Leadership- Lessons from the life of Abu Bakr

Leadership: Lessons from the Life of Abu Bakr (ra)

Abu Bakr's Opening Statement: A Model of Humility

After mentioning the name of Allah, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

"I have been placed over you while I am not the best of you."

If we reflect on this opening, there are many important points that we can note. We will limit ourselves to three in the interest of time.

First Principle: Leadership by Divine Appointment, Not Imposition

First of all, he is clearly expressing the fact that he's not imposing himself on the Muslims. وُلِّيتُ عَلَيْكُمْ - "I have been placed over you." Those familiar with the nature of the Arabic language know this verb is mentioned as مَبْنِيٌّ لِلْمَجْهُولِ - the passive voice.

I've been placed amongst you. وُلِّيتُ عَلَيْكُمْ. So, one of the principles of good leadership is that leaders do not impose themselves on those who follow them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lived 40 years amongst his people, Quraish, and he was never their leader until Allah called him to the prophetic office. And Allah elevated him to that position.

So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), he wasn't a prophet, but he understood the nature of prophetic leadership - the nature of leadership that's in prophetic leadership, the nature of leadership that follows the prophetic model. And that's what is called to leadership.

The Call to Islamic Mission

And in that sense, all of us have been called. All of us have been called to respond to the call of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and the call of all of the prophets. And specifically for us, the call of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him):

And the verse goes on. هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ - "Allah has chosen you." Allah has chosen you.

هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ . And just as Abu Bakr was chosen, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was chosen for a mission, Abu Bakr understood that he was chosen and placed in that position to accomplish something significant for this religion. And each and every one of us should view the fact that we've been chosen for this mission.

Understanding Our Responsibility

We've been chosen for لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله We should view that and understand that this entails responsibility:

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"All of you are shepherds and all of you are answerable for your flock."

Which is an allegorical expression for leaders. The shepherd leads his flock. وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَن رَعِيَّتِهِ - "And all of you are answerable for your flock." That's every individual Muslim. So we should understand, we don't have to impose ourselves on people. We just have to assume the responsibility that Allah has charged us with.

And so Abu Bakr was assuming the responsibility Allah had charged him with through the people who had encouraged and suggested and nominated him for that office. وُلِيتُ عَلَيْكُمْ

Second Principle: Leadership Through Humility

The second point comes from the saying وَلَسْتُ بِخَيْرِكُمْ - "While I'm not the best of you." And that is, leadership has to be approached with the spirit of humility.

And so that was an expression of his humility. وَلَسْتُ بِخَيْرِكُمْ - "And I'm not the best of you." When in reality he was the best (may Allah be pleased with him). And people might dispute, and even those if they're fair-minded who would say this or that companion has superiority in virtue over Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), if they're fair-minded he would definitely be in the top two or three. But those who study the issue deeply understand the virtue of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and understand his closeness with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And understand the nature of that closeness gave him advantages that he benefited from the personality, the training, the guidance, the orientation of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as no other human being could.

Relying on Allah, Not Our Own Strength

وَلَسْتُ بِخَيْرِكُمْ . Despite that, he said "I'm not the best of you." So he approached his duties with the spirit of humility. And this is critical for us because when we approach our situation with the spirit of humility, immediately this sends a message to ourselves and others that we're not going to rely on our own power and resources.

We're going to rely on Allah, because we understand no matter how talented we are, no matter how virtuous we are, no matter how well-connected we are, at the end of the day we're weak:

"And the human being has been created weak."

And alone none of us can do much.

So a person that approaches leadership from a position of arrogance is indicating he or she will rely on their own powers, on their own weak, their own fallible powers. Whereas a person who approaches this situation with the spirit of humility understands that he or she is relying on Allah, the source of all power. And Allah reminds us in that regard, or the Prophet rather, to reinforce that message:

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"No one humbles themselves for the sake of Allah except that Allah exalts them."

Except that Allah exalts them. And if Allah exalts a person, no one can put him down. But if a person exalts themselves to their own feeble resources, anyone can knock them down.

Encouraging Excellence and Participation

So Abu Bakr is reinforcing that lesson: وُلِيتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَسْتُ بِخَيْرِكُمْ - "I've been placed over you and I'm not the best of you." فَإِنْ أَحْسَنْتُ فَأَعِينُونِي - "If I do well then help me to do better."

And so again, this is a valuable lesson that's particularly relevant in the realm of leadership. There are some leaders that shy away from encouraging participation. There are some leaders that don't cultivate talent because they see that talent as a threat to them. But a real leader understands it's not about him. It's about the mission. And the mission can always be better. The accomplishment can always be better.

Good can always be great. As one popular book on leadership, the title of the book: Good to Great. So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) is saying, if I'm good, help me to be great.

فَإِنْ أَحْسَنْتُ - if I do good, فَأَعِينُونِي - then help me. Help me to do what? Help me to be better. Because this isn't about Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). This is about Islam.

Striving for Excellence in Islam

And this is about helping this religion to attain the position and the status in the world that is occupied as the last message sent by Almighty God to humanity. So he's saying don't accept mediocrity. Don't accept half good. Don't accept any excuses. Only accept excellence. And if you see good, help to transform that good into excellence.

This should be our attitude. Some of us think there can be no improvement over what we might bring about. And because of that we seek to systematically exclude others from encroaching on our territory, from making something that we did altered - even if that alteration is for the better. That's not a formula for long term success and that's not a formula for greatness. The formula for greatness is what Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) delineated.

فَإِنْ أَحْسَنْتُ فَأَعِينُونِي - "If I do good, help me to do better."

Active Encouragement of Participation

The second thing we can point out, we can mention here, is that he's encouraging participation. And that's another thing that is a quality of good leadership: the active encouragement of participation. Because participation doesn't just happen in many instances. We can't just say we're free, so we don't understand why the sisters aren't involved. They can get involved if they want to. Maybe they're hesitant. Maybe they have to be given a message to actively encourage them to get involved.

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We don't know why the brothers from the barrio or the ghetto don't feel welcome. It's free, everyone can come, get involved, be on the shura, run for elections. But sometimes the active message has to be presented by those in charge to break down barriers of exclusion that we might not even be aware of, because in communication there are two sides. So from our side, we might not see something. But from the other side, it might be very visible and very real.

So a message of encouragement has to always be present. And this is what Abu Bakr said: فَأَعِينُونِي - "Get involved and help me."

Third Principle: Welcoming Correction

وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُ - and in a narration وَإِنْ أَخْطَأْتُ . Some leaders' philosophy: if I do wrong, shut up. And if you try to correct me, you'll get shot. Or in more civilized places, thrown in jail. But that's not the example that's given by Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).

"And if I err, straighten me out."

Don't sit back and allow my errors to undermine this religion and to undermine the work that we were vouchsafed with by our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and to present this religion in less than the sterling light that it should represent in a world of darkness. Don't be satisfied with that. Straighten me out. Fix the problem. And again, get involved.

The Importance of Constructive Criticism

And criticism definitely has to be encouraged. It's more than putting a suggestion box on the wall. It has to be actively encouraged. And it has to be accepted. And it has to be offered in a spirit of constructive - a constructive spirit. As they say, constructive criticism. And not just trying to intentionally undermine someone, but to try to make the overall effort better. Because none of us who think or believe that we're trying to do something for Islam - none of us is going to outlive this religion.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) - he passed. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) - he passed. Umar, Uthman, Ali (may Allah be pleased with them all) - all of them. Shafi'i, Malik, Ahmed, Awza'i, Sufyan ath-Thawri and Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah - these fuqaha, they passed. You go through history. All the great leaders, the great teachers, they passed.

But Islam lives on.

What Can We Contribute to Islam?

So we have to understand, if that doesn't drive home the point, Islam is bigger than us. So the challenge for us and the question for us: what can we contribute during our time on this earth to this Islamic cause? What can we contribute? Not what can it do for us.

As John Kennedy mentioned: "Ask not what your country can do for you; rather ask what you can do for your country." And we can paraphrase that. He got it from Aristotle. So we can borrow it from him and give it an Islamic spin.

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Ask not what Islam can do for you; rather ask what you can do for Islam. And if you're not doing anything, then that's the answer to why we're weak. That's the answer why Allah is not helping us.

"If you help Allah, He will help you."

إِن تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ - If you help Allah's religion, if you help Islam. There's in Quran something deleted, as the scholars say. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"The truth is not loved by repetition and omission." (Referring to linguistic features in Quran)

Were it not for deletion and repetition in the Quran, a donkey would have understood it. But there's deletion. There's repetition. So إِن تَنصُرُوا الله - Allah doesn't need help.

الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ - He's praised, free of all needs. غَنِيٌّ - Worthy of all praise. إِن تَنصُرُوا دِينَ اللَّهِ يَنصُرْكُمْ - If you help Allah's religion, He will help you.

Islam: A Path to Salvation, Not Just Economic Benefits

So, that's not what Islam can do to help you. Ask what you can do to help Islam. There are people who have been programmed into a certain type of Americanized version of religion. So, you try to make da'wah to them, the first thing they say is, "You know, what's your economic program? You know, you got any jobs, what?"

Islam isn't an economic program. It'll help your economic situation by teaching you to avoid riba, by teaching you not to spend half of your income on alcohol or drugs, by teaching you to live modestly, to teach you not to engage in credit spending. But Islam is a path to salvation.

Islam is a path to justice in the world. Islam is a path for equality and brotherhood. That's what Islam is all about.

And so, we should ask: what can we do to strengthen this religion so it can be a stronger force for brotherhood, and a stronger force for justice, and a stronger path to salvation for people who are losing their souls to the most frivolous and irrational things?

إِن تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ - If you help Allah's religion, He will help you. So, don't ask what Islam can do for you. Ask what you can do for Islam.

It's About the Mission, Not About Individuals

This is what Abu Bakr is teaching us. It's not about me. If I do good, help me do better - because it's about making Islam better. If I err and do wrong, just straighten me out - because it's about helping Islam not to go astray and helping this mission not to be lost to the world.

Standing Up for the Weak and Oppressed

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"The one weak amongst you is strong with me, until I take the right, secure the right for him, if Allah wills."

So, again, he's saying it's not about me. It's about these weak people. It's about the poor people.

And all of us have to be mindful of this message. Because all of us, the poorest of us, are part of a very small privileged class who are living in America, North America or Western Europe. It's a privileged class.

Recognizing Our Privileged Status

And if you think you're not in that privileged class, consider how you got here today. And consider what percentage of people on the face of this earth own an automobile. If you think you're not in that privileged class, look at your waistline. And think what percentage of people on the face of this earth are shopping around for a diet plan. They're shopping, they're trying to find some food. Period.

We're trying to find a way to get rid of the results of too much food. We're the privileged class. So, as members of that privileged class and as Muslims, we have to be concerned about the rest of the people out there in this world.

Abu Bakr was concerned: الضَّعِيفُ فِيكُمْ قَوِيٌّ عِندِي حَتَّى آخُذَ الْحَقَّ لَهُ. "The one weak amongst you is strong with me until I secure the right for him." And again, this is about Islam.

Divine Help Through Care for the Weak

Because if we want victory for this ummah, reflect on what our Prophet said (peace and blessings be upon him):

(Sahih al-Bukhari 2896)

"You are given divine help and you are given your sustenance based on how you treat the weak amongst you."

That you're given divine help and you're given your sustenance - sustenance rather - based on how you treat the weak and oppressed amongst you. And the weak and oppressed are the weak and oppressed of this ummah.

How are we treating them? What are we trying to do for them? Do we even think about them?

Standing Against the Strong Who Oppress

"And the one who is strong with you is weak with me until I take from him the right that he owes to others, if Allah wills."

And the message here amongst others is that power doesn't - or shouldn't - intimidate a Muslim. We should see the strong of this world being weak if they're oppressive. And we should see ourselves as trying, if Allah wills.

So he said إِن شَاءَ اللهُ. The one who is strong with you will be weak with me until I take from him the right he owes to others.

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And we should be trying with our tongues, if not our hands, to take the right that's owed to others. Because you know the magnitude of injustice in this world.

The Global Food Crisis: A Modern Example of Injustice

On the greatest scale, we have a world food crisis. How do we have this even affecting America? When Sam's Club is rationing rice, there's a problem. Why do we have a food crisis? Because all of the farmland is being taken up to grow corn and soybeans to make gasoline substitute to put in our cars. That's why we have a world food crisis.

And if you don't believe me, it was the cover story of Time magazine two weeks ago, so it must be true. I don't know what they did to that. So we have to begin to think of solutions. Buy a bicycle. If people have to starve so we can gas up our cars, something's wrong with this world. Something's wrong with this world.

And it's not green fuel, renewable energy. It's not saving the world because they're cutting, tearing down the rainforest and burning those trees which emits far more carbon than is saved by biodiesel or biofuel. That's the reality.

The Environmental Reality

Trees store carbon. I learned that in biology 101. Or even before that, sixth grade. You don't have to get to college. The trees take the oxygen out of the air - or the carbon dioxide out of the air - and they give out oxygen. So what do they do with that carbon? They store it up until they're burned and then it's released back into the atmosphere.

And more carbon is released by burning the rainforest than is saved by producing biodiesel. That's a fact. Far more. It would take a century to even out the ratios.