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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:

Assalam`alekum wa rehmatullah wa barkatahu

Please answer me about the status regarding " Darees" in Bohra culture and weather attending it and consuming food in it is permissible or not ?

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Answer:

Attend Bohra darees and consume food persmissible

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.

First and foremost, the gathering, and rites, and the presentation of food at the ceremonies and commemorations of events like “darees,” “meethi setabi” ‘fatihah’, chehlam, etc. are not endorsed by Allah and His Messenger (saws)! There is absolutely no evidence in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) whereby he (saws) endorsed, leave alone commemorated or celebrated such events….thus the doing or participating in all such self-invented events would constitute a ‘bida’ or an innovation in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Aisha narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘If somebody innovates something which is not present in our religion, then that thing will be rejected.’

Related by Bukhari.

Quran Dars as was practiced by the Companions of our beloved Prophet (saws) were usually informal gatherings of the believers, wherein the Quran and/or the traditions of the Holy Prophet saws were discussed.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.545 Narrated by Uthman

The Prophet (saws) said, "The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Quran and teach it."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 257 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr

Allah's Messenger (saws) happened to pass by two groups (of muslims) in the mosque and he (saws) said: ‘Both of them are good, but one is superior to the other. One group is supplicating Allah and praying to Him. If He so wills, He will confer upon them and if He so wills He will withhold. So far as those who are acquiring the understanding of religion and its knowledge and are busy in teaching the ignorant, they are superior. Verily I have been sent as a teacher.’ He (saws) then sat down amongst them.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 249 Narrated by Al-Hasan al-Basri

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘He whom death overtakes while he is engaged in acquiring knowledge with a view to reviving Islam with the help of it, there will be one degree between him and the Prophets in Paradise.’

Beloved Brother, if some believers choose to get together to recite, learn, and/or study the Glorious Quran and the dictates of the deen from the guidance of the Glorious Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws)….not only are such gatherings permitted in Islam, such gatherings are absolutely encouraged and blessed by the Lord Most Merciful.

But the Darees that the bohras practice and propagate today are in direct contrast to the traditions of Islamic principles.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His Angels, and by all the people.”

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the ‘bida’ (innovations), and every innovation is an error.”

The agenda of the bohra darees is mostly glorification of pious Muslims ie: Imam Hussain r.a., his dias or other imams with a lot of marsyaas and matam

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2829        Narrated by Hadrat Ali ibn AbuTalib (r.a.)

Hadrat Ali (r.a.) heard Allah's Messenger (saws) invoke the curse of Allah upon those who took usury, those who paid it, those who recorded it, and those who refused to give sadaqah.  And he (saws) used to prohibit wailing.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 2033     Narrated by Abu Malik al-Ash'ari

Allah's Messenger (saws) said:  ‘Among my people there are four characteristics belonging to pre-Islamic period of ignorance which they do not abandon: 1. boasting of high rank,   2. reviling other peoples' genealogies, 3.  seeking rain by stars, and 4.  wailing. And the Prophet (saws) (further) said: If the wailing woman does not repent before she dies, she will be made to stand on the Day of Resurrection wearing a garment of pitch and a chemise of mange.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith  3122 Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri

The Messenger of Allah (saws) invoked the curse of Allah upon the wailing woman and the woman who listens to her.

Umm 'Atiyyah reports: "The Messenger of Allah (saws) made us pledge that we will not wail over (the dead)" 

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said in an authentic narration “He is not a believer,  who beats his face,  or tears his clothes,  or wails,  when afflicted by a misfortune.”

My dear beloved brother in Islam, hence to attend the bohra darees is definitely not beneficial to any good Muslim as he will not learn anything about the Quran, Hadith or anything to do about Islam in general. He will be participating in a bidaa where stories are told to make people weep and perform matam. One who fears Allah swt should avoid going to such gatherings and spend their time in more beneficial ways eg: learning the meaning of the Holy Book and a'Hadiths. 

Answer to your question 2

Weather attending it and consuming food in it is permissible or not ?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 121:

121 Eat not of (foods) on which Allah's Name hath not been pronounced: that would be impiety. But the Shayateen ever inspire their friends to contend with you; if ye were to obey them ye would indeed be amongst the ‘mushriks’ (polytheists)!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 145:

145 (O Prophet (saws)) Say: "I find not in the Message received by me by inspiration any (food) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine for it is an abomination, or what is impious (food) on which a name has been invoked other than Allah's."

If one consumes the food which is presented and undergone the process of the self-invented and innovated rites of ‘bida’ darees,” “meethi setabi” ‘fatihah’, chehlam, etc, etc…..because the food itself has not been associated with a name other than the Blessed Name of Allah Subhanah, one cannot say with absolute conviction that such food is unlawful for the believers to consume; but without an iota of a doubt, those who organize and attend such self-invented ‘bida’ gatherings and/or consume the food which is inevitably presented at these unlawful gatherings would bear their share of the burden of sin for participating and facilitating the despised evil of ‘bida’.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 2 (part):

…..Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancor: fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment.

But if Allah forbid, the event or the food presented is associated in the name of anyone or anything other than the Blessed Name of Allah Subhanah, be it in the name of one of the deceased pious slaves of Allah, or at the birth or death anniversaries of some tomb or shrine, or even in the name of the Noble Prophet (saws) himself, etc….then without an iota of a doubt, such food which is dedicated or presented in the name of anyone other than Allah Subhanah Alone would be absolutely unlawful for the believers to consume.

The bohra darees is a social event wherein a lot of food preparation is made to please the local amil etc and unfortunately most of these occasions are no more than a boast and a show, one party trying to outdo the other’s and  so much wealth is wasted in preparation of the food etc it tends to become a burden on the society. 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verses 26-27:

26      And render to the kindred their due rights as (also) to those in want and to the wayfarer: but squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.

27      Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Shaytaan; and the Shaytaan is to his Lord ungrateful.

Respected brother, in all honesty, you decide yourself who has got the facts right and who is intent on spreading absolute falsehoods!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Bani Israel verse 81:

And declare, “The Truth has come and falsehood has vanished.   And falsehood is a thing that must by its nature, vanish!”

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 only ones. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

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