HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ISLAMIC MANAGEMENT THOUGHTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR CONTEMPORARY ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

This paper describes the term Islamic Management (IM) and discusses its exceptional features, principles, characteristics and philosophy to justify the brilliance of its existence. The paper also highlights the functional issues of IM and constraints in the implementation of its principles in contemporary organizations and suggests possible remedial measures in this regard. As per concepts of IM, which are revealed by Allah (SWT) in the Holy Quran by His Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the people believe and consider the IM as a distinct subject now. It’s true that previous researchers completely ignore the excessive contributions of Islam in the field of administration and management. But Islam is the only religion, where management practices were introduced from the commencement of human evolution via Prophets of Allah (SWT) and these practices were concluded by the last Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Most of the western concepts of management are derived from the Islam. As a result, the Muslims are dominated gradually by materialistic and secular managerial concepts just because of deviation from the terrific Islamic history and deficiency of research in this area. Unfortunately, several traditional managerial concepts stay inappropriate to the organizations of Muslim society. Hence, this paper explores and describes the concepts of IM along with western management views for the successful implementations of IM concepts in Islamic organizations especially in the Muslim countries where academic curriculums, culture and management system are not fully Islamic.