THE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES REQUIRED IN A LEADER comparative between the time of Bani Israel & Ummah of Prophet Muhammad

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الْمَلَإِ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰ إِذْ قَالُوا لِنَبِيٍّ لَهُمُ ابْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِنْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَاتِلُوا ۖ قَالُوا وَمَا لَنَا أَلَّا نُقَاتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِنْ دِيَارِنَا وَأَبْنَائِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ {2:246}

[Q2:246] Alam tara ilal malai mim Baneee Israaa'eela mim ba'di Moosaaa iz qaaloo li Nabiyyil lahumub 'as lanaa malikan nuqaatil fee sabeelillaahi qaala hal 'asaitum in kutiba 'alaikumul qitaalu allaa tuqaatiloo qaaloo wa maa lanaaa allaa nuqaatila fee sabeelil laahi wa qad ukhrijnaa min diyaarinaa wa abnaaa'inaa falammaa kutiba 'alaihimul qitaalu tawallaw illaa qaleelam minhum; wallaahu 'aleemum bizzaalimeen.

[Q2:246] Have you not considered the chiefs of the children of Israel after Musa, when they said to a prophet of theirs: Raise up for us a king (that) we may fight in the way of ALLAH (SWT) He said: May it not be that you would not fight if fighting is ordained for you? They said: And what reason have we that we should not fight in the way of ALLAH (SWT), and we have indeed been compelled to abandon our homes and our children. But when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back, except a few of them, and ALLAH (SWT) knows the unjust.

[Q2:246] Tidakkah engkau ketahui (wahai Muhammad), tentang (kisah) ketua-ketua dari Bani lsrail sesudah (wafatnya) Nabi Musa, ketika mereka berkata kepada seorang Nabi mereka: “Lantiklah seorang raja untuk kamu, supaya boleh kami berperang (bersama-sama dengannya) pada jalan ALLAH (SwT)” Nabi mereka menjawab: “Tidakkah harus, jika kamu kelak diwajibkan berperang, kamu tidak akan berperang?,” Mereka berkata: “Mengapa pula kami tidak akan berperang pada jalan ALLAH (SwT), sedang kami telah diusir dari kampung halaman kami, dan (dari) anak-anak kami?” Maka apabila perang itu diwajibkan atas mereka, mereka membelakangkan kewajipan itu, kecuali sebahagian kecil dari mereka. Dan (ingatlah), ALLAH (SwT) Maha Mengetahui akan orang-orang yang zalim.

After Musa several prophets were sent to maintain his law (Tawrat), BUT AS TIME PASSED, people started neglecting the law and took to idolatry. Ultimately a time came when the Jews had no prophet to guide them.

Ø  In those days their enemies from the tribe of Jalut had captured all the land on the Mediterranean including Egypt and Palestine. They killed 440 princes and noblemen of Bani Israil and enslaved them.

The Bani Israil prayed to ALLAH (SWT) for a prophet. ALLAH (SWT) appointed SAMUEL as their prophet.

1.        They asked Samuel to choose a king for them. Samuel warned them about what the kings would do, but they refused to listen to him. They said:  "No, we will have a king over us; then we shall be like other nations, with a king to govern us, to lead us out to war and fight our battles." (1 Samuel 8: 19 and 20).

2.        Samuel again warned them that they might not fight even if fighting was ordained for them.

3.        And when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back, except for a few of them.

IN THIS VERSE FIGHTING FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE TYRANNY OF THE OPPRESSORS HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS FIGHTING IN THE WAY OF ALLAH (SWT).

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(2:246) Have you also reflected upon the matter concerning the chiefs of the Israelites after (the death of) Moses? They said to their Prophet, "Appoint a king for us so that we may fight in the way of Allah." *268 The Prophet asked them, "Might it be that you will not fight, if fighting is prescribed for you?" They replied, "How can it be that we would refuse to fight in the way of Allah when we have been turned out of our homes and separated from our children?" But (in spite of this assurance) when they were enjoined to fight, they all, except a few of them, turned their backs. And Allah knows each and everyone of these transgressors.

*268. This took place about a thousand years before Christ. At that time the Israelites were persecuted by the Amalekites who had deprived them of the greater part of Palestine. The Prophet Samuel, who was then ruling over the Israelites, was old. The elders of Israel, therefore, felt the need to appoint as their head someone else under whose leadership they could wage wars. By that time, however, the Israelites had become so deeply infected with Ignorance, and the customs and practices of non-Muslim nations had made such inroads into their lives that the distinction between a religious state committed to serving God and secular monarchy was lost on them. They consequently asked God to appoint a king rather than a religious ruler (khalifah) over them. The information contained in the Bible is as follows:
Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. . . . Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, 'Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint for us a king to govern us like all the nations.' But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, 'Give us a king to govern us'. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Hearken to the voice of the people in what they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds which they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you . . . ' So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking a king for him. He said, 'These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you; he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plough his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make the implements of war and the equipments of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take you men-servants and maid-servants, and the best of your cattle and asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And on that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.' But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said. 'No! But we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.' And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Hearken to their voice, and make them a king.' Samuel then said to the men of Israel, 'Go every man to his city.' (1 Samuel 7: 15; 8: 4-22.)
And Samuel said to the people? 'And when you saw that Nahash the king of Ammonites came against you, You said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, when the Lord your God was your king. And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord and serve him and hearken to his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well; but if you will not hearken to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.' So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel, 'Pray for your servants to the Lord your God that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.' And Samuel said to the people, 'Fear not; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside front following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart, and do not turn aside after vain things which cannot profit or save, for they are vain. For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and right way?' (1 Samuel 12: 6-23).
These statements from Samuel make it clear that the demand to appoint a king was disagreeable to God and to His Prophet. It might be asked, however, why the Qur'an does not contain any denunciation of this demand of the elders of Israel. The reason is that to the purpose for which this incident has been cited the appropriateness and otherwise of the demand is irrelevant. The purpose here is to show the extent to which cowardice and self-indulgence had become part of Israelite life, and to show how the lack of moral restraint had come to characterize their conduct. It is these which ultimately led to their decline. The aim of the Qur'anic narrative is to enable Muslims to derive a lesson from this and to ensure that these weaknesses do not creep into their own lives. 

وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا ۚ قَالُوا أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِنَ الْمَالِ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ {2:247}

[Q2:247] Wa qaala lahum Nabiy yuhum innal laaha qad ba'asa lakum Taaloota malikaa; qaalooo annaa yakoonu lahul mulku 'alainaa wa nahnu ahaqqu bilmulki minhu wa lam yu'ta sa'atamminal maal; qaala innallaahas tafaahu 'alaikum wa zaadahoo bastatan fil'ilmi waljismi wallaahu yu'tee mulkahoo mai yashaaa'; wallaahu Waasi'un 'Aleem.
[Q2:247] And their prophet said to them: Surely ALLAH (SWT) has raised Talut to be a king over you. They said: How can he hold kingship over us while we have a greater right to kingship than he, and he has not been granted an abundance of wealth? He said: Surely ALLAH (SWT) has chosen him in preference to you, and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique, and ALLAH (SWT) grants His kingdom to whom He pleases, and ALLAH (SWT) is Amplegiving, Knowing.

[Q2:247] Dan Nabi mereka pula berkata kepada mereka: “Bahawasanya ALLAH (SwT) telah melantik Talut menjadi raja bagi kamu. Mereka menjawab: “Bagaimana dia mendapat kuasa memerintah kami sedang kami lebih berhak dengan kuasa pemerintahan itu daripadanya, dan ia pula tidak diberi keluasan harta kekayaan?” Nabi mereka berkata:” Sesungguhnya ALLAH (SwT) telah memilihnya (Talut) menjadi raja kamu, dan telah mengurniakannya kelebihan dalam lapangan ilmu pengetahuan dan kegagahan tubuh badan”. Dan (ingatlah), ALLAH (SwT) jualah yang memberikan kuasa pemerintahan kepada sesiapa yang dikehendakiNya; dan ALLAH (SwT) Maha Luas (rahmatNya dan pengurniaanNya), lagi meliputi ilmuNya.

**(In continuation of verse 246)**

Samuel said to the Jews that ALLAH (SWT) had raised Talut (Saul) to be a king over them. According to 1 Samuel 10: 23 he was a head taller than anyone else. There was no one like him in the nation of Jews. He was called Talut on account of his height and strength. The people despised Talut's kingship because he did not have wealth, which they had in abundance.

THE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES REQUIRED IN A LEADER ARE CLEARLY DISCERNIBLE IF CAREFUL ATTENTION IS PAID TO THE REPLY GIVEN BY SAMUEL:

1.        Inallah as-tafahu alaykum- ALLAH (SWT) has chosen him in preference to you. According to the divine law a leader of the people (temporal or spiritual) is chosen by ALLAH (SWT), not by the people.

2.        Wa zadahu bastatan fil ilmi wal jism- And He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique. The chosen leader is given knowledge and physical strength by ALLAH (SWT) Himself. The true leader possesses divinely endowed knowledge and strength to guide and protect the people whom ALLAH (SWT) loves and cherishes.

3.        Wallahu yuti mulkuhu man yasha - ALLAH (SWT) grants His kingdom to whomever He pleases. The sovereignty and the kingdom of the universe belong to ALLAH (SWT), therefore, on His behalf, the authority to lead and guide the created beings, is with him whom ALLAH (SWT) chooses. He chooses whomever He likes, whether the people like it or not.

4.        Wallahu wasi-un alim- Verily ALLAH (SWT) is vast (giver of ample bounties), all-knowing. The bounties the people receive and use for the satisfaction of their needs and wants are given to them by ALLAH (SWT). No human being can claim credit for providing them to the people. What is good and what is bad for the people is known only to ALLAH (SWT). This knowledge is given to those leaders whom He Himself elects to lead and guide the people.

MAN'S *HYPOCRISY, *DOUBT, *DENIAL, *BICKERING AND *DISAGREEMENT ABOUT LEADERSHIP, IN SPITE OF CLEAR AND SPECIFIC PROPHETIC DIRECTIONS, ARISE IN ALL RELIGIONS.

THE SAME THING occurred among the Muslims after the departure of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), in compliance with ALLAH (SWT)'s command, had appointed Ali as his vicegerent and successor in the open assembly of ashira and in the large gathering at Ghadir Khum. *Ali's superiority over others in knowledge and physical strength is unquestionable. It is acknowledged by all. Please refer the commentary of verses 2 to 5, 30 to 39 and 124 of this surah, to know the divine decrees and clear prophetic directions, according to which Ali alone was the true divinely chosen successor of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). BUT, while the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) was on his deathbed, the Muslims began to lobby for and squabble over power, following their limited and imperfect logic, intending to build a Muslim empire based upon heathen theories and practices, instead of following the guidance given by ALLAH (SWT) and His last messenger. As long as man continues to passively remain under the influence of his baser tendencies, this state of chaos and confusion in the affairs of his life will continue, AS IT DID AFTER the departure of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), when the Muslim ummah refused to obey the command of ALLAH (SWT) (Ma-idah 5:67), conveyed to them by the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) at Ghadir Khum, in spite of the fact that total submission to the decisions of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) has been prescribed as the first fundamental condition of the faith, by the Qur’an, in verse 4:65 of al Nisa.

TO AVOID CHAOS, DISCORD AND CONFUSION WHICH WOULD LEAD TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE ISLAMIC SOCIETY, THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) TOOK SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS, WHICH NO OTHER PROPHET BEFORE HIM HAD EVER TAKEN, to guide the people through clear actions, statements and signs that, after him, they should remain attached to his Ahlul Bayt and follow their leadership. Unfortunately, the people chose to follow policies which led them astray into the hands of the devil.

The instructions inferred from this verse are as under: *Legislation, process of *governing and *administration of justice are the functions of a sovereign. And sovereignty belongs to ALLAH (SWT), He delegates all the functions to a single person as His vicegerent, or chooses different persons to carry out one or more of them separately.

Samuel had been entrusted with the authority to convey *legislation and *administer justice. When the people requested for a king as an *executor, ALLAH (SWT) appointed Talut as their king. [1] IT MEANS in the presence of a divine legislator and judge, an executor can also be appointed. [2] IT MAKES CLEAR that Samuel (the prophet) had no right to appoint an executor. [3] IT ALSO GIVES permission to allow the people to have a say in the formation of the executive authority. THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE MAY ALSO BE HEARD IN ADDITION TO THE BOOK AND THE SUNNAH OF THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), IF NOT CONTRADICTORY to these two agencies, in legislative and judicial functions. BUT TO CLAIM SOVEREIGNTY, WHICH BELONGS ONLY TO ALLAH (SWT), IS TO RETURN TO THE DAYS OF IGNORANCE. IT IS NOT ISLAM.

Jihad (war in the way of ALLAH (SWT)) was prescribed and carried out by the prophets also.

THE REACTION OF THE PEOPLE TO THE DIVINE APPOINTMENT OF THE EXECUTOR CAN BE FAVOURABLE OR UNFAVOURABLE. THE JEWS DID NOT LIKE THE APPOINTMENT OF TALUT AS A KING. LIKEWISE, *THE MUSLIMS ALSO DID NOT APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF ALI AS THE SUCCESSOR OF THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD). THE UNFAVOURABLE REACTION OF THE PEOPLE, BASED UPON IGNORANCE AND SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS, CAN BE COMPARED TO *THE REACTION OF THE ANGELS WHEN ALLAH (SWT) APPOINTED ADAM AS HIS VICEGERENT. THE ANSWER TO THIS REACTION IS ALMOST THE SAME AS GIVEN IN VERSES 30 TO 39 OF THIS SURAH.

Whenever the question of succession to the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) in the matters of LEGISLATION, EXECUTION and JUSTICE is dealt with, the implications of this verse should be taken into consideration. Verse 24:55 of al Nur gives strength to the point of view of the followers of Muhammad and Ali Muhammad.

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(2:247) Their Prophet said to them, "Allah has appointed Saul *269 to be king over you." Hearing this, they replied, "How has he been entitled to become king over us? We have a better right to kingship than he, for he does not even possess enough riches." The Prophet replied, "Allah has preferred him to you and blessed him with abundant powers of mind and body. And Allah has the power to give His kingdom to whomever He wills: Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing."

*269. In the Bible he is called Saul. He was a thirty-year-old Benjaminite youth. 'There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he; from his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people' (1 Samuel 9: 2). He went out in search of the lost asses of his father. During this search, he passed through the house of Samuel and God informed Samuel that this was the person who had been chosen to govern the people of Israel. Samuel brought Saul to his house, took a vial of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said: 'Has not the Lord anointed you to be the prince over His people of Israel?' (1 Samuel 10: 1). Samuel later called the people of Israel together and proclaimed Saul to be their king (1 Samuel 10: 17).
This was the second Israelite to be anointed by God's command to a position of leadership. Earlier, Aaron had been anointed as the chief priest. The third case of anointment was that of David, and the fourth that of Jesus. There is no clear statement in the Qur'an regarding the designation of Talut (the Saul of the Bible) to prophethood. The mere fact of his being appointed a ruler does not necessarily warrant considering him a Prophet as well.