Matching leadership qualities of male and female leaders from the Qur’ānic perspective: An exegetical analysis

Abstract

The topic of female leadership has yet to be conclusively and impartially investigated, especially from the Islamic perspective. The current study bridges the gap between the original Qur’ānic teachings and dominant Muslim culture by highlighting the Qur’ānic conceptualisation of female leadership and investigates the myth that only men are the best leaders. It identifies female leadership qualities of Queen Āsiyah, Queen Balqīs and Maryam, the daughter of ‘Imrān and mother of Prophet ‘Īsā, and matches them with male leadership qualities of Prophet Muhammad, Dhū al-Qarnayn, Țālūt, and Prophet Sulaymān as narrated in the Qur’ān. The research documents the traits of a leader’s personality, leader-follower relation, task structure, and crisis management as four principal axes to the study, relying on the dominant theories of leadership. The inference reveals conformity between both male and female patterns of leadership, except for minor differences related to physical strength, and war conducts.