The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 413
T he S ystem of M ushawarat in jama ‘ at - e -A hmadiyya Jama'ats and individuals cannot lay down any conditions on how they want to offer their advice. Majlis-e-Shura is called by the Khalifa and he has the authority to consult the members in whatever numbers and whatever manner he sees fit. We thought it necessary to make this clarifi cation lest some new Ahmadis should confuse the membership o f Shura with the membership o f some W estern-style Parliament. ” [Report Majlis-e-Shura 1967, p. 244] Later, on the occasion o f Mushawarat 1970, Hadrat Khallfatul Maslh IIIrh delivered a Divinely inspired ser mon upon the institution o f Mushawarat. Hudur explained the meaning of this verse o f Al-e-‘Imran: (js'ySi o J y LljU I(j “So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and con sult them in matters o f importance; and when thou art determined, then put thy trust in Allah. ” (Al-e-‘Imran, 3:160) and said that forgiveness is only to be exercised when it results in reformation, and the purpose o f ‘seeking for giveness from God’ is so that people are able to seek forgiveness for their own sins and are saved from the ill-consequences o f their misdeeds. Although this in junction is primarily addressed to the Holy Prophetsa, it is also addressed to his deputies. They, too, have been asked to deal with the Jama'at in such a way that they are able to reform themselves, and are spared the ill- consequences o f their misdeeds through repentance and seeking God’s forgiveness. 413