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:

As Salaam Alike Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu.

Dear Burhan Brother,

The other thing that I have noticed in your mails is that you have always tried to go against Syedna Muhammad Burnannudin (T.U.S), I mean you have always criticized him why is it so? Do you have anything personal against

him since you have always seen his Wrong Doings and never saw his Right Doings?

Say for example he says all the Mum-menate to were the Ridha and it is a good thing as Allah Himself asks the Ladies to Cover their Heads in the Qur'an.

(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:

Do you have anything against Syedna

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.

Allah is our witness, we have absolutely nothing personal against the Syedna. We were born into Bohra families, and for a major part of our lives, we lived our lives according to the guidance and teachings of the Syedna, without ever referring to the Holy Quran. Once we read and understood the Holy Quran, we realized that what the Syedna was guiding towards and what the Holy Quran is guiding towards are absolutely two different things! One leads to the Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah, the other to the everlasting torture of Hell! We were left with one of two choices:

Take the word of Allah in the Quran supreme to anything said by man, or, Believe the word of Syedna over the word of the Allah in the Holy Quran.

The choice thereby was extremely easy…. And we chose to live our lives according to the clear guidance and teachings of the Holy Quran.

If writing from the Holy Quran is considered being against the Syedna, then we are guilty! If writing the Truth is considered being against the Syedna, then we are guilty! If quoting the aayahs from the Holy Quran is against the Syedna, then we are guilty! If inviting mankind to become true believers and worshippers of the One Lord Alone is against the Syedna, then we are guilty! If warning mankind that only Allah deserves our invocation is against the Syedna, then we are guilty! If warning mankind that only Allah has the right that one should bow down in sajdah to Him, is against the Syedna, then we are guilty!!!!!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 26 Surah Shuaraa verse 69-82: And tell them the story of Ibrahim, when he asked his father and his people: “What are these things that you worship?” They answered, “These are idols which we worship and we serve them devotedly.” Ibrahim asked, “Do they hear you when you call on them? Or do they bring any good or harm to you?” They replied, “No, but we have found our elders doing the same.” At this, Ibrahim said, “Have you ever seen with open eyes the things which you and your elders have been worshipping? They are all enemies to me, except the One Lord of the Worlds, Who created me, then He it is Who guides me, Who gives me food and drink, and Who gives me health when I am ill, Who will cause me to die and then will give me life again, and of Whom I expect that He will forgive me my errors on the Day of Judgment.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 66-68: On the Day their faces are rolled about on the Fire, they will say, “Would that we had obeyed Allah and His Messenger!” And they will say, “O our Lord, we obeyed our CHIEFS and our GREAT MEN, and they led us astray from the Right Path. O our Lord, give them a double chastisement and curse them severely”.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anam verse 94: (And Allah will say), “So, you have come before Us all alone, as We created you at first. Now, you have left behind all that We gave you in the world. Now We do not see with you those ‘shufa’a’(intercessors), who, you believed, had a share in moulding your destinies! All the relations between you and them have been cut off, and all those, in whom you trusted, have left you in the lurch.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter16 Surah Nahl verses 86-87: When the people who had committed shirk in this world will see those whom they had made associates with Allah, they will say, “Our Lord, here are those associate-deities whom we used to invoke besides You.” At this their deities will retort, “You are liars!” At that time, all of them will proffer submission before Allah, and all that they used to forge in this world shall vanish from them.

The only reason we obeyed and revered the Syedna and his family was because our fathers and forefathers used to do the same. Whatever we knew about Islam was what we had learnt from their ‘madrasas’, ‘waaz’, ‘sabaqs’ ‘darees’, etc. There was mention of various books written by man, but no mention whatsoever of the meanings of the Glorious Quran! That is when we realized that without realizing we were actually invoking and worshipping the Syedna and his ancestors in the graves with Allah. And this is precisely what Allah calls ‘shirk’ in the Quran. There is nobody, no one, absolutely nothing worthy of worship and invocation except the One Lord Alone!

Your Comment: since you have always seen his Wrong Doings and never saw his Right Doings? Say for example he says all the Mum-menate to were the Ridha and it is a good thing as Allah Himself asks the Ladies to Cover their Heads in the Qur'an.

There are indeed many good things in Bohrism. The covering of the women is a commandment of Allah, and the Bohras are implementing that commandment. The keeping of men’s beards is the Sunnah of our beloved Messenger (saws), and most of the Bohra men have beards. There are several other good things in the sect, but brother, even if everything was absolutely right, there is one big sin which the Bohras are involved in, which will reduce all these good deeds to the weight of ashes in the Court of Allah. This one sin is so big, that whoever dies in that state, is confirmed the everlasting fire of Hell, and he will never ever be taken out of there! This one sin is so gigantic, that Allah has promised Himself in the Quran to make Paradise haraam on these people! This one sin is so heinous that all the salaahs, all the fasts, all the umrahs, all the hajjs, all the zakahs, all the sadaqas, all the sacrifices, absolutely everything will be worth the weight of dust in the Court of Allah!! The name of this unforgivable sin is ‘Shirk’, and the Bohras are completely involved in it!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 65-66: If you commit ‘shirk’ all your works will be rendered vain and you will be among the losers. Therefore, you should worship Allah Alone, and be among His grateful servants.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verses 102-104: What! Do these people, who have disbelieved, presume that they would make My servants their ‘auliya’ besides Me! We have prepared Hell for the hospitality of such people. (O Mohamed) say to them, “Should We tell you who are the most unsuccessful people and miserable failures in regard to their deeds? They are those, all whose efforts in the worldly life, had gone astray from the Right Way, but all along they were under the delusion that everything they were doing was rightly directed.”

They keep on repeating, “La ilaaha illalllah”, but don’t realize the implications of these powerful words! They don’t realize it,

but they are completely engrossed in shirk.

Bowing down to anybody or anything other than Allah is shirk.

Bowing down to the Syedna is shirk.

Bowing down to the graves of his ancestors is shirk.

Bowing down to the graves of even the Prophet (saws), Hadrat Ali (saws), Hadrat Fatema (saws), etc. is shirk.

Believing that the dead people in their graves can hear and answer our duas is shirk.

Believing that anybody other than Allah can do us any harm is shirk.

Believing that anybody other than Allah can bring us some good is shirk.

Believing that anybody other than Allah knows everything is shirk.

Believing that anybody other than Allah sees everything is shirk.

Believing that anybody other than Allah listens to our prayers is shirk.

Believing that anybody other than Allah can help us is shirk.

Believing that anybody other than Allah can guide us is shirk.

Believing that anybody can influence Allah to give us health is shirk.

Believing that anybody can influence Allah to give us wealth is shirk.

Believing that anybody can influence Allah to give us children is shirk.

Believing that anybody can influence Allah to help us is shirk.

Believing that anybody has any power with Allah is shirk.

Believing that anybody has any power with Allah to take us out of the fire of Hell is shirk.

Believing that anybody has any power with Allah on the Day of Judgement is shirk.

Believing that anybody has any power to change the decision of Allah is shirk.

To worship anybody with Allah is shirk.

To invoke anybody with Allah is shirk.

To raise anybody to the rank of Allah is shirk.

To give any of Allah’s attributes to anybody else is shirk.

To believe that anybody has the power to bring about any miracles on his own is shirk.

To go to somebody to take our message or supplication to Allah is shirk.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa Verse 48: Shirk (associating other deities with Allah) is the only sin that Allah does not forgive, and He forgives, whomsoever He pleases, sins other than this. For whosoever associates any other partner with Allah, does indeed forge a big lie and commits the most heinous sin.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72: Whoever commits ‘shirk’ (invoking anything with Allah), Allah shall forbid for him Paradise, and Hell shall be his abode. And for such wrong doers there will be no one to help.

Allah says in the Holy Quran 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!!!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Fusselat verse 37: Do not do ‘sajdah’ to the sun and the moon, but do ‘sajdah’ to that Allah, Who Created them, if you really are indeed His worshippers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 77: O you who believe, do ‘rukoo’ and ‘sajdah’ to Allah Alone, worship Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds. It may be that you attain true success.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verse 2-3: So worship Allah Alone, making your religion His exclusively. Beware! Religion is the exclusive Right of Allah. As for those who have taken other ‘auliyas’ (guardians) with Allah (and justify their this conduct by saying): “We serve them only that they may bring us closer to Allah.” Allah will surely judge between them concerning all that in which they differ. Allah does not show guidance to any liar and denier of the Truth.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verse 18: These people serve beside Allah those which can neither harm nor benefit them, and say, “These are our ‘shofa’a’ (intercessors) with Allah!” (O Mohammed), tell them, “Do you wish to inform Allah of that thing which He knows not in the heavens, or in the earth?” He is absolutely free from, and exalted above the shirk that they commit.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraf verse 190-196: They associate with Allah partners who do not create anything, but are themselves created! Who cannot help them nor have the power to help themselves! If you invite them to follow the Right Way, they will not follow you! It will be all the same for you whether you call them or keep silent. Those whom you invoke with Allah are MERE SERVANTS OF ALLAH LIKE YOU! Just invoke them, and if what you say of them be true, they will answer your prayers! Have they feet that they should walk with them? Or have they hands that they should hold with them? Or have they eyes that they should see with them? Or have they ears that they should hear with them? Tell them, O Mohammed, “Call up the partners you have set up, and then all of you sit down together and plot against me, and give me no respite. My Protector and Helper is Allah, Who has sent down this Book (Al Quran), and, it is He who protects the righteous people.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 71-72: They worship besides Allah those for whom Allah has sent down NO AUTHORITY! Nor they themselves have any knowledge about them. Such transgressors have no helper! And when our CLEAR REVELATIONS are recited to them, you perceive signs of disdain on the faces of the disbelievers, as though they were going to ASSUALT those who recite our Revelations to them!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 98-100: Then, when you begin to recite the Quran, seek Allah’s refuge against the accursed Shaitaan, for he has no power over those who believe and put their trust in Allah. Shaitaan has power (to inspire) only over those people, who make him their patron, and practice ‘shirk’ by his temptation.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verses 20-21: And the other beings, whom the people invoke with Allah, create nothing! Nay, they are themselves created! They are DEAD, not living! And they do not at all know when they shall again be raised back to life!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verses 28-30: On the Day when We will muster them together, We shall say to those who committed ‘shirk’, “Stay where you are, you and those whom you set up as partners with Us.” Then We shall remove the state of strangeness from among them, and the partners they had set up will say, “You did not worship us! Allah suffices as a witness between you and us, and (even if you worshipped us), we were utterly unaware of your worship!” At that time everyone will taste of what he did. All shall be brought back to Allah, their real Lord, and all the lies they had invented will vanish from them!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 19 Surah Maryam verses 81-82: These people have set up other gods that Allah, so that they may become their supporters! There will be no supporters! They will not only disown your worship, but also become their opponents.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqan verses 17-19: And on that Day, (Your Lord) will gather all these people together as well as those whom they used to invoke besides Allah and ask them, “Did you mislead these servants of Mine, or did they themselves go astray?” Those associate-deities will answer, “Glory be to You! We dared not take any ‘auliya’ besides You. You did give them and their forefathers all the good things of life till they forgot the Admonition, and incurred the punishment.” Thus will your deities deny all that you are professing today! Then you shall neither be able to repel your punishment, nor shall you be able to get any help from anywhere. And whoever is guilty of iniquity among you, We shall make him taste a severe torment!

There are literally hundreds of aayahs concerning ‘shirk’ in the Holy Quran, which are not quoted here due to lack of space. A believer only needs one commandment from Allah to follow His directives, but Allah, in His Mercy, has revealed several hundred aayahs concerning this concept of ‘shirk’! All the communities that are mentioned in the Holy Quran that were destroyed by Allah, were destroyed because they were involved in ‘shirk’! And unfortunately, even today, some people who claim to be muslims, are involved in this ghastly and heinous sin of ‘shirk’. And the only way to understand and stay away from this heinous sin is to read the Holy Quran with understanding. And even this understanding of the Quran is systematically taken out of the Bohra system by their leaders.

May Allah guide you and us to read and understand the Glorious Quran, so that you and I can recognize this sin of ‘shirk’, which Allah has promised never to forgive. May Allah open our hearts to the understanding of the Holy Quran. May Allah guide you and us to the Straight Path of Islam.

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