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Emotional Intelligence: Drawing its Meanings and Significance from the
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Preface / 3
edited by
Khairul Akmaliah Adham
Mohd Fuaad Said
Mohd Ezani Mat Hassan
PENERBIT UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA
BANGI • 2012
http://www.ukm.my/penerbit
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Cetakan Pertama / First Printing, 2012
Hak cipta / Copyright Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 2012
Hak cipta terpelihara. Tiada bahagian daripada terbitan ini boleh diterbitkan semula,
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Diterbitkan di Malaysia oleh / Published in Malaysia by
PENERBIT UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA
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http://www.ukm.my/penerbit
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Dicetak di Malaysia oleh / Printed in Malaysia by
PENERBIT UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA
UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA
43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, MALAYSIA
Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia
Data Pengkatalogan-dalam-Penerbitan /
Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Exploring the Islamic perspective on innovation and entrepreneurship /
edited by Khairul Akmaliah Adham, Mohd Fuaad Said, Mohd Ezani
Mat Hassan
Includes Index
Bibliography: p.109
ISBN 978-967-412-112-9
1. Entrepreneurship. 2. Inventions. 3. Business--Religious
aspects--Islam. I. Khairul Akmaliah Adham. II. Mohd Fuaad Said
III. Mohd Ezani Mat Hassan.
338.04088297
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Preface / 5
Contents
List of Abbreviations & Acronyms ...7
Preface ...9
INTRODUCTION
Conceptualizing Innovation and Entrepreneurship from
the Islamic Perspective ...13
Khairul Akmaliah Adham, Mohd Fuaad Said &
Mohd Ezani Mat Hassan
CHAPTER 1
Islamic Management and Firm Growth ...26
Nordin Muhamad, Mohd Ezani Mat Hassan & Nur
Sa'adah Muhamad
CHAPTER 2
Emotional Intelligence: Drawing its Meanings and
Significance from the Islamic Traditions ...38
Nik Mutasim Haji Nik Ab. Rahman & Nur Atiqah
Abdullah
CHAPTER 3
Positive Psychology and Organizational Creativity from
the Western and Islamic Perspectives ...49
Nur Sa'adah Muhamad, Nur Atiqah Abdullah,
Roseliza Murni Abd. Rahman, Khairul Akmaliah
Adham & Nordin Muhamad
CHAPTER 4
Health Supplement Innovation Value Chain: A General
and Preliminary Islamic Interpretation ...67
Khairul Akmaliah Adham, Mohd Fuaad Said, Nur
Atiqah Abdullah, Ahmad Khairy Ahmad Domil &
Baharu Kemat AlHaj
CHAPTER 5
Technological Innovation System in the Medieval Age:
The Rise and Decline of the Circassian Mamluk ...89
Wan Kamal Mujani, Noor Inayah Yaakub, Mohamad
Abdul Hamid & Wan Mohd Hirwani Wan Hussin
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References ...107
List of Contributors ...121
Index ...125
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Chapter 2
Emotional Intelligence: Drawing its
Meanings and Significance from the
Islamic Traditions
Nik Mutasim Haji Nik Ab. Rahman & Nur Atiqah Abdullah
Currently, especially in the Islamic world, there is a surge in interest
among Muslim scholars towards instilling, promoting and integrating
Islamic principles and values into various areas or aspects of work
practices. While the application of conventional values has come to a
stage where in certain aspects it has reached a ‘plateau’, there is a dire
need for injections of ‘new’ values and principles, either as additional or
alternatives to the existing ones. In this context, Muslims very much
believe that Islam does offer an alternative or option to the present
philosophies in helping to solve the many woes that mankind is facing and
experiencing in or outside the workplace – be they social, economic,
political, etc. Based on the belief that the religion of Islam is forever
encompassing, complete and comprehensive, theoretically there is no
situation where the application of Islamic principles is deemed irrelevant
or where Islam cannot provide solutions to the problems and issues in the
life of mankind.
Based on this premise, Islamic scholars are now exploring and
engaging with the treasures of authentic Islamic sources or traditions for
further clues, support and justification. In this chapter, attempts are made
to focus evidence gathered from these sources with respect to a critical
element of effective leadership for instance, Emotional Intelligence. The
objective is to define relevant Islamic values related to EI.
Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been one of the up-and-coming areas
of focus in research in the socio-psychological sciences. It has gained
wide application in various disciplines and fields of knowledge. In the
workplace, practitioners have long recognised and appreciated its role in
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Emotional Intelligence / 39
enhancing effectiveness in organizational management and managerial
leadership. Effective leaders are often associated with having a high
degree of EI.
With respect to the development of innovation and creativity within
individuals, EI certainly has an important role to play. When asked about
the significance of EI upon innovation and creativity, Stephane Côté of
the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, one of the
world’s leading scholars in the field of emotional intelligence, responded
that it might indeed have important consequences for creativity and
innovation, and noted the lack of research in this connection (Crommelinck
2010).
In support of this belief, Crommelinck (2010) suggests that people
high in EI comprehend which emotions are better for certain tasks and
which are less appropriate for others. In a work climate that demands
creativity and innovation, employees are aware of the fact that a favourable
degree of EI establishes positive emotions that are conducive to their
creative and innovative performance. Once they are in an emotionally
positive state, these employees can actually be more innovative and
creative.
Definition and Overview of the EI Literature
Western scholars have long produced definitions of EI. Salovey and Mayer
(1997), for example define the concept as a person’s various abilities
which include his or her ability to perceive accurately, to appraise and
express emotion; to access and/or generate feelings when they facilitate
thought; to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and to regulate
emotions in order to promote emotional and intelligence growth. Hein
(1999), meanwhile understands it as a combination of innate emotional
sensitivity with learnt emotional management skills which together lead
to long-term happiness and survival. Earlier, Goleman (1998) defined it
as a person’s abilities which include self-control, zeal and persistence,
and the ability to motivate oneself.
On another note, Bellack (1999) suggests that EI would be better
understood as competencies developed within individuals. According to
Bellack, EI encompasses both personal competence and social
competence. Personal competence refers to the ability to manage oneself.
It comprises self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation. These
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personal qualities are said to manifest in a plethora of positive
characteristics such as self-confidence; knowing one’s own strength and
limits; self-control of emotions; trustworthiness; flexibility; being
comfortable with new ideas and change; initiative; drive; commitment;
optimism; accountability for one’s own performance; and doing one’s
personal best.
Social competence, on the other hand, refers to one’s capacity for
relating to others. This includes the capacity for empathy and effective
social skills. Individuals possessing this skill could be identified with such
qualities as demonstrating an active interest in others, showing concern
for others; being sensitive to the needs of others, being effective in listening
and communication, good in influencing and inspiring others, and effective
in managing change; having the capacity to resolve conflict; and cooperating and collaborating with others in the pursuit of shared goals
(Bellack 1999).
McShane and Glinow (2010) further elaborate on the meaning of EI
defining it as a set of abilities to perceive and express emotion, assimilate
emotion in thought, understand and reason with emotion, and regulate
emotion in oneself and others. Among the various definitions offered in
the literature, Hitt, Miller and Colella (2009) consider the best-accepted
one as that which refers to one’s ability to accurately appraise one’s own
and others’ emotions, effectively regulate one’s own and others’ emotions,
and use emotion to motivate, plan and achieve.
Dimensions of EI
In the literature, EI is recognized as incorporating various components or
dimensions. Goleman (1995), for example, suggests five components of
EI namely, self-awareness, self-management, self-motivation, empathy
and social skills. In a more recent study, Mayer and Salovey (1997) also
proposed five components of EI, namely, knowing one’s emotions (self
awareness), managing emotions, self-motivating, recognising emotions
in others, and handling relationships.
1. Self-awareness (knowing one’s emotions) – The ability to acquire
self-understanding; knowledge of true feeling at the moment;
knowledge of one’s internal states, preferences, resources and
situations. The competencies involve emotional awareness, accurate
self-assessment and self-confidence (Goleman 1995). Knowing one’s
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Emotional Intelligence / 41
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
emotions deals with self-awareness and recognizing a feeling when
it happens (Mayer & Salovey 1997).
Self-management (managing one’s emotion) – The ability to handle
one’s emotion to facilitate rather than hinder the task at hand; to
shake off negative emotions and get back on constructive track for
problem solution by managing one’s internal states, impulses and
resources. Competencies include self-control, trustworthiness,
conscientiousness, adaptability and innovation (Goleman 1995).
Managing emotions refers to the ability to handle one’s feeling.
Individuals who are weak in this respect would possibly experience
distress, while those who are strong will be able to recover quickly
from life’s setbacks and upsets (Mayer & Salovey 1997).
Self-motivation – The ability to work towards desired goals; to
overcome negative emotional impulses and delay gratification to attain
the desired outcome; to demonstrate emotional tendencies that guide
or facilitate reaching goals. The competencies involve achievement
drive, commitment, initiative, and optimism (Goleman 1995; Mayer
& Salovey 1997).
Empathy – The capacity to understand and be sensitive to the feelings
of others; to be able to sense what others feel and want; to be aware
of others’ feelings, needs and concerns. The competencies involve
understanding others, developing others, social orientation, leveraging
diversity and political awareness (Goleman 1995).
Social skills – The ability to read social situations; to be smooth in
interacting with others and forming networks; to guide others’
emotions and the way they act; to be adept at inducing desirable
responses in others. The competencies include influence,
communication, conflict management, change catalyst, building bonds,
collaboration and co-operation, and team capabilities i.e., creating
group synergy in pursuing collective goals (Goleman 1995).
Recognizing emotions in others – The ability to forecast or expect
what others need or want. This ability essentially refers to ‘people’
or ‘social’ skills. It normally leads to people being more caring and
appreciative of others (Mayer & Salovey 1997).
Handling relationships – The ability to interact effectively. It requires
an individual to be skilled in creating and sustaining relationships.
This is the skill that contributes to effectiveness in interpersonal
relations and leadership (Mayer & Salovey 1997).
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Islamic Perspective on EI
According to Al-Attas and Wan Mohd Nor (2007), in Islam, two authentic
sources are normally employed for reference before establishing any
ruling, opinion, or perspective with respect to any issues – the Qur’an
and Hadith. The Qur’an is the revelation of God to the Prophet. The
Hadith refers to the collections of the recorded words, actions and
sanctions of the Prophet, and is complementary to the Qur’an. It helps to
explain and clarify the Qur’an and to present practical applications of its
teachings. Muslims believe that answers to whatever issues in life can
be found in these sources. Hence, an acceptable and proper perspective
with regard to EI, for example, should be derived from these sources.
In the following, attempts are made to gather the authentic sources
that support the relevance of some of the components of EI as proposed
by Western scholars.
Knowing One’s Emotions – Self-awareness
Recognizing a feeling as it occurs is the key ingredient of emotional
intelligence. People with greater certainty about their feelings are better
managers of their lives, having a surer sense of how they really feel
about personal decisions (Saima & Ahmed 2009).
On this skill, the Qur’an says,
And be ye not like those who forgot Allah, And He made them forget their own
souls: Such are the rebellious transgressors. (Al-Hashr (59): 19)
And now you have returned to Us alone, as We created you at first, leaving
behind all that we bestowed on you. (Al-An’aam (6): 94)
These verses are a reminder that in order to know oneself better,
one has to know Allah. Individuals who forget the very source of their
being will normally have the least degree of self-awareness. In such
circumstances, the question can be asked as to how then, they might be
expected to know and accept their weaknesses better and to learn to
overcome them.
In Islam, the concept of human nature is termed as fitra which refers
to the primordial state of man such as his natural condition and disposition.
According to the religion, man in his natural or original state is pure, and
in a ‘good’ state – one in submission to God. Even before his earthly
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existence, man in his spiritual sense or soul has made a pledge of allegiance
to God (Al-A’raf (7): 172). In other words, even before men were
conceived, their souls have engaged with Allah. Hence, man is both
physical and spiritual in nature. The Qur’an, as observed, deals very
much with the spiritual aspects of man. The highest degree of selfawareness is only achieved through man’s engagement with God. The
impact of such an engagement would be fundamental in guiding an
individual’s instinct in the choice for right and wrong. The focus on
spirituality is also evidenced in a Hadith:
“I came to the messenger of Allah and he said: You have come to ask about
righteousness? I said: “Yes.” He said: Consult your heart. Righteousness is
that about which the soul feels tranquil, and wrongdoing is that which wavers
in the soul and moves to and fro in the breast even though people again and
again have given you their legal opinion (in its favour)” (Hadith, Muslim, on
the authority of Wabisa Ibn Ma’bad).
Managing Emotions
Allah (SWT) said:
Good Muslims in the eyes of God are those who show patience, firmness and
self-control. Who are true (in word and deed); who worship devoutly; who
spend (in the way of Allah); And who pray for forgiveness in the early hour of
the morning. (Ali Imran (3): 17).
In the interpretation of the above verse, Abdullah Yusof Ali (1992,
130) wrote:
True servants of Allah have faith, humility and hope, and they have certain
virtues - 1) patience, steadfastness, self-restraint, and all that goes under the
full definition of sabr: this shows a certain attitude of mind; 2) In all their
dealings they are true and sincere as they are also in their promises and words;
this marks them out in social conduct; 3) further, their spiritual worship is
earnest and deep, an inner counterpart of their outward conduct; 4) their worship
of Allah shows itself in their love of their fellow men, for they are ready and
liberal in charity; and 5) their self-discipline is so great that the first thing they
do every morning is humbly to approach their God.
On patience, the Qur’an further states:
Be patient (in adversity): for verily God will not let the reward of the righteous
be wasted. (Hud (11): 115)
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Managing emotions is an ability that emanates from self-awareness.
Individuals who are emotionally stable are minimally affected by feelings
of distress, and will be in control over the ups and downs in their life
(Muhammad Awais 2009). In part of a verse, the Qur’an enjoins the
practice of humility in posture and words in the hour of triumph and
success, and the avoidance of arrogance (Al-Baqarah (2): 58). Obviously,
this is an exemplary ability in managing emotions.
In Islam, a simple rule of thumb in managing emotions is to look at
the people below in worldly matters while observing people above in
religious matters. Adherence to this simple guidance would lead to a
sense of qanaah – a feeling of content with what we are blessed with
without disregarding the efforts to aim for more. It was related that when
the Prophet became angry at someone else’s wrong actions or disbeliefs,
He never expressed it with his hand or tongue. His companions knew
that he was angry by looking at his face, which would be red and with
some sweat on his forehead, but he would keep quiet for a moment,
trying to control himself. In another Hadith, the Prophet once told the
companions that the one who is strong is not the one who can defeat a
certain wrestler in a fight, but the one who can control himself in a time
of anger.
Motivating Oneself
One of the examples cited in the Qur’an with respect to this skill is
encompassed in the story of Prophet Nuh A.S. propagating his tribe to
worship none other than God in their life (Nuh (71): 5-9). In the course of
this encouragement, Prophet Nuh was very much motivated. This propelled
his innovation and creativity as evident by the various strategies he adopted
in calling his people – night and day (Nuh (71): 5), aloud (Nuh (71): 8) and
spoken to them in public as well as private (Nuh (71): 9). The innovative
and creative efforts are the outcomes of his motivation which derives
from none other than the mission narrated in the Qu’ran (Hud (11): 2529). In this surah, we were told that Prophet Nuh’s mission was clear,
which is the call to his people to serve none but Allah (Hud (11): 25)
while his intention was also clear – “I am not asking or expecting any kind
of wealth or reward in return from anybody but Allah” (Hud (11): 29).
In Islam, the roots and drives in motivating oneself lie in one’s clear
and noble intention, mission, and objectives. In a famous Hadith, the
Prophet once said:
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Actions are but by intention and every man shall have but that which he
intended. Thus he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he
whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in
marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated. (Hadith, in Ezzeddin
& Davies 1982).
Hence, actions or deeds with noble intention such as for Allah’s sake,
will lead to rewards from Allah. For Muslims, gaining rewards from Allah
for performing their deeds appropriately, is the supreme and superordinate
goal, and crucial in determining hell or heaven in life after death. Actions
or deeds based on intentions other than for Allah’s sake, even though
conducted in the best possible means, will only achieve worldly, and not
superordinate goals. This differentiates actions and deeds conducted under
the Western perspective from those performed under the Islamic
perspective. Those performed under the Islamic perspective, will thus
have the opportunity to gain benefits in both worlds – the present and the
future. This explains the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in one of
his Hadiths: “An intelligent person is the one who plans for his life after
death.”
Once a person is motivated, he should be performing his level best in
his deeds or actions, consistent with what the Prophet said:
Verily Allah has prescribed proficiency in all things. Thus if you kill, kill well.
And if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you sharpen his blade and
let him spare suffering to the animal he slaughters (Hadith, An-Nawawi as
related by Muslim, in Ezzeddin and Davies 1982).
Recognizing Emotions in Others
The ability to put oneself into others’ shoes and to share the feelings of
others is very much related to the concept of empathy. This is another
important leadership ‘people skill’ which is developed from the possession
of emotional awareness. In Surah Abasa, the Qur’an relates an incident
during an early Makkan period when the Prophet himself was ‘scolded’
by God for not attending to a blind companion who interrupted his
conversations with the Pagan Quraish leaders and apparently
demonstrating facial signs of ‘disrespect’ to the former. The incident
reflects the need for leaders to be emotionally aware and sensitive of
others’ emotion. The pursuance of this skill is further evident from the
Qur’an:
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O ye who believe! Why say ye that which ye do not (Al-Saff (61): 2).
From the source of the Hadith, there are three sayings of the Prophet
that could be cited in this respect:
None of you is a Muslim until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
(Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari)
The whole Muslim ummah is like a single body. When one part of the body is
hurt the whole body feels it. (Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari)
Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to people. (Hadith,
Sahih al-Bukhari)
Similarly, from the story of the companions, it was related that Abu
Zar Al-Ghifari once said to Bilal Ibn Rabah, “You are the son of a black.”
This saying hurts Bilal and the latter reported the incident to the Prophet.
In response, the Prophet said “Abu Zar, in you there is still remnants of
ignorance (jahiliyyah)”. Jahilliyyah, an Arabic term, refers to beliefs,
values, behaviours and practices which are considered not consistent
with the religion of Islam.
Handling Relationships
This has much to do with one’s ability to manage relationships with others.
In other words, it involves the skill to manage others’ emotions.
… And speak to mankind with courtesy and politeness ... (Al-Baqarah (2): 83)
This also includes the ability to demonstrate kindness and politeness
in one’s dealings with people which obviously demands the skill to manage
others’ emotions. Aisyah related that she heard the Prophet, while staying
in her house, praying to God:
O Allah when a person who is placed in authority over my ummah (people) is
oppressive on them, be Thou strict with him, and when such a person is kind on
them, be Thou also kind on him. (Hadith, in Ezzeddin & Davies 1982)
In another Hadith, related by Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet said:
Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or keep silent,
and Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his neighbour,
and Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his guest.
(Hadith, related by Bukhari and Muslim)
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Emotional Intelligence / 47
Managing others’ emotions is very much associated with establishing
a sense of brotherhood, underlying which are the principles of equality
and love. When the Prophet migrated to Medina, among the first few
actions he took was to establish a system of brotherhood between those
who migrated from Mecca and the locals in Medina. This was to be
among the critical foundations in building a society. Among Muslims, the
Prophet advised:
Do not envy one another; do not inflate prices one to another; do not hate one
another; do not turn away from one another; do not undercut one another; but
be you, O servants of Allah, brothers. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he
neither oppresses him nor does he hold him in contempt. Piety is right here –
and he pointed to his breast three times. It is evil enough for a man to hold his
brother Muslim in contempt. The whole of a Muslim for another Muslim is
inviolable: his blood, his property, and his honour. (Hadith, related by Muslim)
With non-Muslims, it was reported that prior to his trip to Hudaibiyah
(with the intention of proceeding to Mecca for his first pilgrimage), the
Prophet made some initiatives, which intrigued the non-Muslim Meccans.
He sent 500 gold coins to be distributed among the poor of Mecca where
a famine was raging due to lack of rain. He also sent a large quantity of
date fruits to Abu Sufian, the Meccan chief, and asked, in exchange, to
barter his stock of hides which the latter could not export due to the lack
of security of the trade routes. These initiatives, according to Muhammad
Hamidullah (1979), softened the heart of his staunch enemies and of the
Meccans in general, thereby paving the way for the signing of the famous
treaty of Hudaibiyah.
Model Examplary of EI
Muslims truly believe that the best example among all humans, of a person
bestowed with the excellent qualities of EI would be none other than
Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and that other good examples would be his
companions of the early generations. On the Prophet, the Qur’an clearly
pronounced:
You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for him who
hopes in Allah and the Last Day, and who remembers Allah much. (Al-Ahzab
(33): 21)
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In this verse Allah instructs Muslims to follow Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) who was an embodiment of the great values and manners of the
Qur’an. He gave the best example for mankind in the human history.
Even non-Muslim writers bear witness that Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
is the greatest man in the human history. Hart (2010), in his ranking of
the 100 most influential persons in history, chose Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) to lead the list. According to Hart (2010), the Messenger was the
only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious
and secular levels.
Conclusion
The objective of this chapter was to discover and understand more of
what Islam can offer and contribute towards the call and the demand for
the implementation of innovative and creative ways or approaches to
effective leadership and management, both in and outside the workplace.
In doing this, the chapter has presented and examined supporting evidence
gathered from sources which are considered as authentic in Islam, in
particular the Qur’an and Hadith. Interestingly, it was found that in Islam,
the concept of emotional intelligence is very much ‘alive’ and as highly
relevant and significant as it is within the conventional thinking or
philosophy. However, given the differences in the sources of the
references and the philosophy of the conventional and Islamic
perspectives, it is expected that there would be variations in terms of the
outcomes in the context of its application in today’s organizational reality.
Nonetheless, irregardless of whether it is viewed from the convention or
Islamic perspective, EI certainly has much to contribute towards the
enhancement of innovation and creativity in organizational management
and leadership. Hence, investigating its practical implications is worthy
of further research or discussion.
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References / 107
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