The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 55
T he S ystem of M ushawarat in J ama ' at - e -A hmadiyya Mau‘udra in 1922. That was when Mushawarat became a formal institution, and subsequent events proved its im portance; for financial matters were acquiring a new significance, and occasional consultations were no longer considered sufficient. It was necessary to take the whole Jama'at, who are the contributors, into confidence re garding financial matters. This is the Majlis-e-Shura which has continued to grow, and now, by the grace o f Allah, it has been established on the same pattern in many countries around the world. ” [Friday Sermon, 31 March 1995; AI-Fadl International 12-18 May 1995, p. 7] As a formal institution, the first meeting of Majlis-e- Mushawarat was held in the auditorium o f Ta‘lim~ul- Islam High School, from 15th to 16th April, 1922. It was attended by 52 delegates from Jama'ats outside Qadian, and 30 representatives from the Central Departments. Separate passes were issued to delegates and Za’irin (visi tors). Za’inn were seated in the upper galleries while the delegates were seated in the main hall. Hudur’s chair and table were placed at the Northern side of the hall and the delegates sat before him in a semi-circle. P ure and I deal E nvironment of M ajlis - e -S hura Majhs-e-Shura o f Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya does not only differ from other worldly organizations in its organiza tional structure and its fimctioning, it also has a very unique environment which has to be experienced to be understood. We will try to describe here it in a few words. Nations are not built in a day, it is something that re quires years o f hard work and extraordinary supervision. 55