The Positive Politics of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)

SDSB Research Unit is excited to announce the upcoming session of the SDSB Research Seminar Series 2023-24. Please join us in-person in the SDSB faculty lounge to attend an exciting talk on The Positive Politics of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

Abstract:

Politics means methodology and activities associated with running a government, an organization, or a movement. However, the word politics has become a misnomer, almost synonymizing with malapropism in a rather self-contradictory manner. Civilizations depend on constructive politics to run their countries through administrative policies for education, infrastructure, business and economics, jurisprudence, defense, and public welfare, as well as engaging with various sectors and adversaries. It requires leadership skills such as communication and ambassadorial engagement. Negative politics using false information, misleading people, lack of vision, and short-term goals such as re-election appear to be the main goals of many current politicians, earning a flawed connotation for what otherwise would be noble causes. Positive politics is grounded on authenticity, selflessness, and a pragmatic vision. In this talk, we describe what positive politics means, learning from the life of the Messenger of Allah. We discuss some attributes of the Prophet (PBUH), taking references from the book “The Perfect Human, Muhammad (PBUH), How the Last Prophet of God Changed the World,” authored by the speaker. We describe how the Prophet (PBUH) taught and practiced positive politics through words and actions. The concepts are ascertained with several events in which the Prophet (PBUH) turned his words into constructive political policies and actions, especially during critical situations and crises. There are lessons for modern politicians, for their own sake and for their country’s sake.

Speaker’s Profile:

Ishfaq Ahmad has been a full professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) since 2002. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science and M.S. in Computer Engineering from Syracuse University, New York, U.S.A., in 1992 and 1987, respectively; his B.S. in Electrical Engineering is from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan, in 1985. He has authored 290-plus publications, including books and peer-reviewed research papers on supercomputing systems, parallel optimization algorithms, digital video compression, smart power grid, AI-driven assistive technologies, and sustainable computing. Dr. Ahmad has received over 40 international research awards and about $15 million in research funding. Google Scholar shows his research papers as highly cited, ranking him among the top ten researchers in several computer science and engineering sub-branches. Prof. Ahmad has given many PhD degrees, and his former students include senior-level professorial position holders in universities around the world, leaders in industry and U.S. government agencies, and Pakistani army officials. While being a professor, he has held additional positions: a senior visiting scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China; a visiting lecturer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas; a frequent senior visiting scientist at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, New York. Currently, he is Editor-in-Chief of Springer’s Discover Internet-of-Things, which he also founded. Prof. Ahmad is a Distinguished Life Fellow by India's Institute of Doctors, Engineers, & Scientists (IDES). He is a Fellow of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)—the Fellow grade is the highest of the IEEE and is conferred for extraordinary achievements in electrical engineering and computer science. He is the author of “The Perfect Human, Muhammad (PBUH), How the Last Prophet of God Changed the World,” the proceeds of which go to a non-profit charity trust.

For queries about this event, please email shoaib.masud@lums.edu.pk