Muslims today suffer from the “Israeli mentality” that the noble Qur’an describes (2:47). This has to do with the characteristics of a leader. Just like the Bani Israel, Muslims think of a person qualified to be leader who has wealth and the means. This explains the Muslims’ plight today.
What qualifies a person to assume leadership position among Muslims? Knowledge is necessary but not sufficient. Qualities such as sense of justice, self-sacrifice, care for Muslims and the oppressed people around him are also required to fulfill the responsibilities of leadership.
There are two major Islamic currents in the world today: the Ikhwan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Ikhwan must decide whether they want to work with the Islamic Republic or continue to pander to the whims of illegitimate rulers.
The ICIT’s value proposition for the business model is to provide emerging Islamic leaders with resources and tools that enable them to become just leaders by implementing good strategy.
With the collapse of the western financial system, Muslim economists have an excellent opportunity to present the model of Islamic Iqtisad to provide social and economic justice to all. They will also find a ready audience among non-Muslims.
Russia’s grip on the North Caucasus is becoming more complicated and therefore, loosening up as a consequence of recent developments.
The First International Conference on Islamic Awakening held in Tehran on September 17 and 18 was a grand affair. There were more than 700 delegates from 84 countries representing all shades of opinion and thought in the Ummah.
Muslim peoples in the past generations display an inferiority attitude when it comes to rulers, officials and decision makers. It seems like ever since we have been growing up in the past fourteen centuries we have not been able to conquer the intimidation (from) rulers- whether they are Kings, Princes, Chief Executives and Presidents. We haven’t had in ourselves the collective mind that would shed our attention on their behaviour and the decisions that they make. Even the Islamic Fiqh that lives on among us concentrates on the individual in the street/the run of the mill Muslim, (so to speak), but it does not bring into its literature the position of those who are at the helm of Islamic decision making- they’re sort of beyond the fiqh of the fuqaha’. This has been a growing problem that has taken root Islamic societies in times that have past and in our living times.
Many observers find it difficult to get an accurate fix on Iran-Russia relations. At times it appears as if Russia and Iran are strategic partners while at others they appear to be at odds. The confusion stems from a lack of proper understanding of either party...
To mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Dr Kalim Siddiqui, we published an abridged extract from a paper by him in our last issue. In this issue, we reprint an article by Dr Siddiqui first published in Crescent International exactly 15 years ago (May 1-15, 1986).
This paper was presented by Zafar Bangash at the International Conference on 'The Seerah: A Power Perspective' convened by the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought (ICIT) and Crescent International in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on June 16-18, 2000. Zafar Bangash is Director of the ICIT. In this paper, he outlines his understanding of the nature of leadership in Islam, and practical aspects of a leader.
