Gareth Bryant Writes

I write therefore I am/I am what I write


How&Why I reject the Mantle of Leadership & Position

I specifically remember being asked, by Several-Muslims I personally know, more than once, how/why I’m not on the same “Leadership-Level” as Certain-Muslims of my Generation. Oftentimes, the Arguments in Favor of me being a Leader is:

a. “You’re just as Knowledgeable as any of Those-People.”

b. “You’re just as Qualified as any of those People.”

etc.

I’m not making this up…this is literally what Others have told me.

My Responses to them has always been:

1. I vehemently refuse to buy into the “Who’s More-Knowledgeable than who” Rhetoric: realistically only Allah is Al-`Alīm/The All-Knowing. Also, if one doesn’t implement what they know, then what they know doesn’t even matter.

2. I’ve purposely done Things, stated Things, stood for/against Things, triggered Specific-Persons, burned Certain-Bridges, etc. (for better or for worse) just so that People won’t/don’t ever look to me as per “Muslim-Leadership”.

3. I’m literally affraid of al-Imārah/al-Imāmah (Leadership), because of the Statement of Muhammad (Peace be upon them): “Whomever is made a Judge/Ruler by People, then they’ve been slaughtered without even a Weapon.”.
(Abū-Dāwud)

4. I don’t ever want to be in any Position (as sadly so/too many Muslim-Leaders are) which any Would-Be Followers of me listen to anything/everying I say, do, stand for, etc. aimlessly. No one is free from an-Nasīhah/Correction. And if any Leader isn’t corrected, and/or if People always co-sign whatever they do (regardless of whether it’s right or wrong, intelligent or unintelligent, wise or foolish, etc.), then it fuels the Fire of Egotism, Apathy, Arrogance, etc.:

a. As Allah states, “Have you seen those whom take their Desires as their God? Are you then their Enabler?”.
(Noble-Qur’ān: Chpt.25, V.43)

b. Muhammad stated, “Don’t be an Imma`ah/Dick-Rider.”.
(at-Tirmidhī)

5. Realistically, I don’t need to have any Designsted-Title, nor Specific-Position, etc. to be a “Leader”. I can merely be a Leader via my Efforts to commit myself to Positive-Character/Behavior. And, for me, that’s what’s best.



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