The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 435
T he S ystem of M ushawarat in J am A‘ at - e -A hmadtyya 1990, is also worth mentioning in this context. This pro posal was presented under instructions from Hadrat Khallfatol Masih IVrh, and it covered all the issues related to marriages, such as extravagance, eradication of un wanted innovations and traditions, and restrictions upon serving food to the guests by the family of the bride. The delegates freely expressed their views about these issues, but some o f the comments made were deemed improper. Many delegates thought that the proposal was meant to remove some o f the prevalent restrictions, and some even spoke against this proposal and said that the restrictions should continue. A delegate later wrote to Hudur that though members had been free to express their opinions regarding the proposal presented by Hudur, some of them had misused this privilege and had openly or impliedly criticised the proposal to permit the bride’s family to serve food to the guests. Some of the comments were even disrespectful of the Khalifa. Hadrat Khallfatul Masih IVrh examined the recorded meetings o f the Shura and the speeches that had been made on the occasion, and commented on them point by point. Hudur strongly rejected the idea that a reception by the bride’s parents, as a token o f hospitality at the oc casion of marriage, is a bad or irreligious practice. On the other hand, he said that it would have been reason able if members had pointed out that there should be no extravagance on these occasions and people should not spend more than their means. 435