The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 416
T he S ystem of M ushawarat in J ama * at - e -A hmadiyya Therefore, whenever you are asked for advice, you should offer it selflessly. ” [Friday sermon, 27 March 1970] In his inaugural address to Majlis-e-Mushawarat on the same day, Hudur said: “May God enable you and me to offer to Him the quintes sence o f our intelligence, our insight and our devotion!” [Report Majlis-e-Shura 1970, p. 4] D ifference between M ushawarat and W estern D emocracy Hadrat Khallfatul Masih IVrh also spoke on this subject during Majlis-e-Shura Belgium. Hudur said: “When Majlis-e-Mushawarat was initially introduced in the W est, we were faced with some problems because most Westerners and Africans confused Mushawarat with Western democracy, while, in fact, Western democ racy comes nowhere near Mushawarat. Their aims and their methods and their manner o f speaking is quite dif ferent. They do not even have the concept o f offering opinions purely for the sake o f God. Shura is not a de mocratic institution, rather it is a heavenly institution which comes from above and flow s downwards. It does not flow upwards from the roots as does democracy. ” [Address to Majlis-e-Shura Brussels, 9 September 1992, p. 2] Hudur further said: “The true Majlis-e-Shura is the one envisaged by Islam, in which you are not allowed to ask for votes, or to form parties. It is for the people to choose as their representa tive one whom they see as righteous and God-fearing in their daily lives. And there is an efficient system o f checks and balances, for which reason it is called Majlis- 4 1 6