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.

Q-1: I want to know who you are.  Are you a Bohra?

All the brothers who moderate this forum were born into staunch Dawoodi Bohra families,  and spent a major part of their lives believing and practicing Bohra-ism.    Then at various stages of our lives,  Allah,  the All Merciful,  guided us to read the Holy Quran with understanding.   After reading the Holy Quran,  it became extremely evident that some of the things which we were following since birth, were absolutely against the commandments and guidance of Allah.   And after understanding the clear guidance of the Holy Quran,  we were left with no choice but to abandon everything that went against the guidance and teachings of the Quran, leave the practices of ‘shirk’,  and come to the sole invocation and worship of the One Allah Alone.    We have left behind us the shallow invocation and worship of humans and graves,  and have come into the vastness of the belief,  invocation and worship of the One Lord Alone.

Thus to answer your question directly,  yes, we are Bohras by birth and by culture,   but our religion,  our deen,  our belief,  our loyalty,  our love,  and our lives are dedicated to Islam as commanded by Allah in the Glorious Quran,  and we bear witness that we are muslims.   We intend to follow the same deen of the Messenger of Allah (saws),  his noble family and his noble companions;  and they were all ‘muslims’.    They did not invent another name for themselves like Shias,  Sunnis,  Bohras,  etc. and if we indeed intend to follow the same deen as them,  then we should all be proud to be recognized as ‘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.

Q-2:  Do you believe in Dawaat?

If by ‘daawat’,  you mean the undisputed submission and subservience to the a Personality and his family of rulers,  NO,  we do not believe in that!   If by ‘daawat’ you mean the kissing of feet of the self-proclaimed holy men,  NO,  we do not believe in that!   If by ‘daawat’ you mean invocation and worship of man and graves,  NO,  we do not believe in that!   If by ‘daawat’ you mean to leave the clear guidance of the Holy Quran,  and believe in whatever is said by the Bohra leadership as Islam,  NO,  we do not believe in that!   If by ‘daawat’  you mean that we bow down in sajdah to the self-proclaimed leader,  NO,  we do not believe in that!    If by ‘daawat’ you mean we believe in being ‘abd-syedna’(slave of syedna)  rather than being ‘Abd-Allah’,  NO,  we do not believe in that!

Q-3: Do you believe in openess and accountability of the Dia?

Absolutely!   Whoever claims to be the leader of the muslims,  must be open and accountable to the believers.   Everything that the muslim leader does must be in accordance with the Holy Quran and Sunnah of the Messenger (saws);  and if it is not,  then it is the moral responsibility and the duty of the believers to hold him accountable for his actions,   and force the leader to align himself with the clear guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws).   

But what the Bohra leadership has done is not allowed their followers to understand the Holy Quran,  and are thus able to lead them wherever they want, in the name of Islam!   These blind followers believe that Islam is the invocation and worship of Personalities from the History of the Muslims,  and have absolutely no idea about what Allah is guiding them towards in the Holy Quran.    They are assured time and again by the leadership,  that whatever they do and believe is in line with the guidance of the Holy Quran;  whereas if one just reads the Glorious Quran once with understanding,  he/she will realize that what they believe and follow has nothing to do with the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws).    They believe that the leadership is guiding them towards Paradise,  but if they were to understand the clear Message of the Holy Quran,  they would realize that the leadership is guiding them towards nothing, but the everlasting and terrifying Hell Fire!

Q-4: I want to be sure that the Sabbaks you post on the internet do not come from a corrupt source.

All the sabaqs and the q&as we write on the internet are always,  I repeat always,  in light of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).   For true believers,  there is no third source,  and neither is it needed!

The only way you can be sure that everything we post on the internet from our forum is from the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws),  is for you to read and understand the Holy Quran yourself.    For how else would one be able to differentiate between the Truth and falsehood,  Right and wrong,   the Path to Paradise and the Path to Hell Fire?    Allah Himself declares in the Holy Quran,   that this Book is a perfect guidance for mankind,  and consists of clear teachings which are a criterion (something that differentiates) between the Truth and falsehood.

Allah says in Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah Ayah 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."

To preach something from a corrupt source,  we need to have a motive!   Our one and only mission in starting this forum is to invite our brethren to read and understand the clear Message of the Glorious Quran,  and thus be guided aright.    We neither ask for any appreciation,  nor do we ask for any reward for our service.    We do this only because Allah has commanded the believers to invite others to the Truth of Islam,   and so that He might be pleased with us on the Day of Judgment,  have mercy on us,  forgive us our sins,  and save us from the torment of the Hell Fire.

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.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Ha Meem As Sajdah verses 4-5: Yet most of these people have turned away from it (The Quran),  and they pay no heed.  They say, “Our hearts are covered with veils from that to which you are calling us;  our ears have become deaf;  and between us and you there is a curtain,  so do as you please,  and we shall do as we will!”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 82: But if they turn away,  your only responsibility is to convey the plain Message of Truth!  They recognize the blessing of Allah,  yet they deny it,  for the majority of them are not inclined to accept the Truth!

Your Comment: I also want to know that they come from someone who has courage to be open and frank and fears no one but Allah.

My dear sister in Islam,  if you read any of our articles,  it will become obvious to you from the position we have taken against the mis-guided leadership,  and the abuses, curses,  and threats that we receive because we invite our brethren to the Truth,   you will realize that the only reason we have been able to carry on this noble work is because of the help,  mercy and guidance of Allah Subhanah.   I assure you,  we fear no one,  but Allah Subhanah Alone;  and we bear witness to the Truth that no one deserves to be feared except Allah Alone,  Who Created the heavens and the earth and everything that exists in between.  

As regards having the courage to be open and frank,  we will always speak the Truth in light of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger (saws),  whether someone likes it or not!    You are more than welcome to test our courage,   openness,  and frankness in Islam;  so that you can be satisfied with the Mission of Truth.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anam verses 81-82: And there is no reason why I should fear those beings you associate with Allah,  when you are not afraid of setting up partners with Allah without any authority.  Then tell me,  which of the two parties merits peace and freedom from fear?  It is those who believe and do not confuse their beliefs with wrong,  that are truly in security,  and they are the ones who are rightly guided.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 175: It is Shaitaan who is frightening the people with the fear of his ‘awliyaa’.  Therefore, in future,  do not fear them,  but fear Me (Allah),  if you are indeed true Believers!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Fussilat (Ha Mim Sajdah) verses 30-32: Those who said, ‘Allah is our Lord’,  and then stood steadfast,  angels descend on them and say, ‘Fear not nor grieve, and rejoice in the good news of Paradise that has been promised to you:  we are your companions in the life of this world,  and also in the Hereafter.   There you will have whatever you desire,  and whatever you ask for will be yours!   An entertainment from the One,  Who is All Forgiving,  All Merciful.’

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 8 Surah Anfaal verses 2-4: True believers are only those whose hearts tremble with awe,  when Allah is mentioned to them;  whose faith increases when His Revelations are recited to them;  who put their trust in their Lord;  who establish prayer;  and spend (in Our Way) out of what We have bestowed upon them.   Such people,  indeed are true believers.   They have high ranks with their Lord and forgiveness for their sins and most generous provisions.

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 and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan