Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Brother Burhan,

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmathullah.

I started reading the Q&A in islamhelpline just a few days back. All I can say about your answers to all the questions "Subhanallah". I pray to Allah the Almighty to give you long life and strength to continue your great work of making people realize the difference between truth and falshood in the light of Quran and Sunnah.

One thing I have noticed in your answers is you always refer yourlef as "we". Are the answers a collective effort of other Brothers with you too?

One question I would like to ask you is, when you had so many meetings with Mr.Mohamed Burhanuddin in your own house and elsewhere, did you try to challenge him on the issues of Shirk, and Bidaa with proof from Quran and Sunnah? What was his reaction?

Once again I thank you brother Burhan for offering excellant answers to different questions with great proof from Quran and Ahadees. Jazakalla.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

BOHRA BROTHER QUERIES

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Your Question: One thing I have noticed in your answers is you always refer yourlef as "we". Are the answers a collective effort of other Brothers with you too?

Respected brother, indeed the maintaining and moderating of our humble forum is an absolute collective effort of several brothers and sisters who volunteer their time and their efforts only for the Sake and Pleasure of Allah Subhanah. As regards the answers brother, I simply but translate and formulate into the English language the response I receive from the scholar/s to the questions posed by our brethren to the forum…which is duly checked for its accuracy and its authenticity, and if need be, edited by our brother editor. Then and only then is the answer posted to the brother who asked the question, and on the website. Thus in effect, it would be absolutely accurate to say that the answers too are a collective effort on the part of brothers and sisters who volunteer their efforts to this noble cause.

Your Question: One question I would like to ask you is, when you had so many meetings with Mr.Mohamed Burhanuddin in your own house and elsewhere, did you try to challenge him on the issues of Shirk, and Bidaa with proof from Quran and Sunnah? What was his reaction?
Although I (and several other brothers of our humble forum) have met Syedna several times, the honest truth is it was mostly during our days of ignorance and before Allah Subhanah opened our hearts to the understanding of the guidance of the Glorious Quran.

But after Allah Subhanah in His Infinite Mercy and Grace opened our hearts to the understanding of the guidance of His Glorious Message, over the years, we have had several discussions and debates with members of the (so-called) ‘royal family’, including the local ‘aamil’ bhaisaheb (who incidentally happens to be the grand-son of the Syedna)…and one recent meeting even with the son of the Syedna, Mufaddal bhaisaheb. Allah is our witness brother, we challenged them to explain the issues of ‘shirk’ and provided them evidence for the ‘shirk’ that they blatantly commit from the Glorious Quran….but to our utter shock and dismay, we realized that although they might be able to recite the Glorious Quran in a very beautiful manner, they just do not know, nor do they wish to understand the clear guidance of the Glorious Book of Allah Subhanah!.....or it may even be that because of their insistence on blindly following the ways of ‘shirk’ of their forefathers rather than the clear Guidance of Allah; for therein lies their power and their position amongst their followers….. the Lord has sealed their hearts and left them to stray! And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verses 36-37:

36 Is not Allah enough for His servant? But they try to frighten thee with other (deities) besides him! For such as Allah leaves to stray, there can be no guide.

37 And such as Allah doth guide, there can be none to lead astray! Is not Allah Exalted in Power (able to enforce His Will) Lord of Retribution?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rom verse 29:

Nay!!! The wrong-doers (merely) fellow their own lusts being devoid of knowledge. But who will guide those whom Allah leaves astray? To them there will be no helpers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 45 Surah Jathiya verse 23:

Then seest thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire? Allah has knowing (him as such) left him astray, and sealed His hearing and his heart (and understanding), and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah (has withdrawn Guidance)? Will ye not then receive admonition?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 97:

It is he whom Allah guides that is on true guidance; but he whom He leaves astray for such wilt thou find no protector besides Him. On the Day of Judgment We shall gather them together prone on their faces blind dumb and deaf: their abode will be Hell: every time it shows abatement, We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 8:

Is he then, to whom the evil of his conduct is made alluring so that he looks upon it as good, (equal to one who is rightly guided)? For Allah leaves to stray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. So let not thy soul go out in (vainly) sighing after them: for Allah knows well all that they do!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 125:

The hearts of those whom Allah wills to guide, He opens (them to the Guidance of) Islam."

Your Question: …..What was his reaction?

Although the meetings and debates themselves were cordial, in my humble opinion the general reaction of the ‘bhaisahebs’ was one of ambiguity and avoidance of the main subject matter: ie. ‘shirk’! No matter how much evidence we chose to provide from the Glorious Quran on the subject of ‘shirk’…… and Allah is our witness brother, the very pivot and the cornerstone of the Message of the Glorious Book is the establishment of ‘tauheed’ (monotheism) and the refutation of ‘shirk’ (polytheism)…..they would time and time again try to side-step the clear Verses of the Glorious Quran and bring the discussion towards the subject of ‘history’….things and events which they claim happened in the lives of the ‘ahle-bayt’ after the death of the Noble Prophet (saws)!

We made it extremely clear to them that the whole of the Glorious Quran was revealed, and the Sunnah or Way of the Noble Prophet (saws) was completely established before his (saws) death….and whatever transpired after his death is merely the ‘history’ of the muslims which has absolutely nothing to do with one’s guidance to the Straight Path…..they insisted on giving more importance and significance to the events of muslim ‘history’ rather than to the clear Guidance of the Glorious Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws)!

Once they realized that our trust and our belief was placed firmly and solely in the Message of our Lord Creator and the guidance of His Last Messenger (saws)…..and for every challenge and question they posed we provided them as proof Verses upon Verses from the Glorious Quran (which obviously they refused to accept, leave alone understand!)……they promised to get back to us at a later date with their own set of proofs….and we haven’t heard from them since!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verses 40-44:

Some of these people will believe in (The Quran), and others will not. Your Lord knows these mischief-makers very well indeed. If these people deny you, say to them: “I am responsible for my deeds and you are for yours. You are not accountable for what I do, nor am I for what you do.” There are many among them who hear what you say, but will you make the deaf to listen to you, even though they be incapable of understanding this? Then there are many others among them who see you. But will you show the way to the blind, even though they be bereft of sight? The fact is that Allah does not in any way wrong the people, but they wronged themselves!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rum verses 58-60:

We have set forth in this Quran every sort of argument to make the people understand; but whatever ‘aayah’ you may bring, the disbelievers will certainly say, “You are following falsehood”. Thus does Allah seal up the hearts of those who understand not. So, patiently perservere; for surely the Promise of Allah is True. And let not those who have no certainty of faith, shake your firmness.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 34 Surah Saba verse 5:

As for those who strive hard to discredit Our Revelations, for them is a painful torment, most humiliating.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan