Seven Narrations: An Islamic Management Perspective

Abstract

This study pertains to Islamic management. Islamic management introduces the Qur’an and the Sunnah into the practice of management. To date, most of the focus has been on introducing Qur’anic concepts. Introducing concepts from the Sunnah has been lacking. In some cases, scholars have quoted narrations but not offered any explanations. Using an action research methodology, the author looked at how best to introduce an understanding of the Sunnah to undergraduate students of Islamic management. In the first cycle, students were asked to reflect on an-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith. Although this text is recognized as an excellent summary of the Sunnah, it proved to be too comprehensive for the limited time available. The author selected seven very comprehensive narrations and linked them to the management principles of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. A second cycle was initiated and that proved much more successful. Knowing these narrations alone is not enough. Each narration is tied to a key principle in the Sunnah so that a detailed explanation must accompany each narration. Such an approach helps practitioners of Islamic management to better apply the Prophetic Leadership Model.