Islamic Morals [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Lesson: 55 Advantage of Consultation and Condemnation of Despotism

The subject
of seeking advice is of much importance in Islam. Notwithstanding the divine
revelation, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) had so strong intelligence that he never
needed any advice. Yet, in order to make Muslims realise the value of importance
of counselling so that they may make it a part of their basic programme of life
and, from another angel, with a view to increase the power of thinking in people,
he used to call advisory councils for consulting Muslims in common affairs of
enforcing divine commands not legislation. He was giving more importance especially
to the views of wise person to such an extent that in some matters he even used
to give up his own thought and accept that of the advisors. so we find such
examples in the battle of Uhad. It can be said that one of the factors causing
the success of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) in furthering the Islamic objects
and aims was this consultation.

Just think of five things in this connection:

1. Verses and traditions regarding consultation (Shooraa). 2. With what kind
of persons consultation can be done?

3. Fruitful results of consultation.

4. Duty of the adviser.

5. Censure of dictatorship or despotism

Verses

1. Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that you deal with them gently, and had
you been rough, hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around
you; pardon them therefore and ask pardon for them, and take counsel with them
in the affair; so when you have decided, then place your trust in Allah; surely
Allah loves those who trust.

2. And those who respond to their Lord and keep up prayer, and their rule is
to take counsel among themselves, and who spend out of what We have given them.

Traditions

The Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.s.) said: When your rulers are your good persons and your wealthy person
s are generous and when your affairs are carried out through consultations,
the back of earth is better for you than its belly that is your life is worthwhile.
But if your statesmen are bad persons and your rich men are stingy and if you
do not consult one another in your affairs, then the belly of earth is better
for you than its surface back.

Amirul Momineen
(a.s.) says in one of his sermons: No support is more satisfying than consultation.

Imam Baqir
(a.s.) said: The one who does not consult becomes worried, the poverty of death
is great, whatever you do to others will be done to you. One who becomes the
owner acts dictatorially that is, in a way generally they adopt this manner.

Who can
be consulted?

It is obvious
that one cannot turn towards all for consultation because, sometimes, some persons
have weak poius and hence their advice can bring trouble and misfortune and
retrogression. Due to this traditions of the Holy progeny have enumerated the
virtues of the consultant:

1. It is reported
that Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: Consultation requires some conditions and if one
does not have these virtues his consultation will only harm. So the first of
them is that the consultant should be a wise person . Secondly he must be a
free man and a moderate one. Thirdly he should be a friendly person a true friend.
Fourth: He must be such that you can make him know your secrets and that his
knowledge regarding he concerned matter must be like your own knowledge, that
is, it may reach others.

2. It is recorded from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) Make consultations in the matters that
arise with those who fear their Lord.

3. Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) said: Do not consult three groups. Do not consult
the stingy because he stops you from giving a gift and help to others and makes
you afraid of poverty and also do not take the advice from the fearful coward
people as they hold you back from doing important works and likewise do not
seek advice of the greedy because they glorify before you oppression with a
view to accumulating wealth or for acquiring status.

4. Ali (a.s.) said: Avoid consulting women except those whose intelligence and
wisdom has been proved through experience.

5. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) is said to have said: Never consult the one who recommends
despotism.

Results
of consultation

As a matter
of principle, those who carry on their important works with mutual consultation
seldom fall in fault. On the contrary, people who are victims of the evil of
despotism and who think that they never need anyone's advice, if even if they
are extraordinarily intelligent, make serious and dangerous mistakes resulting
in great sorrow and pain. Apart from this, the mentality of dictatorship drags
down the personality of man in the eyes of the people. They cause stagnation
of thought, destroy capabilities and in this way they waste the greatest human
faculty of a society.

Moreover, the
one who takes advice of others in his deeds, if he becomes successful, he does
not become victim of jealousy, because, others regard his success as their own
success. Usually man does not envy his own deeds. And if, once in a while, he
is unsuccessful, nobody scolds or condemns him because no one objects to ones
own actions. Not only he does not criticise, he also shows sympathy to the sufferer.

One more benefit
of consultation is that, thereby man will come to know the value of ones personality
and the balance of friendship and enmity and this knowledge opens the path of
success for him. It is, perhaps, due to the same that, despite possessing extraordinary
power of thinking, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used to consult his companions.
The following traditions too point toward it:

1. Amirul Momineen
(a.s.) is reported to have said: One who does not consult fees ashamed.

2. Ali (a.s.) also said: One who sticks forcefully to his own opinion gets destroyed
and the one who consults elders joins them in wisdom.

3. Amirul Momineen (a.s.) has also said: One who takes advice is not censured.

The duty
of a consultant

Just as, Islam
has given an emphatic order to take advice, it has also asked the consultants
that they should never fall short of giving only useful and beneficial advice.
dishonesty in giving advice is considered one of great sins, so much so that
this order applies even to non-believers. If a Muslim accepts the request for
advice from a non-Muslim the former has no right to be dishonest in giving advice
and to hide what he finds.

In the Risaala-e-Huqooq
Imam Sajjad (a.s.) has written: It is the right of the one who seeks your advice
that if you have any view or opinion express it to him. If you do not have any
opinion then direct him to the one who has the same. However, it is also the
right of adviser that you should not scold him in the matter in which you do
not agree with him. Then if he was agreeable with you, thank God.

It is recorded
from Amirul Momineen (a.s.) In fact in am away from one who is dishonest in
giving advice to Muslims.

Also said Imam
Sadiq (a.s.): If one whom his brother consults and yet he does not show him
what is good for him, God takes away his wisdom.

Traditions
censuring despotic thinking

Imam Sadiq
(a.s.) has said: Despotic thinking binds man's opinion with wrong matters.

He has also said: Never consult a despot.

Again said: One who always sticks strictly to his own opinion gets destroyed.