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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Mr Burhan

Wa-alaikumassalaam and many thanks for your clarification, highly appreciated indeed...  

Also appreciate your initiative in hosting the site islam help line.  I have a couple of friends who are from the Bohra community and who are not even ready to listen to our advice about the real Islam and its teachings and they just wave us away whenever we try to tell them how big a mistake they are committing by following this ideology...  Any topics/points you would suggest to 'breakthrough' their blind defences?

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Answer:

Breakthrough bori beliefs

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Any topics/points you would suggest to 'breakthrough' their blind defences?

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.

It has always been the case that when one is born into a sect or a set of beliefs, one unconditionally puts their belief in the guidance/misguidance declared by their self-appointed ‘holy men’ and ‘priests’….absolutely regardless of whether whatever they say or do is in accordance with the Divine Guidance of the Glorious Quran and the Sunnah or not.

Amongst this particular sect, the unsuspecting followers are warned never ever to read the Glorious Quran with understanding, lest they are misguided from the ‘path’….and once a person is devoid of the understanding of the Glorious Quran, his likeness is that of a blind person or cattle who goes wherever their ‘leader’ leads them!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 179:

179 …… They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle! Nay, more misguided: for they are heedless (of the Truth).

Respected brother, in our humble opinion and experience, the one thing which would truly benefit such brothers is to read (or even hear) the Glorious Quran with understanding….for this Divine Book of Guidance has a way of its own to penetrate the hearts of those who wish to seek guidance…..thus if you could strive and convince some amongst them to read the Glorious Quran with understanding, they would be well on their way towards guidance…Insha Allah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 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.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 12 Surah Yusuf verse 1-2:

These are the verses of the Book that makes its object perfectly clear. We have sent it down as a Quran in Arabic, so that you may understand it well.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 89:

We have sent down to you this Book, which makes everything plain, and is a guidance, blessing and good news to those who have surrendered themselves entirely.

If one is truly seeking Guidance and the Truth, the reading of the Glorious Quran with understanding would more than suffice….but if one is not seeking Guidance or the Truth and insists on following their polytheist or disbelieving forefathers, or ‘holy men’, or ‘priests’……even if you were to place the sun and the moon on their palms, they would not believe!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 170-171:

When it is said to them, “Follow the Commands that Allah has sent down”, they reply, “We will follow only what we found our forefathers practising.” Well, will they go on following their forefathers even though they did not use common sense and did not find the Right Way! The mental condition of those who rejected the way of Allah may be likened to that of the cattle whom the shepherd calls but they hear nothing except the sound of shouts and cries. They are deaf, they are dumb, they are blind; therefore they do not understand anything.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah Anbiyaa verse 52-54:

Recall to mind the occasion when Ibrahim said to his father and his people, “What are these images to which you are so devoted?” They replied, “We found our forefathers worshipping them.” Ibrahim said, “You have gone astray and so had your forefathers manifestly deviated from the Right Way.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 26 Surah Shuaraa verse 69-82:

And tell them the story of Ibrahim, when he asked his father and his people: “What are these things that you worship?” They answered, “These are idols which we worship and we serve them devotedly.” Ibrahim asked, “Do they hear you when you call on them? Or do they bring any good or harm to you?” They replied, “No, but we have found our elders doing the same.” At this, Ibrahim said, “Have you ever seen with open eyes the things which you and your elders have been worshipping? They are all enemies to me, except the One Lord of the Worlds, Who created me, then He it is Who guides me, Who gives me food and drink, and Who gives me health when I am ill, Who will cause me to die and then will give me life again, and of Whom I expect that He will forgive me my errors on the Day of Judgment.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 31 Surah Luqman verse 21:

And when it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has sent down”, they say, “We shall only follow that upon which we found our forefathers.” What! Will they still be following them even if Shaitaan had been calling them to the raging Fire?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 34 Surah Saba verse 43:

When Our clear Revelations are recited to these people, they say, “This person only wants to turn you away from those deities whom your forefathers have been worshipping.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 43 Surah Zukhruf verse 22-25:

Nay! But they say, “We found our forefathers on a way and we are only walking in their footsteps.” Even so, whenever before you We sent a warner to a habitation, its people of means said, “We have found our forefathers on a way and we are only following in their footsteps.” Every Prophet asked them, “Will you still go on following the same old way even if I guide you to a more right way than that you found your forefathers following?” They replied, “We disbelieve the religion with which you have been sent.” Consequently, We took vengeance on them. Just consider what was the end of those who denied.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 12 Surah Yusuf verses 39-40:

(Yusuf said), “O my fellow prisoners, say, which is better: various lords or the One Omnipotent Allah? The lords whom you worship other than Allah are nothing more than mere names that you and your forefathers have invented; for Allah has sent down absolutely no authority for them. Sovereignty belongs to none but Allah. He has commanded that you shall not worship anyone but Him. This is the Right and Straight Way, but most people do not know this”.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan