Not Just Power Ethical Leadership in Islamic Classics

Abstract

This paper draws on the authors’ experience in leadership development with Palestinian youth in Israel to explore the pedagogical potential of classical Islamic texts. It is structured around three central questions: Are leaders born or made? Are they guided by ideals or shaped by pragmatism? Do they lead through reform or mission? Using a humanities-based approach, the paper examines how the works of Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih, Al-Farabi, and Ibn Tufayl invite critical reflection on leadership as a relational, ethical, and contextually grounded practice.