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:

No one converts to bohraism.  We are muslims and insh'Allah we are muminin.  This is the only title Allah has given us.  Bohra is the name of the tariqa as a destinction just like salafis, maliki, ithna ashari, etc.  We are all muslims.  I personally have never known a person who holds the bhaisaheb, amil, etc. closer than their own families.  That's just stupid.  But we give respect and love to those more knowledge in ilm then overselves because this is the only destinction between muslim according to Allah.

(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:

Why one cannot convert to Bohra?

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 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.

Your comment: No one converts to bohraism. We are muslims and insh'Allah we are muminin.  This is the only title Allah has given us.  Bohra is the name of the tariqa as a destinction just like salafis, maliki, ithna ashari, etc.  We are all muslims.

My dear brother, can I humbly ask:

Why no one converts to Bohraism?

If what the Bohras believe, their imam-uz-zamaan, their appointment of dais, the superiority of the family of bhaisahebs, etc. are true, why don’t they propagate their faith to mankind?

Isn’t Islam a way of life and guidance for the whole of mankind?

Bohras claim that only they are the ones who will go to Paradise, because they are the true lovers of ‘ahle-bayt’ of the Messenger of Allah. If what they claim is true, why don’t they propagate their religion?

Was the true Islam revealed by Allah only to the Bohras? And now they keep it closed and no one can convert. Is not one of the attributes of Allah, the All-Just?

Does one become a Bohra, only by being into a Bohra household?

Why are the common Bohras never taught the meaning of the Quran? Even in their university, the Jameeatus-Saifeea in Surat, the whole Quran is never taught with understanding. Why?

Can you give me one aayah from the Quran which states that the Bohras are the true muslims or even mu’mins?

Can you give me one aayah from the Quran which states that the ‘tariqa’ of Bohras is the true Islam?

Can you give me one aayah from the Quran which states that the imam-uz-zamaan, dai, bhaisaheb, aamils, etc. are authentic and we are commanded to follow them?

The truth is that Bohra is the name of a community of merchants, originating from a small area in Gujarat, India. There are many Bohras who are Hindus. There are Sulaimani Bohras, Dawoodi Bohras, etc. Dawoodi Bohra is nothing but a sect in Islam, created by the Bohra leadership.

Allah states in the Holy Quran that the community of muslims is one community, and there is absolutely no room for creating sects in Islam. Just look at the Anger and Wrath of Allah on the people who have created sects in their religion:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-55: And you all belong to one and the same ummah, and I (Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time. What? Do they think that, by continuing to provide them with wealth and children, We are solicitous for their welfare? Nay, they do not understand the reality of the matter!

Allah says in Chapter 30 Surah Rum aayat 31-32: "This (Islam) is the right and true faith, but most people do not know. (Be steadfast on this) turning wholly and sincerely towards Allah Alone, and fear Him, and establish the Salat, and do not be like the mushriks, who have set up their separate creeds and divided themselves into sects, each sect rejoicing in what it has."

Allah says in Chapter 42 Surah Ash-Shura aayat 13: "He has appointed for you the same Way of Life, which He had ordained for Noah, and which (O Mohamed (saws)) We have now revealed to you, and which We had already enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus, stressing this: " Establish this way and be not divided in it"."

Allah says in Chapter 45 Surah Al-Jathiyah aayat 17: "Then they differed amongst themselves after the knowledge (of Islam) had come to them, only because they wanted to wrong one another. Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning the matters in which they have been differing."

Your comment: I personally have never known a person who holds the bhaisaheb, amil, etc. closer than their own families.  That's just stupid. 

Brother, if you ever paid attention to the oath you gave when taking the Bohra ‘meethak’ or allegiance, you would have realized that you have sworn that the Dai is closer to you than your own self, your wealth, your children, and your own family! I do agree with you, that this is absolutely stupid, but the whole community has taken this oath, at least once in their adult life!

For a true believer, Allah demands this allegiance. But this allegiance is not to any self-appointed person. It is to Allah and His appointed Messenger (saws).

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 23-24: O believers, do not take your fathers and your brothers as allies, if they choose disbelief in preference to Faith. For whoever of you will take them as allies shall surely be the workers of iniquity. O Prophet, tell them plainly, “If your fathers and your sons, and your brothers and your wives, and your near and dear ones, and the wealth which you have acquired, and the trade you fear may decline and the home which delight you: if all these things are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and the struggle in His Way, then wait till Allah passes His Judgement on you. For Allah does not guide the wicked people.”

Your comment: But we give respect and love to those more knowledge in ilm then overselves because this is the only destinction between muslim according to Allah.

I beg to differ with you that the only distinction between muslims according to Allah is the one who has more knowledge! A person can have a lot of knowledge, even in the scriptures, but he could be the biggest enemy of Allah. A person can have a lot of knowledge, even in the scriptures, but be an absolute disobedient creation of Allah. Knowledge is never the criteria in the eyes of Allah; the criterion of honor in the eyes of Allah is not whether one has knowledge or not, but rather if one is God-Fearing and has ‘Taqwa’ or piety and righteousness.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 49 Surah Hujurat verse 13: O mankind, We created you from one man and one woman, and then divided you into nations and tribes so that you may recognize one another. Indeed, the most honorable amongst you in the sight of Allah is he who is most pious (God Fearing) of you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

And if one were to respect and love those who have knowledge, where does it say in the Quran, that you have to obey them, whether they are following the commandments of the Quran or not? Where does it say in the Quran that you have to bow down in prostration or ‘sajdah’ to them? Where does it say that you have to make tombs and shrines over the graves of your holy and/or knowledgeable men and celebrate their praises on every milaad and urs? Where does it say in the Holy Quran that every member of one particular family has the monopoly of knowledge?

Brother, I have backed up all my statements with aayahs from the Quran. I would really appreciate if you could try and do the same… because that is the only common belief between us. We both believe, Alhamdolillah, that the Holy Quran are the very words of our Lord and Creator, which He has revealed for our guidance.

May Allah guide you and us to the Straight Path of Islam.

May Allah guide you and us to read and understand the simple and plain words of the Glorious Quran. May Allah increase our knowledge from the Holy Quran. May Allah guide us 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