fyi
Shura - mutual consultation is the Divinely Designed management system for the Muslim community. Regular comunity-wide shura is of utmost importance, and it shoud be held when any important decisions are made. It cures the ills generated by dictatorial one-man or small click rule.
Peace, Curtis Sharif
Houston, Texas
Living the Quran
Al-Shura (The Mutual Consultation)
Chapter 42: Verse 38 (Partial)
Mutual Consultation
"And whose affairs are a matter of counsel."
The Muslim Jurists have said that when mutual consultation (Shura)
was made necessary for the Prophet himself to follow, it becomes
incumbent upon his followers to resort to Shura in all our
activities whether individual, social or political matters. The
Messenger of Allah used to receive revelation from Allah, hence,
seemingly he was not in need of mutual consultation but still he was
asked to do so through divine commandment. It is on this basis that
Ibn Taimiyyah has said that "The leader has no other option but to
resort to Shura since Allah had commanded his Prophet to do so. All
others, therefore, have a special need for mutual consultation." The
Prophet has said in a Hadith: "If I were to make any one a caliph
without consultation I would have named Abdallah bin Masud."
Likewise, Caliph Umar has also said that caliphate can never
function without mutual consultation.
Mutual consultation is, therefore, one of the great qualities that
the Faithful (Mumin) has to cultivate in himself. On this basis,
consultation among Muslims is an important pillar of the beautiful
and elaborate building of the Islamic way of life. To do any
collective work without prior mutual consultation is not only a way
of the ignorant but is also a clear defiance of the regulation laid
down by Allah. The great importance given to the whole process of
consultation is based upon three reasons:
Firstly, it is very unfair to decide alone a matter concerning two
or more people. In collective matters nobody has a right to do
according to one's sweet will. All the people concerned with the
matter should be consulted, and if it is concerned with a very large
number of persons then their representatives should be sounded for
their considered opinion.
Secondly, if a man tries to act autocratically or arbitrarily,
either he wants to usurp the right of others or he considers himself
superior to other whom he holds in contempt. From moral point of
view both these attitudes are bad and reprehensible. However, even a
trace of these wrong attributes cannot be found in the Faithful
(Mumin), who is neither selfish so as to take unfair advantage of
others, nor is proud and self-concerted so as to believe himself to
be a paragon of intelligence and knowledge.
Thirdly, it is a concern of great responsibility to take decisions
on mater relating to the rights and interests of others. Anyone, who
is conscious of Allah and His inevitable judgement, cannot dare to
bear the burden of such responsibility all alone. Such reckless acts
are done by only those people who are devoid of fear of Allah and
are without care of the hereafter.
Islamic way of life requires that the principle of consultation
should be applicable to every small or big collective affair. In the
affairs of the household husband and wife should consult each other
before doing anything, and when the children attain the age of
puberty their opinion should also be taken into account.
Source:
"Shariah: The Islamic Law" - Abdur Rahman I. Doi, pp. 15-19
Al-Shura (The Mutual Consultation)
Chapter 42: Verse 38 (Partial)
Mutual Consultation
"And whose affairs are a matter of counsel."
The Muslim Jurists have said that when mutual consultation (Shura)
was made necessary for the Prophet himself to follow, it becomes
incumbent upon his followers to resort to Shura in all our
activities whether individual, social or political matters. The
Messenger of Allah used to receive revelation from Allah, hence,
seemingly he was not in need of mutual consultation but still he was
asked to do so through divine commandment. It is on this basis that
Ibn Taimiyyah has said that "The leader has no other option but to
resort to Shura since Allah had commanded his Prophet to do so. All
others, therefore, have a special need for mutual consultation." The
Prophet has said in a Hadith: "If I were to make any one a caliph
without consultation I would have named Abdallah bin Masud."
Likewise, Caliph Umar has also said that caliphate can never
function without mutual consultation.
Mutual consultation is, therefore, one of the great qualities that
the Faithful (Mumin) has to cultivate in himself. On this basis,
consultation among Muslims is an important pillar of the beautiful
and elaborate building of the Islamic way of life. To do any
collective work without prior mutual consultation is not only a way
of the ignorant but is also a clear defiance of the regulation laid
down by Allah. The great importance given to the whole process of
consultation is based upon three reasons:
Firstly, it is very unfair to decide alone a matter concerning two
or more people. In collective matters nobody has a right to do
according to one's sweet will. All the people concerned with the
matter should be consulted, and if it is concerned with a very large
number of persons then their representatives should be sounded for
their considered opinion.
Secondly, if a man tries to act autocratically or arbitrarily,
either he wants to usurp the right of others or he considers himself
superior to other whom he holds in contempt. From moral point of
view both these attitudes are bad and reprehensible. However, even a
trace of these wrong attributes cannot be found in the Faithful
(Mumin), who is neither selfish so as to take unfair advantage of
others, nor is proud and self-concerted so as to believe himself to
be a paragon of intelligence and knowledge.
Thirdly, it is a concern of great responsibility to take decisions
on mater relating to the rights and interests of others. Anyone, who
is conscious of Allah and His inevitable judgement, cannot dare to
bear the burden of such responsibility all alone. Such reckless acts
are done by only those people who are devoid of fear of Allah and
are without care of the hereafter.
Islamic way of life requires that the principle of consultation
should be applicable to every small or big collective affair. In the
affairs of the household husband and wife should consult each other
before doing anything, and when the children attain the age of
puberty their opinion should also be taken into account.
Source:
"Shariah: The Islamic Law" - Abdur Rahman I. Doi, pp. 15-19
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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