Understanding that Allah permitted self-defence against attack, he directed warfare to the attackers, but not to the enemy force’s women, children, and elderly. Muhammad did not intend war and its ravages to involve whole communities, but, rather, to involve only the combatants, whose aggression and willingness to take up arms made them culpable and subject to armed resistance. It is clear that the divine revelation and the Prophet of Islam ushered in an era of humanity during warfare exceeding that found previously in Arabia and indeed virtually anywhere in the world. This study analyses the Qur’anic revelation and the preaching and practices of the Prophet Muhammad in order to ascertain what Islam in its initial manifestation taught regarding the responsibilities of Islamic armies and warriors towards the people that we nowadays call civilians and other non-combatants. Read the publisher's press release here: Interested readers can learn more from the author's microsite: This engaging yet deeply scholarly book makes a major contribution to both leadership studies and the Prophet’s biography.
Through meticulous research and rigorous analysis, Hayward demonstrates that Muhammad was an uncommonly astute and self-reflective man with the ability to create and communicate a believable strategic vision of a necessary and desirable future. Joel Hayward approaches the Prophet’s leadership from a different vantage point by scrutinising ancient sources to ascertain whether Muhammad’s conscious actions, behaviour, and methods can provide any substantial and meaningful insights about the effectiveness of his strategic leadership.
The few that exist maintain that Muhammad was a wonderful leader because he was a wonderful man that is, he succeeded in his mission because of his superior morality and personal qualities.Īlthough it is widely agreed that Muhammad was a moral and decent man, this explanation seems incomplete and almost inadequate. Given Prophet Muhammad’s a immense impact on history, there are surprisingly few books that specifically analyze his leadership.