The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 336
T he S ystem of M ushawarat in J ama ‘ at - e -A hmadiyya ence come together at Mushawarat. It is the duty o f each one o f them to put forward any good idea or suggestion that comes to his mind. By the grace o f Allah, the dele gates are free from the disease o f hypocrisy. (Allah knows best. ) So you should speak confidently, but also briefly and to the point. Do not speak about irrelevant things. Some members are fond o f making speeches, and it is not a bad thing, but this is not the place for it. Mem ber who like to make speeches should tell me, I w ill arrange for them to make a speech in the mosque. It is an admirable talent, but is not required on this occasion. Therefore, any proposal which the delegates wish to pre sent must be brief and to the point. Speak freely and sensibly. Presenting your arguments point by point is also very useful. Long speeches confuse many people and irritate others. There is no reason to unnecessarily unnerve and annoy your brothers. So let everyone speak, but briefly. And let everyone give advice, but in a concise manner and after proper thought. This is the main objective o f Majlis-e-Mushawarat. Every idea should be presented in the form o f a proposal, and if something is unclear it should be pointed out. If you do not understand something you are free to ask. ” [Report Majlis-e-Shura 1973, pp. 10-14] G u i d i n g P r i n c i p l e f o r T h o s e w h o T a k e P a r t i n t h e D i s c u s s i o n Hadrat Khalifatul Maslh IVrh gave the following advice to those who offer their views upon various issues in the Shura. He said: “I want to advise those who offer advice in the Shura. An AhmadI must have a very clear mind. At this moment a proposal has been presented before us and we have to 3 3 6