Where Should We Look For Leadership?

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What makes a great leader?

This is a question I ask my students when they learn about inspirational authority figures from both past and present. The attributes they list range from a person who is disciplined, cares about others and is good in a crisis, to someone who demonstrates resilience, respect and selflessness, among others.

While these responses come from 12 and 13-year-olds, they will resonate with many adults, highlighting that there are particular traits of strong leadership that are valued by young and old alike.

Leaders are seen at every level. From presidents of countries and company CEOs to heads of families and even school prefects, in almost all contexts, there is somebody with overall responsibility for providing direction, making decisions and accomplishing goals.

There has also been extensive research into different leadership styles and debates about which type is the most effective in motivating others and achieving results.

In 2019, the BBC aired a TV series entitled ‘Icons’, inviting viewers to vote for the most important and influential people from the 20^th century. There were seven categories of human excellence, including leaders, with South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela, being named the public’s top choice.

Like outstanding activists, scientists and thinkers, religious founders and other spiritual figures, have also impacted and continue to shape countless lives today. According to a tradition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), 124,000 prophets have appeared on this earth.

Although they and prominent secular leaders share some similar qualities – such as their stand for social equality and even readiness to give their lives for a noble cause – messengers are considered to have unique virtues. As direct appointees of God, they are commissioned to fulfil the dual obligations of serving the Creator and His creation.

Every prophet is tasked with strengthening belief in monotheism (Holy Qur’an 16:37), reforming people (Holy Qur’an 62:3), promoting justice (Holy Qur’an 57:26) and uniting humanity (Holy Qur’an 49: 14). They are torchbearers of peace and truth when such values have all but vanished.

The Second Caliph and Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness, Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), identified five hallmarks that distinguish prophets from other leaders [1]:

1. They have limited means and are without power and prestige, and therefore lack any social advantage.
2. They are renowned for leading pure and blameless lives, and being moral exemplars.
3. They raise ethical, spiritual and intellectual standards among the people they are sent to.
4. Their teachings conflict with popular ideas in society at the time.
5. They demonstrate special signs as evidence that a higher being supports them.

Despite obstacles, opposition and oppression, prophets and their followers persevered in their mission and overcame the odds, making their success over time all the more extraordinary. The legacy of teachers such as Moses (as), Jesus (as), and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) lives on, and the fact that most of the global population is still part of the family of Abrahamic faiths testifies to their continued relevance and appeal.

Many prophets mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and Hadith also feature in previous sacred texts, though some beliefs regarding them differ. Whereas the Bible, for instance, portrays Adam (as) as disobeying God (Genesis 3:6) and David (as) as an adulterer (2 Samuel 11:4), the Holy Qur’an exonerates these and indeed all messengers of any such wrongdoing. In Islam, prophets are Muslims – surrenderers to the will of Allah – and, though able to make mistakes, cannot commit sins. They are role models not just for their time, but later people too.

Religious leaders today, from local rabbis to the Dalai Lama, also strive to keep their followers on a moral path. However, sometimes even those considered the most holy within a community or congregation fall short of expected standards of conduct. Jesus (as) spoke of wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15), and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) forewarned about corrupt scholars in his own ummah being “the worst creatures under heaven” (Mishkat al-Masibih). The failure of certain leaders to uphold their own ethical principles – including shocking cases of spiritual abuse – often leads to a loss of trust in their credibility, and some believers abandoning their faith.

Rotten apples are not confined to religion. The misuse of power (including too much of it) is observed in politics, business, sport, entertainment and other sectors too. Ego, personal agendas and self-interest, particularly on the part of those at the top, reflect flaws inherent in all human beings.

For many people, identifying luminaries who can truly lead humanity to peace and truth really matters. The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), signposted the qualities of the most competent persons in this endeavour: moral strength and the ability to reform others, superior spiritual as well as secular knowledge and insight that benefit society, high resolve in times of difficulty, genuine compassion for humanity and constant striving to excel in virtue. As ones “for whose spiritual training God Almighty Himself assumes charge”, they are recipients of divine revelation, vouchsafed a vision that transcends the limits of human reason, and remain reliant on God. [2]

Contrary to those motivated by praise or accolades, divinely commissioned leaders have much loftier purposes. Their duty to put God’s will first supersedes any regard for their own reputation. They are conscious too that personal accountability is not limited to this world, but that they will be held answerable on the Day of Judgement as well. Though never seeking acclaim, they are honoured both here and in the next life.

For Ahmadi Muslims, we see the best possible embodiment of these characteristics in our caliphs, who carry forward the legacy of leadership exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). From the First Ahmadiyya Caliph, His Holiness Maulawi Nuruddin (ra), to the Fifth and current Caliph, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, they have been spearheading a spiritual renaissance and moral revival unparalleled in the world. As part of their allegiance to the Caliph, as enshrined in the community’s constitution, Ahmadi Muslims vow to keep “occupied in the service of God’s creatures for His sake only; and shall endeavour to benefit mankind to the best of their God-given abilities and powers”. From a young age, Ahmadis pledge to “sacrifice our time, wealth, property and honour for the sake of our faith, country and nation”.

They are required to shun “cruelty, mischief and rebellion”, and “cause no harm whatsoever to the creatures of Allah in general, and Muslims in particular, neither by their tongue nor by their hands nor by any other means”. In short, Love for All, Hatred for None is their guiding principle in life.

His Holiness ensures that these words are translated into action. Through his writings, speeches and meetings with other world leaders, he is committed to serving the planet’s most deprived and disadvantaged. Working under his directives, Humanity First and the International Association of Ahmadi Architects and Engineers (IAAAE), mostly consisting of volunteers, work night and day constructing hospitals, building wells, providing energy and setting up schools and vocational training centres, particularly in the developing world.

The relationship between the caliph and his followers is also unique. Thousands across the globe frequently ask for his advice and solutions relating to every issue conceivable, from domestic disputes and family fallouts to international relations and economic affairs. Whether it is through meetings, letters or prayers, he always responds. As the Holy Prophet (sa) himself taught:

“The leader of a people is their servant.”

This openness extends anyone outside of his community too, with heads of state and other powerful figures regularly seeking his counsel. Explaining his own role, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“There is not a single nation in the world which I do not visit in my imagination before going to sleep and for which I do not pray, whether it is while I am sleeping or while I am awake. I do not say these things to express that I am doing some sort of favour, rather, this is my duty. I pray that Allah the Almighty enable me to further fulfil my responsibilities… Khilafat [Caliphate] cannot be compared with any worldly leadership.”

Where else does a leader treat the problems and pain of others as his own, sacrifice personal comforts and rest to work and worship for their sake, and whose community members are moved to do the same?

Particularly at a time of ubiquitous conflict, division and despair, it should not be surprising why His Holiness is a beacon of light, unity and hope so desperately needed, whose leadership offers real positive change, and in whom people of the world – whether religious or not – can confidently put their faith.

About the Author: Waqar Ahmad Ahmedi is Head of Religious Studies at a school in Godalming in Surrey, UK. He also serves on the Editorial Board of The Review of Religions

ENDNOTES

[1] Introduction to the Study of the Holy Qur’an, pp. 7-11

[2] The Need for the Imam, pp. 10-20