The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 201
T he S ystem of M ushawarat in J ama ‘ at - e -A hmadiyya Shura. Hudur said: “The Holy Prophet5 1 would always offer Istighjar when ever he sat in a meeting. According to the Traditions, he used to recite Istighjar seventy times. The reason for this was not, as some people discourteously say, that his heart would begin to be stained when he sat with other people, and he would offer Istighjar to remove these ill effects. How could anyone stain the Holy Prophet’ssa heart, who himse lf has said that his Satan had become a Muslim? The Holy Prophetsa did talk about the heart being stained, but this does not mean that his own heart could be stained. The reason why he offered Istighjar was so that other people’s hearts should not be stained and Allah may protect them. And the others offered Istighjar so that they would themselves be safe from being stained. Now, what has the company o f the Holy Prophet5 1 to do. with the staining o f one’s heart? The fact is that on these occasions, or when Khulafa are present in a meeting, many things can happen that may cause people’s hearts to be stained. The Holy Quran instructs us not to speak in a manner that might be disrespectful to the Holy Prophet51. And that which stands for the Holy Prophet5 1 also stands for the Khalifa. If someone speaks sharply or loudly in any other gathering, he w ill be considered rude, but if someone speaks in this manner in the presence o f the Prophet or Khalifa, he w ill not only violate the etiquette o f a meeting, but w ill become guilty o f a sin. ” [Report Majlis-e-Shura 1928, pp. 136-137] T h e K h a l i f a D o e s N o t S i d e w i t h A n y P a r t y There is no concept o f preferential treatment in Majlis-e- Shura o f Jama ‘at-e-Ahmadiyya. In this context, Hadrat 2 0 1