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:

An argument that I heard from a Bohra friend of Mine. He says " That Syedna= RasoolAllah" Further clarifying his statement he meant that Syedna is just like RasoolAllah" Kindly clarify this as this Statment has mad me go Insane

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Answer:

Is Syedna a Rasool?

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.

The meaning of the term ‘Syedna’ is ‘our leader’; and the meaning of the term ‘Rasool Allah’ means the ‘Messenger of Allah’. Thus if your Bohra friend meant to say that the Rasool Allah (saws) is Syedna Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws), he is indeed accurate; for indeed our leader and the leader of all the believers is without the doubt, Syedna Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws), the Last and Final Messenger of Allah Subhanah.

But if perchance the ignorant person is trying to connote that their self-declared leader or ‘syedna’ of the Bohra sect, is the ‘same as’ or ‘just like’ the Messenger of Allah (saws), or that the rights and reverence due only to the Noble Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws) must be given to their self-named ‘syedna’; that would be absolute and utter misguidance!

If someone believes that the ‘syedna’ of the Bohra sect is the same as or just like the Messenger of Allah (saws), or they declare their ‘syedna’ to be a Messenger of Allah after Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws), or if they obey, follow, love, accept, and believe in their ‘syedna’ unconditionally, which is the Right of only Allah and His Messengers; then they have indeed deviated from the Straight Path of Islam.

The truth of the matter is that some of the self-declared “syedna’s” followers so love and revere him, that they have taken him beyond the status of the Messenger of Allah (saws)!!!! They have shared some rights with their ‘syedna’, which are exclusively the Rights due to Allah Subhanah! Little do they realize that sharing the Rights or Attributes of Allah Subhanah with any other is a manifestation of the heinous and unforgivable sin of ‘shirk’!

Examples:

They bow down in sajdah to their ‘syedna’ just like the believers bow down to Allah Subhanah!

In the presence of their syedna, they bow down to him in the direction of the syedna, regardless of the direction of the Kaabah!

They invoke their ‘syedna’ sitting, standing and lying down for all their needs!

They bow down in sajdah to the graves of their dead syedna’s!

They believe their syedna has knowledge of the unseen!

They believe that their syedna can hear them when they call on him!

They believe their syedna is aware of their condition at all times!

They believe their syedna can perform miracles at will!

They believe that their syedna has the power to give them the Gardens of Paradise in the Hereafter!

They believe that their syedna has the power to bless them with good, and relieve from them their evils.

They believe, obey, revere, respect, and follow every command of their syedna unconditionally; even if his command is against the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah!

They believe a thing is halaal if their syedna declares it halaal; and a thing is haraam if their syedna declares it haraam!

Their syedna is the recipient of all their gratitude and thanks, for every ‘nehmah’ that they have received from Allah Subhanah!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 31:They have made their scholars and their monks as their Rabbs besides Allah!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verses 13:Then, instead of Allah, he invokes those who can do him neither harm nor good. This is the last extremity of deviation. He invokes those who are more likely to do him harm, than good! What an EVIL ‘MAULA’ he chooses, and what an evil companion.

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