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:

Answer to your questionDear Mr. Burhanbhai, I totally disagree with you by saying that "although it might be time for 'fajr' in USA, and 'magrib' in Makkah,  all the Bohras,  all over the world,  would pray 'fajr'!   Now,  does that make any sense?"  This is not correct and Bohras donot practice like that. If the time of fajr in USA is different and magrib in Makkah is different then one prays accordingly and NOT what you are making it to believe.  You are confusing the whole issue over here. Bhoras only determine the days to be the same but the timing duration obviously varies according to the country one resides. Bohras will pray fajar, when it is fajar in that country and magrib in different country and vice-versa.  Will you pls rectify your comments and donot invoke or write false statements. 

(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:

Misunderstanding of timings

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.

My beloved brother in Islam, we apologize and ask sincere forgiveness from you and from Allah, if anything that we have said has been the source of any misunderstanding. Brother, we regret to inform you that you have completely misunderstood what we were trying to imply to the brother who had asked this particular question.

The question the brother asked was a challenge to the believers stating that it is unfortunate that the muslims worldwide do not start the fasting of Ramadan and the festival of Eid on the same day; and that only the Bohras were fortunate enough to do so, no matter where they lived on the planet earth! We were only trying to prove to the Bohra brother that in Islam, the sun is used to determine the timing of the prayers and the moon to determine the reckoning of the days and months. What we were trying to prove to the brother was that the Bohras do use the sun to determine their timing of the prayers; but they refuse to use the moon to determine their days of the month, but rather rely on a pre-made calendar using estimation!

We never stated that the Bohras pray the fajr at the same time all over the world, regardless of the position of the sun! What we were trying to prove to our Bohra brother who asked the question was that just as the timing of the prayer is different in each part of the world due to the position of the sun; so is the reckoning of the days due to the position of the moon! And it is scientifically a possibility that the moon is witnessed in one place of the earth, and might not be visible at another! Thus, there is always a possibility that the days of starting the month of Ramadan and/or the Day of Eid would be different from one part of the world to another.

All we were trying to do was to prove to the brother who asked the question, that just as it would not be right to pray the fajr at the same time all over the world; it would also be an error to start and finish the month of Ramadan on the same day all over the world! At no time were we trying to state that the Bohras do pray fajr or any other prayer all at the same time all across the world. If you read that article again, you will realize we were only trying to ask our brother to use logic and science and prove to our brother that it was not a fault in Islam if a brother from the USA celebrates Eid on a day earlier or later than the believers in Makkah, depending on the cycle on the moon!

This is exactly what we wrote and we request you to see the highlighted parts where we have clearly mentioned ‘just imagine’ and ‘if’ to prove to the brother that celebrating the Eid on the same day all over the world would be as illogical as it would be for some sect to all pray the fajr prayers at the same time! At no time were we implying that the Bohras pray fajr at the same time all over the world!

Just imagine, if someone was to say that all the people of one sect must pray the ‘fajr’ prayers at the very same time, no matter where they reside in the world! Now that is something that would not make sense!

Similarly, if one sect announces that, irrespective of the advent of the new moon, they must all start and end the month on the very same day, no matter where they reside in the world; that would not make scientific or logical sense, if indeed they determine their days of the month through the advent of the moon as commanded by Allah Subhanah in the Glorious Quran.

It is also a scientific fact, that some months in the lunar calendar have 29 days and some have 30 days. Thus it would be incorrect to always determine the month of Ramadan (or any particular month) as 30 days, without referring to the moon.

Your Statement: I am proud of the fact that everywhere in the world we celebrate the holy month of Ramazan and Eid on the same day and all Bohora`s always do 30 roza`s.

You might be proud that the Bohras everywhere in the world celebrate the Holy Month of Ramadan and Eid on the very same day, but it does not make scientific or logical sense! It is obvious that the Bohras are not obeying the command of Allah to determine their days by the moon, but have devised their own calendar for their own sect, using estimation! It makes as much sense to start and end a lunar month on the very same day all over the world, as it would make if everyone of the Bohra community would pray their ‘fajr’ (or any) prayers at the exact same times all over the world, without referring to the sun! That would mean that although it might be time for ‘fajr’ in USA, and ‘magrib’ in Makkah, all the Bohras, all over the world, would pray ‘fajr’! Now, does that make any sense?

Brother, we request you to read that article again; and if there is still any misunderstanding; then we sincerely ask for your forgiveness and the forgiveness of Allah…. For that was not our intention! If the matter is still not clear to you, we request you to please write to us again, and we will try to clarify our position even further by giving you a line by line explanation of that article.

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