The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 60
T he S ystem of M ushawarat in J ama ‘ at - e -A hmadiyya He had great respect for the senior workers o f the Jama'at and Companions of the Promised Messiah (as). During Mushawarat he would treat them with due hon our and respect, would listen to them attentively, would overlook their mistakes, and would not lay down any time limit for them. Since most members from the Pun jab belonged to the rural and agriculture areas, and they would normally be in a majority in Majlis-e-Shura, he would listen to their suggestions with particular care. But at the same time he would encourage the representa tives from far flung areas to offer their point o f view, even if they were less in number. He would himself in clude the names of representatives from the Frontier Province, Sindh, Bengal, Madras, Bombay and Uttar Pardesh, in important sub-committees. And if they would not give their names, he would insist that they ex press their opinions. Majlis-e-Mushawarat was made up o f all kinds o f advis ers, such as educationists, senior government officials, engineers, lawyers and doctors, and even craftsmen such as blacksmiths and masons. They would all offer their advice according to their own knowledge and capability. All o f them, including ordinary shopkeepers, brokers, simple and illiterate villagers, Punjabis, Sindhis, Bengalis, Madrasis, Malabaris and the eloquent people of Uttar Pardesh would sit together and portray a spectacle of equality. Difficulties o f language did not impede the pro ceedings, as those who had difficulty in expressing their 60