ARE LEADERS ORDAINED BY ALLAH (T) OR CHOOSEN BY PEOPLE?

     The importance of “LEADERSHIP IN ISLAM” was the topic discussed by Mal Muhammad Turi and chaired by Mal Isa Mshelgaru in the evening session of the annual Imam’s week organised by Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (AFIMN) held at Kango conference hotel Zaria on Sunday 1^st June 2008 with audience cutting across various part of the country.

     Leadership importance in Islam could be likened to the head of our body opined Mal Turi, and as a result distinguishing between leadership and leader is vital. While expressing though people might view leadership and a leader differently, to us Leadership in short is “the act of guiding people towards the wishes of Allah (T)”and a leader is “that person who knows and guide people to the wishes of Allah (T)”, thus including what is included while excluding all that is excluded.

     While trying to clear any ambiguity the position of leadership in Islam, Mal Turi got back to the root quoting what The Omnipotent says about leadership while quoting the verse where Allah (T) says to Prophet Ibraheem (AS) “ I am making you a leader amongst people”….. thus illustrating Prophets are ordained only by Allah (T) by various quotations. After the last sent messenger of Allah (T) the ordained leaders of humanity was emphatically spelt out by Rasoul (S) in many narration and are contained in many book of ahadith among which is Sahih of Bukhari.  Therefore the leaders of the Ummah were not in an iota of doubt unknown.

     Of concern to us today is the fact that despite the clarity as spelt out by Allah (T) and reiterated by the Rasoul (S) many today close their eyes saying we don’t have a leader or others say they are ignorant of it. In other instances people waste their time trying to say they are searching for a criteria to know or choose their leader or have in place of Allah (T) ordained leaders have others, with many saying either we pray to Allah (T) raise a leader for us, guide our leader and so on. Is it logical for Rasoul(S) to leave his Ummah without telling them who will lead them after his demise? Hasn’t a state Nigeria that every onlooker know of the disorderliness of nation but a written constitution to indicate the succession of it leader is putting in place, but for the Rasoul(S) to leave us with no clue of who will be our leader ? Hasn’t Rasoul (S) mentioned to us who Allah (T) has ordained as our leaders up to the last day on earth? Have we heeded to this commandment of the Rasoul (S)? What is the faith of one that disobeys the commandment of Rasoul (S)?

     Mal Turi also went at length to highlighten the difference that exist between a leader and having authority, i.e. a leader is ordained by Allah (T) but those in authority might no be ordained by Allah (T), thus a leader might have authority while those in authority might not be a leader. The case of Iranian nation with Imam Khomeini (QS) being a leader and having authority   is clear, so also Sayyed Nasarullah a leader but not having full authority of Lebanon is quite distinct.

     While answering question as to who is our leader today Mal Turi answered by the sayings of Rasoul (SWA) Imam Asr (AF) is our leader but while in occlusion he is being deputised and can have deputies acting on behalf of the duputizer. 

              In trying to point out the lessons that can be derived from the discussion on leadership of Islam Mal Turi highlighted how the disobedience of not following the leaders ordained by Allah (T) in various period in this earth has resulted in the documented and contemporary ciaos the Ummah of the Rasoul (S) and humanity has fallen into. While the victory of taking heeds to follow the deputies of the leader of our time Imam Mahdi (AF) while he is in occlusion has resulted in victory for the Ummah. The victory of Hizbullah over the devilish America and its agent Israel in the last 34days war is quite vivid in our minds. Never has Israel listened or act on a UN resolution over its tyranny, until the 34days war when it ran to the UN on its own account to solicit for an amicable cease fire with Hizbullah of Lebanon.

Muhammad Isa Ahmad