Sholat Jamaah as Miniature of a Concept of Islamic Leadership

Tien Suhartini

Faculty of Economic and Bussiness, Universitas Alma Ata, Jl. Ringroad Barat Daya, Tamantirto, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

tienummufarah10@gmail.com

Keywords: Sholat jamaah, leadership, Islamic leadership, imam, makmum.

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to offer the rules of sholat jamaah (congregational prayer) as one of the

reference systems of Islamic leadership and to know what character should be owned by an Islamic leader

based on the concept of an imam in sholat jamaah. This research will use literature review method by

collecting various sources based on Quranic verses, al-Hadith, and previous literature. The study expands

the verse of Quran Surah 21:73 about leaders and principles of leadership based on QS Al Maidah: 51, 55,

57 and Hadith: "every one of you is a leader, and every leader will be held accountable”. The three principal

traits of leaders are strong, fearful, and gentle. Priest (imam) as a leader must pay attention to the condition

of the subordinate before, after, and during performing the prayer (perform the duty). Makmum as a

subordinate should always follow the imam (leader) command. If the priest is guilty, makmum may remind

and even fix it in a polite manner, in the spirit of goodness. When the leader cannot continue, it can be

replaced by others who also have some criteria with the leader.

1 INTRODUCTION

Basically, leadership is ‘amanah’ (a trust) that will

be accounted by Allah SWT. Therefore, Islam has

outlined some of the principles associated with

leadership. Leadership is the process of directing

and influencing members of an organization. The

Prophet's hadith from Abdullah ibn Umar states that

"every one of you is a leader, and every leader will

be held accountable" (Beekun, Rafik Issa, and

Jamal, 1998). Hence, we are at least responsible for

what we choose and do.

Islam is a perfect religion. The perfectness of the

Islamic teachings is expressed directly by Allah

SWT in QS 5:3. Leadership also includes being

discussed in the Islamic teachings. Hence, the paper

will try to reveal the miniatures of Islamic leadership

based on the rules regarding ‘sholat jamaah’

(congregational prayer).

2 PROBLEMS

The issue of an increasingly complex society

requires good management that begins with

choosing a good leader.

 What kind of leadership is recommended in

Islamic teachings?

 What character should an Islamic leader have?

3 THEORETHICAL BASIS

3.1 Islamic Leadership

Islamic leadership is seen as one that assists the

individual in attaining happiness in both the worlds.

(Ahmad and Ogunsola, 2011). Leadership is a

mandate that requires character and certain qualities.

With the character and nature of a person will be

judged worthy to hold the mandate of leadership.

Leadership is a process of shared influence. It is

social and relational in nature and is ultimately

shaped by the nature of followers and the prevailing

values and beliefs. (Ali, 2009).

Leadership in Islam (Beekun, Rafik Issa, and

Jamal, 1998) is rooted in belief and willing

submission to the Creator, Allah SWT.

3.2 Moral Basic of Islamic Leadership

Beekun, Rafik Issa, and Jamal (1998) explains that

the duty of a leader is to do all the commands in

dienullah (Islam). “And We made them leaders

guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them

the doing of good deeds, the establishment of prayer,

Suhartini, T.

Sholat Jamaah as Miniature of a Concept of Islamic Leadership.

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Islamic Economics, Business, and Philanthropy (ICIEBP 2017) - Transforming Islamic Economy and Societies, pages 503-508

ISBN: 978-989-758-315-5

503

and giving of zakah; and they were worshippers of

Us”. (QS 21:73)

3.2.1 Iman (Faith in Allah)

The meaning of faith here is a belief in the oneness

of Allah (tawhid) and Prophet Muhammad as his

messenger.

And it is not proper for a believer and not for a

believer, if Allah and His Messenger have

established a statute, there shall be for them a choice

(of the others) concerning their affairs. And whoever

disobeys Allah and His Messenger, then he is

perverted, a real heresy. (QS 33:36)

3.2.2 Islam

Islam is the achievement of peace with Allah, within

oneself and with the creation of Allah. Through

willing submission to Him.

3.2.3 Taqwa

Taqwa is the fear of Allah and the feeling of Allah’s

presence.

3.2.4 Ihsan

Ihsan is the love of Allah, as motivation to work

toward attaining Allah’s pleasure.

3.3 Principles of Prophet Muhammad's

Leadership

Khan (2012) revealed regarding the principles of

prophet Muhammad’s Leadership as follows:

3.3.1 Start with the Most Likely (Easiest)

Based on the Hadith of 'A'ishah which means,

"Every time the Prophet is asked to choose between

two things, will surely choose the easier," HR

Bukhari.

3.3.2 See the Strength in Weakness

In the Quran Surah 94: 5-6 God says, "There is with

it the simplicity of it, and indeed with it there is

convenience." This means that in every problem

there must be a way out and an opportunity to solve

it.

3.3.3 Switching Places (Hijra)

Hijra here not only migration (move) from Mecca to

Medina, but is more intended to find a more

comfortable place to uphold Islam.

3.3.4 Turn Enemies into Friends

In history, we know that Rasulullah SAW was

repeatedly made to suffer by the unbelievers, but he

always replied with kindness. This is what makes

them conscious and ultimately embraced Islam, in

the Qur'an Surah 41:34 Allah says, "And it is not the

same good with evil. Repel (evil) in a better way, so

that the one who feels hostility between you and him

will be a faithful friend. "

3.3.5 Turn the Deficiency into More Value

After the Badr’s war, there were about 70 prisoners

whom they were educated. The Messenger of Allah

asked every prisoner to teach literacy to 10 Muslims,

then he will be released. This is the first school in

Islam, where all teachers are enemies.

3.3.6 The Power of Peace is Higher than the

Strength of Violence

At the time of the Meccan conquest, many war

criminals whose words were very painful, but the

Prophet did not punish him, even just saying, "Go

away, you are free." This is wonderful manners, and

finally they embrace Islam.

3.3.7 Not Making Dichotomous Thinking

A leader must say everything clearly so that the lead

has only one interpretation of what the leader said.

3.3.8 Bringing War to a Separate Land

The war that took place between Muslims and

Gentiles was carried out on separate grounds. It is

clear that we need special place and time to solve the

problems. As well as only involving people who

have conflict.

3.3.9 Gradualist, not Radical

According to the Hadith narrated by Al Bukhari,

Aisha once said that the Quranic verses that

descended at first were about heaven and hell. After

the human heart becomes tender, then down orders

to stay away from Zina and Liquor. It is clear that to

change society, Islam prefers evolution rather than

revolution.

3.3.10 Be Pragmatic in Controversial Terms

During the implementation of the Hudaibiyah treaty,

Prophet SAW wrote on behalf of Muhammad

Rasulullah, but this was rejected by the Quraysh

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delegation. Finally, the words were changed to

Muhammad son of Abdullah.

3.4 Leader

3.4.1 Leader Refer to QS Al Maidah: 51, 55,

Do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies;

take who have believed - those who establish prayer

and give zakah, and they bow; do not take who have

taken your religion in ridicule and amusement

among the ones who were given the Scripture before

you nor the disbelievers.

3.4.2 Leadership’s Traits

Leadership’s traits in Islam are: the person who

helps you and loves you, who believe with all the

pillars (except for tactics), who founded the sholat

(worshiper), who pay zakah (pay attention to the

poor) and who ruku' (obey God and the Law)

(Hamidy, 2008).

3.4.3 Criteria of Imam

Criteria of Imam are: the most memorized person of

the Qur'an, the most intelligent person to read the

Quran, the most understanding the Sunnah of the

prophet, the first person to emigrate, who first

convert to Islam, and older people (Sukandy, 1986).

3.4.4 Characteristics of Leadership

The most prominent characteristics of leadership

are: al-quwwah (strong), al-taqwa (God-fearing) and

al-rifq (gentle). This nature is also very emphasized

by the Prophet Muhammad. With this nature, leaders

will be increasingly loved and not feared by the

people.

Islamic leadership is not dictatorial or

oppressive, this goes against the shuratic principles

of foundational Islam, and the principle of ijma, or

consensus. Nor can Islamic leadership rely for its

legitimacy on wealth, family, tribe or tradition.

(Almoharby and Neal, 2013)

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Sholat jamaah and Leadership in

Islam

Prayers, are a worship consisting of sayings and

deeds which are opened with takbir and closed with

salam. (Syakir Jamaluddin, 2009)

The legal requirements for prayer are: already in

time, holy from najis and hadas (both large and

small), close the aurat and facing the direction of the

Mosqueil haram.

4.1.1 Analysis of the Legal Requirements for

Prayer

 Already in Time

The Prophet SAW not only advocated prayer

on time, but also at the beginning of time. This

can be marked with azan (the calling of the call

to prayer) or can be seen on the schedule of

prayers. Prayers at the beginning of time show

high discipline. We can see people who are

disciplined and not with the alertness come to

Mosque when the azan reverberates. Azhan is

not only considered as a marker has entered the

time of prayer, but is a call from the Supreme

Leader to meet immediately. Hence, in

carrying out the duties of the organization, high

discipline will reach the target in a timely

manner.

 Holy from Najis and Hadas (Large and

Small)

The sacred is the body, clothing, and also the

place of prayer. We are also strongly

recommended to keep the smell of others

(pilgrims) from the odor caused by our bodies.

Both body odor due to sweating, and bad

breath from eating food with a stinging smell.

The prophet strongly advised his ummah to use

the siwak (brush our teeth) before wudlu. It

reminds us to respect the rights of others to get

fresh air and to perform the prayers calmly. We

are forbidden to disturb others with the smell as

well as by deeds.

The sacred cloth and body of the hadas are

the responsibility of the individual. The

sanctity and cleanliness of the place of prayer

(masjid) is a shared responsibility. Hence, it is

necessary to cooperate all pilgrims to realize a

clean and holy Mosque.

Within the organization, realizing

maintaining a good name is the task and

responsibility of all members of the

organization. Do not let the organization be

fouled or infiltrated by ideas or treachery that

destabilize the organization.

 Close the Aurat

Close the aurat is to use clothes that can cover

(not thin) and good condition. Based on the

Quran Surah 7:31, Allah commands us to use

good clothes every go to the Mosque. As for

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the limits of aurat, we can find it in some

hadith saheeh.

Closing aurat means closing shame/error. It

is especially a disgrace that should not be

displayed or shown to others. Similarly, if we

see a congregation whose aurat is not

completely covered, we are advised to tell him.

That is, ignorance/error, the lack of

members of the organization, everyone has to

cover, no need to bring up his past, in

achieving organizational goals.

 Facing the Direction of the Masjidil Haram

In the Qur'an Surah 2:144 God commands to

face the holy Mosque. That is, with the

knowledge possessed, everyone who prays tap

into the Holy Mosque as Qiblat. This shows the

need for unity of purpose and endeavors to

achieve that goal. This is under normal

conditions. When an emergency - in conditions

of war, on the way, or when not knowing the

direction, we are allowed to face anywhere, as

recommended by the leader.

That is, when the way to achieve that goal

is too difficult, it is permissible to use a

different method, of course still in order to

realize the ultimate goal.

4.2 Sholat Jamah Procedures

The procedure of sholat jamaah are: Sholat fardhu

congregation should be held in the Mosque; prior to

takbir, the priest is advised to face his jamaah,

paying attention and tidying their shaf; Muqim may

congregate to the traveler who cut short (qashar) the

prayer, with the condition must perfect the number

of rakaat itself, after the priest salam; If the priest is

already in takbir, then makmum must immediately

do the takbir and do not ever precede and dismiss

the movement of the priest; makmum should pay

careful attention to the reading of the priest; if the

jamaah is heterogeneous, the priest should read a

short letter, adjusted to the condition of the pilgrims;

if there is a Masbuq (belated), he should follow the

last priest's movement at any position; if the imam

forgets in the prayer movement, the jamaah is

reminded by saying ‘subhanallah’, if the priest

forgot his reading, he’ll be reminded of reciting the

passage; everyone is prohibited passing in front of

the person who is praying; and after the prayer, the

priest should face the jamaah (Syakir Jamaluddin,

2009).

4.2.1 Analysis of Sholat jamaah Procedures

 Implemented in the Mosque

We have to choose a right place and most

worthy to establish an organization.

 Before Takbir, the Priest is advised to Face

Makmum

Before starting the activity, the leader must see

the condition of his subordinates first. Is the

subordinate really ready and occupy their

respective place.

The Islamic-modelled organization should

not only cater to the economic needs of

employees but should also provide support for

their social and spiritual needs. For instance,

the observance of congregational prayers at

workplace helps to close ranks and create trust

and acquaintance with each other resulting in

social relationships that extend beyond the

workplace. (Ahmad and Ogunsola, 201l)

 Muqim May Congregate to the Traveler

Muqim can congregate the traveller who qoshor

prayer and then completes the number of rakaat

itself, after the salam of the imam; a leader has

not always the person who is domiciled at the

organization was founded. The important,

leader is the people who best understand the

best way to achieve organizational goals.

 After the Priest Takbir

Makmum must takbir immediately and never

dismisses the movement of the priest; for the

sake of achieving the goals of the organization,

subordinates must be disciplined and perform

his duties immediately, not procrastinate.

Focus on the task, no need to reduce or add

things that are not needed.

The formation of effective leader-member

relations requires an objective assessment of

the position of the leader, which excludes the

idealization of his or her personality and role,

which is not easy to achieve because the

majority of the leaders are idealized by their

followers to a lesser or greater extent (Ansari

et.al, 2007)

 Makmum Should Pay Careful Attention

Makmum should pay careful attention to the

reading of the priest. Makmum follows the

movements and the priest's reading while

watching; Subordinates in running the

activities always pay attention to the rules set

and direction of the leadership. So, the

organization's goals will be achieved.

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The leadership task is to build a culture in

which conflict is handled through healthy and

creative dialogue. Sometimes, the first step to

improving these relationships lies not in

challenging the leader’s behavior or policies,

but in showing care and concern for the leader.

(Challef, 1997)

 If the Makmum are Heterogeneous

The priest should read simple verses, adjusted

to the condition of makmum. Leaders should

know well the conditions the followers. A

leader prohibits giving too much task, over the

ability of his subordinates. Hence, subordinates

will feel heavy and forced to work.

 If there is a Masbuq (Belated)

He should follow the last priest's movement at

any position; new members of the organization

should follow the rules that already exist and

participate in the success of the program that is

running.

 If the Imam Forgets

If the imam forgets of the prayer movement,

the makmum will remind by saying

subhanallah. If the priest forgot his reading,

the makmum will remind him by reciting the

passage; when the leader made a mistake, the

subordinate remind the leader in a subtle and

unfavorable way. Hence, the leader will realize

his mistake without feeling offended.

 Anyone is Prohibited from Passing

Anyone is prohibited passing in front of the

person who is praying; when the program is

running, as much as possible all members of

the organization dispels or withstand existing

disruptions, so stay focused on achieving

organizational goals.

 After the Prayer

After the prayer the priest should face the

makmum; after the program finishes, the leader

should pay attention to the condition of his

subordinates while doing the evaluation.

In addition, if the priest can’t continue his

prayer, because of hatred or other things, the

prayer must be continued with the replacement

priest by one of the congregation that is closest

to the position of the priest. That is, when the

leader is absent, and can’t continue running the

organization, it may be a change of leadership.

The person who replaces the leader is

recommended to be the closest and knows

more about the organization.

No leadership process should be regarded

as a permanent structure, but only as a

temporary balance of power, always connected

with specific situational circumstances,

implying the rotational nature of the leader’s

and the follower’ roles. (Stojanovic, 2016)

5 CONCLUSIONS

The most prominent characteristics of leadership are

three namely, al-quwwah (strong), al-taqwa and al-

rifq (gentle). In running the organization, an Islamic

leader must follow the principles of Prophet

Muhammad SAW and also the principles of Islam.

Terms and Criteria for Being a Leader are 1. The

Most Excellent People understanding law and

regulations, meaning must have a broad insight and

knowledge about the organization he leads. 2. The

Most people understanding the Sunnah and Wara ',

the most guarded person in order not to fall in the

matter of syubhat, so that all policies are taken all in

order to obey Allah SWT. 3. Older People, meaning

people who are experienced in their field with

consideration can be more reliable and responsive to

overcome the situation and possibilities that will

occur in the organization.

The main purpose of Leadership in Islam is to

reach Ridho Allah SWT. In realizing that goal needs

to be supported by all members of the organization.

The rule between the leader and the followers is very

clear as prescribed in the congregational prayer.

Imam as a leader should pay attention to the

condition of the subordinate before, after, and during

performing the prayer (perform the program).

Makmum as a subordinate must always follow the

imam (leader) command. If the priest (leader) is

guilty, the vice may remind and even fix it in a

polite manner, in the spirit of goodness, and not

humiliate let alone drop. When leaders can’t

continue, they can be replaced by others who also

have some criteria with the leader.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge the Lembaga Pengelola

Dana Pendidikan (LPDP), Indonesia Endowment

Fund for Education, for funding this research and the

cooperation of Universitas Alma Ata, as well as

Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

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507

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