Expounding the Trust-Based Leadership Model from the Perspective of the Holy Qur'an

Abstract

Leadership is one of the most widely used and influential terms in organizations. The role of leadership in the dynamics, success, and alignment of an organization’s forward movement, especially in today’s complex and competitive world, is undeniable. This success depends on the trust established through the leader-follower relationship. The present study aims to examine the role of leadership in gaining the trust of followers towards the leader in managing and leading human resources in an organization, from the perspective of the Holy Qur'an, using a Grounded Theory research method. This involves identifying Qur'anic verses related to the concepts of leadership and trust, followed by the extraction of codes, concepts, and categories based on the data-driven theory-building approach, specifically the method of Corbin and Strauss. After examining the two variables, the identified terms related to leadership in the Qur'an include: Rabb (Lord), Wali (Protector), Imam (Leader), Hidayah (Guidance), Khalifah (Vicegerent), Nabi (Prophet), and Rasul (Messenger). The identified terms for trust include: 'Imad (Support), Rukn (Foundation), Ittikhadh (Adoption), Aman (Safety), Thiqah (Trust), Tawbah (Repentance), and Tawakkul (Reliance). Through identifying 189 verses, 560 codes, 255 concepts, and 40 categories, four main categories emerged. The results indicate that the key factors for gaining followers' trust in leadership are: first, the leader's personal qualities; second, the leader’s performance and functions; third, ethical-behavioral interaction with followers; and fourth, endorsement and approval from higher authorities. The outcome of trust in leadership is the transformation and change of human resources within the organization.