The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 449
T he S ystem of M ushawarat in J ama ‘ at - e -A hmadiyya S ome important P oints regarding C onsulting the K halifa During the third year after his migration to London, Hadrat Khallfatul Maslh IVrh sent a message to Majlis-e- Mushawarat Rabwah in which he detailed the subject of consulting the Khalifa in the light o f two verses o f the Holy Quran. Hudur said: “The philosophy o f the Quranic injunction [And their affairs are decided by mutual consultation ] is very deep and comprehensive. In fact, it covers all aspects o f human life. We should make it our habit to consult oth ers, and the more you consult before coming to a decision, the better it w ill be for you and for the Jama'at. I came to know o f several letters that were written by people in their individual capacity. Had I been consulted about them, I would have stopped them or would only have allowed them to be sent with some changes. But this does not mean that I have to be consulted in every matter. This is a very interesting subject which I would like to share with you. Consulting the Imam, in fact, means asking his permission. It may apparently be a matter o f consultation, but when the Imam gives an ad vice, it is not a common advice but assumes the status o f a command. The injunction is addressed to the Imam, and it is he who is required to consult the peo ple and not vice versa. This is because this injunction is followed by j d ) l •SJyZlllS Thus when the Imam reaches a conclusion, after having consulted his follow ers, his conclusion becomes the decision, that is to say, the purified form o f the consultation assumes the form o f the final verdict. The Khalifa may be consulted in certain circumstances, but I am personally inclined to believe that when you 449