Governance strategies from Prophet Muhammad

Upon him be peace and benedictions of the Almighty. The reason for today’s topic lies in the fact that we are still celebrating that momentous day. We are reminiscing about the month. We recall that year when the world witnessed the birth of the young baby who eventually became the last Prophet of the Almighty […]

Upon him be peace and benedictions of the Almighty. The reason for today’s topic lies in the fact that we are still celebrating that momentous day. We are reminiscing about the month. We recall that year when the world witnessed the birth of the young baby who eventually became the last Prophet of the Almighty to the world.

We are still in the month of Rabi Al-Awwal. We are in the year 1447 after the Hijrah. This is the month in which the baby who became an orphan was born. He had nobody to refer to as ‘my daddy’. He lost the bearer of the womb that birthed him long before he knew how to mutter the words ‘my mummy’. Yet his destiny became fulfilled. He became a prophet. He received revelations from the Inimitable, the Unassailable. He became a messenger; a messenger, not only to the Arabs, but to the whole world.

What our children would become would certainly come to pass whether we are there or not. Parents, like the children they bear, are nothing but pawns in the hands of the unknown. We are like chickens in a coop: utterly and permanently at the mercy of their owner. Our life, death and what we become in between the two stations shall always be in compliance with His pleasure.

Today’s topic was informed by another important reason: the necessity to reflect on the difficult times Nigerians are going through and see what lessons can be learned from the life of the Prophet for our leaders. These are indeed difficult times. These are times when the whole world is going through multivariate challenges. If there are times that remind you of the Arabs’ classical life, such is that, in which we are all witnesses today.

You would recall that the entire life of the Arabs before the advent of Islam in the 7th century was reminiscent of that in the wild- eat or be eaten. It was perpetual conflicts and warfare. The absence of a central authority other than the aristocrats meant that life bordered on anarchy, lawlessness and misrule. There was no ideal, morality or discipline in the society. There were corruption, vices, superstition, unrestrained freedom and unrestricted enjoyment. Women existed on the margins. Unlimited polygyny and polyandry were the order of the day. The worst of all is that a stepson could marry his stepmother and even brothers sometimes marry their own sisters. The poor existed on the fringe; life was simply impossible.

When eventually the Prophet was raised, his message quickly struck a chord, particularly with the weak, the oppressed, and the under-privileged. It found meaning among a section of the Makkan aristocrats. The message was simple. Their simplicity was circumscribed by their practicality and functionality. The message was universal. Its universality was indexed by its comprehensiveness. Its anchorage was and has remained the expression of tawhid- there is no god but Him: a message of negation and affirmation. There can be no other god but Him: a message of validation and confirmation. It was revolutionary. It was meant to occasion an implosion of the then existing oppressive order in the Arab world. It eventually did. It will always do.

Thus, the very first governance tool or strategy that contemporary political leaders are utterly in need of is the invocation and application of this element in governance. It is the only sustainable strategy that is capable of setting our political system free and of cleansing it of the putrefaction of greed, larceny, nepotism and other ills assailing it.

Next to that is the awareness that our life on earth is a trust; that we are all responsible for those over whom the Almighty has placed us.  The Prophet says: ‘All of you are shepherds and shall be called upon to account for his flock. A leader is a shepherd upon his subjects, and shall be called upon to account on his flock; a man is a shepherd upon his family members and shall be called upon to account on his flock; a woman is shepherd in the household of her husband, and shall be called upon to account on her flock; a servant is a shepherd upon the wealth of his master, and shall be called on to account on his flock. Verily! All of you are shepherds and you shall be called upon to account for your flock.

Brethren, to be imbued with that sense of responsibility is to stand up for justice at all times. In other words, wherever the Almighty is the centripetal force and the only gravity orbiting the space of governance, justice becomes a virtue and a categorical imperative. In reference, the Almighty reminds us: “O you who believe, stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even if it be against yourselves, your parents and your relatives, or whether it is against the rich or the poor…” (Q4:135).

According to the late scholar, Abdulrahmon Doi, three things are mentioned as gifts from the Almighty to His creatures. They are the Book, the Balance and Iron. These are signifiers for the structures that hold human societies together. These include revelation (the Quran) that commands good and forbids evil; justice, which gives to each person his due and, thirdly, the strong arm of the law that applies sanctions on evil-doers.

Further, a reader of the Prophet’s life history would discover that the success that he recorded in the secular and spiritual domains was owed in part to his strong belief, in line with the Quranic injunction (Quran 42:38), in mutual consultation and team-building.

Let your celebration of the Prophet’s birthday be an opportunity for you to question yourself – to what extent is your life a mirror of his? Are you a Muhammad of your era or the Abu Lahab of this age?