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A H M A D I Y Y A G A Z E T T E C A N A D A Majlis Shr Dr. Syed Muhammad Aslam Daud Secretary Majlis Shura <strong>Canada</strong> and whose affairs are decided by mutual consultation And those, who hearken to their Lord, and observe Prayer, and whose affairs are decided by mutual consultation, and who spend out of what We have provided for them, (42:39) Shr is an Arabic word for "consultation." The word Shr is derived from connotations of giving one’s opinion after having purified oneself. According to the above mentioned verse of the Holy Qur’an, the true believers are those who observe prayer and who consult in communal matters, who reflect and then give an opinion and once a decision is made they cooperate and employ all their strengths to implement it. consult with his companions, but ultimately, to decide on his own. In the other, the community of the faithful is described as the one that (among its other attributes) administers its affairs by mutual consultation. For the first one, consultation is mandated but is not binding; whereas for the second, it is depicted as constituting the very process by which are reached binding decisions on public matters. Similarly in the first mode, the Prophet (sa), and by interpretation his representative, is personally involved, while in the second mode, it is the community deliberating on public matters collectively. The Holy Qur’an states: “And it is by the great mercy of Allah that thou art kind towards them, and if thou hadst been rough and hard-hearted, they would surely have dispersed from around thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in matters While Islam enjoins representative democracy, it also requires submission to those in authority. This is a more traditional approach, characteristic of many centuries of Islamic history. Shr is a key principle of governance in Islam. However, a true Shr can only exist with guidance from Khilafat. In the Holy Qur’an, two modes of consultation are mentioned. In the one, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) is asked to Majlis Shr 27
of administration; and when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Surely, Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.” (3:160) Following the above commandment of Allah, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) used to seek consultation and confer with others. However, if the final decision is contrary to the counsel and the opinions given, then Allah commands the Prophet (or in the present day, the Khalfa) to put his trust in Him and stay firm on his decision. The Holy Prophet (sa) said that the one who is consulted is a trustee and the one whose brother seeks his consultation and he gives it to him without due integrity betrays him. He enjoined his followers to consult those who are sensible and who are sincere worshippers, be they men or women. The Holy Prophet (sa) himself used to take advice from both men and women. Choosing the first Caliphs by Shr The first form of Majlis Shr (Consultative Body) was held at the demise of Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) in 632 CE to discuss his succession. Hadrat Abu Bakr (ra) was selected with mutual consultation as his successor. Hadrat Umar Bin Khattab (ra), the second successor of the Holy Prophet (sa) established a splendid system of administration for the Islamic state including the establishment of Majlis Shr as a consultative advisory body to the Khalfa. In the light of Qura'nic guidance and the blessed model of the Holy Prophet (sa), Hadrat Umer (ra) said that there is no Khilafat without Shr. Hadrat Ali (ra) also said that counsel should be sought from those who are sensible and those who worship God. During and after Hadrat Ali's (ra) tenure as Caliph, the Muslim community fell into civil war. Power was eventually grasped by the Ummayad caliphs and then by the Abbasid caliphs. However, a few of the later caliphs had anything but nominal control over the many Islamic States. There were also rival caliphates in Egypt and Al-Andalus, which included most of today’s Spain. Later, the rulers of the Ottoman empire claimed the caliphate which was ultimately dissolved in 1924. None of the later caliphs or rulers of early Islam, after the righteous caliphate, were chosen by Shr; most came into authority by inheritance or by the sword. In practice, most Muslim rulers at that time were autocratic, listened only to powerful advisors and clergy, and rejected advice they did not like. One can cautiously attribute their failure to the lack of existence of a pious Majlis Shr. Shr and Contemporary Muslim- Majority States Some Muslim-majority states, like Turkey, are secular democracies or constitutional monarchies (Morocco). They could thus be said to be ruled by one version of Shr. Other states are dictatorship, secular, monarchic, or clerical. The bicameral Parliament of Pakistan is officially called the Majlis Shr, although the Constitution uses various spellings of the term. In Egypt, the Upper House of Parliament is known as the Shr Council. Most members are elected for a six-year term; however, all real power is held by the President. Saudi Arabia was given a Shr council in 1993 of which there are now 120 members. All real power is held by the King, who is elected by family members, with no input from the populace. Oman also has a Shr Council, but its members are appointed by the Sultan and they Majlis Shr 28
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Page 8 and 9: Christian doctrine of atonement by
Page 10 and 11: for Allah’s mercy pursuant to the
Page 12 and 13: kind to us.” (Tirmidhi Kitab-ud-
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Page 16 and 17: presence and service of the Promise
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Page 48 and 49: You must be willing to follow God

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