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:

Dear Brother Burhan As salaam o Alaikum

Also a friend forwarded this site called www.zahirbatin.com Please follow carefully the details and listen to all individual tapes. It takes a bit of patience.

It’s a taped telephone conversation between sayednas nieces and nephew regarding mazoom /mukasir and what goes on behind the back door inside the kothar and all the fights etc going on. Your comments on these tapes will be very much appreciated. Thanks

(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:

Taped conversations

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.

Beloved brother in Islam, we have heard each and every tape from the said site and frankly are not surprised at the animosity and hatred the highest echelons of the Bohra leadership have amongst each other. This animosity and differences between the power mongers have always been existent, and that has resulted in at least 3-4 major break-ups of the Bohra school of thought; which resulted in the splinter-groups of Alwi Bohras, Sulaimani Bohras, Najmi Bohras, Dawoodi Bohras, etc.

To the average followers, it seems that all is fine and dandy in upper echelons of the Bohra leadership; but the truth is there are many segments amongst themselves who cannot even stand the sight of each other, and they abuse, revile, belittle, ridicule and curse each other; and this has been happening for years on end!

With the amount of ill-gotten wealth in the Bohra coffers, and the repercussions which result in one being chosen the next leader to the immediate family; this animosity should be expected, especially as the Cause of the Bohra Leadership is the pomp and grandeur of this world, rather than the obedience of the Truth from Allah and His Messenger (saws) which alone will bring salvation in the Hereafter.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 59 Surah Hashr verses 14-17:

14 They will not fight you (even) together except in fortified townships or from behind walls. Strong is their fighting (spirit) amongst themselves: thou wouldst think they were united, but their hearts are divided: that is because they are a people devoid of wisdom.

15 Like those who lately preceded them they have tasted the evil result of their conduct and (in the Hereafter there is) for them a grievous Penalty

16 (Their allies deceived them) like the Evil One (Shaitaan) when he says to man "Deny Allah"; but when (man) denies Allah (the Shaitaan) says "I am free of thee: I do fear Allah the Lord of the Worlds!"

17 The end of both will be that they will go into the Fire dwelling therein for ever. Such is the reward of wrong-doers.

Allah Alone knows for sure what exactly transpired which encouraged one of them, Taizoon Bhaisaheb, to take this step of exposing the power struggle in the upper-most echelons of the Bohra Leadership!

His grand-mother, Shahzadi Maryam Bhensaheba is a very powerful woman in her own right, and is the daughter of Syedna Taher Saifuddeen and the half-sister of the current Syedna Mohamed Burhanudeen; from a different mother. She is also the half-sister of the current Mazoon Syedi Khuzaima Bhaisaheb and the current Mukasir Syedi Hussain Bhaisaheb!

The animosity, hatred, and power struggle between the sons and immediate family of the current Syedna, the likes of Shahzadah Qaid-Johar Bhaisaheb, Shahzadah Mufaddal Bhaisaheb, etc. against the current Mazoon and his ‘gang’ has been going on for decades! The recorded conversations revealed by Taizoon Bhaisaheb on the net has taken the battle to a different level altogether!!!

It has been known for years that the power struggle in the upper echelons of the Bohra Leadership is precisely the reason why the current Syedna has not declared his so-called ‘nass’ on who will be the next Dai, even though he is of abject old age; for whoever he does the ‘nass’ on, the Dawoodi Bohra sect is bound to break into splinter-groups; each declaring his own Dai, as has happened so many times in the past!!!

But poor Taizoon Bhaisaheb is fighting a losing battle, for his opponents are apparently the high and mighty in the current power-hold of the hierarchy! He has taken the battle right to the door-step of the Leaders, the likes of Shahzadi Maryam Bhensaheba, Shahzadah Qaid-Johar Bhaisaheb, Shahzadah Mufaddal Bhaisaheb, etc.!

Can you imagine, even people like Taizoon Bhaisaheb, who is so closely related to the Syedna, does not have direct access to him; and apparently he begs the normal mumineen to take his message to the Syedna! What chance does a normal follower have when even he cannot have access to the Syedna???

The truth of the matter is that this Taizoon Bhaisaheb is fighting a losing battle; for he has gone into this war armed with wrong and false ammunition! Talking of the legality of the Mazoon, Mukasir, and Misaak is like talking about Ram and Laxman and Hanuman and Ravana! These are all figments of people’s imaginations and self-invented names and positions; which have absolutely nothing to do with reality, Truth or the deen of Al-Islam.

If the likes of Taizoon Bhaisaheb was guided aright by Allah Subhanah, and was armed with the knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah, he would realize that there is no such thing as Mazoon and Mukasir in the deen brought by Prophet Mohamed (saws); he would realize that this whole system of Bohra school of thought has absolutely nothing to do with the guidance and teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws); he would realize that the concept and dogma of ‘zahir-baatin’ as understood, believed, and followed by the Bohras has absolutely nothing to do with the Truth of Al-Islam!

This ‘zaahir-baatin’ dogma preached by the misguided self-invented leaders, is only a ploy to confuse and misguide the normal people, and a baseless philosophy invented by the self-declared priestly class to subjugate their followers to become the slaves of man (abde-syedna) rather than become the slaves of Allah Subhanah (Abd-Allah)!!!

If one has heard and studied the taped conversations, he would hear terms like ‘Aala-Kitaab’ (The books of High), or ‘Haqeeqat ni Kitaab’ (The books of Truth), etc., which is apparently the source of their mis-guidance; but never would one hear the name of the Blessed and Noble Book of Allah Subhanah: The One and Only Al-Quran Al-Kareem, which incidentally is the only ‘Aala Kitaab and the only ‘Haqeeqat ni Kitaab’.

These misguided self-declared leaders use these self-invented books and program their followers into the ‘zaahir-baatin’ concept of absolute misguidance! This is where they get their notions of the ‘baatin’ (hidden) Imam and the ‘zaahir’ (open) Dai!!! This is where they propagate the false concept of the ‘saamit-kitaab’ (silent book, namely the Glorious Quran), and the ‘bolti-kitaab’ (speaking-book, namely Hadrat Ali ibn Abi Taalib (r.a.)!!!

Thus whatever suits their agenda and helps them in subjugating their ignorant followers, they declare as ‘zaahir’; and whatever suits their agenda they declare ‘baatin’! And they unashamedly declare that ‘normal’ people like you and me are not qualified or not worth understanding the ‘baatin’ knowledge; this ‘baatin’ knowledge is only for the so-called ‘Royal-family’ and that too the upper-most crust of the hierarchy!!! These self-invented books are held in such secrecy, that none other than the top-most level of the Bohra Leadership have access to it!!!

And amongst all this self-created, utter and absolute confusion; these evil people declare that the Divine Book which Allah Subhanah Himself revealed for the Guidance of mankind, cannot be understood by normal people like you and me!!!

That is why you will see that the Bohras, be they their leaders, priests, or the normal followers….they will never understand or even try to understand even one Aaayah or Command of the Glorious Quran! In fact, if you invite them to read the Quran with understanding, they will immediately challenge the translation, the author, the language, the motive of the translator, even the authenticity of the Glorious Quran itself! …..basically they will challenge anything and everything, but they will never ever agree to read the Quran with understanding….for that is precisely what they have been told since birth! For them, the knowledge of the Quran is ‘baatin’ (hidden) knowledge, and its ‘taaweel’ (real meanings) are known only and only by the priestly class!!!

And once these evil self-invented priests and leaders have taken away the understanding of the Divine Book of Guidance from their followers; they may lead them anywhere they want, and these poor and ignorant followers obey and submit to them like slaves or even worse, like cattle, believing that everything the High Priest and his cronies say and do is absolutely in line with the guidance and teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws), when nothing could be further than the Truth!!!

These evil priests and misguided leaders have created and propagated this confusion, and have succeeded in taking a multitude of good and honest people away from the deen of Islam! They conceal the clear Aayahs of the Quran for a paltry worldly gain, without realizing the heavy penalty they will occur in the Just Court of Allah Subhanah on the Inevitable Day of Judgement! These ignorant and arrogant leaders have made a mockery of the Divine Commandments of Allah Subhanah and sold their Hereafter for a paltry sum that they extort from their followers in this world! What an evil bargain they have made!!!

If only they knew the Quran, and were guided aright by the Merciful Lord, they would realize that what they are following is absolute and complete disobedience of the Clear Commands of Allah Subhanah; and the reward of disobedience to the Commands of Allah Subhanah is guaranteed Hell-Fire!

May Allah Subhanah have Mercy on our Bohra brethren and guide them to understand, obey, follow, and submit to the clear teachings of the Glorious Quran before they meet with their appointment of death; for after that it would be too late!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 159:Those who conceal the clear (Revelations) and Guidance We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, on them shall be Allah’s ‘laanah’ and the ‘laanah’ of those who are entitled to curse!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Al-Baqarah verse 174:Indeed those, who conceal the commands that Allah has sent down in His Book and barter them away for paltry worldly gains, fill their bellies with fire. Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He regard them as pure and there is a painful torment for them!

Please read the following Aayahs of the Glorious Quran, and decide for yourself who has a bigger right to be believed: Allah Subhanah or these self-made priests?

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."

Allah says the Book is a perfect guidance and consists of clear teachings and is a barometer for the Truth and falsehood! But some men say this Book is incomprehensible and impossible to understand.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 89:We have sent down to you this Book, which makes everything plain, and is a guidance, blessing and good news to those who have surrendered themselves entirely.

Allah Subhanah has Himself declared that this Glorious Quran makes everything plain, is a guidance, and a blessing and good news for the believers who have surrendered themselves. But some unfortunate people unjustly claim that this Message of Allah is not supposed to be understood!!!!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Ha Mim As Sajdaah verse 2-4:This is a Revelation from the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful Allah. A Book whose verses are well-expounded, an Arabic Quran for the people who want to understand, and a giver of good news and a warner.

Allah Subhanah Himself declares that this Glorious Quran is a Book whose verses are well-expounded, and a guidance for the people who ‘want’ to understand it! May Allah have mercy on the people who declare that this Book is not supposed to be understood.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rum verses 58-60:We have set forth in this Quran every sort of argument to make the people understand; but whatever ‘aayah’ you may bring, the disbelievers will certainly say, “You are following falsehood”. Thus does Allah seal up the hearts of those who understand not. So, patiently perservere; for surely the promise of Allah is True. And let not those who have no certainty of faith, shake your firmness.

The people who refuse to understand the Glorious Quran are always the foremost in accusing the believers of the Quran of following falsehood! Little do they realize that Allah Subhanah has sealed up their hearts for their obstinence!!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 43 Surah Zukhruf verses 43-44:So, hold fast to the Book that has been revealed to you, you are surely on the Siraat al Mustaqeem. The fact is that this book is a great honor for you and your people, and soon you shall be CALLED TO ACCOUNT for it.

Some people say that the Book of Allah should not be understood, and obviously if one never understands it, he will not obey and follow its clear commands! But Allah guides the believers to hold fast to this Glorious Quran, for those who do, are surely on the Straight Path of Islam. And on an Inevitable Day, Allah shall surely call all of mankind to account for it.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 157-158:Now that a clear proof, a Guidance and Blessing, has come to you from your Lord, who can be more unjust than the one who treats Our Revelations as false and turns away from them? We will inflict the severest torment on those who turn away from Our Revelations because of their aversion. Do the people now await that the angels should come down before them? Or that your Lord may Himself come down? Or that the manifest Signs of your Lord should appear?

Some people declare that the Book of Allah is not for us to understand!!!! Allah Subhanah declares that those who treat His Revelations as false and thus turn away from them are unjust, and will come under the severe Wrath and Punishment of Allah Subhanah.

So, what will make these people understand the Message of the Quran? Are they awaiting that the angels of Allah should come down before them? Or that the Majestic and Supreme Lord of the Universe should Himself come down before them? Or that some of the Lord’s Manifest Signs or Miracles should appear before them? Will these unjust people who refuse to understand and accept the Guidance of the Quran, believe only then?

We seek the refuge of Allah Subhanah from the people who refuse to accept and understand the Message of the Glorious Quran!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verses 2-3:This is a Book which has been sent down to you. So, let there be no hesitation in your mind about it. This has been sent down that you may thereby warn (the disbelievers), and that it may be an Admonition to the believers. O people, follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not follow other ‘auliyaas’ besides Him. But you seldom take Admonition!

The unjust people who refuse to accept and understand the Revelations of Allah Subhanah have done so, only because some of their ‘auliyaas’ or self-declared holy men have told them to do so!

These ignorant people refuse to accept what Allah has commanded them to do; but are ever-ready to accept every command of their self made ‘auliyaas’!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verses 40-44:Some of these people will believe in (The Quran), and others will not. Your Lord knows these mischief-makers very well indeed. If these people deny you, say to them: “I am responsible for my deeds and you are for yours. You are not accountable for what I do, nor am I for what you do.” There are many among them who hear what you say, but will you make the deaf to listen to you, even though they be incapable of understanding this? Then there are many others among them who see you. But will you show the way to the blind, even though they be bereft of sight? The fact is that Allah does not in any way wrong the people, but they wronged themselves!

Our duty was only to convey the Message of the Glorious Quran to you…..Allah Subhanah Himself declares that some people will believe in it, and some others will reject it!

These Bhaisahebs, and Aamils, and the ‘raza na saahibs’, etc. know how to perform the rituals of darees, waaz, jaman, niyaaz, nikaah, janaaza, etc. but they have absolutely no idea of the clear commandments of the Quran! Simply because in their schools and universities, that is exactly what they have learnt! Neither do they know the Quran, nor do they encourage their followers to understand the Quran!

Had they read the Glorious Quran even only once with understanding, they would bear witness to the whole world that the Bohra concept of ‘shafaa’ and ‘wasila’ amounts to the highest form and a clear manifestation of the most heinous of sins: ‘shirk’ or associating others with Allah Subhanah!

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.”

This is the scenario Allah presents to the believers in the Holy Quran about those people who trusted their intercessors, rather than the Words of Allah Subhanah! All their lives these people invoked and called upon their ‘holy men’ and thought these people could mould their destinies in this world and help them in the Hereafter! But Allah Subhanah Himself says that He will cut off all the relations between such people, and all those ‘holy men’ they trusted to intercede for them in the Court of Allah, will leave them in the lurch!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verse 18:These people worship 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 to be neither in the heavens nor in the earth?” He is absolutely free from, and exalted above the shirk that they commit.

Allah exhorts the people to use their common sense when they invoke self-made intercessors, who have absolutely no authority from Allah Subhanah. Allah tells the Prophet (saws) to ask them sarcastically, whether by invoking the intercessors to take their duas to Allah, do they wish to inform Allah of something which He does not already know!!! Allah has termed this system of ‘wasila’ as shirk in the Holy Quran… and Shirk is a sin which Allah has promised in the Quran never to forgive on the Day of Judgement! And Allah Subhanah never ever goes against His Promises.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 40 Surah Mumin verse 47-48:Then imagine the time when these people will be disputing with one another in Hell. The weak ones will say to the haughty ones, “We were your followers! Now, can you save us from some part of our punishment in Hell?” The haughty ones will say, “We are all in the same state here, and Allah has already passed judgment between His servants.”

Allah draws a scene and conversation between the supposed and arrogant holy men whom the people followed in the life of this world, hoping that they would help them in the Hereafter! No one has the power or authority to alter or influence the Decision of Allah Subhanah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 165-167:There are people who set up equals and rivals with Allah and adore them with the adoration due to Allah! Whereas the believers adore Allah most ardently. Would that these transgressors could realize now what they will realize, when they see the chastisement before them: that power and authority wholly belong to Allah, and that Allah is severe in punishment! When He will inflict punishment, those very leaders and guides whom they followed in the world will disown them. But punishment they shall get and all their bonds shall be cut off. Then those who followed them will say, “Would that we were given another chance to return to the world. Then we will disown them just as they have disowned us today!” Thus Allah will bring before them the deeds they did in the world in such a manner as to make them wring their hands in regret, but they shall be unable to come out of the Fire.

Allah Himself declares that the very leaders and guides whom they followed in the world will disown them on the Day of Judgement! But then it would be too late for those who invoked these people and their graves, and all they will be able to do is wring their hands in regret and disgust!

My beloved brothers, read the Quran once with understanding… and then decide what Path you want to take to your Lord. That is all I ask of you! My duty as your brother, friend, and well-wisher was to invite you to the Revelations of Allah. To accept my invitation, or deny it… is entirely upto you.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verses 103-106:Tell them (O Mohamed), “Should We tell you who are the most unsuccessful people and miserable failures in regard to their deeds? They are those, all whose edeavours 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! Those are the people who rejected the Revelations of their Lord and did not believe that they would ever go before Him. Therefore all their deeds were lost, for We shall assign no weight to them on the Day of Reserruction. Their recompense is Hell for the disbelief they showed, and for the mockery they adopted in regard to My Aayahs and My Messengers!”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 29:Proclaim, “This (Quran) is the Truth from your Lord: now whosoever wills may accept it, and whosoever wills may reject it.” (As for those who reject it) We have prepared for such workers of iniquity a fire whose flames have encircled them. There, if they ask for water , they will be given a drink like the dregs of oil, which will burn their mouths! What an evil drink, and what an evil abode!

I sincerely and humbly apologize to the brother who posed the question to give our comments on the taped conversations of Taizoon Bhaisaheb, for writing such a long answer! But, it is our duty as your brothers in faith, and your sincere well-wishers to declare the clear commands and teachings of Allah Subhanah in front of anyone who cares to listen to good caution.

Had Brother Taizaoon Bhaisaheb armed himself with the Knowledge of Truth of the Glorious Quran, rather than arguing on the baseless points of ‘zaahir-baatin’, ‘mazoon-mukasir’ and the breaking of the Bohra ‘misaak’; he would have done himself a huge favor!

If Brother Taizoon Bhaisaheb insists on challenging the upper echelons of the mis-guided Bohra leadership with his same dogma of ‘zaahir-baatin’, etc….. then his state would be as described by Allah Subhanah Himself in the Glorious Quran:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Noor verses 39-40:

39 But the Unbelievers, their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it he finds it to be nothing: but he finds Allah (ever) with him and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account.

40 Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean overwhelmed with billow, topped by billow topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness one above another: if a man stretches out his hand he can hardly see it! For any to whom Allah giveth not light, there is no light!

Only if Brother Taizoon Bhaisaheb had sought the help of Allah and armed himself with the Truth from the Glorious Quran! For it is the Truth, and Truth Alone, which can set him free……

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Bani Israel verse 81:And declare, “The Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. And falsehood is a thing that must, by its nature, vanish!”

Brother Taizoon Bhaisaheb has asked the believers to take his message to the Syedna! Well, guess what? We have made available for him, the Divine Message of the Lord of the Worlds!! It is our ardent desire and prayer to the All-Mighty Lord, that this message of ours reaches Brother Taizoon Bhaisaheb, and whoever else willing to listen to good caution.

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 in Islam,

Burhan