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 Burhan,

I have always enjoyed your way of writing on the faith of true Islamic ways. Recently an incidence has happened in my family and I would like to clear my consciousness in my mind. My experience was as such : My mother passed away, and this happened about 200 kms. away from the community mosque. I called the our mosque Amil to inform him about the incidence and wanted help from him for Burial services. I have always had good standing with the Community , and our request was that my mothers wishes come true to be buried in the same city where she spent 33 years and died there. We all wanted the wishes to come true but the Amil , who said that it was is last decision that he would not do or send any people to recite the burial traditions. We requested this over and over that my , mother have a Bhora traditional Burial. How ever he refused and insisted that body be moved to 250 km. where the Mosque is and said that dead peoples wishes can not be kept that way. Anyhow this was very upsetting time for the whole family and we decided to do what her wishes were. We had taken the body to the nearest Mosque and did every thing according to the Bhora way but without the help of the Amil. My question to you is that, Have we done anything unIslamic way to carry this . Have we done anything wrong to do this way?  Should I be afraid to face the same Amil with nonses attitude and not performing his duties right. Should this kind of Amil  be reported to the house of Allah. Is this kind of person really suitable and be allowed to carry Islamic ritual things where he is using his bullyways to control people who at the sad times need help and right of way .Please try to reply this as soon , I will be watching for your answers.  My question to is : Was Amil of Toronto right to order us to bring the body 250 km. away from where she lived for past 30 years.? , Is it not sunna to bury the body of person where they die? , Is it wrong to use other muslim mosque for body prepration and prayers.? , Can it be right that, an Amil or any other muslim Imam can refuse to do the burial services ? , In Islamic way what do you think should be the right way to respect the dead.? Do you think that the AMIL acted the Islamic way ? Should he be reported to any Islamic complains office for not doing his job ? Please advice me. I will be waiting for your answer egerly. 

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Answer:

Bohra burial refusal

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, your experience with the Bohra Aamil over the burial of your deceased mother is not a new phenomena in the Bohra community! The Aamils are trained to tighten their grip on the followers at the times of need, especially marriage and burial, where the Bohra community have invented so many rites and rituals which have absolutely no basis in Islam.

To be given a muslim burial is a fundamental right of every muslim; and if no one in the community gives the deceased believer a honorable muslim burial, the whole community will be in sin in the sight of Allah. This is what is called a ‘fard-kifaayah’ in Shariah; if some people in the community honorably bury the deceased believer, it will suffice; but if no one in the community gives the deceased believer a honorable muslim burial, the whole community will be held in sin.

Your Question: My question to you is that, Have we done anything unIslamic way to carry this . Have we done anything wrong to do this way?

My beloved brother in Islam, you have done nothing wrong by approaching a believing community and seeking their help in giving your deceased mother a honorable muslim burial.

Your Question: Should I be afraid to face the same Amil with nonses attitude and not performing his duties right.

The only one who deserves to be feared is Allah Subhanah! The truth is that the Aamil should be embarrassed to meet you and seek forgiveness from Allah Subhanah and your family for having such a non-caring attitude towards a family who is grieving over the death of their loved one.

Your Question: Should this kind of Amil  be reported to the house of Allah.

Beloved brother, Allah Subhanah is well aware of the attitude and action of the Aamil and he will get his due punishment from Allah Subhanah in His Court on an Inevitable Day!

Your Question: Is this kind of person really suitable and be allowed to carry Islamic ritual things where he is using his bullyways to control people who at the sad times need help and right of way .

Brother, we must realize that the Aamil is sent there to make a living off the believers in their time of need, and has absolutely no interest in your well-being whatsoever. That is precisely why there is no room for a special ‘priestly class’ in true Islam! And if this is his attitude at probably the weakest moment in one’s life, can you even imagine what kind of good he will be able to deliver at other times!

The standard procedure of these unscrupulous Aamils is that when a rich man dies, they go out of their way to facilitate the rites and rituals for them; and when a normal person dies, they bully him into submission to their whims and fancies.

Allah Subhanah is well aware of their atrocities and tyranny. If they do get away with their oppression in the life of this world, rest assured that they will be brought as criminals in the Just Court of Allah Subhanah where no man will be wronged in the least!

Your Question: My question to is : Was Amil of Toronto right to order us to bring the body 250 km. away from where she lived for past 30 years.?

Even an enemy has the decency to fulfill the last wishes of a dying person! The Aamil was absolutely wrong in his attitude, and he should have tried his best to facilitate the last wishes of a deceased person; especially if the wish made by the deceased was legal in regards to Shariah.

Your Question: Is it not sunna to bury the body of person where they die?

Ahmad and Tirmidhi report on the authority of Hadrat Ali ibn Abu Talib (r.a.) that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "O Ali, never delay three things: prayer when its time approaches, the funeral when death is confirmed, and marrying a widow or a divorcee when a suitable match is found for her."

It is indeed a Sunnah to give the deceased believer a honorable funeral as soon as possible, unless of course there is a valid reason for the delay. But for someone to purposely delay and/or trouble the family of the deceased at the burial of their loved one cannot be considered a worthy and honorable act.

Your Question: Is it wrong to use other muslim mosque for body prepration and prayers.?

Beloved brother in Islam, as you must have noticed and experienced, that when you took your beloved mother’s body to the ones you call the ‘other’ muslim mosque; they probably treated you more like their own brothers than the Aamil and his cronies!

The truth of the matter is that it is we who have divided this Ummah of Islam in our sect, his sect, their sect, and other sects! Allah and His Messenger (saws) guided the believers to stay united in the One Ummah and Brotherhood of Islam and cursed the ones who broke their deen into sects.

Allah says in Chapter 30 Surah Rum aayat 31-32:"This (Islam) is the right and true faith, but most people do not know. (Be steadfast on this) turning wholly and sincerely towards Allah Alone, and fear Him, and establish the Salat, and do not be like the mushriks, who have set up their separate creeds and divided themselves into sects, each sect rejoicing in what it has."

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-55:And you all belong to one and the same ummah, and I(Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time. What? Do they think that, by continuing to provide them with wealth and children, We are solicitous for their welfare? Nay, they do not understand the reality of the matter!

To be given a honorable muslim burial is a right of every believer, and you have done nothing wrong in approaching your ‘other’ brothers in faith when your ‘own’ Aamil refused to offer his services. Allah Subhanah has termed the believers ‘muslims’; it is the ignorant people who have given them self-invented names like Sunnis, and Shias, and Bohras, and Ismailis, etc. The true believers should be honored to be recognized by the name Allah Subhanah has chosen for them: that is, ‘muslims’.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 77-78:O you who have believed, do ‘rukooh’ (bow down) and do ‘sajdah’ (prostration), and worship your Lord Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds: it may be that you attain true success! Exert your utmost for the cause of Allah, as one should. He has chosen you for His service, and has not laid on you any hardship in your religion. Therefore, be steadfast in the religion of your father Abraham. Allah had named you ‘muslims’ before this, and has named you (muslims) in this Quran also, so that the Messenger may be a witness in regard to you, and you may be witnesses in regard to the rest of mankind.

Your Question: Can it be right that, an Amil or any other muslim Imam can refuse to do the burial services?

Like I said brother, it is the fundamental right of every believer that his brothers in faith give him a honorable burial after his death. If someone blocks the burial for no legal or valid reason, he will be brought forward to answer for his misdeeds in the Just Court of Allah Subhanah for his oppression.

Your Question: Should he be reported to any Islamic complains office for not doing his job ?

You may try doing that brother, but chances are your complaints will fall on deaf ears in the hierarchy of the Bohra system, where the norm is that the hierarchy will support the people whom they have appointed as Aamils or governors over their followers, and they might try to humiliate you further in their ‘courts’!

My humble advice to you is to take your complain straight to the Absolute Supreme Court of Allah Subhanah; where no complaint of the oppressed ever goes unheard or unanswered, where no tyrant oppressor is ever protected, where no victim is ever abused, and where only the Truth and Justice of the All-Just Lord prevails.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.628 Narrated by Ibn Abbas

The Prophet (saws) sent Hadrat Mu'adh ibn Jabal (r.a.) as a Governor to Yemen and advised him, "Be afraid, from the curse of the oppressed, as there is no screen between his invocation and Allah."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.629 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his reputation or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Resurrection when there will be no money (to compensate for wrong deeds); but if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to his oppression which he has done, given to the oppressed; and if the oppressor has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him."

Thus my beloved brother, never ever despair of the Mercy and Justice of Allah Subhanah, even if the Aamil is able to get away with his oppression and tyranny. Rest assured that he will have his Day in the Just Court of Allah Subhanah, and the currency of the Hereafter is the ‘deeds’ of the person!

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