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:

1. What will it take for Bohras to migrate towards the Mainstream Islam ? I mean the Islam as taught by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and as followed by the Sahabas, and the Prophet's own family members. I have seen in past that your answers to questions are excellent. They are based on the Qur'an, Sunnah, and the Prophet's Seerah, and they clarify the issues.

2. An average Bohra on the street can not access you via internet. Can you build Satellite Computer Centers, where the average Bohra on the street can walk-in and pick-up knowledge, and know-how of making a living without being under the sword of "Social Boycott", or Ex-Communication ? These Satellite Computer Centers will have to slowly expand to areas, towns, Mohallas and cities etc, where the Bohras are concentrated. Each Satellite Computer Center can have two or three P.C Computers, and Printers. An average Bohra on the street can walk-in to the Satellite, and pick-up "fast- track" spiritual strength, just like you walk-in to a Mithai (Halwai) shop to pick-up sweets. This is just a thought.

NOTE: The above concept was tried in Bosnia, Kosova, and Croatia to strengthen Muslims against the Serbian onslaught. It seemed to have worked. These Satellite Computer Centers were built near their Mosques or Halal meat stores where these Balkanese Muslims would frequent, and check on Serbian atrocities, and protection strategies from Serbian shellings etc. The Kothar bureaucrats are just as bad or even worst than the Serbian butchers.

Besides above, an average Bohra on the street will pick-up some Computer skills along with the spiritual and moral strength.

I am sorry, my questions became too long. By the way, I enjoyed your last answer on Waaz.

(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 MIGRATES TO MAINSTREAM ISLAM

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.

Your question. What will it take for Bohras to migrate towards the Mainstream Islam ?

In our humble opinion, and Allah Alone Knows Best, the thing that needs to be done is to explain and invite our Bohra brothers and sisters, or anybody else for that matter, to read the Holy Quran with understanding, even if only once! Once they read and understand the simple and direct words of guidance from our Lord and Creator Himself, they will easily be able to distinguish the truth from the falsehood. And that is all we have been trying to do; simply to invite people to read the Holy Quran with understanding and then decide for themselves which way to take to Allah? The Siraat al Mustaqeem (Straight Path) which leads one to Allah’s Pleasure and the eternal gardens of Paradise, or any other path, which leads to the Wrath of Allah, and thus the everlasting fire of Hell.

These people who are born in the various sects, live in absolute fear and subjugation of their self-made leaders and self-proclaimed holy men. The fear of being ostracized by their family, friends and society is so large, that they humbly bear all the atrocities and humiliation the leaders throw on them. They are not allowed to even ask simple theological questions or anything that challenges the leadership in any way, without the fear of being ostracized; although they realize at times that the ‘deen’ they are following has some flaws in it. They are not allowed to propagate their beliefs, nor are they encouraged to understand the beliefs of the other muslims. They are encouraged to recite the Holy Quran in Arabic, but are absolutely discouraged to even understand the basic message of guidance that the Glorious Quran is inviting to. The leadership have been successful in creating doubts in the minds of their followers, that, each aayah of the Quran has several meanings, and if they try to understand the simple message of the Holy Quran, they will be misguided! They tell them that the Quran has its ‘zahir’ (open) meanings and its ‘taaweel’ (inner) meanings, which none, but only the self-proclaimed leaders and their families can understand! They tell them that only they are the appointed people by Allah to understand the ‘taweel’ meanings of the Quran! Once the brothers read the Quran with understanding, they would be able to determine the truth from the falsehood. But they are just too confused or maybe even scared to open the Holy Quran and read it with understanding, even though Allah reiterates time and again, that the Quran is easy, simple and plain to understand, and that there is absolutely no hidden meanings and no crookedness in it.

Allah says in Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah aayat 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 44 Surah Dukhan verse 58: We have made this Book easy in your own tongue so that they may ponder and take good counsel.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 43 Surah Zukhruf verses 1-3: Haa Meem. By this lucid (clear or open) Book. We have made it an Arabic Quran, so that you may understand it.

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.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 19 Surah Maryam verse 97: (O Mohamed), We have made this Quran easy, and sent it down in your tongue so that you should give good news to the pious and warn the stubborn people.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Ha Mim verse 2-4: This is a Revelation from the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful Allah. A Book whose verses are well-expounded, an Arabic Quran for the people who want to understand, and a giver of good news and a warner.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 1-2: All praise is for Allah Alone, Who has sent down this Book to His Servant (Mohamed (saws), and assigned nothing crooked to it. This Book says everything directly, so that he may warn the people of the severe chastisement of Allah and give good news to the believers, who do righteous deeds, that they will have an excellent reward.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 99: We have sent down to you Revelations that clearly expound the Truth, and none but the disobedient reject them.

How much more proof and evidence does a muslim need, other than the above clear words of Allah Subhanah Himself? We would hereby like to challenge any Bohra scholar or bhaisaheb to prove any of our statements wrong, giving evidence from the Holy Quran! Or even to just say that the ‘aayah’ and its meaning quoted in any of our articles is distorted and not from the Quran! We have replied to hundreds of questions on this forum, but not once, not even once, have we got a reply from any of their bhaisahebs or scholars giving evidence from the Glorious Quran, proving us inconsistent or wrong! May Allah guide them and us all to the True Deen of Islam.

These self-made leaders and self-proclaimed holy men do tell them some things from the Quran, but intentionally conceal the other aayahs which would affect their subjugation and leadership over their followers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Al-Baqarah verse 174: Indeed those, who conceal the commands that Allah has sent down in His Book and barter them away for paltry worldly gains, fill their bellies with fire. Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He regard them as pure and there is a painful torment for them!

May Allah guide you and us all to read and understand the simple message the All Merciful has revealed for our guidance. May Allah guide us to understand the Holy Quran, so that we can differentiate between the truth and falsehood. May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al Mustaqeem (Straight Path of Islam).

Your second question relates to the propagation of Islam through satellite computer centers located in various cities. Dear Brother, may Allah bless you and honor you in this world and the hereafter for your thoughts and love for Islam. It is indeed a very good and possible idea, but it needs a lot of resources. There is absolutely no doubt that it would benefit the muslims in learning and propagating their deen to the whole of mankind. We pray that Allah raise one amongst us who can bring yours and our dream to fruitation, and proclaim this True Deen of Islam to all of mankind. Alhamdolillah, I have heard that there are brothers who are doing something of the sort you recommended in smaller scales, on an individual basis. May Allah reward them all and accept their humble deeds in His Cause. Allah is indeed the All Wise and The All Knowing, and nothing is hidden from Him.

May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem

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