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:

Subject: Appointment of Dai-ul-Mutlaque & Wealth Amassed by Kothar I have three questions:

(1) I believe traditionally a highly scholar person among our community, irrespective of family connection, can be appointed as a Dai-ul-Mutlaque. Is my thinking correct?

(2) Kothar has now amassed massive wealth - not out their own hard work, but from alms given by the unsuspecting community members. I believe all this fabulous wealth belongs to Dawat and it goes to whoever is appointed the next Dai. My questions are: (a) Am I right in thinking that this wealth belong to Dawat and it goes to any scholarly person appointed to succeed as

Dai? (b) If answers to above two questions are yes, then would the so called 'Royal' family part with these riches and the seat of Dai-ul-Mutlaque?

(3) Why our community is called Dawoodi Bohra? Should not the correct title be Mustalia Ismail?

(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:

Appointment of Dai-ul-Mutlaque & Wealth amassed by Kothar

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever 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 comment: I believe traditionally a highly scholar person among our community, irrespective of family connection, can be appointed as a Dai-ul-Mutlaque. Is my thinking correct?

The Arabic word ‘dai’ means one who calls or invites. Every Messenger of Allah was a Dai, as he called or invited people to the One Allah. Every good believer who invites other people to Islam is a Dai. Besides, one who is highly learned and has all the knowledge of the scriptures is not necessarily the most honorable in the sight of Allah.

The criteria of honor used by Allah as mentioned in the Holy Quran is not knowledge, but ‘Taqwa’ or God-consciousness, God-Fearing or Piety.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 49 Surah Hujurat verse 13: O mankind, We created you from one man and one woman, and then divided you into nations and tribes so that you may recognize one another. Indeed, the most honorable amongst you in the sight of Allah is he who is most pious (God Fearing) of you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

And finally, this title ‘Dai ul Mutlaque’ is a man-made title and has absolutely no basis or evidence from the Holy Quran. We are all muslims, and we are commanded by Allah in the Glorious Quran, that we are one Ummah or community, and that we should not be dividing this community into sects. The truth is brother, we are all the Ummah of Mohamed ar Rasool Allah (saws), and we have been commanded by Allah to remain One United Ummah. We are commanded to believe, obey and follow Allah and His Messenger (saws) without question, and nobody else! Allah has not nominated anybody else whom we have to obey and follow except the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Just look at the Anger and Wrath of Allah described on those who break up their religion into sects:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-55: And you all belong to one and the same ummah, and I(Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time. What? Do they think that, by continuing to provide them with wealth and children, We are solicitous for their welfare? Nay, they do not understand the reality of the matter!

Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 21: There is indeed the best model for you to follow, in the Messenger of Allah, for every such person looks forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 79-80: We have sent you (O Mohamed) as a Messenger to mankind, and Allah’s witness suffices for this. Whoever obeys the Messenger, in fact obeys Allah, and whoever turns away from him, he will be accountable for his deeds. Anyhow, we have not sent you (O Mohamed) to be a guardian over them.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 31-32: O Prophet, tell the people, “If you sincerely love Allah, follow me. Then Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, for He is All Forgiving, All Merciful.” Also say to them, “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” And if, in spite of this, they do not accept your invitation, warn them that Allah does not love those, who refuse to obey Him and His Messenger.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 78: 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 deen. Therefore, be steadfast in the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah had named you ‘Muslims” before this, and has called you (by the same name) 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. Therefore, establish the ‘salaat’ and pay the ‘zakaat’, and hold fast to Allah. He is your ‘Maula’: what an excellent ‘Maula’ and what an excellent Helper!

Your comment: Kothar has now amassed massive wealth - not out their own hard work, but from alms given by the unsuspecting community members. I believe all this fabulous wealth belongs to Dawat and it goes to whoever is appointed the next Dai. My questions are: (a) Am I right in thinking that this wealth belong to Dawat and it goes to any scholarly person appointed to succeed as Dai? (b) If answers to above two questions are yes, then would the so called 'Royal' family part with these riches and the seat of Dai-ul-Mutlaque?

Allah Alone is the owner of everything in existence, and He Alone is the owner of all the wealths of the heavens and the earth. If one has amassed massive wealth, it is never out of his own hard work or anything else. It is Allah Alone who bestows provisions on whomever He wants. To some, Allah bestows wealth and tests them to see whether they earn their livelihood in a halaal manner and that they are grateful. To others Allah restricts provisions to test them whether they are patient and steadfast.

Allah bestows wealth and possessions on anyone He wills. Allah says in the Holy Quran that people like Pharoah, Hamaan and Karoon each had tremendous wealth and possessions, but they were arrogant and denied the Truth, and subsequently, Allah destroyed them completely! Thus if today the Kothar has amassed massive wealth, by whatever means, it is only a trial for them. Ultimately everything will have to return back to their true Lord, Allah. And He is enough as an Accounter! Some people think that this wealth and grandeur and pomp is a sign that Allah is pleased with them! But the truth is that this wealth and possessions are only a test, and everybody will have to stand in the Court of Allah on the Day of Judgement and give a full accounting of his deeds done in this world.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verses 34-35: O you who believe! There are indeed many among the priests and the holy men who devour the wealth of others by evil means, and debar the people from the Way of Allah. Give them the good news of a painful torment, who hoard up gold and silver and do not expend these in the Way of Allah. The Day shall surely come when the same gold and silver shall be heated in the fire of Hell, and with it, will be branded their foreheads, their bodies and their backs. (And it will be said): “Here is that treasure you had hoarded up for yourselves! Taste now the evil of your hoarded treasure!”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 85: And let not the abundance of their wealth and their children delude you: for Allah wills only to chastise them by means of their wealth and children in this world, and their souls depart while they are still disbelievers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verses 69: You are behaving just like those who went before you. They had more power than you, and possessed greater riches and had more children than you. They had enjoyed their portion of the good things of the worldly life, and you too, have enjoyed your portion of the good things like them. You are also engaged in idle discussions like the discussions they held. Consequently, in the end everything they did, proved vain in this world, and shall be vain in the Next World. Surely they are the losers!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 8 Surah Anfaal verses 36-37: Those who have denied, spend their wealth to hinder (men) from the Way of Allah, and will go on spending still more of it. But in the end, these very efforts of theirs will become a cause of their regret; then they will be overcome, and the disbelievers shall be gathered and driven towards Hell; so that Allah may separate the filthy from the pure, and gather together every sort of filth, and then throw the whole heap into Hell. These are indeed the real losers!

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!

Thus, if the amassed massive wealth is made by haraam means, and from the false collection of alms from the unsuspecting community members, then this loot neither belongs to any appointed scholar nor the ‘royal family’ or ‘qasr-e-aali’! This loot will be a source of anguish and despair for their collectors in the Court of Allah on the Day of Judgement.

Your comment: Why our community is called Dawoodi Bohra? Should not the correct title be Mustalia Ismail?

The truth is that we should be called muslims and we should come to the worship and invocation of our Lord and Creator, Allah Subhanah Alone! It is Allah who has named us ‘muslims’, and it does not behove us, if we are true believers in Allah and the Last Day, that we should break the Ummah of Islam into sects and give each one a different name. Allah has named us ‘muslims’ and we are honored to be recognized as such.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 78: 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 deen. Therefore, be steadfast in the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah had named you ‘Muslims” before this, and has called you (by the same name) 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. Therefore, establish the ‘salaat’ and pay the ‘zakaat’, and hold fast to Allah. He is your ‘Maula’: what an excellent ‘Maula’ and what an excellent Helper!

May Allah guide you and us all to read and understand the plain and clear message of the Glorious Quran. May Allah have mercy on the Ummah of Islam, and guide us to unite this Ummah as One Ummah. May Allah open our hearts to the understanding of the Holy Quran, and guide us through the Quran to the Straight Path of Islam.

May Allah guide you and us to read and understand the simple and plain words of the Glorious Quran. May Allah increase our knowledge from the Holy Quran. 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