Muslims remain largely unaware of the importance and value of the Qur’anic principle of al-Shura (mutual consultation) and the significant role it can play in the advancement and reform of Muslim society. In this work, the author attempts to introduce and examine key meanings and practices of al-Shura, trace its historical evolution, and explore ways in which the principle can be introduced, institutionalized and applied in Muslim societies. There is no doubt that al-Shura has been sidelined throughout the Muslim world and the reasons for this are both historically and politically complex. According to the author, although much has been written on the subject, in reality it has been at best ineffectively applied and at worst heedlessly ignored. Even today it is a hotly contested issue. As al-Shura is increasingly associated with democratic participation in a decision-making process, debate has ignited with critics challenging the notion of equating the principle with western notions of democracy, with others claiming that the principle allows for a meaning that breaks the grip of centralized power. These and other issues are investigated with careful scholarship. Al-Raysuni concludes that al-Shūra should be adopted as a way of life for all Muslims to protect their interests and as a vital tool for reconstruction and reform. In doing so he addresses the subject from some intriguing new angles, giving insight into areas hitherto little, if at all, examined. The tide of popular protest against dictatorship that is currently sweeping Arab countries is evidence at once of the failure of participatory and consultative governance and an opportunity in the meantime for them to reclaim their all but lost heritage that is so germane to their own culture and Islam. Al-Raysuni’s timely contribution unfolds the place of al-Shura in the ure, juristic and historical precedent as well as the manner of its revival in contemporary Muslim polities. His focus on pragmatic issues and the lines of convergence between al-Shura and democracy he has highlighted, make this a particularly interesting reader on the subject. In the Beginning there was Consultation’. Thus begins Ahmad al-Raysuni’s remarkable new book Al- Shūra, a passionate plea for reviving and incorporating the principle of consultation in all walks of life. His message is that the principle is divine in origin, and its application was coeval with man’s very creation. The author thus regards the principle as inherent in the creation process itself, and not merely a doctrinal matter. Further, he sees no objection to enhancing the principle by borrowing from (and further enriching) modern democratic theory and practice. ‘Democracy,’ he argues, ‘needs us as much as we need it.’ The book offers a comprehensive and compelling treatment and rethinking of this central Islamic principle.
