I would like to know that our Imam had gone into parda in the time of difficulties and if his family is still there then why are they still in parda and why don't they come in the open and take the leadership now when the time is good?
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.
The Dawoodi Bohras claim that the imam or descendants of the imam are alive and on the earth today and they correspond with the current Dai through ‘ilham’, which means dreams in Arabic. This system of succession and the correspondence with the Dai is never discussed openly, and left to the whims, fancies and imaginations of the leaders of the hierarchy. And Allah Alone knows best the truth (if there is any) behind all this fantasy!!
There is absolutely no mention of this ‘fantastic’ story of the imam going into ‘purdah’ in the Holy Quran or the Sunnah of the Messenger (saws). Thus obviously, it cannot be part of the deen of Islam. The best people to address this question would be the ones who propagate this fabulous story! They are the ones who have created this story, and they should be the best ones to offer a reasonable answer for it, obviously, giving evidence from the Quran and Sunnah … if this is indeed part of the deen of Islam. If not, then they can create any number of stories to hang on to their power base which has been built around this fantastic story!
Even if we were to believe in this fantastic story, that an imam is alive on this planet earth and corresponds with the Syedna by ‘ilhaam’ (dreams), a few logical explanations remain unanswered: Where is the Imam today? Is he alone living somewhere, or does he too have a following like the Syedna? If he has a following in today’s world, we would definitely know it, as they would be similar in belief and actions to the Dawoodi Bohras. Wouldn’t they? Why is he still in seclusion? Why does he not come out and proclaim himself? There is no apparent threat to his life or belief today. We are made to believe that the Imam and Syedna correspond to each other by ‘ilhaam’, whereby the Imam comes in the Syedna’s dreams. Has Allah indeed given any man the power to come in another’s dream at will and correspond with him? Allah did not even give this kind of powers to His appointed Messengers!!
Is it the same 4 year old Imam Tayyeb alive today after these hundreds of years, or is it his descendants?
Today we live in a secular and non-Godly world. There would absolutely be no harm to the Imam’s life or mission if he were to reveal himself to mankind today (if there is indeed one to be revealed!). How come the leadership never mention anything about the Imam, except his name? And the most important question of all…. If this concept of the appointment of the Imam is so important and pivotal to Islam and its survival, how come nothing (absolutely nothing) has been mentioned about it in the Holy Quran? How come the Messenger of Allah (saws) never mentioned anything about this Imam and his seclusion? Did Allah and His Messenger (saws) forget to tell us about this very important aspect of Islam and its survival?
Glory be to Allah! Allah and His Messenger (saws) did not forget anything that was needed for our guidance to Islam. If something is not from the Quran and Sunnah, then it does not form part of Islam… and there is absolutely nothing in either the Holy Quran or the Sunnah about this Imam, his seclusion, about the Dais, about their succession, about their superiority, about their correspondence through ‘ilham’, about…!!!! These are their wishful fantasies and their whims, which have absolutely no basis in the deen of Islam! Can you imagine the deen of Islam being based on these kind of stories….. My dear brothers and sisters, this Islam is the deen of Truth from Allah Subhanah and based on nothing but the Truth. …. Not some mythological story of a four year old boy hiding in seclusion for approximately 800 years and having the power to correspond with the Syedna by coming in his dreams at will!!! Nothing in Islam is illogical, and this fantastic story of the Imam and the Dai does not have an iota of logic around it!!!!
What we do know is that the Holy Quran is the Book of Allah, which was revealed for our guidance. What we do know is that Mohamed ibn Abdulla (saws) was appointed the Last Messenger of Allah. What we do know is that the deen of Islam was revealed in completion before the death of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and no changes are allowed in that deen. What we must realize today, is that to practice Islam, we only need to follow two things … 1. The Holy Quran and 2. The Messenger of Allah (saws). If anyone is guiding from any other source than the above two divine sources, you can be assured of misguidance!
If any Imam, Dai, Syedna, Bhaisaheb, Sheikh, Mullah, Aamil, Aayatollah, Moulvi, Peer, Mufti, or scholar is guiding and teaching us from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), fine … He is our brother in Islam. But if anybody is teaching or guiding us from any other source, then we leave them immediately and come back to the guidance and teaching of the Holy Quran and traditions of the Messenger of Allah (saws). These two sources are the only sources to learn Islam from … in the past, at present, and in the future until the Day of Judgment, Insha Allah. There will never be a third source.
Please note that there is no family which is ‘Mukaddas’ or holy in the sight of Allah. Please note that no-body, no group, no family, and no religion has any special claims to Paradise! Please note Allah will not admit us into Paradise, just because we claimed to believe and love his Messenger and their families. Please note that in the Holy Quran itself, Allah states very clearly that Prophet Abraham could not help his own father, Azar. Prophet Noah could not help his own son from the fire of hell. Prophet Lot could not help his wife from the punishment.
We will not be judged on the Day of Judgment by whom we know and whom we are related to…. We will be judged by Allah according to our deeds and our piety!
Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 49 Surah Hujurat verse 13: 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.
Allah says in the Holy Quran in Chapter 67 Surah Al Mulk verse 2: He (Allah) created death and life that He may test you, to see which of you is the best in deeds.
In the above aayah, Allah has given the mission for mankind… He created humans as a test to see who amongst them were the best in deeds! This same test is repeated by Allah in several aayahs of the Quran. Our test on this earth is not to figure out who has gone into ‘purdah’ and when he will release himself! Our test is not to follow any Personality in ‘purdah’ and believe in their ‘fantastic’ and ‘illogical’ stories of correspondence through ‘ilhaams’! Our test is to read, understand, follow and obey the clear commandments of the Holy Quran and do righteous deeds.
May Allah take the muslim ummah out of the worship of Personalities, and bring them to the worship of their One and Only Lord and Creator. May Allah make us realize that the only promises that are absolutely true are those of Allah and His Messenger (saws). May Allah guide us to read and understand the Holy Quran so that we can differentiate between the truth and the falsehood. May Allah guide you and us all 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 us to the Siraat al Mustaqeem.
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
