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:

Assalam-aleikum I`m a bohora living in Nairobi and had two questions: 1. Is there anyway to pass on any sugestions about the conducts of the comunity?(hoping that the changes would take place in my lifetime, i`m 17. My problem was about masela`s, i don`t see the need of having so many fancy maselas and i think that there should be one kind of maselo which should be used and it should be of a small size then more people could fit in the mosque and there would be more unity, otherwise we could just have carpets like all other muslims, which are washed weekly) 2. I have a problem with dawat ni zabaan and was wondering if there was any way i could get bohora islamic lectures in english, i don`t see why somebody who doesn`t understand there mothertongue for any reason should be stopped from learning the bohora ways of life and its teachings. My brother who was a bohra converted due to this reason, one just can`t get the gist of what the bhaisaheb is saying and opts for english sunni books. Its not our fault we aren`t that good at the language!!!

(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:

Masalla and Lisan-e-dawat

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: My problem was about masela`s, i don`t see the need of having so many fancy maselas and i think that there should be one kind of maselo which should be used and it should be of a small size then more people could fit in the mosque and there would be more unity, otherwise we could just have carpets like all other muslims, which are washed weekly

Allah has made available the whole earth as a place for prayer for the believers, and if the place is ‘paak’ or pure, it can be prayed upon. Thus, you are absolutely right in your suggestion, that there is absolutely no need for each individual having fancy ‘masallas’, with each trying to outdo the other. It would indeed be closer to ‘taqwa’ and piety, if a common carpet was spread in the mosques and all the believers could pray in unity and humility to the Lord of the Worlds.

Your comment: I have a problem with dawat ni zabaan and was wondering if there was any way i could get bohora islamic lectures in english, i don`t see why somebody who doesn`t understand there mothertongue for any reason should be stopped from learning the bohora ways of life and its teachings. My brother who was a bohra converted due to this reason, one just can`t get the gist of what the bhaisaheb is saying and opts for english sunni books. Its not our fault we aren`t that good at the language!!!

You are absolutely right in your deduction. The deen of Allah is universal and should not be kept ‘secret’ and available to the elite few ‘priests’! The Sunnah or Way of Allah, is that whenever He sent a Messenger to a people, He would send the Messenger who spoke the language of the people.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 14 Surah Ibrahim verse 4:Whenever We sent a Messenger to convey Our Message, he delivered it in the language of his people so that he may make it plain to them.

The ‘lisaan-e-dawat’ is a language invented and created by the priests and only a minority of the common Bohras understand or study this language. The best way to understand and implement Islam in our lives, is through the Glorious Quran; and the Bohras do not even have a translation of the Holy Quran in the ‘lisan-e-dawat’! No wonder, the absolute majority of our Bohra brethren have no idea about the guidance and teachings of the Holy Quran. They follow only what their aamils and their bhai-sahebs tell them, whether it is from the Quran or not; simply because they have no way to check from the Quran because they do not understand the language of the Quran. The Bohra leadership have done to the common Bohras with lisan-e-dawat, exactly what the Hindu priests have done with Sanskrit! That allows the Bohra priests to guide the followers to obey and follow them, rather than obey and follow the guidance and teachings of the Holy Book.

Thus brother, the best way to understand Islam and implement this deen of Truth in your life, is to read, understand, obey and follow the clear guidance and teachings of the Holy Quran. If you do not understand the Arabic language, you should read the Quran with understanding in any language which you understand best. And at all times, we must beg and humbly implore Allah to guide us all to the Truth of Islam and the Right Path which leads to His Pleasure and Forgiveness.

Ref: sunni books.

I just wanted to make an important point here! The Glorious Quran was revealed by Allah as a guidance for all of mankind, not just for the muslims, and definitely not just for the sunnis and shias! If one reads the Holy Quran with understanding, he will realize that there is no such thing as Shias, Sunnis, Bohras, etc. Each of these sects are the creation and invention of man himself, and have nothing to do with the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws). In fact, Allah has shown severe displeasure at the people who break their religion into sects, and He has promised to take a full accounting from these unscrupulous leaders who break the Unity of Islam into their own particular sects and sub-sects!

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 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."

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(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.

We are all believers, and we must be honored to be recognized by the name Allah Subhanah Himself has chosen for the believers: that is, ‘muslims’. To advocate to break the Muslim Ummah into sects and sub-sects is a grave sin in the sight of Allah Subhanah, as is evident from the above aayahs of the Glorious Quran.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 77-78:O you who have believed, do ‘rukooh’ (bow down) and do ‘sajdah’ (prostration), and worship your Lord Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds: it may be that you attain true success! Exert your utmost for the cause of Allah, as one should. He has chosen you for His service, and has not laid on you any hardship in your religion. Therefore, be steadfast in the religion of your father Abraham. Allah had named you ‘muslims’ before this, and has named you (muslims) in this Quran also, so that the Messenger may be a witness in regard to you, and you may be witnesses in regard to the rest of mankind.

No one would dare claim that the Messenger of Allah (saws), his noble ‘ahle-bayt’, or his noble companions were Shias, Sunnis, or Bohras, etc. They were all muslims! And if we claim to follow the deen that was brought by Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws), then we must all strive to be ‘muslims’, as commanded by Allah Subhanah Himself in the Holy Quran!

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