Rasm al-Ahdaf
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- Rasm al-Ahdaf
Rasm al-Ahdaf (full title: Rasm al-Ahdaf al-Mustaqbaliyyah wa-Subul Tahqiqiha fi Daw' al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah, "Setting Future Goals and Means of Achieving Them in Light of the Prophetic Sunnah") is a contemporary monograph by the Iraqi scholar Abd al-Qadir al-Muhammadi examining strategic planning and goal-setting through the lens of the Prophetic tradition.
Background and Purpose
The treatise was composed by Abd al-Qadir Mustafa al-Muhammadi, professor in the Department of Prophetic Hadith at the Iraqi University (formerly the Islamic University), for presentation at the Prophetic Hadith Symposium (Nadwat al-Hadith al-Sharif). Al-Muhammadi frames the work around the contemporary crisis of the Muslim world, which he diagnoses as a lack of strategic vision, leading societies to become passive consumers of foreign technology and industry rather than active producers.
The author argues that modern management and administrative theories often claim exclusive precedence in the principles of planning, whereas foundational Islamic texts had already established these principles. He emphasizes that Muslims are tasked with conscious emulation (ittiba'), which encourages understanding and innovation, rather than uncritical imitation (taqlid), which breeds stagnation. Pointing out the relative scarcity of works dedicated specifically to extracting goal-setting principles directly from the Sunnah rather than approaching them purely through secular administrative models, the author aimed to present a structured study based primarily on authentic hadiths.
Structure and Content
The book is organized into thematic sections addressing the linguistic and practical foundations of goal-setting alongside criteria drawn from the life and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
- Definition and Conditions of Goals (al-Hadaf: Mafhumuhu wa-Shurut Tahqiqihi): Explores the linguistic definition of hadaf (a raised target) and its synonymous usage with gharadh (aim or purpose) in classical Arabic and hadith literature. The section outlines essential conditions for viable goals, notably clarity, realism—such as the Prophet's focus on protecting the youth from moral and intellectual deviations—and the division of larger missions into complementary, non-contradictory sub-goals (ahdaf juz'iyyah), exemplified by the instructions given to Mu'adh ibn Jabal upon his mission to Yemen.
- Criteria for Achieving Goals (Ma'ayir Tahqiq al-Ahdaf): Analyzes execution parameters, focusing on defining the required task, assigning the appropriate individual, establishing the timeframe, and understanding the rationale. The author cites the Prophet's explicit designation of Abu Bakr to lead the congregational prayers during the Prophet's final illness as an illustration of clear task delegation.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The study concludes with several core findings and proposals:
- Effective realization of goals requires envisioning the objective, meticulous planning, selecting appropriate elements (time, place, and personnel), assessing intermediate milestones, and preparing practical alternatives.
- Evaluation must occur across stages, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative assessments.
- Prophetic goals were structured into overarching (kulliyyah) and subsidiary (juz'iyyah) objectives that operated synergistically.
- Precise time calculation is essential, without which goal execution becomes haphazard.
- Al-Muhammadi advocates establishing specialized institutes for human development that integrate scriptural disciplines from the Quran and Sunnah with established modern sciences, alongside conducting deeper analytical readings of Islamic history for contemporary developmental applications.
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