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 BRO BURHAN...

SALAM...

EID MUBARAK AND CONGRATS ON THE SERVICE TO UMMAH....MAY ALLAH SUBHAN GIVE U MORE STRENGTH...

SOME QUSTIONS :

WHY MOST SUNNI IMAMS SAY FOR THE 3 KHALIFAS " RAZI ALLAH ANHO" AND FOR HAZRAT ALI SAHEB " KARAM WAJAH ALLAH" ???

IS IT TRUE THAT SOME SCHOLARS IN EGYPT HAVE GIVEN FATWA THAT INTEREST IS NOT USURY AND THRFOR NOT HARAM ??? IS IT SAME IF INTEREST IS CHARGED FOR PERSONAL LOANS OR BUSINESS LOANS ???

IS THR ANY BASIS/SANCTITY FOR BOHRI'S DAWAT TO COLLECT "SILAT UL IMAM" OR "KHUMS" FROM THE BOHRA COMMONERS ???

THANX

(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:

R.A. and Khums charges by bohra leaders

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.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. We humbly hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Your Question: WHY MOST SUNNI IMAMS SAY FOR THE 3 KHALIFAS " RAZI ALLAH ANHO" AND FOR HAZRAT ALI SAHEB " KARAM WAJAH ALLAH" ???

‘Radhe Allaho Ann’ basically means ‘May Allah be Pleased with him/her’, and ‘Karam Allaho Wajjh’ means ‘One whose face has been honored by Allah’.

Although the believers, in respect and reverance, term all the noble companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) ‘Radhe Allaho Ann’, they sometimes use a special term ‘Karam Allaho Wajjh’ for the person of Hadrat Imam Ali ibn Abi Taalib (r.a.); probably to signify that amongst the closest and noblest companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws), only Hadrat Ali (r.a.) was blessed by Allah Subhanah to grow up from his childhood in the house and under the guidance of the blessed Messenger of Allah (saws), and also because Hadrat Ali (r.a.), acceptance of Islam in his early childhood, never ever bowed his face to any idols or gods except Allah Subhanah: thus the term ‘Karam Allaho Wajjh’ or ‘One whose face has been honored by Allah’ emphasising the fact that Hadrat Ali (r.a.) never ever bowed his face to anyone except the Lord of the Worlds.

Your Question: IS IT TRUE THAT SOME SCHOLARS IN EGYPT HAVE GIVEN FATWA THAT INTEREST IS NOT USURY AND THRFOR NOT HARAM ???

Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared ‘riba’ haraam, and interest is a part of ‘riba’ and thus considered absolutely haraam. To the best of our knowledge, no scholar from Egypt or anywhere else in the world has given such a verdict; and even if all the scholars of the world were to give a verdict declaring the dealing of interest as ‘halaal’, it would not be binding on the believers!

Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared ‘riba’ haraam, and there is none in the Universe who has a right to declare halaal, what Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared haraam.

Your Question: IS IT SAME IF INTEREST IS CHARGED FOR PERSONAL LOANS OR BUSINESS LOANS ???

Interest is a part of ‘riba’, and thus declared haraam by Allah and His Messenger (saws). Whether interest is charged on a personal loan or a business loan, it will be considered haraam in the sight of Shariah.

Your Question: IS THR ANY BASIS/SANCTITY FOR BOHRI'S DAWAT TO COLLECT "SILAT UL IMAM" OR "KHUMS" FROM THE BOHRA COMMONERS ???

There is absolutely no basis or evidence in the Quran for the Bohra leaders to collect ‘silat ul imam’ or the ‘khums’ from the believers! These and other terms like wajebaat, sabeel, nazrul-maqaam, najwa, haqq-un-nafs, etc. are nothing but the concoctions and inventions of self-declared priests who devour the wealth of the believers by evil and illegal means. The ones who pay these dues to stay in the community will have no reward from Allah Subhanah; and the ones who demand these dues in the name of Allah will be brought forth as criminals in the Court of Allah Subhanah for cheating the believers, and filling their own coffers in the blessed name of the All-Mighty Lord! These self-declared leaders who demand dues from the believers falsely in the name of Allah Subhanah have indeed sold their souls and their Hereafter for a paltry price indeed!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verses 34-35 :O you who believe! There are indeed many among the priests and the holy men who devour the wealth of others by evil means, and debar the people from the Way of Allah. Give them the good news of a painful torment, who hoard up gold and silver and do not expend these in the Way of Allah. The Day shall surely come when the same gold and silver shall be heated in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their bodies and their backs. (And it will be said): “Here is that treasure you had hoarded up for yourselves! Taste now the evil of your hoarded treasure!”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 79:Then woe to those who write The Book with their own hands, and then say, “This is from Allah”, so that they might gain some paltry worldly price. This writing of their hands will bring woe to them, and what they gain thereby will lead to their ruin!

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