Bohra break away
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 Br. Burhan:I was born in a Bohra Family in
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may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum
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Answer:
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.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 54: And
that those on whom knowledge has been bestowed may learn that the (Qur'an) is
the Truth from thy Lord, and that they may believe therein and their hearts may
be made humbly (open) to it: for verily Allah is the Guide of those who believe
to the Straight Way.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 23: Allah
has revealed the most beautiful message in the form of a Book consistent with
itself (yet) repeating (its teaching in various aspects): the skins of those
who fear their Lord tremble there at; then their skins and their hearts do
soften to the celebration of Allah's
Praises. Such is the guidance of
Allah! He guides therewith whom He
pleases, but such as Allah leaves to stray can have none to guide.
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 called 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 (Allah) is your ‘Maula’: what an excellent ‘Maula’ and what an excellent
Helper!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verses 13: Then, instead of
Allah, he invokes those who can do him
neither harm nor good. This is the last
extremity of deviation. He invokes
those who are more likely to do him harm, than good! What an EVIL ‘Maula’ he
chooses, and what an evil companion.
My
beloved and dear brother in Islam, when one is born in a certain way, or has
grown up in obedience and reverence of a certain High Priest, or one grows up
in a place and finds his elders, fathers and forefathers in subjugation of a
certain family, etc., without the help and mercy of the Merciful Lord, it is indeed very very difficult initially to
even comprehend or admit that they could be in the wrong. All Praise is due to Allah Subhanah, who has
helped us, had mercy upon us, and guided us to the understanding of the Holy
Quran which leads to the Siraat al Mustaqeem (Straight Path of Islam).
If one
had to choose the biggest amongst all the innumerable favors the Merciful Lord
has done on His slaves, then the single biggest has to be His gift and mercy of
His guidance to the Truth of Al-Islam.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 42 Shuraa verse 13 (part): Allah
chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn
(to Him).
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verses 125-126:
125 Those whom Allah (in His
Plan) Wills to guide He opens their breast to Islam; those whom He Wills to
leave straying He makes their breast close and constricted as if they had to
climb up to the skies! Thus does Allah
(heap) the penalty on those who refuse to believe.
126 This is the way of thy Lord
leading straight. We have detailed the
Signs for those who receive admonition.
Your
Question: Despite of knowing all this, I still couldn’t break away from this
cult (because of my family ties). In other words I don’t have courage to do so.
How you cross this barier? Can you give me (and for many like me) some words of
advise?
My
beloved and dear Brother in Islam, I can only relate my own humble experience
in how Allah Subhanah helped me to cross this difficult and seemingly
impossible barrier. I was amongst the
youngest in my family, and Allah is my witness, the crossing of this barrier
seemed almost insurmountable. My family
was so engrossed then in the unconditional reverence and obedience of the High
Priest and his family, that they would not even bear to hear one word uttered
in their dissonance; no matter how much Truth, and logic, and common sense was
established. But Allah Subhanah, in His
Infinite and Sublime Mercy, had made the guidance and understanding of the
Truth of the Quran and Sunnah so pleasing to my heart; that the falsehood of
‘shirk’ and ‘kufr’ and ‘hypocrisy’ just had to vanish, Alhamdolillah!
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!”
Beloved
brother, after Allah Subhanah blessed me to comprehend and understand the
basics of the Glorious Quran, I must admit that it took me almost a couple of
years of intense studying of the Quran to have the courage to directly confront
my elders and my family members, although I used to regularly hide and go to
pray in the mosque and to the Quran classes.
Allah Subhanah is my witness, I had absolutely no courage and strength
of my own, except that Allah Subhanah had blessed me to understand the basic
Truth from the Quran and Sunnah; and by Allah, the Truth of the Quran and
Sunnah has a strength of its own!
In
retrospect, I must admit also that although I had absolute confidence in the
Truth of the Quran and Sunnah, I was unable to, due to my own severe impatience
and my shortcomings, apply my wisdom in the matter of my declaration! I did not apply wisdom nor did I practice
patience when I started to challenge the beliefs of my elders and peers, and
that put me on a path of direct conflict with my loved ones. In the process of my own impatience and
shortcomings, I was practically made a social outcast by my beloved family
members and my friends who believed unconditionally in the High Priest and his
family.
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.
I just
have a feeling that had I obeyed the above guidance of the Glorious Quran, and
tried to invite my beloved brethren to the Way of Truth with wisdom and
excellent admonition and used logic and compassion as my weapon instead of
direct confrontation, I would not have
lost my beloved mother, my two sisters, and my brother who still, after 15-18
long years of constant trying, still refuse to believe in the Truth of the
Quran! But the Truth of the Quran and
Sunnah is so powerful and so complete in its guidance, that Allah is my
witness, if He helps me and guides me, I will, Insha Allah, continue to invite
them to the Truth of the Quran, and supplicate the Merciful to guide them to
the Truth, until the day Allah Subhanah has Decreed to recall me back to
Him. Today I do realize and admit, that
no matter how good and wholesome our intentions might be, and no matter how
hard we try to present the case of the Truth; it is not upto a human being to
guide another, but it is Allah Subhanah Who Alone chooses Whom He Wishes to
guide to the Truth of Islam, for He Alone Knows who would best accept His
guidance.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 28 Surah Qasas verse 56: You
cannot guide whom you love, but Allah
guides whomever He Pleases. And He best
knows those who would accept guidance.
Your Statement: Despite of knowing all this, I still couldn’t
break away from this cult (because of my family ties). In other words I don’t
have courage to do so.
Beloved
and dear Brother in Islam, it is Allah Subhanah who has blessed us with this
love and mercy towards the relations He has created for us, our members of our
immediate family. And regardless of
whether our family members accept the Truth of the Quran or not, it is the
command of Allah Subhanah that we, as believers, must be kind, merciful,
respectful, and humble towards them.
There are
two things which, in my humble opinion, if put in the right perspective would
give one the courage to stand up and challenge the falsehood with the Truth of
the Quran.
Fear of
Allah Subhanah
Hope that
the our beloved but misguided family members would someday accept the Truth.
Ref:1 Fear of Allah Subhanah.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verses 23-24:
23 O ye who believe! Take
not for protectors your fathers and your brothers if they love ‘kufr’
(disbelief) above ‘eemaan’ (faith): if any of you do so they do wrong.
24 Say: ‘If it be that your
fathers’ your sons’ your brothers, your wives, or your kindred, or the wealth
that ye have gained, or the commerce in which ye fear a decline, or the
dwellings in which ye delight: are dearer to you than Allah or His Messenger
or the striving in His cause; then wait until Allah brings about His Decision:
and Allah guides not the rebellious.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.14 Narrated
by Hadrat Anas ibn Maalik (r.a.)
The Prophet (saws) said "None of you will have ‘eeman’
(faith), till he loves me (saws)
more than his father, his children and all mankind!"
Beloved
and dear Brother in Islam, Allah and His Messenger (saws) have commanded the
believers who truly believe in Allah and the Last Day, that it is obligatory
upon them to love and obey and follow Allah and His Messenger (saws) above
everything else; even if it means one has to bear the brunt of hatred from his
own father and mother and children, or even if it is the whole world!
One
cannot have true ‘emaan’ or faith, unless he loves and obeys Allah and His
Messenger (saws) above all else! That is
the commandment and requirement and sacrifices that Allah demands from His
believing slaves!
If one
fears that the obedience of Allah and His Messenger might result in the loss of
love and protection of his near and close relatives, or fears his loss of
respect from society, or fears his business might decline, or fear he might be
thrown out of the house or society; or if anything is dearer to him than Allah,
His Messenger (saws), and the striving in Allah’s Cause, then he should know
that Allah Subhanah is Self-Sufficient and not in need of anything in the
Universe!
It seldom
will happen that one who makes an intention to tread and strive in the Cause of
Allah Subhanah will be welcomed with open arms by the disbelievers and the
polytheists and the High Priests! But
the one who truly loves Allah and His Messenger (saws), and truly fears Allah
and the Last Day, will accept all the trials and tribulations that are put in his
path of Truth, for he knows that this would earn him the Precious and Priceless
Pleasure and Good Will of his Merciful Lord and Creator!
Ref-2: Hope that the our
beloved but misguided family members would someday accept 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!
Allah
Subhanah has made it a condition of our genuine love for our family members,
that when Allah Subhanah has had mercy upon us and guided us to the Straight
Path, we must strive our utmost and try to save our beloved family members from
the Hell Fire by inviting them to submit to their Lord and Creator instead of
some worldly self-appointed High Priest and his family.
It would
be very selfish of us, if after Allah has had mercy upon us, and guided us to
the Straight Path; to keep this Truth within ourselves! It is a condition and command of our Merciful
Lord to propagate this Truth to all who are willing to listen to good caution,
so that they too may be guided aright to the submission of their Merciful Lord
and Creator, and do righteous good deeds that will earn them their Lord’s
Pleasure and Goodwill. If we do not
fulfill this duty and mission of the propagation of the Truth to our brethren,
then it would clearly imply that we do not truly love them. It may be that initially they might rebuke or
abuse us, but if Allah Wills to guide them aright to the Straight Path, they
will one day become your fastest and best of friends, Insha Allah.
Your
Question: Is there anyway I can reach you directly?
Beloved
and dear Brother in Islam, the best way to reach us is through this website; as
every single question and comment posted on this forum is moderated by our
brothers and sisters who will forward the message to us immediately.
But if
there is anything we can help you with in your quest for the knowledge of
Truth, we assure you brother that we would be honored to assist you in this
Noble Cause of Allah Subhanah.
May Allah
Subhanah make your trial easy for you, have mercy upon you, guide you, give you
the courage and the wisdom to stay steadfast on the path of Truth, and above
all save you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire on
that Inevitable Day.
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 in Islam,
Burhan
Wister