I saw Professor Joel Hayward discussing this book on the Blogging Theology podcast on YouTube and was amazed and transfixed by his honesty, unparalleled knowledge and clarity. I could not wait to read the book and it was even better than I had anticipated. This is truly a ground-breaking and important book and Prof Hayward has proven that he is now the very best historian of the Prophet (s).

In a glowing review, the prestigious San Francisco Review of Books called The Leadership of Muhammad a “ground breaking book”, and awarded it five stars out of five. Reviewer Foluso Falaye described the book as “a great source of knowledge about Muhammad and the beginning of Islam.” He wrote that “its critical approach will appeal to academic minds, although the language is simple and direct enough to carry all readers along.” He added that, “in addition to being historically informative, it offers valuable lessons about leadership that could help world leaders, decision makers, teachers, and people from all walks of life to communicate and lead better.”

I have gone through a number of books and articles on the topic because I was interested in learning about leadership from an Islamic perspective and this is by far the best book available in the English language. I just wish it was published a decade earlier when I was doing my own research on the subject. Dr. Hayward is an expert at his craft so I know you will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this great work, and I look forward to reading the author's future publications.

Historians write far more analytical and much more accurate books on the leadership of historical figures than modern leadership experts tend to write. The former understand that everything has to be understood now in terms of what was understood back in the era under investigation, and that the approach of the modern leadership writers — who try to impose current concepts back onto people in the past — is entirely unhelpful. Joel Hayward is a masterful historian of early Islam who explains the leadership of Prophet Muhammad in a historically authentic way without imposing any of the fashionable modern leadership jargon or concepts onto the Prophet. Hayward’s expertise with the earliest Arabic sources really dazzled me. I was reminded of the late great Martin Lings. Hayward’s intimate knowledge of the events of Prophet’s life is also as impressive as Ling’s. In this book we are treated to the most original and meticulously researched book written on Muhammad in recent years. It is not long, at only 189 pages, but it is tightly argued and very thorough. I heartily recommend it to other readers.

I have gone through a number of books and articles on the topic because I was interested in learning about leadership from an Islamic perspective and this is by far the best book available in the English language. I just wish it was published a decade earlier when I was doing my own research on the subject. Dr. Hayward is an expert at his craft so I know you will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this great work, and I look forward to reading the author's future publications.

I was fascinated by both the author’s deep knowledge of the Islamic sources and his thorough understanding of leadership theory. I never imagined one book could transform my thinking in such a significant and positive way, and I feel very excited about the new knowledge I’ve gained.

Joel Hayward is my favourite scholar of Islamic history and this book didn’t disappoint. Now I understand why the Holy Prophet was able to inspire and motivate people and to create a unified and happy community of followers who worked hard to turn his bold vision for the future into a reality. He used leadership techniques and methods and interpersonal behaviors that today’s business and community leaders should adopt as their own. Hayward’s scholarship is unparalleled. He has mastered the earliest Arabic sources, and he uses them carefully, responsibly and accurately to create an innovative and totally eye-opening analysis. As a Muslim historian, Hayward gets it right. This is essential reading.

I am well versed in the Sirah of our beloved Prophet pbuh but this highly original book — an early review copy of which I was sent — was a total revelation. I learned something new and important on every page. The research is based on a very careful analysis of the earliest Arabic biographical sources, on which the author is an authority, and the approach and methodology used was something I had not encountered before. The author is correct: Muslim writers start off with the biased assumption that Muhammad pbuh was the Messenger of Allah subhanahu wataala and he simply must have been a great leader because he was a prophet. This is a natural starting point. We love our Prophet pbuh. But it’s certainly not likely to produce an objective, detached and scholarly account of what Muhammad pbuh actually thought and did in terms of leadership. Hayward is a noted Muslim scholar, and his faith is beyond question, but in this book, like his others, he has written with critical distance and objectivity, focusing on what the sources actually tell us about the Prophet’s pbuh thoughts, intentions, actions and interpersonal behaviour. The result is a fascinating, highly illuminating and very original explanation of what actually made Muhammad such a remarkably effective leader.