Majlis-ash-Shura

Majlis-ash-Shura (مجلس الشورى) is the Arabic term for advisory council or consultative council. In Islamic context, the Majlis-ash-Shura is one of two ways that a Khalifa (Islamic leader) may be selected, the other way being by nomination.

Council Membership

There are no strict guidelines as to who can become part of the Majlis-ash-Shura. However, adulthood (in Islam, anyone who has reached puberty), a sound mind and strong knowledge of Islam are the most agreed upon prerequisites. Even these conditions are not completely agreed upon, as in the case of the scholar Faiyadh, who wrote that experts in various non-Islamic fields like economics, engineering and medicine are also qualified.

The Khalifa: Election Conditions, Selection and Removal

Five conditions must be met before the Majlis-ash-Shura can select a new Khalifa:

1. There must be no Khalifa at the moment.
2. The selected person must accept the nomination.
3. The nominee must have been selected without pressure having been exerted upon the Majlis-ash-Shura.
4. The Majlis-ash-Shura must give the person their bay'a (pledge of allegiance).
5. The general populace must give the person their bay'a.

The most common condition for selecting a candidate being that there can be no objection (supported by evidence) to the candidate. Scholars, however, disagree on the amount of votes there need to be for a candidate to be further considered. The amount varies from two, to at least forty, to the majority of the Majlis-ash-Shura.

The Majlis-ash-Shura has the authority to remove a Khalifa if he behaves contrary to Islam's Akhlaq (practice of morality). In effect, removal is only expected in cases of oppression, and the Majlis-ash-Shura is to discreetly inform the Khalifa of his problematic actions beforehand.

External links

• USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts