Skip to content
Moral Education
All Moral Lessons
SocietySurah 42 · Ash-ShuraAyah 42:383 min read

Consultation

Among the marks of the believers: their affairs are decided by shura — consultation among themselves.

Qur'anic Reference \u00b7 Ash-Shura 42:38

وَالَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَمْرُهُمْ شُورَىٰ بَيْنَهُمْ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

English Translation

\u201cAnd those who respond to their Lord, establish prayer, conduct their affairs by consultation among themselves, and spend from what We have provided them.\u201d

Bengali Translation

\u201cআর যারা তাদের প্রতিপালকের ডাকে সাড়া দেয়, সালাত কায়েম করে, নিজেদের কাজ পরস্পর পরামর্শের ভিত্তিতে সম্পন্ন করে, এবং আমি তাদের যে রিজিক দিয়েছি তা থেকে ব্যয় করে।\u201d

The moral, reflection, and application sections below are educational guidance inspired by the cited verse — they are not a translation or an authoritative tafsir.

Primary Moral

Decide together — consulting others is strength and sunnah, not weakness.

Why This Matters

Solo decisions carry solo blind spots, and imposed decisions breed silent resistance. Consultation surfaces knowledge the leader lacks and gives everyone ownership of the outcome — which is why the Qur'an lists shura beside prayer and charity.

Reflection

The placement is the commentary: between prayer and charity sits how believers make decisions — as if governance of a home or a nation were itself an act of worship. Even the Prophet ﷺ, who received revelation, consulted his companions before battles. Whoever thinks themselves above consultation has claimed a rank he never claimed.

Real-Life Application

Before your next significant decision — family, money, work — genuinely consult the people it affects, including the youngest and quietest. Ask, listen without defending, and let their input visibly shape the outcome.

Reflection Question

Whose life do your decisions shape — who has never once been asked for an opinion?

Action for Today

Ask one affected person's opinion today before finalising something you would normally decide alone.

Category

Society

Keywords

  • shura
  • consultation
  • decisions
  • leadership
  • community
  • humility

Bookmark this lesson

Saved privately on this device.

Audio

Recitation & audio lesson arrive in a future phase.