The Majlis al-shura tradition in Islamic public administration

Abstract

While the majlis al-shura tradition in Islam is primarily about forms of consultation and semi-public gatherings and discussion, we argue that it is sufficiently central to Islamic governance to be considered a “macro” religious effect on public administration in its widest sense. We agree with Peters (2021) that the majlis al-shura encourages communal participation and acts as a limited check on hierarchy. Majlis, in particular (as simply a custom of gathering and discussion), are granular and constant mechanisms of discussion (and complaint) and provide possible discursive spaces in Arab and Islamic states. The chapter begins with a discussion of early Quranic and Islamic traditions regarding al-shura. The next section considers majlis and al-shura, which are distinct as practices, but often combined in formal and informal modes. The third and fourth sections of the chapter consider two case studies drawn from the Qatar experience - the Municipal Central Council in Doha, and the Majlis Al-Shura national legislature. The latter contains reflections from an interview with HE Dr Hamda bint Hassan Al-Sulaiti, deputy speaker of the Majlis Al-Shura of Qatar. We conclude that the ubiquity of majlis al-shura in Arabic and Islamic societies remains unappreciated as an influence on Islamic public administration.