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Now Available!
The Islamic Rules of Order by Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad Paperback (6x9) * 96 Pages * List Price $13.95  Organizations
must have rules of order to facilitate their debate and to fill in the
procedures not detailed by their constitutional documents. While most
American organizations are content to operate by Robert's Rules of
Order, Muslim organizations have often wrestled with questions over
whether the rules of order systemized by a Western military figure are
in accord with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. This book tackles the matter
directly and takes into account the Qur'an, the sunnah, Islamic manners
and the history of Islamic consultation and leadership to provide a
simple, practical guide to organizational procedure that can be
incorporated into the governance of Muslim organizations. The book
includes advice on writing bylaws and on complying with the best
practices of the U.S. Dept. of Justice in a way that is Islamically
authentic, transparent, and accountable. It provides a basic starting
point for any Muslim organization while allowing for flexibility so
that organizations may make any variations they require within their
own bylaws and constitution, so that it can accommodate differing
schools of thought on Islamic law. In its discursive approach it is an
essential primer for understanding the value of rules of order and the
Islamic context for their application. The Islamic Rules of Order
has been adopted as the rules of order of the Association of Muslims
Social Scientists.About the Author Dr. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, a Palestinian-American Muslim, graduated cum laude from Harvard in 1970 and obtained a Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Arizona in 1975. He has had years of experience as a parliamentarian and/or chairman of many organizations, both Muslim and of a general constituency. As President of the Islamic think tank, the Minaret of Freedom Institute, he has cultivated a special interest in issues of good governance in Muslim organizations and the Muslim world. He teaches honors courses in religion, science and freedom at the University of Maryland. Dr. Ahmad is the author of Signs in the Heavens: A Muslim Astronomer's Perspective on Religion and Science, co-author with Rose Wilder Lane of Islam and the Discovery of Freedom, and co-editor Ahmad Yousef of Islam and the West: A Dialog. |
Dr. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad documents a practical set of rules
for the governance of Islamic societies.
The Table of Contents and the preface to the volume are reproduced
below.
TO GET YOUR COPY send $13 with a request for The
Islamic Rules of Order to:
Minaret of Freedom Institute
4323 Rosedale Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
Bookstores, foundations, mosques, schools and other
retailers call us at 301-907-0947 for wholesale pricing.
Contents
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Introduction |
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Chapter 1: |
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PURPOSE OF RULES OF ORDER UNDER ISLAMIC LAW |
1 |
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Chapter 2: |
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FORMING AN ORGANIZATION |
5 |
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Chapter 3: |
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OFFICIALS |
7 |
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Chapter 4: |
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ASSEMBLY |
13 |
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Chapter 5: |
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MOTIONS |
15 |
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Chapter 6: |
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CONSULTATION |
25 |
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Chapter 7: |
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VOTING |
27 |
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Chapter 8: |
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COMMITTEES AND BOARDS |
31 |
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Chapter 9: |
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FINANCES |
33 |
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Chapter 10: |
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DEALING WITH THOSE ACCUSTOMED TO ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER |
37 |
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Bibliography |
39 |
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Appendix—A: |
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SAMPLE BYLAWS |
41 |
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Appendix—B: |
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INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING |
65 |
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Appendix—C: |
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QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE |
71 |
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Appendix—D: |
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HISTORY OF THE RULES OF ORDER |
75 |
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INDEX |
79 |
INTRODUCTION
I know, from my involvement in the birth and on-going struggles of a number of Muslim organizations, the intense need for rules of order that Muslims can understand and easily accept. Yet, I have no doubts that this volume, which seeks to fulfill that purpose, will raise eyebrows. Non-Muslims will wonder why the widely adopted Robert’s Rules of Order will not suffice, while certain Muslims will protest, “Are not the Qur’an and the Sunnah sufficient for us?”
Robert’s Rules
could
be, and has been, incorporated into the governing rules of Muslim
organizations. Such terminology or provisions as some Muslims deem
unIslamic
may be overridden by express clauses in the bylaws or constitution of particular Muslim organizations. My years of
experience as
Parliamentarian and/or chairman of many organizations (both
Muslim and of a
general constituency) have convinced me that two problems stand in the
way of
this actually happening. The first is that there always seems to be an
intransigent minority that refuses to believe that a non-Muslim
institution
(especially one developed by a Western military man, as General Robert
was) can
possibly be reformed to become a part of an Islamic institution. The
second is
that Robert’s Rules are in fact truly confusing and cumbersome.
As to the Muslims who object to any “rules of order” as a Western concept, they should learn that the Prophet himself (peace be upon him) negotiated formalized rules in the justly famous Medina compact. Clearly he did not do this because the Qur’an was incomplete, he did it because the Qur’an is not a set of rules of order. When Muslims negotiate the bylaws of their own organizations they are following the Prophet's example. A wise man will understand that one does not wish to burden the drafters of an organization's constitution with articulating all the rules of procedure upon which the members must agree to insure smooth consultation. The Qur’an demands that Muslims engage in shûrah (consultation) in their affairs, yet does not specify precisely how such consultation is conducted. Even if one believes that the Prophet (pbuh) has answered every question of procedure, only an extreme naïf or complete fool would pretend that all Muslims know those answers or agree on their interpretation in every case.
Muslims use
modern rules of order all the time when they vote on an issue or when
they
“make a motion.” There is no virtue in
pretending that we do not. What is virtuous is to openly publish the
rules by
which we operate so that all have a fair and equal opportunity to
participate
in shuratic process.
Discussions with
other Muslims who have had to wrestle with these issues, especially our
dear
brother Imam Faizal
Khan,
has convinced me that the solution lies in the
booklet you hold in your hands. Here is a set of rules of order
thoroughly in
accord with the Qur’an and Sunnah and yet which borrow freely from those elements
of Western rules
of procedure which are consistent with that basis. Although those who
are
familiar with Robert’s Rules will be comfortable with the rule outlined here,
I have in fact
relied not on Robert’s Rules,
but on the rules of the
American Institute of Parliamentarians (Sturgis’
Standard Code of
Parliamentary Procedure) as my main resource. Those rules are
clearer and
more consistent with Islamic principles. The principle differences are
noted at
the end of Appendix A.
I believe these rules are workable because they accord with the practice of Muslims in successful American Muslim organizations. Any organization that considers adopting these rules should understand that any particular rule or procedure would be superceded by the organization's own bylaws. Anyone who feels that I have erred in any way (and truly, only Allah is perfect) may put an overriding provision in their constitution or bylaws.
Finally, I am grateful to Dr. Taha Jabir Al-Alwani for reviewing these rules for consistency with the Islamic law and to the Minaret of Freedom Institute for undertaking this project and to amana publications for publishing this booklet.
Imad-ad-Dean
Ahmad, Ph.D.
Bethesda, MD
June 2008
