from the Seerah of Muhammad

The Statesman
The fundamentals of the rationally based Islamic ‘Aqeedah points up a very simple yet, powerful
concept. The concept states that Allah (swt) is the Creator of this Universe and sends his
Messengers to organize the human life. A human by the name of Muhammad (saaw) was chosen for
the final and last Message, Islam. Based upon an individual’s adherence to Islam, the person is
given either the key to the Jannah (heaven) or Jahannam (hellfire).
Muhammad (saaw) was responsible for delivering, explaining, and implementing Islam. He (saaw)
displayed the role of Islam in all aspects of life. He played many roles as a father, husband, judge,
or Amir al Jihad. As an obedience to Islam, it is expected from a Muslim to observe the actions of
the Prophet (saaw) related to one’s life. So, a father or judge would observe the manner in which the
Prophet (saaw) fulfilled these roles. Ironically, there is one type of emulation which is at best
ignored by the Muslims. Unfortunately, the Prophet (saaw) would be the last person to come to our
mind when thinking about fulfilling this role. The role of being a Statesman.
This role is passed over due to the misconceptions we have in our minds about Islam and the term
statesman. Some Muslims refrain from anything to do with politics. This position stems from the
understanding that Islam is a spiritual belief. On the contrary, the Islamic Aqeedah is both a
spiritual and political Aqeedah. It is spiritual because Muslims perform actions based upon the
Message of Islam, while the Aqeedah is political because it deals with life’s affairs. The term
statesman can best be described as a person who possesses a ruling mentality which is capable of
conducting the affairs of the state, ability to solve the problems of the society, and being a political
leader.
A significant variable which distinguishes one statesman from an other is the ideology that is
adopted to administer the affairs of the people. Thus, the method by which the functions of a
statesman are conducted greatly differ depending on the ideology. In Islam, a statesman’s role is to
take care of the affairs of the people. A Muslim statesman realizes that he has taken this
responsibility as an Amanah (Trust) which must be fulfilled according to Islam. In Capitalism, the
basis of everything in life is benefit.
Therefore, it is not surprising to see western politicians as dishonest and manipulative to serve their
interests. A politician in the arena of Capitalism only worries about how fat his wallet gets. The
example of the S&L scandal in the USA is just one of many examples that underscore who the real
criminals are.
In this article, we would like to discuss the characteristics of a states man who adopts Islam as the
reference. There is no one better than the Prophet (saaw) in which to observe the Islamic qualities
that the states man possesses. Islam views the role of a statesmen as a responsibility and not as a
privilege or as a vehicle to gain benefits. Prophet Muhammad (saaw) says:
“Behold, the Imam is but a shield from behind which the people tight and by which they
protect themselves.” (Muslim)
“The Imam is a shepherd and he is responsible for his people?.” (Muslim)
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