وَالَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَمْرُهُمْ شُورَى بَيْنَهُمْ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
those who answer their Lord, maintain the prayer, and [conduct] their affairs by counsel among themselves, and they spend out of what We have provided them;
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 42:38
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 42:38] Aqa Mahdi Puya says: Consultation is to be made in the matters of personal relationship, not in the affairs of the society, that too when clear command of Allah or verdict of the Holy Prophet is not available. To administer and guide the collective as well as the individual life, all the commands of Allah and the Holy Prophet have to be followed in letter and spirit. Legislation and administration are not left to the mutual consultation of the people. Refer to the commentary of Ali Imran: 159 and Nisa: 59. The ulil amr may consult people to win their good will, otherwise he has to follow the laws made by Allah to make his final decision. After the departure of the Holy Prophet, while his true duly appointed successor, Ali ibn abi Talib (see commentary of Ma-idah: 67) was busy with the arrangements for his burial, the muhajirin of Makka and the ansar of Madina assembled at Saqifa Bani Sa-da to prove their respective merits. The muhajirin claimed preference in view of their priority in Islam and their kinship with the Holy Prophet. The ansar referred to their help and support to establish his mission. No one mentioned the historic fact that a few month ago the Holy Prophet had irrevocably nominated Ali as his divinely elected successor. Refer to "The Early History of Islam" by Sayyid Safdar Husayn, published by our Trust, for full details of the drama enacted at Saqifa Bani Sa-da. It is said that Abu Bakr was elected as the caliph by consultation and consensus among the companions. Therefore many commentators interpret this verse to justify the farce staged to belie and reject the clear command of Allah conveyed by the Holy Prophet at Ghadir Khum.