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:

As-salam-walaikum
Dear brothes in Islam,

I do not know who reffered me to your forum or how you got my email address, but it has been really interesting reading all your Q's & A's and they have shed light on many a hypocrism practised in today's muslim society. However I have not yet come across anyone asking about Iddat (that the bohri women are supposed to follow after their husband's death). Iddat (I think you should know) is the time of 4 months and 10 days that the lady has to wear only white clothes and meet only womenand if she falters she will have to do it again and again till she completes the 4 months and 10 days. Is it a part on Islam as given by Allah Subhanah and taught by prophet Mohamed (saws)

I would like to put forth a point which is that due to tha fact that the bohri's are convert muslim a lot of their customs and traditions still follow the aryan or their ancestral ways which they have adopted into Islam and have turned them into islamic laws. I would advise all the bohri muslims to just let go and for once try and understand the real islam the way it is written in the holy Quran and they will make better use of their lifes and resources instead of just eating and making merry in the mosque.

I am also flabergasted at the fact that when you go to one of these bohri mosques they all have reserved places in an hierarchy to pray namaz and if you happen to be sitting on one of their places you  and your prayer mat are on the way out of the mosuqe and this often lead to abusive language and physical assault. So for you to be a bohri and have all the benefits, you should have a lot of money.

Due to obvoious reasons I am emailing from a fake ID. Sorry

Thanks & Regards

(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 Iddat/Eating in the mosque,etc

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: However I hav not yet come across anyone asking about Iddat (that the Bohri women are supposed to follow after their husband's death). Iddat (I think you should know) is the time of 4 months and 10 days that the lady has to wear only white clothes and meet only womenand if she falters she will have to do it again and again till she completes the 4 months and 10 days. Is it a part on Islam as given by Allah Subhanah and taught by prophet Mohamed (saws).

If the husband of a believing woman meets with his appointment of death, it is indeed the command of Allah Subhanah in His Glorious Quran, that the wife mourn his death and perform the ‘iddah’ or waiting period of four months and ten days .

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 234:

234           If any of you die and leave widows behind, they shall wait concerning themselves four months and ten days: when they have fulfilled their term there is no blame on you if they dispose of themselves in a just and reasonable manner. And Allah is well acquainted with what ye do.

The guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws) is that the widow should mourn the death of her life partner, and not engage herself in fashion, or show off her beauty, or wear jewelry, or apply perfume, or basically make merry and enjoy as if nothing has happened. This waiting period of four months and tens days is a period of mourning for her.

But nowhere in the Quran and Sunnah has it been mentioned that the widow must wear only white (or any other particular clothes), or meet only other women, or that she should repeat her iddah if she falters in any way! These commands are not from the Quran and Sunnah; thus they must be innovations and inventions of man, or they must be rituals that have been taken from some pagan custom or religion regarding the treatment they expect from their widows!

The widow is allowed to wear any color of clothing she likes, provided it is simple and dignified to reflect her mourning. She may meet other women and her male mehram relatives. And if there is a medical emergency, and she needs medical attention and a female doctor is not available, there is no harm if a male doctor visits her, or she visits a male doctor. Also, if there is no one to help her get her daily needs of food, etc., there is no harm if she goes and fulfills this need of hers. There is absolutely no need for her to re-start her iddah for any reason whatsoever…. The iddah period starts the day her husband dies and lasts for exactly four months and ten days.

Your Statement: I would like to put forth a point which is that due to tha fact that the bohri's are convert muslim a lot of their customs and traditions still follow the aryan or their ancestral ways which they have adopted into Islam and have turned them into islamic laws. I would advise all the bohri muslims to just let go and for once try and understand the real islam the way it is written in the holy Quran and they will make better use of their lifes and resources instead of just eating and making merry in the mosque.

Beloved brother, you are absolutely right that the Bohris are converts to Islam from a pagan religion, and they have adopted a lot of the pagan customs and rituals and made it a part of their deen. Islam is to follow the guidance and teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws); and no believer, who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, is permitted to adopt any rite and ritual and make it part of the deen of Islam! That would be a great sin in the sight of Allah Subhanah.

It has been reported by Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (r.a.) 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.”

It has been reported by Jabir ibn Abdullah (r.a.) in another authentic narration 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 innovations, and every innovation is an error.”

If one looks at the ‘wadhawo’ ritual of the Bohras, one will realize that it is exactly the same as the ‘aarti’ the Hindus do to their idols! The touching and kissing of feet is also a Hindu custom! The bowing down and kissing of graves is also a Hindu ritual which they do to their idols! The standing of the Bohras with their palms folded in front of their holy men, is also a custom of the Hindu ‘namaste’! There are literally hundreds of such rites, rituals, customs and superstitions which the Bohras follow which are found solely in the Hindu culture, and have absolutely nothing to do with the deen of Islam.

Your Statement: I am also flabergasted at the fact that when you go to one of these bohri mosques they all have reserved places in an hierarchy to pray namaz and if you happen to be sitting on one of their places you  and your prayer mat are on the way out of the mosuqe and this often lead to abusive language and physical assault.

Every mosque is the ‘house of Allah’ and in the eyes of Allah, all his slaves are equal. Mosques are built for the worship and remembrance of Allah, and there should be absolutely no distinction between rich, poor, color, status, nationality, etc. when one stands in prayer or ‘salaat’ in Islam. The whole system of ‘salaat’ in Islam, where everybody stands shoulder to shoulder in one straight line without distinction, is an example of Universal Brotherhood of Islam. Whoever comes first, he has a right to worship Allah. No one can reserve a place, with or without money, in any house of Allah, including the Masjid-e-Haraam in Makkah.

This system of reserving places for generations, and allocating and charging money for places for women in Mosques, is only found in the mosques of the Dawoodi Bohra sect. In all the other mosques of the world, the person who comes first and sits, has the right to worship Allah, without anybody coming to him and telling him to vacate that place in the mosque.

But unfortunately, these people have made the houses of Allah into houses where ‘shirk’ with Allah is openly committed, and a place where they socially meet, have a feast on every occasion, and talk vain talk!

Your Statement: So for you to be a bohri and have all the benefits, you should have a lot of money.

You are absolutely right in your deduction, and it surely seems that the most honorable Bohra in the sight of their holy-men are those that have the most wealth! The rich are the ones who are given fancy titles, they are the ones who receive the best places in the mosques, they are the ones who sit high and on noble positions in the ‘thaals’, they are the ones who are closest to the aamils, and the bhaisahebs, and the leadership, they are the ones who almost always host the ‘ziyaafats’, they are the ones who almost always get the best service and rooms in the ‘musafir-khaanas’, they are the ones who get the best places of burial, etc. Indeed, the wealthy are indeed the most honorable amongst the Bohras!

But Allah Subhanah has a very different criteria for honor, which He has described in His Own Inimitable Words in the Glorious Quran.

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 among you in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most pious of you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

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