OPENACCESSSAl-QamarISSN(Online):2664-4398ISSN(Print):2664-438Xwww.alqamarjournal.comAl-Qamar,Volume9,Issue1(January-March2026)AComparativeStudyofEthicalLeadershipPrinciples:ThePropheticModelandContemporaryLeadershipEthicsArusaAnwarAssistantLecturer,MinhajUniversityLahoreEmail:arusaanwar73@gmail.comleadership.leadership,theoriesofInmodernAbstractWithagrowingawarenessandconcernaboutcorruption,abuseofpower,organizationalmisconduct,andlossofpublictrustininstitutionsaroundtheworld,thestudyofethicalleadershiphasemergedasoneofthemostprominentfieldsofstudyinthedisciplineintegrity,ofaccountability,fairness,transparencyandservantleadershipareconsideredtobekeyvaluesofagoodleader.Theideashavebecomewellknowninthefieldofmanagement,andorganizationalstudy,buttheexampleoftheProphet(saw)isacompleteandeverlastingexampleofethicalleadership,whichisover1400yearsoldandpredatesmodernconcepts.InthisresearchtheauthorcriticallyanalyzestheprinciplesofethicalleadershipfoundinthePropheticmodel(UswahHasanahﷺ)andcontraststhemwiththeethicalleadershipinthemodernera.Thestudyreflectson,throughqualitativeandanalyticalresearch,theimportantethicalissuessuchasintegrity,justice,andmoralaccountability,responsibility.Propheticmodelcombinesethicalbehaviourwithspiritualresponsibility,socialresponsibilityandsocialwelfare,providingamorecomprehensiveunderstandingofethicalleadership.ThestudyconcludesthatthePropheticleadershipparadigmisstillverypertinenttothecurrentleadershipchallengesandcanplayagreatconsultation,compassion,service153AComparativeStudyofEthicalLeadershipPrinciples:ThePropheticModel...roleinthediscussionsonethicalgovernanceandleadershipoftoday'sorganizations.Keywords:EthicalLeadership,PropheticLeadership,UswahHasanah,IslamicLeadership,ServantLeadership,LeadershipEthics,OrganizationalEthics,MoralLeadershipIntroductionLeadershipisabasicaspectthathelpstoformsocieties,institutions,organizationsandcivilizations.Leadershiphasbeenshowntobeimportantinsocialstability,politicalsuccess,economicdevelopmentandculturaladvancementthroughoutthehistory.Butthelackofethicsinleadershipcanresultincorruption,injustice,exploitationandsocietaldeterioration.Thus,thestudyandpracticeofethicalleadershiphasbecomeamajorfocusofresearchandpractice.Alotofleadershipfailureshaveoccurredinthe21stcenturyinpolitical,business,andsocialinstitutions.Aseriesoffinancial,misuseofauthority,unethicalcorporatepracticesandpoliticalscandalshavegivenimpetustothescholarlyresearchonethicalleadership.Theimportanceofeffectiveleadershipisgrowinganditissuggestedthatinadditiontobeingtechnicallycompetent,leadersshouldhavegoodmoralcharacterandethicalcommitment.InIslamleadershipisnotonlyamanagerialroleorapositionofcommand.Actually,itisconsideredasAmanah(trust)givenbyAllah.AleaderisheldaccountablenotonlytosocietybuttoGodaswell.ThisunderstandingisakeydifferencebetweenIslamicleadershipandotherformsofsecularleadership.ProphetMuhammad's(saws)lifeistheepitomeofethicalleadershipinIslam.Hisleadershipbroughtaboutaunifiedandcohesivetribalcommunitywithastrongsenseofmorality.Hisbehaviorwashonest,just,merciful,humble,consultative,accountableandservice-orientedtowardshumanity.TheQur'andepictshimastheperfectexampleforthosewhobelieve:Yes,intheMessengerofAllahyouhaveanexcellentexampleforallthosewhobelieveinAllahandtheLastDay,andrememberAllahfrequently.(Qur'an33:21).154Al-Qamar,Volume9,Issue1(January-March2026)TheQur'anteachesthatProphetMuhammadﷺisaperfectmodelforthepeopleoftheworld:Infact,intheMessengerofAllah,youhaveanexcellentexampleforthosewhohavefaithinAllahandtheLastDayandrememberAllahfrequently.(Qur'an33:21)ThisverseisthebasisformakingthePropheticpersonalitytheuniversallyacceptedmodelofguidance,includingsocial,moralandleadershipdimensions.EvenmoresotherelevanceofUswahHasanahﷺisincreasinginthisagewheretheleadershipisbeingtestedataglobal,nationalandorganisationallevel.ProphetMuhammad(saws)embodiedqualitiesofleadershipthataretrulyusefulintoday'ssociety,forexample:justice,consultation,mercy,humility,honestyandaccountability.ThisstudyisintendedtocriticallyexploretheethicalbasisofleadershipbasedonUswahHasanah(Rasulullah(saws))andincomparisonnowadays.ItaimstoexaminetheethicalvisionofthePropheticmodelthatbringstogethermoralexcellence,socialresponsibilityandspiritualawareness,andtoseehowitcanbeappliedtoleadershipissuesoftoday.ThisresearchaimsatcomparingtheethicalbasesofthecontemporaryleadershiptheoriesandtheethicalprinciplesforthePropheticmodel,lookingatboththesimilaritiesandthedifferencesandbringingthemtogetherintheconsiderationoftheissuesofleadershipintoday'sworld.LiteratureReviewInthelast30years,thetopicofethicalleadershiphasreceivedalotofattentioninorganizationalstudies.Brown,Treviño,andNorthousearguethatethicalleadershipismanifestedinpersonalbehavior,interpersonalethicsandethicaldecision-making.BrownandTreviño(2006)contendthatethicalleadersinspiretheirfollowersbydemonstratingfairness,honesty,trustworthiness,andethicalbehavior.Likewise,Northouse(2022)statesthatethicalleadershipfostersrespect,service,justice,honesty,andcommunitybuilding.ServantLeadership,aspresentedbyRobertGreenleaf,isatheorythatstatesthatagoodleader'sfocusshouldbeontheneedsoffollowers,notpersonal155AComparativeStudyofEthicalLeadershipPrinciples:ThePropheticModel...intointerests.TherearemanysimilaritiesbetweenthistheoryandIslamicteachingsonleadershipasserviceandnotdomination.Anotherdimensionoftransformationalleadershiptheoryismoralinfluence,whichinvolvesbuildingavision,values,andethicalmannertoinspirefollowers.Butcriticssaythattransformationalleadershipdoesn'talwaysofferclearethicalguidelinesforassessingleadershipbehavior.IncontrastIslamicscholarshipbelievesinleadershipinamoralandspiritualmanner.Islamicleaders,likeBeekun,BadawiandAli,havestressedthatthebasisofIslamicleadershipliesinTawhid(thebeliefintheOnenessofGod),justice,accountability,consultation,andservinghumanity.WhileinterestinIslamicleadershipstudiesisgrowing,thereisconsiderabletherelationshipbetweenlookinglackofcomparativestudiescontemporaryethicalleadershiptheoriesandtheIslamicleadershipmodeloftheProphet(saws).Theaimofthisstudyistofillthatvoid.TheoreticalFrameworkThisresearchisgroundedintwokeytheories.Firstly,ContemporaryEthicalLeadershipTheorywhichfocusesonethicalbehavior’s,moraldecisionmaking,fairnessandaccountabilityinorganizations.ThesecondfoundationisthePropheticLeadershipModelbasedontheQur'an,SunnahandthebiographyofProphetMuhammad(saws).Thismodelintegratesmoralelementsandatthesametimestressesspiritualresponsibilityandsocialduty.Thestudyassumesthattheeffectivenessofleadershipcannotbefullyappreciatedwithouttheethicalaspects.Hence,theethicalleadershipisusedasamainanalysislensintheexaminationofthetheoriesandthePropheticmodel.EthicsinLeadershipinThePropheticModelIntegrityandTrustworthiness(Al-Amanah)Oneofthequalitiesthatiswidelyknownasaneffectiveleaderisintegrity.Trustisconsideredasthebasisofeffectiverelationshipsbetweenleaderandfollowerbycontemporaryscholars.Evenbeforehebecameaprophet,thepeopleofMakkahalreadyknewMuhammad̕as"Al-Amin"(TheTrustworthy).Hewasknownforhisintegrity,evenamonghisdetractors.156Al-Qamar,Volume9,Issue1(January-March2026)Trustworthinesswasnotjustapersonalquality,butanattributeofgoodleadershipthathadabearingonhismissioninthepubliceye.TheProphetwasnotlikemanyoftheleadersoftodaywhorelyoninstitutionalauthority,buthewasonewhoacquiredauthoritythroughmoralcredentialsandexemplarycharacter.Hisexampleprovesthatmoralauthoritycanbeamoreeffectiveforcethantheforceoflaw.JusticeandFairnessJusticeisoneofthemostcentralissuesinthecontextofIslamicleadershipandinthetheoriesofethicalleadershipinthecontemporarycontext.JusticeisoneofthethingsrepeatedlyorderedintheQur'anforthebelievers:Indeed,Allahcommandsjustice,excellenceandgivingtorelatives'(Qur'an16:90).TheProphet(saw)wasalwaysfairtowardsallpeople,irrespectiveoftheirtribe,class,orfamilyorsomethingelse.Hiswell-knownstatementabouthisdaughterFatimahshowshisunbiasedjustice:IfFatimah,daughterofMuhammad,stole,thenIwouldcutoffherhand.Thisisarecognitionoftheneedforequalitybeforethelawandfreedomfromfavouritisminrelationtotrueethicalleadership.CompassionandMercyTheimportanceofemotionalintelligenceandempathyasaleadershiptraitisbecomingmoreofafocusincontemporaryleadershipstudies.InthePropheticmodel,however,thegiftofempathyisextendedtoincludefullnessofmercy.TheQur'ansaysthattheProphetMuhammad(saws)is:"Amercyforalltheworlds"(21:107).Hewasnotonlymercilesstowardshisfollowers,butalsohisenemies,children,women,thepoor,theminoritiesandevenanimals.Hisleadershipwasgroundedonaprincipleofrespectforhumandignityandhumanwelfare.ConsultationandParticipatoryDecision-Making(Shura)Participationandstakeholderengagementisakeyfeatureofmoderndemocraticleadership.Likewise,Islamencouragesconsultationbytheprincipleofconsultation(Shura).157AComparativeStudyofEthicalLeadershipPrinciples:ThePropheticModel...TheQur'anencouragesbelieverstoliveinconsultationwithoneanother(42:38).TheProphet(saws)oftensoughttheiropiniononissuesofpolitics,warandsociety.HefollowedthemajorityopinioneventhoughhedidnotlikeitatthebattleofUhud.Thisisanindicationofthevalueofcollectivewisdomandparticipationingoodleadership.HumilityandServantLeadershipHumilitywasoneofthemostamazingqualitiesofPropheticleadership.Hewastheheadofstate,themilitaryleader,thejudgeandthespiritualleader,butheneveractedarrogant,hedidordinarythings,helpedhisfamily,andgotalongwithpeoplewithoutgettinguppity.Hisstatement:Apeople'sservantisitsleader.ThismirrorsaServantLeadershiptheorythatisverysimilartotoday's.ThePropheticapproach,however,isdifferentfromthemodelsofservantleadershipintoday'sworldbecauseofitsemphasisonspiritualvaluesandaccountabilitytoGod.AccountabilitybeforeGodOneofthemostuniquetraitsofPropheticLeadershipisSpiritualAccountability.Today’sidealsofresponsibleleadershipfocusontheresponsibilitiestothepublic,theopinion,thestakeholdersandthelaws.Thesemechanismsaresignificantbutcanbeproblematicattimesofpoorsupervision.AccountabilitybeforeAllahisanextradimensionaddedtoIslam.TheProphet(saw)taughtthateveryleaderwillbeaskedabouthisfollowers.Thisisabeliefthatestablishesaninternalmoralmechanism,withoutrequiringexternaloversight.Thecomparativeanalysisofcontemporaryleadershipethicswillbepracticed.AreasofConvergenceThePropheticmodelsharessimilaritieswithseveralethicalprinciplesthatarepartofcontemporaryleadershiptheories.Bothfocusonhonesty,fairness,integrity,responsibility,service,trustworthy,andrespecthumandignity.Theyagreethatethicalconductincreasestheeffectivenessoftheorganizationandcontributestoitscontinuedsuccess.Theybothagreethatrolemodelingand158Al-Qamar,Volume9,Issue1(January-March2026)moralinfluenceiscrucialinleadership.Manyoftoday'sideasaboutethicalleadershiparebasedonuniversalmoralvalues,asrevealedbythesesimilarities.AreasofDivergenceAlthoughtherearemanysimilarities,therearealsosignificantdifferences.Ingeneral,currentmoralleadershipisbasedonsecularphilosophy,organizationalefficiencyandsocialnorms.Theethicsrequirementsmaydifferfromoneculturetoanotherandfromoneinstitutiontoanother.Propheticleadership,ontheotherhand,isbasedonGod'srevelation.Moralvaluesaredeemedtobeobjectiveanduniversal,notsociallyconstructed.Additionally,theleadershiptheoriesofthemodernworldgenerallyemphasizetheresultoftheorganization,whilePropheticleadershipemphasizesboththeresultoftheorganization,andthespiritualwell-being.ThePropheticmodelalsofocusesmoreonshapingmoralcharacter,purifyingtheselfandtakingresponsibilityforthepersonbeforeGod.HowthepropheticmodelofleadershipisrelevanttodayThereisawiderangeofethicalproblemsinthemodernworldsuchascorruption,misuseofpower,polarization,inequalityineconomicdevelopment,environmentalissues,lossoffaithininstitutions,etc.•ThePropheticleadershipmodelprovidessolutionstothesechallenges.•Trustworthinessisitsfocus,anditcanreinforcethecredibilityofinstitutions.•Itisdedicatedtojustice,whichcouldhelptostrengthengovernancesystems.•Itcanencouragetheparticipationofeveryoneindecisionmakingbecauseofitsconsultativeapproach.•Itscaringspiritcanhelptobuildasenseofcommunity.Aboveall,theprincipleofaccountabilitytoGodcanproduceleaderswhoareethicalevenintheabsenceofexternalaccountabilitysystems.ThismakesthePropheticmodelofadministrationveryrelevanttodayinthefieldsofpolitics,education,businessandcommunitydevelopment.Conclusion159AComparativeStudyofEthicalLeadershipPrinciples:ThePropheticModel...BycomparingandcontrastingethicalleadershipprincipleswiththoseofUswahHasanah(saws)andthoseofmoderndayleadershipethics,itisclearthatethicsisthebedrockofsustainableandeffectiveleadership.Moderntheoriesofleadershiphavemadeimportantcontributionstotheunderstandingofethicalbehavior,andtheorganizationalresponsibility,therelationshipbetweenleadersandfollowers,butthePropheticmodelprovidesamorecomprehensiveandmultidimensionalmodel,incorporatingthemoral,socialandspiritualaspects.ProphetMuhammad'sﷺleadershipisanexampleofthevaluesofservice,responsibilityandaccountabilitythatareessentialtogoodjustice,compassion,humility,leadership.Hisprinciplesofhonesty,consultation,andtrustworthinessaretimelessanduniversalethicalprinciplesthatarerelevantacrossallculturesandthroughouthistory.ManyoftheconceptsofleadershiptodaywhichoverlapswiththePropheticmodelaresuchasservantleadership,transformationalleadership,authenticleadershipandethicalleadership.TheProphet's(saws)approachtoservingothers,actingwithintegrity,fosteringfairness,andvaluinghumandignityareexamplesofprinciplesthatwestillseeinpracticetoday,butwerefirstpractisedbytheProphet(saws)centuriesago,longbeforetheybecamethesubjectofformalstudyinleadershiptheory.But,thePropheticleadershipparadigmisnotlimitedtothecurrentethicaltheories,italsoaddsdivineaccountability.Normallythemodernleadershipconceptisfocusedonaccountabilitytowardsinstitutions,lawsandsociety,butinIslamitalsoincludesaccountabilitytowardsAllah.Thisspiritualfactorfostersthedevelopmentofinternalmoralawareness,helpingleaderstobeethicalevenintheabsenceofexternaloversight.Inatimeofleadershipfailures,corruption,socialinjusticeandlossoffaithininstitutions,thePropheticmodeloffersvaluableinsightsfortheformationofleaderswhoarenotonlycompetentbutalsomorallyresponsible.Thewayethicalexcellence,socialwelfareandspiritualawarenessarewoventogetherinUswahHasanahﷺformsaone-of-a-kindanduniversalmodelofleadership.References1.Ali,A.J.(2009).Islamicperspectivesonmanagementandorganization.EdwardElgarPublishing.160Al-Qamar,Volume9,Issue1(January-March2026)2.Avolio,B.J.,&Gardner,W.L.(2005).Authenticleadershipdevelopment:Gettingtotherootofpositiveformsofleadership.TheLeadershipQuarterly,16(3),315–338.3.Abbas,J.(2020).Impactoftotalqualitymanagementoncorporategreenperformancethroughthemediatingroleofcorporatesocialresponsibility.JournalofCleanerProduction,242,118458.4.Abdalla,Y.A.,&Al-Homoud,M.(2001).Islamicmanagement:Acomprehensivereview.InternationalJournalofManagementReviews,3(2),155–169.5.Ahmad,K.(2009).LeadershipandworkmotivationfromtheIslamicperspective.InternationalJournalofCommerceandManagement,19(3),221–231.6.Al-Haddad,S.(2018).Propheticleadership:AnIslamicmodelofleadership.JournalofIslamicStudiesandCul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