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 has made these statements:

Alhamdullah, I have tried to alway get at the truth, and with Allath ta'Ala help I have managed through this temporal life. I also tried to help those with the little morsels I know. The Persian did not speak arabic nor did the Turks nor did the Indians nor did those of northern Africa. How were they taught? What translated book did they use? I know many muslims that came to Islam just by reading the Quran. Nothing is impossible for Allah or His Qur'an. The Qur'an should be read in Arabic and explained by the ones appointed by the Allah to explain it...His Prophet and Imams. Translations are flawed and are are explained out of context to when the ayat was revealed and to what the ayat referred to when revealed by the Prophet. Remember the Qur'an was not revealed starting with surah al'fatihah first and an'naas last. Many surahs have ayats from different times of revealations of the 23 years. What you use an ayat for in explaining a point may have been intended for an attirely different purpose. I spoke with a sunni shiek last week who trained for 20 years in the universities of Saudi and Qatar...he said the majority of arabs are afraid of learning the arabic of the Quran (fusaha) because it is too difficult to understand.a.) The Imam is a position created by Allah ta'Ala. Every prophet is an Imam. I believe it was Prophet Ibrahim who was made Imam on this earth and Allah made him so as d escribed in the Qur'an. The rest are titles given by the Imams to progagate the faith. b.) If the Qur'an is all we need like you say, then what was the Prophet for. Didn't he teach his companion how to pray, to make dua, to perform the rites of Hajj, etc. The Qur'an mentions these things, but the Prophet was the guide to understand Islam and Allah and the Quran. It has always been this way. The Prophet appointed the Imam to continually guide the muminin once he establish Islam. You probably don't believe in Ghadir Khum, so I won't wasted your time on that.Again, you pick and chose. You say follow the Qur'an and the Prophet, but then say not to follow what the Prophet did and only to follow the Qur'an. The Prophet established the Imamate via Allah's orders. The amils and bhaisaheb begin every majalis with ayats from the Quran and duas of the Prophet and Imams. It would be an arrogant person to say they understand the Qur'an. Put the same question to any muslim alim (be it a bohra, ithna ashari, sunni, salafi, etc). Their most learned of learned scholars would say "I am only a faqir and an ignorant person" as Imam Malik once said. We learn to recite and memorize the Qur'an, and then extensively study the Panjatan Pak. You ask why. They enacted the teaching of the Quran into their lived. They performed everything the Prophet taught. By mimicking them, we act the way Allah wanted muminin to act. The kitabs are explainations of the Quran and Allah and the Prophet and what they wanted us as muminin to be. The kitabs are in noways replacements of the Quran. I would ask that you clearly read my statements. I am trying to tell you... how can you understand something from a translation made by someone else who doesn't understand the Quran themselves? Its like trying to learn to drive a car from someone whos only seen pictures of cars and never driven one themself. No one says not to learn the teachings of the Quran...it is who you learn it from that matters. I don't hate you but I am concern about what you think you know. I still don't know why you call yourself the "dawoodi bohra helpline". You don't even believe in Imamate or the hadiths of the Prophet or Imams let alone the Dai. Your last statement "...but because we are inviting to leave behind everything and everyone else, and come to the worship and obedience of the One and Only Allah. Laa ilaaha illallaah! We ask for no reward and no thanks from our readers in the least. Our reward is with the Lord of the Worlds and He is enough for us." Alhamdullah to the message but your saying to forget the messenger...what happened to Muhammadin Rasulillah? You seem to pick and chose what you what related from him.
We are coming from two different tangents...your coming from translations of the Quran and your understanding of what is there..and I am coming from the teachings of our Prophets and Imams and their understanding of what the Qurans ayats means and say. Their teachings don't replace the Quran but help me understand from people who are authorized to teach. The Dai only explains what the Prophets and Imams have taught. You may have gone to waaz and majalis but you obviously weren't listening. Every group (sunni madhabs, salafi, shiah,etc) that separates themselves from others say the same reason for the separation...there will 73 sects in the ummah and 72 will go to the Hellfire. I'll make you the same offer...ask the author who wrote the translation you so readily quote from if he is the authority on the meaning of the Quran. If he's not alive then read the preface of the translation and see what it say.

(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:

Source of Imaan (Faith) “Quran” or Others

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) 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 bless you for your very detailed comments in the search for the Truth. This is actually what we need from our muslim brothers today. To think deeply, and ponder with a clear and honest heart in search for the Truth. What happens instead is that the normal person get so confused with everyone claiming to be on the Straight Path, that he decides to take none! Or worse, make one on his own!!! Allah is our witness, we are for nothing, but the Truth. May Allah bless you for the time you spent in writing this comment.

If I could take the liberty of making a comment on your article, it seems that the core essence of your belief is that the imams were appointed by authority from Allah and His Messenger (saws), and only the imam of the times is authorized to translate the Holy Quran to mankind. I would have no problems believing in this theory, if someone could possibly prove this concept by giving evidence from the Holy Quran. I just need one aayah as evidence and proof from the Holy Quran, that the imam is the only person who is authorized to translate the Holy Quran, or something even vaguely close to that! Just one aayah from the 6000+ aayahs of the Holy Quran.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 27 Surah Al Naml verse 64: Bring forth your evidence, if indeed what you say is the Truth!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Al-Hajj verses 71-72: They invoke besides Allah, those, for whom Allah has sent down no authority, nor do they themselves have any knowledge about them. Such transgressors have no helper. And when our clear Revelations are recited to them, you will perceive signs of disdain in the faces of the disbeliveers, as though they were going to assault those who recite our Revelations to them.

Allah, The All Knowing, All Wise, sent the Holy Quran as a Mercy and Guidance for mankind. But Allah is also the All-Just. And I just cannot comprehend the fact that Allah appointed only the Syedna as the Dai or leader of today’s times to translate the Holy Quran to mankind! If indeed Allah did so, why is the Syedna not proclaiming it to all mankind. Why do the Dawoodi Bohras not propagate their understanding of the Holy Quran to the whole world? Whey do they just keep this understanding of the Holy Quran to themselves? When is the last time some one converted to Bohra-ism?

Dear Brother, there has to be some basis for the belief! It is extremely apparent from the style of the Bohra heirarchy that they are not at all interested in propagating the deen of Islam to mankind. These leaders are extremely content to own the wills and desires of this community of 1-million people. One family of the clergy rules this community, and the clergy and his family are always above the other mumineen, no matter how much knowledge and ‘taqwa’ the common man might have! The common Bohras follow the clergy devotedly, and are never allowed to question anything in theology and deen, without fear of being ostracised. The clergy claim the imamite, and have the unchallenged belief of their followers. The devotees in turn, revere them, obey them, follow them, invoke them, bow down to them, and hold them more dear than their own lives and families! They give them respect and love, that is at most times due to Allah Alone!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 11 Surah Hud verse 61: The Prophet said: “O my people! Worship Allah Alone. You have no other deity other than He.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-54: And you all belong to one and the same ummah, and I am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoices in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rum verse 31-32: … and turn wholly towards Allah, and fear Him, and establish Salah, and do not be of the ‘mushriks’ (people who invoke others with Allah), who have set up their separate creeds and divided themselves into sects, each sect rejoicing in what it has.

All I know and believe is that the Holy Quran is the syllabus and guidance we have received from our Lord and Creator. I don’t have a problem believing everything that conforms with the belief of my Bohra brethren, if I can get an iota of evidence from the only Manual of Islam, Al Quran.

But the clergy have systematically and deliberately taken the understanding of the Holy Quran out of the system of the Dawoodi Bohra community. They basically never ever teach or study the Quran. They use other books written by man as their basic constitution, like Dai’m ul Islam, Nahjul Balagha, Ikhwaan us Safa, etc….. , but what about the Book sent by our Creator as a guidance to mankind?

Chapter 46 Surah Ahqaf verses 4-6: Prophet, say to them, "Have you ever seen them with open eyes those whom you invoke instead of Allah? Show me what they have created in the earth? Or have they any share in the creation and control of the heavens? Bring me a Book revealed before this, or produce some remnant of knowledge in support of your beliefs if you are truthful." And who could be further astray than the one who invokes, instead of Allah, those who cannot answer him till the Day of Resurrection. Nay, they are even UNAWARE THAT THEY ARE BEING INVOKED. And when all mankind shall be gathered together (on the Day of Qiyamah), they (the so called leaders and intercessors) will become enemies of those who invoked them and they will DISOWN THEIR WORSHIP!!!

They just propagate reading this Quran in Arabic, without understanding a word of it. They propagate that understanding the Quran would mis-guide you and me from Islam! Why would understanding a Book sent by Allah misguide the muslims? The only way to guarantee misguidance, is to stay away from understanding the Holy Quran. They propagate that each aayah of the Holy Quran has ten meanings! They propagate that the language of the Quran is the ‘fusaha’ Arabic, and it is impossible even for the Arabs to understand it, so how could we possibly understand the message of the Lord of the Worlds! They propagate that the Quran should only be recited in the language it was revealed in, even though you may not understand one word of it! They propagate that trying to read a translation will confuse and mis-guide you away from Islam!

Can you imagine their audacity? Neither they translate the Quran themsleves, nor do they teach it, nor do they endorse an existing translation, nor do they follow the Holy Quran! And on top of that, they claim that they are the ones who are rightly guided!!!! I just cannot imagine the state of these clergy, who misguide common people into their servitude, when they will be in the court of Allah on the Day of Judgment. What will they answer if Allah asks them why did they make His slaves Abd-Syedna, instead of guiding them to be Abd-Allah?

The only way to find out if this Bohra clergy is indeed genuine, we will have to keep the book of Allah as the Criterion between truth and falsehood. If they are indeed following the guidance of the Holy Quran in every aspect of their deen, then we can say they are on the Straight Path. If their practises are against even one commandment of the Holy Quran, then we can determine that they have strayed away from the Straight Path. That would be a fair test!

Allah says in Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah aayat 185: "Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a perfect guidance for mankind and consists of CLEAR teachings which show the right way and are a Criterion of the Truth and falsehood."

My dear brother, the Holy Quran is the Truth. All the other books are works of man himself, and thus open to mistakes. Thus it is imperitive we understand the Message our Creator has sent for our guidance, even if only once in our lifetimes. You choose the source you want to understand the Holy Quran from. If you think all the hundreds of available translation are ALL biased, then you go to the Bohra clergy and tell them to read or translate the Quran to you, once, from cover to cover. Try this in search for the truth, in the name of Allah, and see what response you get from the clergy! I have tried this myself, and the first reaction I received was of absolute shock and disbelief! I was refused point blank and said I just did not have the intelligence to understand the Holy Quran. They told me to study the Daim ul Islam and the other books of man first, before I could even comprehend the message of the Holy Quran. Did the Prophet (saws) and his noble companions have to study other books, before they understood the Message of the Holy Quran? Did the shepherds and nomads of Arabia have to study the Daim ul Islam before they could understand the Message of the Holy Quran? Who are these people who want to keep the guidance of the Holy Quran away from me? Why are they so reluctant to teach us anything from the Quran? Why wont they let us understand the Holy Quran? If they are indeed on the truth, why won’t they asnswer any of our questions? If they are indeed on the truth, why don’t they propagate their truth to the whole world? If they are indeed on the truth, why are they so secretive about everything? If they are on the truth, why are they so afraid of us understanding the Holy Quran? What is it that they are hiding? What is it that they are protecting? Is it Islam or is it their kingdom over the Dawoodi Bohra community?

If the truth is what you are after, then the truth is what you are going to find. And the biggest truth is embodied in the Holy Quran. Take that away, and you are left with nothing but falsehood.

Brother, you decide for yourself. Did you convert to the deen of Bohra-ism, or are you just following your fore-fathers’ religion? Did you ever ponder deeply about the happenings in our community? Are you absolutely satisfied that you are on the Siraat ul Mustaqeem? Do you sincerely think that these Bhaisahebs and aamils are the soldiers of Allah, who have sacrificed their lives to guide us to Islam? Do you sincerely think that the Bohras are following the deen of Islam that the Messenger of Allah (saws) was following?

Do you know that Islam is today the fastest growing religion in the world? Thousands and thousands of people are converting to Islam … even though all the media and efforts of the enemies of Allah are against Islam. Have you ever wondered why? In almost all the cases, there is one common criteria for a person converting to Islam …. He read the translation of the Holy Quran and recognized from its eloquence, that these were the words of none other, than Allah, the Lord and Master of the Universe! And who are these converts … the downtrodden of society? No. Most of them are highly educated people, who think and ponder deeply over their creation and the creation of everything else in this Universe, and began the search for the truth. Read about any of these high-profile converts, and not-so-high-profile converts to Islam, and you will see that the one thing common between all of them is that somehow Allah guided them to read and understand the Holy Quran.

My dear brother, today you are a brother who is looking for the truth. And I pray to Allah to guide you to nothing, but the Truth. For a simple decision of this transitory world, we give serious thought, and ponder, and question, and take tens of opinions. This decision to search for the truth, is probably the most important decision one has to make in this transitory life. Our whole eternal afterlife depends on this one decision. On this decision depends whether we are going to go to the eternal Mercy and Grace of Allah, or towards his ever-lasting Wrath and Anger!

And please do give our situation a good, honest thought. I don’t know you personally, and will probably never meet you in this transitory world. Whether you turn to the Holy Quran or not, will not effect my life in the least. I ask of no reward and no thanks from you in the least. I only invite you to read and understand the Holy Quran once and then make an educated decision on the path you want to follow. That is all I am inviting you to. I am not asking or guiding you to worship any human being or invoke any grave! I am not asking you to bow down to any human being and his beliefs! I am not asking you to believe in any ‘sacred’ family or clergy or priest or anything else for that matter. All I am inviting you to do is to read and understand the Holy Quran once. If my offer has offended you in any way, I sincerely apologize to you as my brother in faith. My intention was never to hurt you or any other person on this planet. My intention is only to please my Creator when I ultimately meet with Him on the Day of Judgment. My only intention is to help make His Word and His Book and His Deen and His Way superior to any other word, book, deen or way in this world. My duty was to invite you, and I have done it in my own humble and inefficient way. To guide or not, is solely in the Power of Allah Alone.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 16, Surah An-Nahl Ayat 125: Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and excellent admonition and argue with people in the best manner. Your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Way and who is Rightly guided.

May Allah help you and me, and all the brothers and sisters who are searching for the Truth, to find it. May Allah guide you and me, and all the others who wish to be guided to the Siraat ul Mustaqeem. May Allah help us to live our lives in submission to His Will, and to live our lives in obedience to His Majestry, and to live our lives in compliance with His Decision, and to live our lives in worship of Him and Him Alone. Allah Alone we worship and to Him is our final return!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Fusselat verse 33-36: And who is better in speech, than the one who invites men to Allah, does righteous deeds, and says, “I am of those who submit my will to Allah”. Goodness and Evil can never be equal. Repel evil with something that is best. You will see that with whom you had an enmity, has become your closest friend. But none can attain to this quality except those who endure with patience and self-restraint, and none can attain to this rank except those who are men of great good fortune. And if you feel an incitement from Shaitaan (to retaliate or strike back), seek refuge in Allah. He is the All Knowing, All Hearing.

May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan