The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 15
In this context, Hadrat Khallfatul Maslh IHrh says: “When we study the blessed life o f the Holy Prophetsa, we find that the number o f people he would invite for consultation varied from ten or fifteen to a thousand. History has preserved instances o f the Holy Prophet’s consultations in which no more than 10 or 15 people took part. On other occasions they would number more. Hence the Holy Prophetsa has set the example for consulting from ten or fifteen to a thousand people. ” [Report Majlis-e-Shura 1967, p. 65] Hadrat Khalifatul Maslh IVrh further elaborated this point: ‘T his is not the time to go into the details o f the incidents which relate to Mushawarat at the time o f the Holy Prophet54, but we find all kinds o f them, e. g. , sometimes he would consult with only a woman, sometimes with a few Companions and sometimes with the whole commu nity. At the occasion o f the Treaty o f Hudaybiyyah, the H oly Prophet53 consulted the whole community and re jected their unanimous opinion. ” [Friday Sermon, 29 March 1996] “The Holy Prophetsa used to consult everyone, great or small, in view o f his ability to give counsel. Since not everyone is proficient at everything, the H oly Prophet53 would at times summon only a particular person for con sultation. But the system o f Shura which is now established, with its constitution and democratic voting procedure, did not exist at that time. It has come into ex istence due to the increasing demands o f time. In principle, however, the system o f Shura remains the same as practiced by the Holy Prophetsa. ” [Friday Sermon, 28 March 1997] _____________ T he S ystem of M ushawarat in J am A' at - e -A hmadiyya _____________ 15