The Prophetic Legacy v.0

8/14/2019 The Prophetic Legacy v.0

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RECONSTRUCTING THE PROPHETIC MODEL:

A MODEL OF BUILDING A MOVEMENT, REMAKING A COMMUNITY, &

CHANGING THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION

Our goal is to remake our community by committing it to the divine cause/mission

and turning it into a mass movement that effectively mobilize, streamline, and

integrate the efforts and resources of all its members and institutions/organizations

towards a better Americ. This goal should be pursued following the prophetic

model, which is an incredibly effective model of remaking an irrelevant community

into a leading movement that changed the world in the span of one generation.

Therefore, an important aspect of the change that we need and seek is to revive the

prophets legacy (reconstruct the prophetic model), based on an in-depth study that

goes beyond the incidents to dig out patterns, strategies, and lessons on the rise

and fall of communities and nations.

The current situation of American Muslims (and of Muslims everywhere) is due in

part to their inability and/or unwillingness to properly understand and fully leverage

not only the Quran but also the legacy of the prophet. In addition to the outright

neglect, the majority of Muslims understand both sources only in a very

superficial/shallow, partial, rigid, out-of-context (irrelevant), or even distorted way.

It is my understanding that not only the Quran is a timeless/perfect guidance but

also the prophetic legacy is a timeless/perfect model, and that the prime duty of

Muslims at all times and in all circumstances is to embody/exemplify and

promote/advocate the guidance by replicating the model in a way that is relevant to

their time and conditions. This in turn requires a broad and in-depth understanding

of both the sources of guidance and the reality, to be able to do what the prophet

did best: effectively and consistently engaging his environment in all circumstances.

Other than the absence of the infallible and unmatched personality of the prophet,

the differences between the prophets task and ours should not affect the

replicability of the model. And if any, those differences are mostly to our

advantage. The whole Quran and the complete sunnah are in our hands, and

instead of building a community from idol-worshippers in a hostile environment, our

task is to remake what is already a Muslim community and in a free country and a

largely Christian society. Therefore, we are spared the two main obstacles that the

prophet dealt with: idol-worshipping and (religious) persecution. Moreover, in terms

of numbers, resources, facilities, and access to knowledge and to people, we have a

huge advantage.

Some misconceptions about the seera are worth correcting:


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- The Seera was not a sequence of unrelated and haphazard incidents. Rather,

it was a systematic implementation of a great vision/mission and a

methodical process of building a great movement that changed the world.

- It is true that the seera included several battles, which marked important

turning points. But the seera is not about battles. And these battles wereconducted in self-defense or fair retaliation, resulted from the continuous

engagement of an ever-wider circle to deliver the message, and were

conducted to achieve what the prophet asked for from the outset:

freedom*(khallu), and its natural consequences: peace*(layatumminna) and

justice* (liyaquma).

- The prophet was not only a messenger and teacher/mentor, but also the

founder and leader of the greatest movement in history. Therefore, in

studying and reviving his legacy, it is unfair to focus only on what he said and

did to embody and convey the revelations (individual sunan, hadiths), but

also on what he and his companions did to promote, advocate, and establishIslam: building and expanding a movement and proactively, effectively, and

consistently engaging an ever-wider circle.

- The seera was not meant to be a one-time exceptional/matchless event, but

a timeless replicable model of building a movement to fulfill the divine

mission, and a model of individual and collective implementation,

promotion, and advocacy of Islam.

- The incredible success of the prophetic model is not due to miracles or

specific circumstances that were exclusive to the prophet and his

companions, who were not supermen. Instead, the prophet and hiscompanions effectively worked the divine rules that govern the universe and

met the requirements for Allahs guidance and support, which made all the

difference. But the same guidance and support are always readily

available/accessible for those who meet the requirements: complete devotion

and utmost strive/sacrifice.

These misconceptions and others are deeply rooted in the minds and psyche of

Muslims. If we dont challenge and correct them, the vast majority of Muslims will

remain openly or implicitly under the impression that the legacy of the prophet

is simply not revivable. At best they may enjoy it as a movie/documentary or a

book, and may be superficially and momentarily inspired by some sayings, somepeople, and some events in that legacy.

There were very few attempts to study the seera in a holistic way and as a

replicable model. This is a humble attempt to study the seera as a model that we

should, we can, and inshaa Allah we will replicate to remake our community into a

genuine and relevant American Islamic Movement that shall fulfill the divine mission


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(champion Allahs cause), and make an increasingly significant contribution to a

better America.

THE STORY AND THE STRATEGY:

Upon the commissioning of Mohammad (pbuh) as the final and universal

messenger, the divine message and covenant were entrusted to him and to his

followers after him till the end of times to invite people to worship none but Allah

and honor their covenant with Him.

As soon as he was instructed to proclaim the message*, the prophet did not conduct

himself as a messenger/preacher only but also as a leader/founder of a

reform/change movement. Indeed, the prophet was not preaching a faith and a

way of life, but was recruiting people to a movement whose main

ingredients/components are unity of purpose/mission and unity of leadership. In

other words, the prophet while focusing on tawheed, was inviting people to

embrace his mission, join his movement/community, and to follow him both inexemplifying and proclaiming the message, both individually and collectively.

Indeed the prophet presented/proposed Islam as one package: a mission (to

embrace), a movement (to join), and a leadership (to follow). And most of the

times, people on the spot accepted the whole package or rejected it after one

meeting/exchange with the prophet.

In his first day on the job and in a very indicative/significant move for those who

want to follow his footsteps and reconstruct his model, the prophet wasted no time

before reaching out to his family and closest friend to secure his base and bring

them on board.

The next day, and in another very indicative/significant move that constitutes a key

factor in the success of reconstructing the prophetic model, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

proceeded to recruit five members who will turn out to be instrumental leaders of

the movement, in addition to securing his own base.

In couple of days, the nucleus/seed of the movement was formed, and its main

characteristics included:

- Great gender, ethnic, tribal, and age diversity in spite of the small number of

pioneers.

- Focus on youth

- Targeting individuals who, despite their shirk, were known for their

distinguished character.

The society was dominated by shirk, and the message was a call for tawheed: to

acknowledge the oneness of Allah, and express this acknowledgment in worshipping

none but Allah. But because there were only two camps, and because the Dawa


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was selective, the call of tawheed was an automatic/implicit recruitment to join the

newly born movement/community who was established to carry out the

commandments of Allah. Therefore, from day one, embracing Islam meant striving

to surrender to and execute the Will of Allah. By declaring the pledge of tawheed,

one vows to fulfill the purpose of creation (worshipping none but Allah) and the

designated role of man on earth (custody/guardianship), which translates intounwavering obedience and a far-reaching sense of responsibility. Therefore, the

declaration of faith becomes a pledge to strive to be an incarnation and an

instrument of the Will of Allah.

Because prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the final and universal messenger, his

followers are expected to carry on individually and collectively with the mission

of their prophet till the end of time. This mission, which is a continuation of the

custody of earth (khilafa) was spelled out to comprise Dawa and Islah (enjoining

that which is good and prohibiting that which is evil), which is exactly the mission of

the prophets. Dawa and Islah to fulfill the role of vicegerent constitute the external

front of the eternal struggle between good and evil, while worship and tazkiya (self-

development and self-purification) to fulfill the purpose of creation (worship)

constitute the internal front.

Therefore, sealing the prophethood with a final and universal messenger, implies

that the enforcement of the sacred trust and the fulfillment of the prophets mission

of guiding people to Allah and leading them in the eternal struggle between good

and evil are to be entrusted/assigned to the Muslim community as a whole and to

every member of it till the end of time.

Being a Muslim means entering the sacred trust by declaring the pledge of

tawheed, which in turn implies:

- Embracing/espousing the mission of the prophets which consists of Dawa and

Islah, fulfilling that mission in ones immediate environment, and engaging in

the external struggle against injustice and corruption/mischief.

- Worshipping and obeying Allah SWT, and engaging in an internal struggle of

tazkiya (self-purification and self-development) to

incarnate/exemplify/embody the divine guidance, achieve ones potential and

fulfill the exclusive purpose of creation by turning all life into worship,

obedience, and righteousness.

- Joining the community of believers (or coming together to establish a

community of believers) that will strive collectively to

incarnate/exemplify/embody the divine guidance, fulfill the mission of Dawa

and Islah, and engage in the external struggle in the society at large.

Partly because their command of the Arabic language, and partly because of the

clear contrast between the two camps, in the early days of Islam, embracing Islam


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implied commitment to the cause, and membership in the movement. Every

Muslim felt responsible for, committed to, and actively engaged in the advancement

of the cause and the wellbeing and growth of the movement. Another fundamental

aspect that was understood by every Muslim, which will be confirmed by

subsequent incidents during the life of the prophet and after his death, was the dual

role of the prophet: the fact the prophet was not only a messenger who receivesand convey/preach revelation, but also the leader of the movement. It is these

concepts of mission/cause, movement, and recognized leadership (and discipline)

that ensured the cohesion of the group. And it is the proper/effective engagement

of the society/environment (in addition to the perseverance and solidarity of the

members) that ensured the growth, and even the survival of such a small group in

such a hostile environment and against all odds. Without such factors, which in turn

earned them Allahs guidance and help/support, that core group would have easily

been marginalized or even annihilated.

It is this understanding/version of Islam and this model that transformed a small

number of idol-worshipping, illiterate, and poor Bedouins belonging to a bunch of

tribes engaged in all forms of oppression and corruption, and in endless infighting

for petty issues/reasons; It transformed those people, who were lacking any

materialistic strength/power, into a mission-driven model community that was able

to change the world in the span of one generation.

The prophet (pbuh) and his small core group, were subjected to all form of

oppression by the establishment of Mecca, including propaganda, harassment,

torture, and boycott. Through his incredibly effective leadership, the prophet

leveraged his knowledge of the society and the flexibility of the divine guidance to

effectively engage the society to ensure the survival and growth of his

community/movement, even as he was nurturing and blending/fusing the members

of the group. Survival, cohesion, personal development, and growth/expansion all

through (civic) engagement was a fundamental characteristic of the prophetic dual

approach/model of (personal and group) development and civic engagement.

Simplicity, practicality/pragmatism, common sense, flexibility, creativity, long-term

and contingency planning, restlessness, discipline, and persistent growth

constituted other important characteristics of the proactive prophetic approach.

The prophet effectively leveraged all the opportunities that the tribal system in

Mecca offers. He took advantage of the protection of his non-Muslim uncle who was

a respected leader in Mecca, and the solidarity of his non-Muslim kinsmen whojoined him and his followers when they were subjected to the boycott/sanctions.

The divinely inspired call for self-restraint and perseverance in the face of the

excessive harassment and brutal torture, which ran against the prevailing culture of

the time, was instrumental in the survival of the community of believers, as it drew

peoples sympathy and respect, and denied the establishment the

excuse/justification to eradicate the newly-born community. In spite of their

unthinkable enmity/hostility, the prophet never stopped engaging the leadership in


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Mecca, partly because when it comes to Dawa, he didnt give up on anybody, but

also chances are that through this continuous but non-confrontational engagement,

he wanted to tam their enmity/hostility and make the new phenomenon a fait

accompli. He took full advantage of the Hajj season to reach out to and convey his

message to everyone who would listen from the leaders and members of the tribes

who come to Mecca for Hajj. He sent a group of his followers to Avicenna, morethan likely as a contingency plan to ensure the survival of his message and

movement, should the establishment manage to finish his group off in Mecca. The

move was also a masterpiece maneuver to take the struggle with the establishment

of Mecca to a different level, disrupt their malicious plans, and push them closer to

give up on the possibility of finishing off his message and his movement. It was a

risky move, because Quraish had a reasonable shot at reclaiming the asylees from

Avicenna, but the risk was a calculated one because the prophet knew that

Avicenna was ruled by a just king, which also shows how aware of his environment

the prophet was. This move and others showed how focused, creative, proactive,

and daring/audacious the prophet was in achieving his strategic Meccan goal of

making his message and his movement a fait accompli and invincible (immune to

extermination).

When his main strategic goal in Mecca was achieved, but growth was completely

stifled and the establishment became much more vicious especially after the death

of his uncle, the prophet started looking for an alternative base for his message and

his movement. He went secretly to Taaef, one of the main towns and home of the

second most powerful Arabian tribe (thakeef) and of one of the most revered

idol/god in the Arabian Peninsula. In all these relevant aspects, the status of

Taaef/thakeef was second only to Quraish/Mecca. He presented his proposal to the

leaders of Taaef/thakeef, but the reaction could hardly be worse, and hisattempt/journey failed miserably. The prophet was chased, stoned, and hurt/injured

badly, by the people of Taaef who were instigated by their leaders. The prophet

managed to escape with his companion, but described this incident as the worst

moment of his life. However, in the middle of the agony, we can detect at least

three factors that were critical to the success of the prophetic mission, movement,

and model:

- Unshakable devotion to Allah illustrated in the famous supplication that he

made, and in which he sought refuge and help from Allah and stated that as

long as Allah is not angry with him, nothing matters

- Unwavering steadfastness and commitment to the cause illustrated in his

Dawa to the slave who was sent by his masters out of piety with some

grapes, and who ended up embracing Islam.

- Boundless compassion and optimism illustrated in declining the offer by the

angel of the mountains to squash in the disbelievers, and instead prayed to

Allah to guide them and hoped that at least their offspring may be Muslims.


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Indeed, his prophecy was fulfilled as many of the people and leaders of

Quraish and Taef, and their offspring became not only average Muslims, but

leaders and champions of the cause of Islam.

When he came back from Taeef, the prophet had to enter Mecca under the

protection of one of its prominent leaders. This practice, known as al-jiwaar, waspart of the prevailing system in Mecca, and the prophet took full advantage of it.

The search for an alternative base was not limited to the trip to Taaef. The prophet

has also approached several tribes and their leaders during the Hajj season, until he

encountered 6 pilgrims from Medina, who even though were not leaders of their

tribe, yet their positive response opened the door for migration to Medina. And in

couple of years, the Medina will be carefully and successfully prepared to be the

base of the prophets movement/community, which actually became a

constitutional-based state built on the concept of citizenship, a system of

governance that was unprecedented in the history of mankind.

Indeed, as part of his outreach to pilgrims, the prophet succeeded in recruiting a

group of 6 individuals from Yathrib, something that was inadvertently assisted by

the Jewish intimidation/bullying of the people of Yathrib. This event proves that

opportunities may come from unexpected sources, but only for those who are

looking for them. This turning point resulted in 2 covenants/pledges in the next 2

consecutive Hajj seasons, with 12 and 75 individuals, respectively. The first pledge

comprised of tawheed, manners, and obedience of the prophet, while the second

pledge included full commitment to the cause of Islam and full support and

protection of the prophet. Prophet Muhammad handpicked Mossaab to go with the

12 people and basically prepare Yathrib to become a suitable base for the prophet

and his movement. In one year, Mossaab managed to introduce Islam to everyhouse in Yathrib, and delivered the 75 individuals who concluded with the prophet

the second pledge of al-Akaba, which paved the way for the migration of the

Meccan Muslims and the transfer of the prophet base to Yathrib. Even though the

prophet, who was the last to migrate accompanied by Abu Bakr, had only short

preparation time, the prophets trip to Yathrib was very meticulously planned.

Nothing was haphazard in the efforts of the prophet to fulfill the mission and build,

protect, and expand the movement. He seamlessly combined proactive and

systematic planning with total trust in Allah (SWT).

In Medina, the prophet and his followers faced a new but similar challenge, and

pursued a new but similar strategic goal: securing the newly-formed fragile state

against serious internal and external threats, and propagate/disseminate the

message to an ever-wider/broader/expansive audience, which required a very

delicate balance between strength/vigilance to discourage and resist any internal or

external conspiracy against the fragile state, and peace/stability to facilitate the

propagation of the message.


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Upon his arrival to Yathrib, which will take the name of Medina*, and without any

delay or break, the prophet proceeded with his strategy of securing/strengthening

the base and engaging/scouting the surrounding/neighboring environment. He

applied it almost simultaneously to different levels of operations and with a lot of

vigilance, shrewdness/astuteness, and focus/discipline. All along, the

field/environment of each level constitutes the base for the next level:

- Level one: the community of believers is the base and the Medina (and its

surroundings) is the field/environment

- Level two: the Medina (and its surroundings) is the base and the Arabian

Peninsula is the field/environment

- Level three: the Arabian Peninsula constitutes the base and the whole

region/world is the field/environment

The prophet was well aware that these 3 levels were very intertwined, and therefore

any move in any field/level may have tremendous immediate or long-term

implications on the situation in other fields and on future plans.

In all these 3 levels, and until the conquest of Mecca, or at least until the treaty of

Hudaybiyya, the focus was on Mecca/Quraish, which with its status and

power/strength constituted the main threat to the Medina, and the main

impediment/hurdle for the spread of Islam both in the Arabian Peninsula and

beyond. Therefore, throughout the first 8 years in Medina (and especially the first 6

years), Quraish was always the focus of the prophet and a major factor in his plans,

even while he was dealing with the daunting challenges and threats within and

around the Medina associated with founding a new state in a largely hostile or at

least very unfavorable environment. The focus on Quraish was not driven by any

desire for forced conversion (which is not allowed in Islam) or revenge*, but

because Quraish was the main obstacle that is precluding the fulfillment of the

prophets mandate of universally conveying Allahs final message and establish a

community of justice. Indeed, with the opposition of Quraish, it was impossible for

the message to spread significantly in the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.

The prophet dealt with this humongous obstacle/threat of Quraish in an amazingly

creative, proactive, vigilant, and effective way.

The first phase of consolidating the community of believers (the base) was achieved

with 3 simultaneous strategic moves:

- Merging the two Muslim tribes of the Medina, and putting behind any hard

feelings from their long history of bloody infighting before Islam.

- Merging the two branches of the community of believers: the emigrants from

Mecca (Muhajireen) and the residents of the Medina (Ansar)


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- Building the masjid, which was much more than a place of worship. Rather, it

was the hub of the community and the HQ of the movement/community

which has been built in Mecca and Medina over the last 13 years, and which

is now becoming a newly-born state.

This track was further pursued afterwards by other strategic moves to ensure theindependence of the community and its economic security and development. The

prophet invited his followers to buy a well and to establish their own market, when

the trade in Medina was monopolized by one market belonging to one of the

constituent groups of Medina.

Engaging the bigger circle (the Medina) and securing it as a base for the next level

of engagement was achieved by an unprecedented/historic move that consists of

writing a constitution that granted all citizens/residents of Medina the fundamental

liberties and equal rights to all citizens, and regulated the relationships between the

different constituents of the Medina. Meanwhile, the prophet and his followers

never stopped developing their community and civically engage their fellowcitizens, with whom Muslims closely intermingled.

Also, part of his coherent strategy the prophet concluded a number of treaties and

alliances with some major tribes around Medina, like Juhayna, which was based on

the western front of the Medina, on the strategic trade route between Meccan and

Damascus.

All these steps were taken within 6 months after the migration of the prophet, and

triggered a new set of challenges/threats, which were met with the same high level

of vigilance, shrewdness, and discipline. Indeed, the prophet and his community

continued their thorough mapping and vigilant monitoring of their environment tosecure both the internal and external fronts. And within one year from the time

they were given the permission to fight those who fight them, the prophet sent 8

expeditions (he participated in four of them) to proactively foil/thwart the numerous

conspiracies/plots by the belligerent tribes surrounding the Medina (some of them

were thugs) who may have been lured to attack the Medina and this newly-born

fragile state, while it is still in transition. Those deterrent expeditions were

instrumental in preventing a potential fatal vicious cycle of internal and external

threats that would have surely been triggered by any perception of weakness.

This second phase of securing the Medina and its surroundings was not over, when

the prophet decided to setoff the third phase by engaging Quraish, even while stillsecuring and engaging the first and second bases. This proactive leadership style,

which leaves no doubt about the existence and clarity of long-term plans and goals

in the mind of the prophet can easily be detected throughout the life of the

prophet. Compare this to the prevailing attitude of Muslims nowadays,

characterized by low ambitions and lack of motivation to grow, succeed, and excel;


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all out of lack of self-confidence and renunciation of the responsibility for the

results.

The prophet engaged Quraish/Mecca through several attempts to intercept their

trade caravans, which was less than fair retaliation for what Quraish did to Muslims

over 13 years and what it took from them (of wealth and property) by forcing themto leave Mecca. After several missed attempts and a successful one (in Nakhla), the

prophet himself led his people in an expedition to intercept a loaded trade caravan

that belongs to Quraish in its way back to Mecca from Damascus. The purpose was

for the Muslims who were forced to migrate from Mecca to recover/recuperate some

of their wealth and property that was taken from them. This move triggered the

mobilization of the Meccan army. The caravan managed to escape, but the two

armies met in the valley of Badr, and the Meccan army insisted to fight. The Army

of Quraish consisted of about 1000 soldiers and was well equipped compared to the

Muslim army that consisted of about 300 people who did not come to fight and was

poorly equipped. The Muslim resounding victory had substantially shaken the

status quo and balance of power in the whole Arabian Peninsula, with some

significant fallouts in the Medina itself, namely the appearance of the category of

hypocrites in Medina, and the friction with one of the Jewish tribes in Medina. The

victory in Badr led the first group towards deception and the second towards

defiance, and the prophet had to deal with these two new challenges wisely, but

swiftly and decisively, in a way that does not significantly disturb the fulfillment of

his mission and the execution of his long-term plans. He overlooked the move of

the first group who now claim to be Muslims, and there was no basis to challenge

their claim, but drove away the second one for collectively breaking the treaty and

conspiring to betray the state.

In the weeks leading to the Battle of Badr, which took place in Ramadan of the

second year, Allah prepared the Muslim community to this jump to the next level by

prescribing on Muslims prayers and Zakat (the details of them)*, and the fasting of

Ramadan. He also prescribed on them to fight back on self-defense, and shifted

their Qibla (prayer direction) from Jerusalem to Mecca.

These are very intensive but needed training and preparation for people who will

soon put their lives on the line for Allah and His cause. The immigrants

(muhajireen) were to face their own tribesman something that is both very testing

for them as humans and very abhorred in the prevailing tribal culture. The

supporters (ansaar) were to put themselves in harms way for something that wasnot included in the pledge they made to the prophet, which included only defending

him in Medina.

The Ansaar showed unwavering support to the prophets decision, and the battle

ended in a triumphant victory for Muslims and humiliating defeat for Quraish, in

spite of the disparity of the balance of power.


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The day/night before the fighting started, one of the companion, al-Hubab ibn al-

Mundhir, proposed to the prophet to change the positioning of the Muslim army,

and the prophet readily responded. But before making the proposal, the companion

asked the prophet whether the choice was a military tactic or a divine inspiration.

This simple incident says a lot about the kind of training and empowerment that the

prophet used with his companions: he taught them not to hesitate to express theiropinions and criticism, and offer their expertise even when dealing with the

prophet. The incident also revealed that the companions understood from the

outset the dual aspects of the prophets personality: Allahs messenger and the

community leader. And the companion wanted to know in which capacity the

prophet was acting. They revered him and obeyed him in both capacities. But in

the first one without questioning, and in the second one they knew that they have

the right and the obligation to provide their perspective and enrich and contribute

to the decision.

As usual, Quran (specifically surat al-Anfal) was revealed to empower Muslims with

the proper interpretation of the incident (what happened) and with the lessons from

it. Chief among those lessons were that victory comes only from Allah, and Muslims

should be completely devoted to Allah in all circumstances, and therefore should

not dispute about the spoils of war even in their conditions of extreme poverty.

The prophet knew that Badr, in which Quraish lost some of its most prominent

leaders, was just the beginning of the engagement with Quraish, and that Quraish

will not rest before trying to revenge its humiliating defeat by the weaker and

smaller Medina and what they considered as renegades/defectors. Therefore, he

was not carried away by the victory in Badr, but rather maintained the same level of

vigilance and did not open any new fronts.

Within one year, Quraish mobilized an army of about 3000 soldiers and was on its

way to attack the Medina. Objective: revenge and annihilation. The prophet

gathered people for consultation, and after discussing two military strategies*, the

prophet decided not to wait for the army of Quraish in Medina, but rather to go out

to face them.

1000 individuals joined the prophet, 300 of them (the hypocrites) retreated and

returned to Medina. The rest faced off with the army of Quraish of about 3000

soldiers near the mountain of Uhud,.miles from Medina. The prophet organized

and mobilized his army which quickly overwhelmed their enemies, who started to

run away from the battlefield. But the Muslim victory was spoiled by the snipers

premature desertion of their strategic positions in the mountain to get their share of

the spoils of war, thus violating the unmistakable and firm commands/directives of

the prophet to stay in their positions until he gives them permission no matter what

happens in the battlefield. One of Quraish generals, Khaled ibn-al-Waleed, spotted

the opening and was able to turn Quraish humiliating defeat into a

stunning/crushing victory that resulted in the loss of many companions (including


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Hamza and Mossaab) and a severe injury to the prophet, and came so close to the

assassination of the prophet and the annihilation of Muslims.

Again Quran was revealed to help Muslims comprehend what happened and why,

learn their lessons, and recover quickly. Actual incidents and tests and the Quranic

commentaries on them constituted, with the prophets example and teachings, themain and the most effective tool/mean of nurturing/developing the companions, and

ingraining in them concepts, principles, and character.

Uhud ingrained critical requirements for victory and effective leadership. Quran

made it clear that the leaders compassion towards his people should not be

affected by their mistakes, no matter how big those mistakes are, and the leader

must continue to consult his people irrespective of the outcome. However, both the

way consultation was conducted and the Quran directives made it clear that

consultation does not mean twisting the arm of the leader and should not turn into

an open-ended argumentation and paralysis. Moreover, Uhud made it clear that

victory is not guaranteed for Muslims, because they are Muslims, as many of themapparently thought. Rather, victory and defeat are subject to unbiased rules, and

Allahs help is conditional. Indeed, the Quranic commentary on Uhud cites two key

reasons for the defeat in Uhud: First, not all the army had complete selflessness and

devotion to Allah (), and second, the lack of discipline illustrated in the violation of

the prophets instructions ().

The Quran also commented on the chaos/confusion and retreat that resulted from

the rumor about the prophets death during the battle, by stating clearly that the

prophet is mortal, and Muslims fight for a cause not for the prophet.

The prophet and his soldiers who did not escape managed to retreat to themountain, and in the process fought very hard with the enemies who tried to

prevent them from retreating to the mountain and therefore tried to finish them off.

Even before Quraish departed victorious and the Muslims started to pick up the

pieces, the prophet started to control the damage and retrieve his community from

the internal and external fallouts of the defeat. Even while still in the battlefield,

the prophet made couple of very genius/brilliant moves. In the first one, he asked

the companions not to answer the calls of the leader of Quraish, Abu Sufyan, who

was inquiring on the lives of the top Muslim leaders, the prophet, Abu Bakr, and

Omar. The move was meant to persuade Quraish to depart thinking that they

accomplished their goal. In the second one, the prophet asked his people to answerAbu Sufyan who was bragging of their idols and his assertion that Uhud was a

revenge for Badr, by asserting that in spite of their defeat Muslims worship Allah,

and their martyrs are in heaven, and Quraish dead soldiers are in Hellfire, a move

that was meant to boost the morale of Muslims. The next day and with a dual

master stroke the prophet succeeded to protect his community, protect/boost their

morale, and deter his enemy. He called on his wounded and shocked people to


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chase Quraish, and sent a false intelligence to Quraish to scare/deter them from

going back to finish the Muslims, an idea that Quraish started to seriously

contemplate.

This recovery/resurgence process of boosting the morale of Muslims and deterrence

of the enemies will continue for more than a year till the battle of Ahzaab, whichwas a turning point in the seerah, as it marked both the peak and the end of the

possibility of annihilation of the prophets community and his newly-born state.

But the year between Uhud and Ahzaab witnessed the revival of the temptation of

the Arab tribes to attack the prophets community and state. Two

plots/conspiracies were preempted; two others claimed the lives of 80 companions

(10 & 70; more than the number of Uhuds martyrs); and an attempt on the life of

prophet by one of the Medina remaining 3 Jewish tribes which was foiled and

resulted in the evacuation of the tribe of bani al-Nadheer, a tough but merciful

decision that the prophet had to take to draw the line and prevent any domino

effect.

In a typical pattern of engagement triggering new/bigger challenges, the leaders of

bani al-Nadheer together with those of another Jewish tribe based in the Medina

suburb of Khaibar initiated a campaign to mobilize all the enemies of the prophet,

including Quraish, in a huge coalition to uproot the whole Islamic phenomenon. A

well-equipped army of 10,000 soldiers was now marching towards the Medina, and

was more than enough to wipe out the Medina and its 3,000 Muslims.

Salman, a companion from Persia, proposed a brilliant idea that was used in Persia,

and which consisted of digging a trench to protect the Medina from the invading

army of confederates. The prophet quickly adopted the idea, and started with hiscompanions the digging of 12 km long by 5 m wide and 5 m deep trench (300,000

cubic meter), a humongous project that was astonishingly completed in two weeks.

The confederates army besieged the Medina for a month, during which the situation

of Muslims were substantially worsened by the betrayal of the Jewish tribe of bani

Quraidha, which would have created a backdoor opening for the confederates to

achieve their goal. Again, with another master stroke*, the prophet was able to

disrupt this alliance, before the confederates were forced to depart by a severe

wind storm.

The Quran describes accurately the siege and the storm in the following verses of

surat al-Ahzaab .

Al-ahzaab, like Badr and the first phase of Uhud , unequivocally confirmed the

golden rule that says that only when Muslims are devoted to Allah and His cause,

and do their utmost (spare no efforts), can they count on Allahs Guidance and

Support/Help () ().


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Realizing that al-Ahzaab marked the fruition of the 18-year long strategy of

protecting the community from annihilation, while trying to strengthen it and

expand it as much as possible, the prophet said from now on, we go to them but

they will not attack us. But because of the continuing standoff between the

Medina and Mecca, the atmosphere in the Arabian Peninsula is still charged, and

was not suitable for the propagation of Dawa neither in the Arabian Peninsula norbeyond. In other words, Quraish was no longer a threat but continued to be an

obstacle. Therefore, the prophet continued to creatively and persistently engage

Quraish to eliminate/neutralize the obstacle of Quraish, with minimum

cost/sacrifices, and establish the peace/stability and justice that constitute an the

thrust of his mission, and that are needed for the propagation of Islam in the

Arabian Peninsula and beyond.

The year after al-Ahzaab, the 6th year after hijrah, the prophet led 1400 of his

people in a Umra trip to Mecca, something that the prevailing norms/laws granted

for everybody. Quraish was cornered and scrambled to deal with this challenge.

The whole incident resulted in the treaty of Hudaybiya*, that even though seemed

to be unfair (or even humiliating) to Muslims and did not reflect the new balance of

power, achieved the objective of the prophet: peace and stability in the Arabian

Peninsula that facilitates the propagation of the message of Islam and take the

pressure/intimidation off the people and tribes who would like to embrace Islam and

join the prophet.

The treaty of Hudaybiya was accompanied by two noticeable incidents: the

discussion between the prophet and Umar, and the pledge that the prophet took

from the companions. Umar was enraged/infuriated by the terms of the treaty and

the fact that the prophet accepted to defer the performance of umra to the

following year. The prophet answered few questions that Umar posed and the two

agreed on the diagnosis. However, the prophet tacitly taught Umar that even after

diagnosing the situation, a leader should consider and keep all his options open,

and should not be blinded by ideologies or anger/emotions. Rather, the leader

should be at the same time principled and pragmatic, and should go for the best

option that leads to maximum benefits with minimum sacrifices/price, without

compromising any principle.

The second incident occurred after the prophet sent Uthman as his emissary to

Mecca, and a rumor circulated that Uthman may have been killed. This meant that

the peaceful trip of Umra, may now turn into a battle without proper preparation.The prophet took a pledge from all his companions to persevere till the end in case

war erupts.

Before the ink of the agreement may have dried out, and before the second stage

of his strategy even ended, the prophet started the third stage of engaging the

region beyond the Arabian Peninsula by sending seven messengers/emissaries to

leaders of the world inviting them to Islam. They included the leaders of Rome,


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Persia, Avicenna, Egypt, Damascus, Bahrain, and Yamama. He also sent 15

missionaries to the northern side of the Arabian Peninsula, the buffer zone with

the Roman Empire, and the home of several Arab tribes, most of which were

Christians and under the patronage of the Roman Empire. This reaffirmed some key

elements in the prophetic model/strategy: constantly engaging a wider circle,

working simultaneously on multiple fronts, and ensuring smooth transitions byoverlapping phases.

But realizing that the first phase is over, as Quraish was no longer a threat and the

annihilation of Muslims became close to impossible, the prophet summoned (to

Medina) his people from Avicenna, first because there was no longer need for back

up, and second to pave the way for delivering the message to Avicenna without

embarrassing those who took refuge in it, and more than likely were not active in

Dawa. And within a month from the truce of Hudaybiya, the prophet also

proceeded to fully secure the Medina by clearing the last pocket of foes, who were

staged in Khaibar ( from Medina), who actively participated in the buildup of the

army of the confederates (al-Ahzaab), and who were now hosting the evacuated

tribe of bani al-Nadheer, their partners in the conspiracy of the confederates.

Interestingly, the arrival of the Muslim refugees from Avicenna coincided with the

clearance of the last pocket of foes.

In the two years after hudaybiya, many more people in Arabian Peninsula embraced

Islam and joined the prophet than in the previous 19 years. But immediately after

the Hudaybiya, the prophet started to confront the challenge posed by the Roman

Empire and their client-tribes in the north, especially after killing one of the 7

emissaries of the prophet and robbing another, which was an abhorred act of

aggression by the prevailing norms/laws. They also killed the 15 missionaries that

the prophet sent to the area, and both the northern tribes and the Roman Empire

began to persecute (and even kill) every person who embraces Islam. These tribes

became now a serious dual threat to the propagation of the message of the prophet

and to his states trade with the north, plus they initiated a number of aggressions

(remember Quraish is based in south side of the Peninsula, and Medina is midway

between north and south). Therefore a proper response was called for.

The prophet put together and sent an army of 3,000 soldiers, the largest up to that

point, which after a march of 1,000 km towards present-day Jordan, found itself face

to face with an army of 200,000 Roman and Arab soldiers in what will be known as

the battle of Muuta. Even though they were stunned, Muslims have no option butto fight. And after two days of fierce fighting, the Muslim army, led by Khaled ibn

al-Waleed and through a brilliant military strategy, was able to push the enemy

back and to withdraw successfully, with minimal losses. It is worth noting that

Khaled was a Muslim for 3 months only, and took over the leadership of the army

after the death of the leader and his two successive backups, all appointed by the

prophet, which speaks volume about the prophetic model when it comes to


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inclusiveness, empowerment, and swift integration of people and leveraging of their

talents/skills.

The Roman Empire, which was heavily involved in the battle and its soldiers

constituted half of the army, was at the time one of the two superpowers of the

world, and only few years ago defeated its rival, the Persian Empire. Given thisstatus of the Roman Empire, the battle of Muuta not only achieved its goals in the

north, but also resonated loudly in Medina, in Mecca, and in the whole Arabian

Peninsula. It paved the way for the conversion to Islam of more reluctant tribes,

and made the conquest of Mecca, one year later, both swift and peaceful.

Indeed, in the following year, 8 A.H., Quraish broke the treaty by attacking a non-

Muslim tribe that had a mutual-defense alliance with the prophet. This incident led

to the conquest of Mecca by the prophet, a conquest that not only Quraish was too

overwhelmed to resist it, but also the prophet took all precautions to make it a

peaceful one. Moreover, the prophet granted a blanket amnesty to the people of

Quraish, who for more than two decades made his life and the life of hiscompanions hell, and attempted several times to take his life and to annihilate his

community. Not only people were not forced to convert to Islam, but they were

pardoned for their unspeakable crimes, which speaks volume about the mission, the

character, and the priorities of the prophet. His focus was always on delivering the

message, establishing peace and justice, and creating the environment that will

allow/enable people to receive it and freely choose to accept it or reject it. Under

his rule, freedom and justice prevailed, fundamental liberties and equal-rights were

guaranteed for all citizens, and autonomy was granted to all communities. There

was no compulsion in religion, no religious persecution, no discrimination, and no

(colonial) exploitation.

Ten thousands Muslims participated in the successful and peaceful conquest of

Mecca, which triggered preparation for war against the prophet by the prominent

tribes of neighboring Taaef. The prophet cleverly augmented his army by 2,000

from the new converts of Mecca, marched to the enemy to preempt the attack,

defeated them in the valley of Hunayn, and besieged them in Taaef, thus ending the

last pocket of oppression and corruption in the Arabian Peninsula. The prophet was

very generous with the new converts of Mecca and distributed among them most of

the colossal spoils of war. This move, like the acceptance of the outcome of the

Hudaybiya, was beyond the grasp of the simple-minded companions, and the

revelation of the prophets rationale behind them would have defeated the purpose.Both moves triggered some resentment, which the prophet managed very wisely.

The battle of Hunayn proceeded in an opposite manner to the battle of Uhud.

Muslims were overconfident and sure of victory, this time not because their faith but

because of their power. But once again they were taught from another angle that

victory comes only from Allah, and it is guaranteed neither by faith nor by power. In

the first phase, they were defeated and chased by the enemy, before a small group,


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who persevered around the prophet, was able to regroup the whole army and win

the battle. This incident, combined with Badr, Uhud, and al-Ahzaab, left no doubt in

the mind of Muslims that victory comes only from Allah and is subject to unbiased

rules, and that for Muslims to qualify to the victory from Allah, they must be always

completely devoted and dependent on Him, and they should strive to excel and

exhaust all the means to champion the cause of Allah. If these two conditions arefulfilled, Muslims may count on the guidance and help from Allah, which will make

all the difference, and more than offset any deficiencies. On the other hand, any

deficiency in these two fundamental requirements, may not be compensated by

anything else and more than likely would deny Muslims Allahs guidance and

support. Muslims will then be on their own, and the outcome will be decided by

numbers, strategies, and balance of power.

The consecutive and swift successes of Muuta, Mecca, and Hunayn brought the

prophets state to a different status, and made him expect/foresee a reaction by the

northern neighbor, the Roman Empire. He even informed and prepared his

companions for a potential attack by the Romans, which indicates how vigilant and

proactive the prophet was. Indeed, less than 2 years after Muuta and one year

after the conquest of Mecca, the Roman Empire and their northern vassal tribes

gathered a huge army (in present-day Jordan) to march to the Medina, which was

about 700 Km away. Faced with a similar situation as in Uhud and al-Ahzaab, the

prophet decided to march to the Roman army, rather than wait for them in Medina,

in spite of the apparent advantage of the latter option. This decision, which was

based on a number of valid reasons, was probably one of the toughest decisions

that the prophet made, and the 700 km trip in the desert during the burning

summer was one of the toughest tasks that his followers undertook.

Not only they were to make this daunting trip in the desert during the summer and

with poor transportation and provision, but also the timing was just before the

harvest season, and that meant a lot for a population consisting mostly of small

farmers. Things were further complicated by the disheartening propaganda and the

malicious maneuvers of the hypocrites of the Medina. Yet, the preparation for the

trip, and the trip itself was a blessing for the internal development of the Muslim

community, as it sorted out the population of the Medina, and brought Muslims to a

much higher level in terms of sacrifices, perseverance, and discipline. This pattern

encapsulates the process behind the astonishing success of the prophets

movement:

- Engaging a wider circle (moving to the next level) will either result in external

successes and new challenges, or in a setback and new lessons.

- Internal trials that sort out and solidify the ranks, bring new lessons, and

prepare them for the next level and challenges.


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And often times, as in this case, the same event achieve both purposes. Indeed,

and probably because Muslims successfully passed the test of the daunting trip,

Allah granted them victory without even fighting, as the Romans decided to flee

rather than fight. The prophet camped in Tabuk for 20 days, and concluded a

number of treaties with surrounding tribes, before returning to Medina.

Tabuk established the prophets state as the sole authority in the whole Arabian

Peninsula, and in the following year*, delegations from across the Peninsula poured

to Medina, either to join the prophet or to conclude a treaty with him.

The seerah was concluded with the farewell pilgrimage, which was attended by

120,000 people, and in which the prophet made a famous speech. Few months

later, the prophet became ill and passed away after fulfilling his mission during 23

years of tireless work on all fronts.

THE PROPHETIC MODEL OF LEADERSHIP/GOVERNANCE:

The most striking characteristics/features of the Muslim community and the Muslim Ummah is its

irrelevance, which is largely due to its fragmentation and disengagement. But all of this is just the

symptom of a deeper and bigger problem: the lack of a (rallying) cause, an (effective) leadership, and of

course an (integrated) vision.

In its early days, Islam, transformed in a short period of time a very fragmented and irrelevant tribal

society of poor and illiterate idol worshippers who were constantly fighting each other and fighting for

survival transformed them into a model community/nation and a great civilization that, for centuries

advanced/championed the cause of peace and justice in the world. At the roots of that great

transformation, that included both fusion and mobilization of people was a cause and a leadership.

Quran makes it clear that Muslims take their special status and become distinguished and relevant whenthey fulfill their divine mission. And they succeed when they become united, which in turns requires them

to obey Allah and follow their leader.

kuntum khaira

wa ateeu

One of the key aspects of the personality/life of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that Muslims today dont

appreciate while the companions, despite their simplicity, understood very well is his dual role: a

messenger and a leader. And the companions revered and obeyed the prophet in both capacities, except

that when he was acting as a leader, not only did he consult with them, but also they believed that it isboth their right and duty to counsel him. Thats why in preparation for the battle of Badr, al-Hubab ibn

al-Mundhir, asked the prophet whether the location he chose for the Muslims was a divine

inspiration/revelation or a military tactic/strategy. In other words, was he acting as a messenger or as a

leader. And when he was told that it was the latter, al-Hubab, who was a skillful military leader, did not

hesitate to propose an alternative location, and the prophet ordered the Muslims to relocate.


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Other than conveying and embodying/exemplifying the revelation, most of what the prophet did was in his

capacity as a leader not as an infallible prophet. Thats why he consulted extensively with the

companions (he would not consult on matters that are commanded by Allah). And thats why there were

some decisions/moves that were not successful, and some were corrected by Quran. Examples of the first

category include his attempt in Taaef, the location he has chosen in Badr, and his decision (twice) to

send companions to teach people Islam (10 and 70), which turned out to be a trap and all companionswere killed. Examples of the second category include being busy with the leaders of Quraish at the

expense of his blind companion and his decision about the prisoners of the battle of Badr.

It defeats the whole purpose of sending a human being to be a role model if his followers could not

emulate his behavior (essentially his embodiment of the divine guidance) or could not replicate his

model, which consists essentially of fulfilling the divine mission and building and leading the community

of believers.

The emphasis in Quran on obeying the prophet(s) is related mostly to his role as a leader. Obeying him

and following his example as a messenger (in his delivery and implementation of the revelation) do not

need to be emphasized besides the obedience to Allah.

In more than 40 verses/places, Quran call believers to obey the prophet, mostly as a direct call/appeal

from the prophet(s) and mostly in conjunction with the call to worship and obey Allah, which constitute

the thrust of their message. Some verses call for obedience of the prophet(s) separately, and indicate that

prophets were sent but to be obeyed. More than 10 verses carry clear warnings against disobeying the

prophet.

What the companions understood very well and many Muslims nowadays fail to appreciate is that after

the death of prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the final and universal messenger, his mission was passed on to

his followers/heirs, and other than receiving and conveying revelation, all his privileges as a leader was

passed on to his successor, the leader of Muslims at any level and in all circumstances, whether Muslims

constitute an empire, a state, a minority/community, or when 3 of them are in a journey/trip*. In all these

circumstances, Muslims must have a leader, must obey/revere him (as long as he does not order a sin),

and must always counsel and help him, and must correct him when necessary. They should never

undermine him or allow him to be undermined because thats a recipe for chaos, power struggle, and

ultimately failure. Muslims would rather gracefully replace their leader, if there is a legitimate ground,

before they undermine him or allow him to be undermined.

In many verses and in many hadiths, the Quran and the prophet (pbuh) explicitly command the believers

to obey those who are in charge. That was also one of the last commandments of the prophet (pbuh)

during his farewell sermon. As if to emphasize that obeying the prophet was meant in his capacity as a

leader and therefore was passed on to his successors, Allah SWT ordered . Obedience of Allah, of themessenger/leader, and of his successors are religious obligations. The Quran unequivocally linked the

obedience to the prophet with the obedience to Allah . And the prophet (pbuh) explicitly linked the

obedience to the leader with the obedience to the prophet .

However, unlike the prophet, who is selected/appointed by Allah (SWT), any leader after him should be

selected (and when necessary replaced) by the members of the community/movement. Another

fundamental difference is that Like obedience to parents, compliance with the leadership of the


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movement/community is conditioned by the non-violation of clear-cut teachings of Islam, Thats what

Abu Bakr indicated in his first speech after being elected as a khalifa/leader obey me as long as I am

obeying Allah. However, the leadership has the right to adopt Islamic choices in which there is a

difference of opinion between the legitimate scholars.

The prophetic model of leadership is built on 3 fundamental pillars and the delicate balance between

them: undisputed leadership (Imara), extensive consultation, and unwavering compliance.

An integral/essential part of the model was a deeply-rooted and widespread leader-servant

culture/mindset/attitude that fostered a perfect and effective balance/combination of leadership/Imara,

consultation/shura, and compliance/Taaa, without the resort for complicated systems or collective

leadership. All three concepts were practiced as acts of worship. Leadership was encouraged and

revered, but not allowed to become dictatorship. Consultation was widely practiced, but was neither

rigid nor paralyzing. And compliance was the perfect middle ground between lack of discipline and blind

acquiescence. Indeed, even though most companions were accomplished leaders who do not hesitate to

express their opinion and counsel/advise their selected leader in any context, they were

extraordinarily/faithfully disciplined and compliant in executing decisions and directives of their leader.

This model was profoundly understood and diligently practiced during the life of the prophet (pbuh) and

after his death, particularly during the tenures/terms of Abu Bakr and Omar. No wonder why not only

the two terms, but also the three transitions went very smooth.

For most of the period of the rightly guided khalifs, the prophetic leadership model was reasonably

implemented, and its main tenets include:

- Individual leadership with a clear mandate/authority: A leader is one way or another chosen (or

freely approved) by people to lead, which essentially means to make decisions.

- Members discipline/compliance with the leader: Members pledge to comply with the leadersdecisions, and to do everything they can (resources, expertise, ideas, feedback, counsel/advice) to

help him make the best decision, and ensure the successful execution of the leaders decisions.

- Consultation as a right and obligation/duty: Both the leader and the members pledge to consult

and cooperate to serve the cause and uphold the law to the best of their abilities.

I believe that only three essential tenets need to be added to that model to account for all the complexity

of life without altering the balance between the three pillars of the model: Imara, shura, and Taaa:

- Institutionalizing the process of shura by having members elect a board of advisors to the leader,

so that the process becomes more systematic and more effective.

- Institutionalizing the process of selecting the leader and the advisors, through a system that sets

clear objective requirements and ensures educated and transparent selection procedure.

- A mechanism (say 2/3 majority of advisors and/or referendum) should be put in place to give the

advisors (and the members indirectly or directly) the power to overrule the leader, and to

remove/replace him, when there are solid legitimate basis. The impeachment grounds and

procedure should also be clearly specified to minimize subjectivity and abuse.


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The bottom line is that no room should be left for chaos, power struggle, paralysis, or undermining of

leadership. The decision to go out and meet instead of waiting for the Quraysh army that was in its

way to attack the Medina was an excellent illustration of the prophetic leadership model. Unlike what

many people think, the prophet, who acted as a leader, did not go with the opinion of the majority, and

his role was definitely not to moderate the discussion and count the votes. He consulted and made his

decision to go out. Just notice that such a critical decision with enormous implications was not given tocommittees and studied/analyzed for ever. The companions felt that they may have pushed the prophet,

so when he came out after wearing his uniform, they told him to decide what he sees appropriate (but

thats exactly what he already did). In one of the rare occasions when the prophet was clearly angry, his

answer was very decisive indicating that the time for consultation is over (thus closing any door for

endless argumentation and paralysis), and that the time is now for execution. There is no point to open a

subject after it was decided especially when there were neither new data/information or new options that

were not already considered.

The profound understanding by the companions of the dual roles of the prophet and his leadership model

allowed them to continue with the model as is after the death of prophet Muhammad (pbuh). All the

privileges of prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a leader were passed on to his successor. When it comes toleadership privileges, the only difference is that the compliance with the prophets successor is

conditional on non-violation of clear-cut Islamic rulings (as Abu Bakr clearly stated in his first speech as

khalifa), which was not an issue with the infallible prophet. In counseling their leader after Muhammad

(pbuh), the companions no longer needed to ask the question that al-Hubab asked in Badr. They know

that their leader was always exercising his best judgment and was not receiving any divine inspiration.

The decision of Abu Bakr to put out the mutiny of the those who refused to pay zakat was a textbook

example of the implementation of the prophetic leadership model. And during the time of the rightly

guided khalifs, the model was spontaneously and diligently implemented at all levels of governance

(central, regional/local). This leadership model was an essential pillar/element of the prevalent

paradigm that guided and governed the mission-driven community of believers in the early days of Islam.

This paradigm that consists of a divine mission and a divinely-inspired prophetic model, which in turn

consists of a:

- A united, engaged, committed, and disciplined community who is striving to embody and

advocate the teachings/values of Islam

- Empowered/undisputed leader who is selected, counseled, revered, and supported by the

members of the community

The leader and the community were in constant mutual consultation and cooperation to please Allah

SWT by meeting His expectations and championing His cause.

This is the model that was best described by Omar ibn al-Khattab who said there can be no Islam

without a Jamaa (a united and committed community), and there can be no Jamaa without undisputed

leadership (Imara) and compliant members. It is amazing how this short statement sums up

(encapsulates) the history of Islam and the current situation of Muslims, including American Muslims.

The statement also clearly indicates where we should start to reverse the situation and remake our

scattered community into a relevant movement. My first reaction was that I wished that Omar added the


22/33

word mission in his statement, but then I remembered that for him Islam was a mission, and from the

outset he and the companions embraced Islam, not only as a religion and a way of life, but also as their

life mission. In another concise statement, Omar ibn al-Khattab made it clear that it is an obligation on

the believers to counsel their leader who must be receptive.

However, the prophet indicated and history confirmed that the unraveling/untying of this paradigm will

start with the leadership/governance model. He said in a hadith:

"

"

And because this paradigm is what bound the community together and made it engaged and relevant,

once that paradigm was shaken, Muslims suffered tremendously, and began their journey of slow decline

which lasted for centuries before the total collapse of the 20th century when not only the leadership model

but also the mission started to be abandoned, and Islam itself began to be neglected and questioned. No

wonder why Muslims became very fragmented, very disengaged/acquiescent, and largely irrelevant.

To be sure, Muslims continued for centuries to be more or less united, continued to champion the missionof Islam, and their civilization continued to prosper/flourish, which more or less masked their

vulnerability that resulted from the frailty of their immune system.

It is the fading of the sense of mission and the weakness of this culture of empowerment that celebrate

leadership, consultation/counseling, and compliance/discipline that have always been behind the

division, disengagement, and weakness of Muslim societies, even when their state(s) were prevalent.

Without a rallying/unifying cause/mission and without undisputed (but consultative) leadership (Imara),

Muslims were neither motivated nor capable of uniting. And when they did, it was mostly by force. No

wonder why ever since the end of rightly guided khilafa, Muslims swung between acquiescence to a

strong dictator/regime and mutiny/insurgency against a weak one. As a result, while Muslims continued

for centuries to make great strides in science and civilization, the Islamic history was plagued with riotsand power struggles.

The disruption of the Islamic paradigm, and more specifically the disruption of the prophetic

leadership/governance model and its delicate balance, started towards the end of the era of hadhrat

Uthman (and more specifically his assassination), which paved the way for all kinds of extremes: endless

fitnah and power struggle, oppression/dictatorship, submission, and disengagement which plagued the

Muslim societies throughout most of the history of Islam.

It is true that the governance system/structure did not keep up with the rapid and explosive expansion of

the Muslim community into a vast empire, and Muslims began to be spoiled by wealth (luxury,

materialism). As a result, the governance system/structure was too dependent on the leaderspersonality, particularly Omar whose death left a big vacuum. However, any upgrade of the governance

system/structure should maintain the delicate balance of the prophetic leadership model between Imara

(individual and undisputed leadership), consultation (as right an obligation), and compliance.

However, the starting point in the disruption of the model and its balance was: tolerating the

undermining of the leader, in which many innocent people may have been involved but more than likely it

did not start as an innocent reform initiative.


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The undermining built up into assassination, which opened a can of worms and dealt a major blow to

Muslims and to the cause of Islam, from which we are yet to recover.

Within 6 months from the assassination of Othman, two Muslim armies were fighting each other in the

battle of the Camel, which claimed the lives of 10,000 Muslims, 5,000 from each army. Muslims lost

11,500 in the two simultaneous great battles of al-Qadisiyya (8,500) and al-Yarmouk (3,000) to

defeat/crush the two superpowers of the world: the Persian Empire and the Roman Empire.

And 7 months later (slightly more than a year after the assassination of Othmna), two Muslims armies of

120,000 and 90,000 soldiers were fighting each other in the battle of Siffin, which claimed the lives of

70,000 Muslims.

Tolerating the undermining of the leader resulted in his assassination which triggered a civil war that,

within one year claimed the lives of 80,000 Muslims, which was then a huge number. The rift between

Sunni and Shiite was just one of the everlasting outcome of that chain reaction.

And ever since that turning point, Muslims continue to struggle to restore the right

leadership/governance model. The syndrome of chaos/fitnah and power struggle pushed leaders tobecome dictators, and pushed the Muslim populace (including scholars) to acquiesce to a system of

hereditary dictatorship, and to whoever is in power irrespective of how he took over, how competent he

is, and how sound is his governance/leadership. Often times, the dictatorship was benign, especially if it

is not challenged, and the scholars and civil society managed to retain significant freedom/autonomy

and therefore deny the regime absolute authority and prevented from becoming a totalitarian regime.

Indeed, people had substantial intellectual and financial freedom/autonomy, as illustrated by the

proliferation of scholarship and endowments.

Other reasons that helped this compromise to work reasonably include:

- Usually, from early childhood, the successor was diligently prepared for the job, and often thepreparation included Islamic knowledge and political skills.

- Many leaders were abiding by Islam (at least in public), were enforcing the Islamic law, and

continued the Muslim conquests which preserved the basis of their legitimacy.

- Both because of the societal autonomy and as part of leader self-gratification, sciences and

civilization continued to make great strides.

As long as the leader is reasonable, strong, and secure, life under his rule was bearable and more or less

stable, and there was no flagrant injustices. However, fundamental rights were gradually becoming

favors and the society was rapidly loosing its oversight power.

The compromise was too shaky/vulnerable, and power struggle both within the ruling family and outside

became a chronic disease, and there was no system in place to regulate such power struggle or keep it in

check (manageable). While suppressing their resentment, resentful people work secretly to undermine

the state (not differentiating between government and state), and both chaotic and orchestrated

mutinies/rebellions erupt whenever an opportunity presents itself or the leader/government shows signs

of weakness. Mutinies/rebellions that are not successfully suppressed result in a civil war, a split, or a


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coup dtat that brings to power a new family/tribe or segment of the society, and the new era usually

starts with the cleansing/uprooting of the remnants of the previous regime.

This unstable paradigm with its shaky compromise between government and the people, more or less

endured for about 12 centuries, until it collapsed completely with the end of the Othman khilafa. That put

an end to the third phase and ushered in the fourth phase of the prophecy of Muhammad (pbuh) [].

This long phase, that started with the undermining (and the tolerance thereof) of Othman and his

subsequent assassination, was plagued with chronic/endless power struggle that always results either in

endured/renewed dictatorship or chaos. The decline that started with the disruption of the prophetic

leadership/governance model ultimately led to the collapse of the whole paradigm that brought the

ummah/community to existence, unified it, and made it relevant.

Without a rallying cause and a unified leadership, Muslims became both fragmented and disengaged. It

wasnt long before the Muslims state of affairs began to mirror the pre-Islamic tribal era.

The leadership/governance element of the prophetic model was shaken with the undermining and

assassination of Othman, and the shaky compromise that replaced it collapsed with the collapse of theOthman Khilafa. And with it the whole Islamic paradigm that is centered around the divine mission, the

prophetic model, and the unity of the community collapsed. The community/nation largely lost both its

sense of mission and its unity, and therefore lost both its strength and its relevance.

Not only did Muslims largely abandoned their mission and lost their unity, but they also failed to

leverage Islams built-in flexibility and timelessness to keep up with the continuous changes and the new

challenges. As a result, their faith became dormant and detached from life, and Muslims lost not only

their strength but also their relevance.

The chain reactions of decline did not end there. When the frozen, rigid, twisted, and superficial

understandings of Islam failed to provide viable answers and solutions, Muslims (especially their elitewho were overwhelmed by the Western Civilization) began first to look for alternative sources of

guidance, and even to blame Islam for their failure. As a result of abandoning the divine mission and the

prophetic model, and losing their unity Muslims became not only irrelevant but also vulnerable, and they

entered phase four (police states; totalitarian regimes) of the prophecy of Muhammad (pbuh) as

described above, and they began to fulfill another prophecy of Muhammad (pbuh) in which he said .

Indeed, the Muslim world was divided among colonial powers which occupied it and ruthlessly ruled it

and exploited it directly or indirectly through puppet dictatorships, a situation that more or less endured

up to this point, despite the official independence of most Muslims countries..

The prevailing leadership/governance model in our community was good only for managing status quo.It fostered chronic cynicism and power struggle, stifled progress, and spoiled relationships. The

multilayered system of collective leadership was too complicated/bureaucratic for a

movement/community and too simplistic for a state. It stifled leadership and therefore substantially

slowed-down the decision-making process and hindered the ability to swiftly resolve conflicts. The model

resulted in diffused/diluted responsibility and disputed leadership/authority, and fostered a chronic

power struggle, which had only two possible options:


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- Chaos and paralysis with many cases ending in courts.

- Dictatorship built in the system or implicit/implied, and established by the founder(s) of the

organization or the winner(s) of the power struggle.

In both cases, the peoples response was either apathy and/or further split/fragmentation. Even when

those extreme scenarios were successfully avoided and some sort of stability was achieved, in reality it

was still a better-managed stagnation/status quo that is disguised in horizontal expansion of

activities/services and buildings, but no real growth, empowerment, mobilization, or relevance.

No wonder why for the longest time, the community were stagnant or moving in circles, lacking

reasonable stability and continuity, and unable to sustain the buildup that allows for breakthroughs and

for smooth transitions from one phase to another. Most of the time, the community (Islamic Center,

School) were either in or in-between crises, because leaders dont have either the vision or the mandate

to move forward or to swiftly resolve conflict, and therefore spend the bulk of their time maintaining or

polishing the status quo (activities, bureaucracy, facility, false unity), struggling to keep things going and

keep people together.

Today, in our community, the concept of leadership became so diluted that it became meaningless. The

job of everybody is the job of nobody. Being a leader means nothing in terms of responsibility or

authority, or may imply responsibility without authority, which leaves the leader with four options:

accept one of the two choices (give in), or give up, or fight for authority; all bad choices for the leader

and for the organization. The result is stagnation, low ceiling, circular motion, and alternation of power

struggle and power vacuum.

The only way one can exercise true leadership, challenge the status quo, and get anything done beyond

the routine is by working around the system, which only heightens the power struggle. Either the

person (or group) who dared to stretch the system wins the struggle and often become a dictator, or he

is punished by the system and the status quo is restored. But never the grid-locked system itself is fixed to

restore the magic prophetic formula that cherish and seamlessly balance (individual) leadership,

(extensive) consultation, and (unwavering) compliance/discipline.

Moreover, almost all Muslim organizations are governed by an unspoken formula that is substantially

different than what is written. The unspoken formula is usually the momentary or permanent outcome of

the power struggle.

Even sports teams and music bands (let alone corporations, non-profit organizations, and political

parties) are much better organized than our community, have a better leadership model (much closer to

the prophetic model), have more discipline, and their leaders have more mandate and respect. And if

they dont, they fail miserably, even though their task is limited (game, song). This is because anythingthat requires integration and synchronization requires undisputed leadership. In the case of the

movement/community, the task is much more momentous and multi-faceted, the challenges are much

greater, the stakes are much higher, and the environment that we must engage is much more complex and

is very fast-paced. Definitely, the success of the movement/community requires a level of agility,

decisiveness, swiftness, and discipline that can come only from the prophetic model of leadership.


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To be sure, there were few exceptions of successful Muslim organizations that had the right start and

adopted the right governing/leadership model. However, either their mission/cause/niche was too

limited, or their discourse was too alienating, or they simply didnt try/intend to galvanize/mobilize and

lead the community. And as a result, they too reached a ceiling in terms of growth, impact on the

community, and relevance to the society.

Currently, not only most Muslim organizations are stagnant and detached from the masses, but also most

national organizations are not rooted in the community and most local organizations are detached from

one another. One exception but inherent limitations

No wonder why our community is very fragmented, very disengaged, and largely stagnant and irrelevant.

This unfortunate state of affairs is not promising a bright future, may be reversed/fixed only through a

genuine, relevant, and inclusive American Islamic Movement that embraces the divine mission, the

prophetic model, and a genuine American Muslim identity and take on the challenge of making Islam and

Muslims increasingly relevant in America. Our community may not be galvanized or unified except

through a process of remaking it into a movement (a mission-driven community) around the divine

mission and according to the prophetic model which includes a methodology of understanding and living

Islam, personal development, community building and governance, and civic engagement. That's why

there is a dire/urgent need for a genuine and relevant American Islamic movement, to move to the next

level a community that has a great mission, great potential, and great opportunities, and faces daunting

challenges but has been stuck in transition.


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KEY TENETS AND ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS:

THE KEY/SECRET PACKAGE:

As mentioned above, the prophetic model of building a movement to fulfill the mission was very

systematic and incredibly effective, in spite of its amazing simplicity. One may easily detect a number of

tenets/factors in the model and in the strategy that made the difference. However, the key/secret wasthe astonishing level of devotion to Allah and the amazing reverence to the prophet

(both as a messenger and as a leader). This resulted in an unwavering/unequivocal

obedience to Allah and His messenger (). And the whole thing started with a proper

and in-depth understanding of the declaration of faith and its implications, which

completely transformed the companions, fused their life with Allahs cause, and

turned their life into a continuous and utmost strive to exemplify Allahs guidance ()

and champion His cause (). They established a solid connection between attaining

heaven and the good pleasure of Allah, striving to meet His expectations, and

strictly complying with the prophets leadership. This unity of purpose and unity of

leadership fused the companion hearts and minds, and produced a trueunity/brotherhood, which completed the requirements for a successful movement.

They understood very well that the declaration of faith which made them Muslims

meant/implied embracing a (life) goal/purpose (heaven and the good pleasure of

Allah), espousing a (life) cause (meeting His expectations through utmost strive to

embody and advocate His guidance/will), joining the movement/community, and

complying with its leadership.

Following are some other factors that were behind the incredible success:

- Utmost strive to meet Allahs expectations which earned them Allahs

guidance and support, which, in turn, made all the difference. Indeed, the

prophet and his companions spared no efforts to incarnate/embody and

advocate/champion the divine guidance. They fully embraced/espoused the

divine cause, and though it was very challenging/demanding/ trying/exigent,

their appreciation of its nobility and relevance and the greatness of the

potential rewards, made the cause worth all the sacrifices. This, in turn,

resulted in an extraordinary passion/zeal/ardor, phenomenal compassion

towards people, and astonishing/incredible rage towards oppression and

corruption.

- A clear mission/vision/goal, a clear methodology that leads to the goal, a

shared and in-depth understanding at least by the core group, and a

systematic, disciplined, and continuous/persistent execution/work.


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- Unequivocal devotion to Allah and commitment to the cause, that resulted in

the fusion of the individual life with the mission and the movement, and in

inexhaustible sacrifices by people who spared nothing to fulfill the divinely

assigned mission.

- Unprecedented level of brotherhood and solidarity/unity, as illustrated after

the hijra (migration) and in many other incidents.

- The belief in the greatness of the mission, the pride in being selected for the

mission, and unwavering hope/trust in Allahs support/help, guidance, and

protection.

- A deeply-rooted and widespread leader-servant culture/mindset/attitude t

Documents

The Prophetic Legacy v.0