ISLAMIC MANAGEMENT

DEFINITION OF ISLAMIC MANAGEMENT

I am defining Management from the Islamic perspective as :

"Integrated activities of thinking, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, interconnected with decisions, involving the use of resources – human, financial, information and physical, with objectives of attaining goals of Maqasid al-Sharia, by means of effective and efficient methods"

THINKING AS ONE OF THE FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT
Many management scholars and practitioners do not include “Thinking” as one of Management Process. In my years of experiences both in industry and academic worlds, in practice being a manager thinking is very important element before we proceed to undertake the other managerial functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Thinking that makes the Management Process highly dynamic, moving forward continuously to improve the organization.

Living in this fast-changing world of today, we must not feel that we are just doing fine by just to keep up with the change. We must be able to manage our thought to lead the changing world toward the direction we want it to be.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THINKING
A manager who learns to think and produces ideas and manage his ideas or thoughts before going further to plan, organize, leading and control his organization, has more powerful of taking charge of his organization, directing it towards achieving the goals of the organization.

A manager who learns to think and produces ideas and manage his ideas or thought before going further to plan, organize, leading and control his organization, has more powerful of taking charge of his organization, directing it towards achieving the goals of the organization

THINKING IN ISLAM
Islam put the importance of thinking in whatever we do in managing our life – personal , society, organization , and nation.

The importance of thinking is always being stressed by Almighty God in many verses of the Last Testament - the Holy Quran, “ ….Will you not think?” Quran 6:50 and “ ….Will you not use your intelligent” Quran 23:80

In the eye of God, those humans who do not use their brains are lowest than animals: ”Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use brains to reason” Quran 8:22

The Last Messenger of God, Muhammad [Peace be upon him] said that, “An hour of praying is better than a year of worshiping:” This Hadith appeared in the book [Arabic} of Al Gazali - Revival of Religious Sciences Vol. 4, page 423.

ULTIMATE GOALS OF ISLAM

The ultimate goals of an organization is to attain the Ultimate Goal of Maqasid al-Shariah [Objective of Islam]. Maqasid al Shariah or spirits of Islam are categorized into 5 important objectives, namely;

1. Protection of Human Life
2. Protection of Religion
3. Protection of Human Intellect
4. Protection of Human Offspring
5. Protection of Wealth or Resources.

Thus the function of a Manager in an organization or a nation is to "Integrated activities of thinking, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, interconnected with decisions, involving the use of resources – human, financial, information and physical, with objectives of attaining goals of Maqasid al-Sharia, by means of effective and efficient methods"

SHAYA'A OTHMAN