{"id":108368,"date":"2026-09-18T08:00:54","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T06:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=108368"},"modified":"2026-09-17T15:10:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T13:10:05","slug":"the-people-what-is-our-responsibility-part-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/the-people-what-is-our-responsibility-part-5\/","title":{"rendered":"The People \u2014 What Is Our Responsibility – Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Power Becomes an Amanah<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leadership, Justice & the Islamic Way<\/strong><\/p>\n

Throughout this week, we’ve looked at leadership from an Islamic perspective.<\/p>\n

We began by asking whether power is simply a position of authority, or whether it is an amanah<\/em> \u2014 a trust.<\/p>\n

We explored Shura<\/em>, and the importance of listening and consultation.<\/p>\n

We spoke about justice, and how a leader must be fair even when fairness is difficult.<\/p>\n

And yesterday, we looked at accountability \u2014 the reality that anyone entrusted with responsibility will ultimately be answerable for how they used it.<\/p>\n

But there is one part of the conversation we haven’t focused on enough:<\/p>\n

What about us?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What responsibility do ordinary people have?<\/p>\n

Because when we talk about leadership, it can be tempting to put everything on the shoulders of those in positions of authority.<\/p>\n

We ask:<\/p>\n

Are our leaders doing enough?<\/em><\/p>\n

Are they listening to us?<\/em><\/p>\n

Are they being fair?<\/em><\/p>\n

Are they accountable?<\/em><\/p>\n

These are legitimate questions.<\/p>\n

But Islam also teaches us to look inward.<\/p>\n

The Prophet \ufdfa said:<\/p>\n

\u201cEach of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The hadith reminds us that responsibility isn’t limited to presidents, politicians or community leaders.<\/p>\n

Every one of us has responsibilities.<\/p>\n

And being part of a society comes with responsibilities too.<\/p>\n

So what does that mean for us?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Firstly, we have a responsibility to be informed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We shouldn’t form opinions simply because someone told us something, because a video went viral, or because a particular person said it.<\/p>\n

Allah tells us:<\/p>\n

\u201cO you who believe! If a sinner brings you news, verify it\u2026\u201d<\/strong> (Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:6)<\/em><\/p>\n

That principle is particularly important today.<\/p>\n

We have access to more information than ever before, but having more information doesn’t necessarily mean we have more truth.<\/p>\n

Before sharing something, before accusing someone, before forming an opinion \u2014 we should ask:<\/p>\n