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 Alaikum Br. Burhan,

First of all, I , from the very bottom of my heart would like to express my utter appreciation for the tremendous task you and your forum have undertaken.

I had posted this question more than a month ago and am waiting for your response..Please reply as soon as possible.. I reiterate my question as follows:

I am a bohra by birth, and used to believe in the syedna very much. But then slowly I started reading the translation of the Holy QURAN and started having differences of opinion with my fellow followers of the so called leader of the bohra religion.. I have been guided to the

right path by ALLAH Azzawajal, and am very much thankful to Him. I read your answers regularly and am gaining more knowledge about the true ISLAM. I would like to thank you too for your excellent efforts in propagating the Truth. May Allah Azzawajal grant you and your fellow members the best in this life and the hereafter.

Brother I am in a dilemma at present.My father is a very very staunch follower of the syedna. Knowing that he is wrong in his blind faith in the syedna, how am I supposed to convince him and my other family members to come out of this bondsmanship of the syedna and try to learn

about the actual message which Allah has sent down. Kindly help me in this matter. I am desperately seeking your advice. Kindly reply as soon as possible

Jazak-Allah.

(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:

Bohra brother family

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. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We 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: Brother I am in a dilemma at present. My father is a very very staunch follower of the syedna. Knowing that he is wrong in his blind faith in the syedna, how am I supposed to convince him and my other family members to come out of this bondsmanship of the syedna and try to learn about the actual message which Allah has sent down.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 16, Surah An-Nahl Ayat 125:Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and excellent admonition and argue with people in the best manner. Your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Way and who is Rightly guided.

My dear and beloved brother in Islam, Allah Subhanah has guided the believers to invite others to His Way with wisdom, excellent admonition, and in the best manner. Thus no matter the circumstances and conditions, you must abide by the guidelines of Allah Subhanah and with extreme patience and wisdom and absolute humility, you must try to convince your father and your loved ones to read the Glorious Quran with understanding; as there is no better way to invite someone to the Right Path.

You might face some resistance and even rebuke in the initial stages, but under no circumstances must you lose your patience; but rather be extremely polite and walk away for the time being, rather than involving yourself in an ugly dispute or argument with your beloved father or your loved ones, whereby the Shaitaan may incite you to transgress the boundaries of respect and humility towards the ones we love and care.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 66 Surah Tahreem verse 6: O you who have believed, save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel shall be men and stones; over which shall be appointed fierce and stern angels, who never disobey Allah’s Command, and they only do as they are commanded!

No matter how long it takes to convince them, be patient and steadfast on the Straight Path and in your invitation to your loved ones to read the Glorious Quran with understanding. No matter what you say or do, it is only the understanding of the Quran which can and Insha Allah will have an everlasting effect on them. And above all, be constant in your supplications to Allah Subhanah to guide your father and your loved ones to the Straight Path of Islam.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 28 Surah Qasas verse 56: You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whomever He Pleases. And He best knows those who would accept guidance.

Regardless of how long it takes, or how many times you have to approach them, or how many times they rebuke you; you remain constant and patient and steadfast on the path that is Straight and continue to invite your beloved father and your loved ones to the Path of the Quran in the most polite and humble manner. The only time you stop is when either of you has met with their appointment of death! Thus as long as there is breath in your lungs, you continue to invite them to the path of the Quran; and if even then they do not accept your invitation then know that our only duty is to invite mankind to the Straight Path, to guide or leave astray is in the Absolute Domain and Control of Allah Subhanah Alone. We can choose whom to invite, but Guidance is in the Power of Allah Subhanah Alone.

May Allah Subhanah make your trial easy for you and bestow upon you wisdom, and courage, and patience, and steadfastness on the path of Truth you have chosen.

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