadership: Definition

Leadership is one of the most observed & least understood

phenomena.

Burns, 1978


No social and organizational topic has been explored more

obsessively than leadership.

No behavior in the workplace has been more analyzed,

parsed, or dissected than leadership.

No role has had more expectations heaped upon it than

leadership.

No failure earns more heated opprobrium than a leadership

failure.


Most of this variation stems from the fact that leadership is a

complex phenomenon involving the leader, the followers, and

the situation.


Like beauty, leadership is hard to define, but you know it

when you see it.

Bennis (1989)


In spite of more than 350 definitions for “Leadership” in the

literature, one basic essence prevails in all of them,

“influence”.


Lead actually stems from an Old English word and means to

“go, travel or guide”.


“Leadership is the creative and directive force of morale.

Munson, 1921


“Leadership is the art of imposing one’s will upon others, in

such a manner as to command their obedience, their

confidence, their respect, and their loyal cooperation.”

United States Military Academy, 1925


Leadership is the process by which a person exerts influence

over other people and inspires, motivates and directs their

activities to help achieve group and organizational goals.


Leadership is the ability to influence other people, with or

without authority.

Peter DeLisle


“The essence of leadership is not giving things or even

providing visions. It is offering oneself and one’s spirit”

Bolman & Deal, 2001


“Teaching and leading are distinguishable occupations, but

every great leader is clearly teaching -- and every great

teacher is leading.”

Abraham Lincoln


The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.

Peter Drucker


Leading people:

Influencing people

Commanding people

Guiding people

25Why Leadership?

Machiavelli in The Prince (1514): “It must be realized that

there is nothing more difficult to plan, more uncertain of

success, or more dangerous to manage than the

establishment of a new order of things…”

26Why Leadership?

Leadership is essential.

“LEADERSHIP IS THE ONLY THING THAT DIFFERENTIATES

SOCIETIES AND ORGANISATIONS FROM EACH

OTHER OVER THE LONG TERM”

27Why Leadership?

Leadership is essential.

“EVERYTHING RISES AND FALLS ON LEADERSHIP”

John Maxwell

“The only safe

ship in a storm is

leadership.”

Wattleton, F.

Why Leadership?

29Leadership

As was demonstrated leadership is a very important task in

the family, organizational and social levels. It deeply

influences the micro and macro environments. In all levels it

has a significant impact on the outcomes and shapes the

future of the individual as well as the community. For this

reason the pre-qualifications of taking the leadership roles are

of great importance and should not be compromised. Among

all these qualifications there are some basic requirements

which are mainly of an inner aptitude kind, being honest,

ethical and just in our daily behavior and acting decently

based on established principles toward the people in spite of

being in “power”. That’s why Imam Ali (PBUH) has

emphasized on these qualities at the beginning of his letter.

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Letter 53 of Imam Ali (PBUH)

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IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL

These are the orders issued by the creature of Allah, Ali, the

son of Abu Taalib to Maalik, the son of Ashtar when he

appointed Maalik as the Governor of Egypt to collect Zakat (or

alms-giving is the practice of charitable giving by Muslims

based on accumulated wealth) there, to combat the enemies

of Islam and Egypt, to work for the welfare of its people and

to look after its prosperity.

32Leadership Prerequisites

The beginning of letter 53 points out a very basic platform as

a standard for everyone who wants to take leadership roles.

This platform includes all the leadership essential

prerequisites and will be covered in this chapter.

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I order you, Maalik, always to keep the fear of God in your

mind, to give priority to His worship and to give

preference to obeying His Commands over every other

thing in life, to carefully and faithfully follow the

commandments and interdictions as are given by the

Holy Book and the traditions of the Holy Prophet (s)

because the success of a man to attain happiness in this

world and in the next depends upon these qualities, and a

failure to achieve these attributes brings about total failure in

both the worlds.

1- Conform to God

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I order you to use your head, heart, hands and tongue to

help the people of Allah because the Almighty God holds

Himself responsible to help those who sincerely try their best

to help Him.

2- Love the People

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Allah has further ordered you to keep your desires under

control, to keep yourself under restraint when excessive and

unreasonable yearnings and cravings try to drive you

towards vice and wickedness. Your inner 'self' tries to incite

and drag you towards disgrace and infamy unless the

Merciful Lord comes to your help.

3- Control Your Desires and Wishes

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Let it be known to you, Maalik, that I am sending you as a

governor to a country which has seen many rulers before you.

Some of them were compassionate, sympathetic and

good, while others were tyrannical, oppressive and cruel.

People will judge your government as critically as you have

judged the activities of other regimes and they will criticize

you in the same way as you have rejected or approved

other rulers.

4-Judge the Prior Rulers Fairly

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You must know that a good and virtuous man is known and

recognized by the good that is said about him and the praise

which Allah has destined him to receive from others.

Therefore, make your mind the source and fountain-head of

good thoughts, good intentions and good deeds. This can

only be attained by keeping a strict control on your desires

and yearnings, however much they may try to incite and

coerce you. Remember that the best way to do justice to your

inner self and to keep it out of harm is to restrain it from vice

and from things which the 'self' inordinately and

irrationally desires.

5-Keep Away from Evils

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Maalik! You must create in your mind kindness, compassion

and love for your subordinates. Do not behave towards them

as if you are a insatiable and greedy beast and as if your

success lies in demolishing them

6-Avoid Brutality

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prerequisites of leadership-imam ali (pbuh), a master of leadership part 2

Leadership & Management