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 Brother Burhan,

As salaamualaikum,

My father is a Bohri and his brother is mia saab in surat, i asked mia saab a question through my father and my father says that mia saab have no authority to reply without the Raza (permission) of Syedna Burhanuddin (according to him he is daee of Allah).

I like to know according to Quran and Sunnah how far its true that one cannot do Dawaah work without the permission of the leader of the group.

Jazakallah Khair. 

(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:

Concept of ‘raza’ or permission in bohra

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.

The system of ‘raza’ or permission for every possible thing as used by some sects in Islam today is only a means developed and invented by the self-proclaimed religious-clad unscrupulous priests to subjugate and enslave their followers! Islam guides that one needs ‘raza’ or permission to enter someone’s house or office, to marry someone’s daughter, or to take something that does not belong to him, etc.

But to seek the ‘raza’ or permission of the self-proclaimed priests and holy men for doing any and all good deeds, like going on a pilgrimage to Hajj or Umrah, naming a child, marriage, burial, etc. is absolutely ridiculous and against the guidance and teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws)!

The believers have the ‘raza’ or permission of Allah and His Messenger (saws) to do all good and righteous deeds which are endorsed by Allah and His Messenger in the Quran and the Sunnah, and no man needs to take permission from another, when Allah and His Messenger (saws) have given their ‘raza’ or permission!

Only those who have professed unconditional obedience and slavery to their priests, the ‘abde-syedna’ (slaves of the syedna) are required to take ‘raza’ for all their deeds from their self-proclaimed religious priests and Aamil sahibs; the believers who have professed unconditional obedience and slavery to Allah Subhanah, the ‘Abd-Allah’ (slaves of Allah) do not need any ‘raza’ to do deeds in the deen of Islam which Allah and His Messenger (saws) have approved!

Your Question: I like to know according to Quran and Sunnah how far its true that one cannot do Dawaah work without the permission of the leader of the group.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 110:

110 Ye (believers) are the best of peoples evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right forbidding what is wrong and believing in Allah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 78:

78 And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive (with sincerity and under discipline): He has chosen you and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (Quran); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer give regular Charity and hold fast to Allah! He is your Protector, the Best to protect and the Best to help!

Dear and Beloved brother in Islam, there is absolutely no doubt that ‘dawa’ or the propagation of the Truth to mankind is an obligatory duty and responsibility that the Lord Most Merciful has laid upon every person who sincerely believes in Him and the Last Day.

If one has been blessed and honored by the Merciful Lord to be guided to the Truth of Al-Islam, it would indeed be extremely selfish or rather unnatural for him to keep this Truth to himself! Once true ‘emaan’ or faith in the Truth of Allah Subhanah and His Message has entered one’s heart, it is not possible for the person to contain or hide this within himself; but his condition will be that he would go out of his way to invite all who care to listen to good caution to the Truth.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 66 Surah Tahreem verse 6:

O you who have believed, save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel shall be men and stones; over which shall be appointed fierce and stern angels, who never disobey Allah’s Command, and they only do as they are commanded!

In the above Aayah of the Glorious Quran, Allah Subhanah commands the believers to first and foremost save oneself and their families from the Eternal Fire of Hell by submitting unto Him. That would be an obligatory (fard) duty on each and every individual who believes.

Furthermore, Allah has guided the whole Ummah or nation of believers to invite all mankind to the Truth of Al-Islam in the best and most polite manner; and named it amongst the best deeds one can do.

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 Fussilat verse 33:

Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says "I am of those who bow in Islam?”

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 103 Surah Asr verses 1-3:

1 By (the token of) time!

2 Verily, every man is in loss

3 Except such as have faith and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of patience and constancy.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.192 Narrated by Sahl bin Sad

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to Hadrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (r.a.): ‘Invite them (the disbelievers) to Islam and inform them of what Allah has enjoined upon them. By Allah! If a single person embraces Islam at your hands (i.e. through you), that will be better for you than the red camels (the most prized possession of those times!)."

Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the Worlds, has Commanded and Guided the believers to invite all those who are willing to listen to good caution to His Truth of Islam; and Allah is our witness brother, a believer does not need the ‘raza’ or permission of anyone in creation to do ‘dawah’ or invite others to the Truth of Islam!

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