The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 437
T he S ystem of M ushawarat in J ama ‘ at - e -A hmadiyya tend to adopt others which put even greater burden upon them. Members had been invited to think o f ways to stop such practices, and they were expected to propose a bal anced scheme which could enable the parents o f the bride—whether poor or rich—to serve the guests within their means. During the discussion, some delegates started speaking in terms o f rich and poor and made comments that were calculated to stir the feelings of some sections of society. Hudur took strong exception to this, and said: “I have been shaken by the extremely volatile things that members have been saying again and again. Are these the ideas that are becoming prevalent in our Jama'at? Per haps these ideas were subdued in the past due to the presence o f the Khalifa, and have now come out because the Khalifa does not personally preside over the Shura and it is presided over by his representative. Even some officials o f the Central Organization have spoken as if they were Marx or Lenin speaking about the social di vid e. . . They have wronged both sections o f society. Instead o f educating the members in the right manner, such attitudes w ill breed socialist tendencies and w ill produce results that are contrary to the teachings o f Islam and the example o f the Holy Prophet5 1 2. We need to in spire our members with a high resolve, which w ill give them satisfaction regardless o f the difference in their fi nancial status, and we need to give them the confidence to look up rather than look down. They should not suffer from any sense o f deprivation when they see that their brothers have been endowed with greater w ealth. . . Som e delegates have referred to verses o f the Holy Quran, 43 7