Message #949

[Zainab_M]

  brother

At the IOL thread someone put a similar point.  My answer was as follows.

What's stated in the Quraan was the first step toward what we today call 'democracy.'  The concept of modern polls didn't come right away.  Every system or ideology grows in stages. 

However, when Allah mentions the importance of consultation in the Quraan, it automatically brings about the concept of a consensus within the Council or Shura .. that is, the opinion of the majority in the Shura being more important than that of the minority. 

For specific occasions or emergencies, these verses present the concept of consultations with an adviser concerning the affairs of the state or the army. But at normal times, with the existence of a shura, the concept of "consultative agreement" can be introduced as per the Quraanic values.  In this case, it is possible that a consensus might be needed at some point, depending upon the sessions of the shura and the issues they're dealing with.    And there's nothing wrong with that.