Timeless Principles of Prophetic Leadership

Why did I choose to write this?

For the longest time, I've wanted to write this essay. But honestly, I kept putting it off. I was too concerned about how people might receive it.

But the more I avoided it, the more I felt like... maybe that's exactly why I should write it. So this is me choosing to be intellectually brave.

What I'm about to share isn't just for Muslims—I believe anyone can benefit from it. The only thing you need is a willingness to be open and curious.

Why is his leadership relevant today?

In the Islamic tradition, Prophet Muhammad is seen as a key figure for how a person should live—through family, community, personal affairs, spiritual life, and more.

Someone who's unfamiliar with him might find it hard to understand why a man who lived over 1,400 years ago is still admired and followed today.

We live in the 21st century—at the peak of information. We can access the greatest minds in history within seconds, while people in the past had to travel for days to learn something new. But even though information is more available than ever, ironically, it's harder to navigate. And social media doesn't help at all.

We are constantly being bombarded with the Never-Ending Now, as David Perell calls it. Staying on top of things isn't bad—it has its place. But if we're always submerged in what's urgent, when do we make time for what's timeless?

On top of that, much of the legacy media has distorted the image of Islam and the Prophet, focusing sensationalism over substance. Books still exist. But let's be honest—most people won't go looking for it.

So this essay is my humble attempt to give you a small peek into one part of the Prophet's life that deals with his leadership—and, by extension, his character.

The Teaching and Characteristics of the Prophet

Before we talk about how the Prophet Muhammad dealt with the people around him, it's important to understand what kind of person he was.

A person's actions is often a reflection of their character—and you can't really understand someone's leadership style unless you first understand who they are. So let's take a quick look at who the Prophet was—even before his prophethood.

The shepherd and the businessman

Prior to receiving revelation, Prophet Muhammad worked as a shepherd in his early days. He once said, "God did not send any prophet but that he shepherded sheep." ¹The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah did not send any prophet but shepherded sheep." His companions asked him, "Did you do the same?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Yes, I used to shepherd the sheep of the people of Mecca for some Qirats."

There was great wisdom in that job. From a spiritual point of view, it gave him solitude to reflect and observe the beauty of God's creation. From a practical side, it taught him patience, responsibility, and courage. A shepherd has to be soft and gentle to animals, but also brave to protect them from wolves or other dangers.

It was also a humble job. It didn't pay much. But what the job teaches is contentment with what you have, which makes it impossible to develop an ego and a prideful personality by being a shepherd. “Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with his own hands”, as the Prophet said. ²The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor."

As the Prophet helped attend to people's flocks for a living, alongside another young man, he would also help the sister of Khadijah (who would later become the Prophet's wife). When it was time to get paid, the Prophet was too shy to ask for his wages, so he asked his work colleague to do it for him. When the young man went to the home of Khadijah's sister, it happened that Khadijah was also there. Khadijah asked where Muhammad was, and the young man responded that he was too shy to ask for payment himself. Khadijah's sister said, "I've never seen a man more bashful, noble, and honorable than him."

This was the first time Khadijah heard about him. Just from that one comment, she became so impressed that she offered him a business partnership despite his lack of entrepreneurial experience. That's the power of good character. We often make decisions based on someone's reputation, especially if we recommend someone. And the Prophet's reputation was already strong.

Khadijah, by the way, was no ordinary woman. She had been married twice, with both of her husbands having passed away, leaving her a widow. The latter of her husbands left her a handsome inheritance. In a time when women didn't usually run businesses, she managed her own trade operations. She sent men on long trips to sell goods in places like Syria and Yemen. But many of them took advantage of her trust. So when she heard how honest the Prophet Muhammad was, she hired him and offered to split profits fairly. And it proved to be a fruitful partnership as he would return successfully, multiplying the profits earned.

The black stone incident and conflict resolution

There was once a conflict in Mecca when the Kaaba was damaged by flood and fire. Around the same time, a Roman ship full of building materials crashed near Jeddah, and the Quraysh tribe, the tribe that the Prophet belonged to, bought the materials and the help of a Roman carpenter to rebuild the Kaaba.

As they rebuilt it, there was one major issue. They argued about who should place the Black Stone back into its spot. It became a serious issue. The tribes were nearly ready to fight over the honor. Then an elderly person suggested a solution—whoever walked through the door next would decide what to do. Everyone agreed.

To their great relief, the next person who entered was Prophet Muhammad. His integrity and honesty were already well-known in the community. He was known as as-Sadiq al-Amin—the Trustworthy and Truthful one.

People often entrusted him with their valuables in their absence. So the people had no hesitation in trusting his decision when it came to settling this tense dispute.

The Prophet suggested that the Black Stone should be placed on a rug. And that each member of each tribe holds a corner, making them all contributors. Finally, the Prophet had the final hand that would place the Black Stone in its place.

This goes to show that even before becoming a Prophet, Muhammad was well-regarded. He never used his noble lineage to push others down, which was a common thing in pre-Islamic Arabia.

Undying belief in his cause

When it comes to true leadership, principles should always come before power. If a person gives up their values easily, what kind of leader are they really?

At one point, the Quraysh tried to bargain with the Prophet. They wanted a compromise. One of their ideas was to share religions. They suggested that they worship the One God, Allah, for one year, and then go back to idol worship the next. In response, a chapter of the Qur'an was revealed—Surah Al-Kafirun (Ch. 109)—clearly rejecting the notion of mixing truth with falsehood.

Then they asked directly what he wanted so he could stop spreading his message. But he didn't back down. He replied that only Allah should be worshipped. And he stayed firm. It's important to mention that at this point in time, the Muslims were a small minority in Mecca. They had no power or protection and faced a lot of pressure. But the Prophet didn't stop.

So the Quraysh tried something else—straight-up bribery. They tried guilt-tripping him by reminding him of his noble lineage, saying things like, "Do you think you're better than your father or grandfather? "

He remained silent. They blamed him for causing "disunity" in the community, saying that his message was tearing the society apart. They offered him whatever he wanted—money, power, even women—as long as he gave up his mission.

Now think about this for a moment. Imagine you were being persecuted every day because of something you believed in. And then your enemies come along and offer you a handsome reward just to stop spreading your message. Would you do it?

But the Prophet didn't. He was a man of principle first. A true leader isn't someone who can be easily bought, pressured, or shaken. No matter how few followers he had or how vulnerable they were, he had an undying belief in what he was doing.

Testimony of his humility and mercy

True strength in leadership is being humble, kind, and merciful. People in power who misuse it to serve their own egos aren't leaders—they're tyrants.

It's easy to treat people like pawns once you have influence over them. But real leadership is the opposite. One day, a man came to meet the Prophet, and he was so nervous that his voice started to tremble. The Prophet told him to take it easy and calm by saying he's not a king, but a man whose mother used to eat dried meat. ³“A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and his voice trembled out of awe as he spoke to him. The Prophet said to him, “Be calm, for I am not a king. Verily, I am only the son of a woman who ate dried meat.”

This shows how the Prophet's way was completely different from the rulers at the time, who often liked to show off their power.

There was another incident where a stranger came looking for the Prophet but couldn't recognize him. Why? Because he would sit among his companions without any special place or mark of status. The stranger had to ask which one of them was the Prophet. ⁴The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to sit among his Companions. A stranger would come and not recognize him (the Prophet) until he asked (about him). So we asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to make a place where he might take his seat so that when a stranger came, he might recognise him. So we built a terrace of soil on which he would take his seat, and we would sit beside him. He then mentioned something similar to this Hadith saying: A man came, and he described his appearance. He saluted from the side of the assembly, saying: Peace be upon you, Muhammad. The Prophet (ﷺ) then responded to him.

After that, some of the companions suggested making a special seat for him, just so visitors could find him more easily.

The Prophet also showed his humility when traveling. On one trip, he was sharing a camel with his cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib and another companion, Abu Lubabah. They both offered to let him ride the camel the whole way, but he refused. From a political point of view, you might expect a leader, especially a Prophet, to have special privileges. But it's that exact behavior that becomes contagious. Umar ibn al-Khattab, one of his closest companions and later the second Caliph of the Muslims, was once mistaken for a servant while entering Jerusalem—because he chose to walk while his actual servant rode the camel.

Be like a mirror

A great leader sets the example for the people they serve. He leads not just with words, but by showing the way through his own actions.

It's not easy to get people to model the behavior you want. Sure, if you had power over them, you could punish them for not listening. But what kind of leadership would that be?

Even the Prophet Muhammad faced moments when his companions struggled to follow his instructions. One example is during the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. The Prophet and his companions had traveled with the intention of performing the minor pilgrimage, known as Umrah. But the Quraysh blocked them from entering Mecca.

A treaty was negotiated, requiring them to return to Medina without completing the pilgrimage that year. This deeply disappointed the companions.

After the treaty was agreed upon, the Prophet instructed his companions to exit the state of ihram (the sacred state for pilgrimage) by shaving their heads and sacrificing their animals. But the companions were reluctant. They were emotionally affected by not performing the minor pilgrimage.

The Prophet repeated his instruction three times, but no one moved.

Seeing this, he went to his wife, Umm Salama, and told her about his companions' attitude. She advised him that if he wanted them to follow his orders, he should go outside, not speak to anyone, shave his head, and sacrifice an animal.

The Prophet did exactly that. And when the companions saw him leading by example, they quickly followed suit. ⁵When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to his companions, "Get up and' slaughter your sacrifices and get your head shaved." By Allah none of them got up, and the Prophet repeated his order thrice. When none of them got up, he left them and went to Um Salama and told her of the people's attitudes towards him. Um Salama said, "O the Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah! Do you want your order to be carried out? Go out and don't say a word to anybody till you have slaughtered your sacrifice and call your barber to shave your head."

This moment clearly shows that if you want people to follow you, you have to act first. It also teaches another important lesson—there's nothing wrong with counseling with others before making a decision. Leadership doesn't mean doing everything alone—it means being wise enough to ask for help when needed.

Leading with patience and kindness

One of the people who was under the care of the Prophet was Anas ibn Malik. As a young boy, he served the Prophet closely and later became one of his greatest companions. Anas also narrated many sayings of the Prophet, so it makes sense to look at what he had to say, given how close he was to him.

Anas said that throughout his time serving the Prophet, not once did the Prophet raise his voice at him or even show any sign of displeasure. He never said why he did or didn't do something in a certain way. ⁶I served the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for nine years, and I do not know (of any instance) when he said to me: Why you have done this and that, and he never found fault with me in anything.

We can contrast this to parenthood, or to any situation where we're responsible for others. It's easy to get frustrated when people, especially children, don't do what we expect. Our patience is tested all the time.

But the leadership of the Prophet shows us a better way. We're taught not to raise our voices, but instead speak gently, choose our words wisely, and avoid criticizing others harshly—especially in difficult moments.

Recognizing the potential of others

For ourselves, it's often hard to see our own strengths. We all have blind spots. That's why we need good leaders—people who can help uncover those hidden talents and show us what we might not see on our own.

That's exactly what the Prophet Muhammad did with one of his closest companions, Bilal ibn Rabah. The Prophet noticed how beautiful and powerful Bilal's voice was. So he appointed him to be the mu'adhin—the one who calls Muslims to prayer. Bilal was the very first person given this great honor.

After the death of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, another close companion and the first Caliph, asked Bilal to continue making the call to prayer. But Bilal couldn't bring himself to do it. Every time he reached the part where he would say, "Ashhadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah" (I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God), he would break down in tears.

Bilal told Abu Bakr that he could no longer continue and asked for permission to leave Madinah and live in Syria instead.

It wasn't until years later, during a visit by Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab to Syria, that Bilal was asked once again to make the call to prayer. And he did, moving everyone who heard it to tears.

Great leaders give their undivided attention

There's a big difference between hearing and listening. Listening is active. When you truly listen to someone, you're fully engaged—you're sending a signal that you actually care about what the other person has to say.

Hearing, on the other hand, is passive. You can hear sounds around you without really paying attention—like when you're doing housework with something playing in the background. You hear it, but you're not really engaging with it.

Today, we all carry a device that constantly distracts us—our phones. How often have you found yourself sitting across from someone, but instead of giving them your full attention, your phone is in your hand—or at least on the table? And when a notification pops up, it pulls your attention away from the person right in front of you.

One time, the Prophet was wearing a ring, and during a conversation with his companions, he kept looking at it, then back at them. When he realized the ring was distracting him from giving his full attention, he removed it and threw it away. ⁷The Messenger of Allah [SAW] took a ring and put it on, then he said: "This distracted me from you all day, shifting my gaze from it to you (and back again)." Then he threw it away.

There's a valuable lesson that we can learn from this. If something as simple as a ring can pull us away from being fully present, imagine what a smartphone, with all its apps and notifications, does to our focus today.

When leaders truly listen to the people they serve, they make them feel heard, respected, and valued.

Leadership is a way of being

It's not a title you can give yourself. It's not an official certificate you earn. It's the people around you who decide whether they want to follow you or not.

Writing this essay reminded me why I felt compelled to do it in the first place. In a modern world obsessed with power and fame, we need reminders of what real leadership looks like.

And the life of the Prophet Muhammad shows us how true leadership is rooted in patience, humility, trust, courage, and service.

You don't have to be famous to lead. You don't need wealth or a loud voice to make a difference.

Leadership begins with building your character. Because character outlasts status—it outlasts wealth.

In the end, it's character that people will remember—and trust.