In a small community like Bermuda, politics is never truly distant. The people debating in Parliament, working in government, running businesses, teaching our children and serving in our communities often live on the same streets, attend the same churches and mosques, and know many of the same families, in fact many are relatives in some way or the other.

That closeness makes political leadership particularly important and it raises a question worth asking: what can Bermuda learn from the political leadership and character of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)?

Prophet Muhammad was not a politician in the modern party-political sense. Yet in Madinah he served as a community leader, statesman, diplomat, negotiator and administrator. His leadership was grounded in values that remain relevant to Bermuda today: trust, justice, consultation, compassion and responsibility.

Before his prophethood, Muhammad was known as Al-Amin, meaning “the trustworthy”. His reputation for honesty preceded his authority. In Bermuda, where political decisions can directly affect our families, businesses, young people and vulnerable residents, public trust should be regarded as a precious commodity.

The Koran commands: “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice.” (4:58)

That principle speaks directly to public office. Political power is an amanah - a trust - not a personal possession. Leaders should therefore be judged not only by what they promise, but by how they exercise authority once they have it.

Prophet Muhammad also practised consultation. The Koran praises those “whose affair is consultation among themselves” (42:38). For Bermuda, this could mean creating a political culture where government genuinely listens: to young Bermudians, seniors, entrepreneurs, workers, charities, faith communities and those struggling to make ends meet.

Equally important was the Prophet’s approach to disagreement. He negotiated with opponents and sought peaceful solutions without abandoning principle.

In Bermuda, political differences should never become personal warfare. We are too small an island to treat our neighbours as enemies simply because they support a different party or now as we've witnessed - the same party.

Our challenges - the cost of living, housing, healthcare, education, crime and opportunities for our young people require leadership that puts the public good above political point-scoring.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) reminds us that leadership is ultimately about service and accountability.

Perhaps Bermuda's political question should therefore be bigger than “Who can win?”

It should be:

Who can be trusted to serve? And do our politics reflect the values we claim to believe in?

What can Bermuda learn from the political leadership of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)? A lot, really - beginning with trust and integrity. When leadership is rooted in honesty, justice, accountability and genuine service to others, the rest has a way of following.

Perhaps that is the lesson Bermuda needs most: before we ask who should lead us, we should ask whether those who seek to lead us can be trusted to act in the best interests and welfare of the people.

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The following is a contribution from Brother Ismael “Pickles” Steede, a member of Bermuda’s Muslim community.

As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu, my beloved family.

Good morning, and another grand rising to my beloved family!

Wise counsel: Every day is a fishing day, but not every day is a catching day. My Nana used to say, “If you put the right bait on, you just might catch something!”

Allah (SWT), or God, as some people say, guides us and places guidance all around us. Yet, as human beings, we sometimes choose to do things contrary to what Allah has instructed us to do. We ignore the guidance and, in doing so, may find ourselves in difficulty.

There is an old saying that our elders used to share - and still do: “If you’re not hearing the wise counsel, then you’ll feel it.”

My beloved family, guidance is all around us. I am not too proud to listen to the wise counsel of our elders, and I encourage our elders not to be too proud either or to think that age and experience mean we know everything.

Some of our younger people have been blessed with remarkable foresight and wisdom far beyond their years. There is something for all of us to learn from one another.

Let us respect one another and respect the Allah-given talents that each of us possesses. Allah (SWT) has blessed some of us with particular talents and abilities, and each person has something valuable to bring to the table.

May Allah (SWT) grant us the wisdom to recognise, respect and appreciate one another’s talents and the contributions we each bring to our families and communities.

Blessed love always, Bro Ismael “Pickles” Steede

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Bermuda, let's act on the message.

As salaam alaikum (peace be unto you).

• Linda Walia Ming is a member of the Bermuda Hijab Dawah Team, a group of Muslim women who reside in Bermuda and have a goal of educating the community about the religion of Islam