Spirituality in Management: Influence of Islamic Thoughts and Philosophies

Abstract

This research note explores spirituality in management and how this spirituality has been influenced by and reflected in the Islamic faith. The source of the Islamic tradition is found in the Quran and the hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This tradition does not distinguish between the secular person involved in business, government or other enterprises and the spiritual person involved in the practice of faith. Rather Islam is an all-encompassing socio-economic system wherein morals and ethics are inextricably linked to achieve a balance between materialistic and spiritual aspects of this transitory life. This note acknowledges that there can often be disconnect between faith and practice, and provides comments on future research that is needed.