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:

Br.Burhan, (ref answers 2044 & 606)
You have done some good with your work here (Only Allah knows). You have given details about your background in "about the author" forum, please give me the opportunity to give you some details about my background.

Aa` ou`zobillah my intention in writing the following is not to gain praise in any form for my self in yours or anybodys elses mind .May Allah protect me from any appreciation and make me successful in bringing my message in light.

I have been a good bohra muslim since birth and still am(Alhumdolilha).
Never committed any shirk in any form (regarding Syedna)(Due to Blessings of Allah The Most Beneficient and Merciful who has protected me ).
Pray 5 times daily and fast and behave well with people and fellow muslims,always read Quranshiref Accepted the importance of Panjatan and Salwat.
Accepted Ali(A.S) as the first Imam of Muslim Ummah becasue of his natural succession to Rasooliliha due to his Knowledge and position with Rasoollilha and in ISLAM and also Rasoolilha declared that.
Have Loved Alhle Bait (Rasool and his masoom family ) for their challenges that they faced bravely,patients, thier sacrifice of the ultimate for Allah`s sake, rememberance of Allah at all times, good character, poverty,simplicity, humility, adherence to the teaching of Rasool and Siratal Mustakeem and ISLAM after Profets(SAW) death(inspite of the challenges that they faced). Actually it gives me a lot of inspiration to be a good muslim like AhleBaith, whenever I hear about them.
All this and also I have always begged from Allah for any favours and help ,always and everyday pray to Allah SubahanaWatallah.

Please note I have been a Bohra shia muslim and prayed to Allah, without Aouzobillaha seperating Imam Ali(A.S )status out as a first Imam , out of my life , nor Without taking Panjatan and AlhleBiat and all Imamas love out of my heart.(ref ans:2044)

I feel that Imams (religious leaders)are IMPORTANT part of any generation to guide the people(ummah) in the light of Quran and Sunnah. General public cannot become thier own Imams after reading the Quran and start preaching religion....
NOt every body spends 13 yrs studying religion and Muslims need to know the Way to live daily life and submission to Allah`s Will (ISLAM).
They still need the religious scholars/teachers who are from Allah on earth (pious and masoom) so long as those scholars preach from Allah`s Quran , Rasool`s guidance.

Right?? Otherwise Who else will guide the Ummah if not the Imams????Think about it,how did Islam stay strong if not for the Imams( Religious leaders) who guided people and saved the religion over the different generations, and they were killed ??
If not,,, then why are you refusing Imam Ali`s as the first Imam (answer 606) ??????????????????? Why would Allah leave muslims, without an Imam after Rasoolilah (SAW)death to have ELECTIONS and ELECT their own CANDIDATE for power and not follow Rasoolilha`s guidance ?? Why would Allah leave out the appointment of Imam after Rasoolilha death`s , for people of later generations on their own,(ignore Rasoolilha`s(SAW) words,teachings and declarations for the same reason of power) to to ELECT and figure out WHat is Quran and Hadis and how to pray and follow ISLAM as a way of life ??????? Who would tell the general public(muslims) keep on the right track if it were not for Imams ??????Are you confident in your assumption that Allah tallah left out appointing Imam Ali as 1st Imam after Rasoolilha (SAW)(ref:606)????????????

Please reply soon

(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 Imam Questions

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.

 

Q-1: Otherwise Who else will guide the Ummah if not the Imams????

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 42 Surah Shura verse 13: The same religion has He (Allah) established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah--that which We have sent by inspiration to thee--and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely that ye should remain steadfast in Religion and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them.  Allah chooses to Himself those whom He Pleases, and Guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 213: Mankind was one single nation, and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in Truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed;  but the People of the Book, after the clear Signs came to them, did not differ among themselves except through selfish contumacy.  Allah by His Grace guided the believers to the truth concerning that wherein they differed.  For Allah Guides whom He wills to a path that is straight.

 

In light of the Holy Quran, it is Allah Subhanah who guides the believers to the Straight Path.  Allah Subhanah appoints His Messengers amongst mankind who alone have the right to come to mankind and declare that they have been appointed by Allah Subhanah as the Prophets.   No “imam”, no “peer”, “no dai”, no one other than the Prophets of Allah can ever come to mankind and declare that they have been appointed as the leaders or guides of mankind! 

 

Q-2: Think about it,how did Islam stay strong if not for the Imams( Religious leaders) who guided people and saved the religion over the different generations, and they were killed ??

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 61 Surah Saff verse 9: It is He (Allah Subhanah) Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, that He may proclaim it over all religions; even though the pagans may detest (it).

 

In light of the Glorious Quran, it is Allah Subhanah Who sent His Messenger (saws) with the Guidance and the Religion of Truth;  and it is He Who Guides the believers to the Straight Path.   It is Allah Subhanah Who has taken the responsibility to proclaim Islam over all the other religions! 

Q-3: If not,,, then why are you refusing Imam Ali`s as the first Imam (answer 606) ???????????????????

History has appropriately recorded that Hadrat Ali (r.a.) himself gave allegiance to the first Khalifah, Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.) after the death of the Messenger of Allah (saws);  so why do people after 1400 years insist on making Hadrat Ali (r.a.) the first Imam and Khalifah,  when he himself did not claim to be so???

 

The deen of Islam was completed,  the Quran revealed,  and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was established at the time of the death of the Prophet (saws).   Whatever happened after the death of the Prophet (saws) is the History of the Muslims, and this is in the knowledge of Allah Alone.   Allah will not hold us accountable for the deeds of these people,  nor ask us about them on the Day of Judgment.   We will be asked about our deeds and what we did for the cause of Islam. 

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 134: They were a people who passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you shall have the reward of what you will earn. And you will not be questioned as to what they did.

 

Q-4: Why would Allah leave muslims, without an Imam after Rasoolilah (SAW)death to have ELECTIONS and ELECT their own CANDIDATE for power and not follow Rasoolilha`s guidance ??

Q-5: Why would Allah leave out the appointment of Imam after Rasoolilha death`s , for people of later generations on their own,(ignore Rasoolilha`s(SAW) words,teachings and declarations for the same reason of power) to to ELECT and figure out WHat is Quran and Hadis and how to pray and follow ISLAM as a way of life ???????

To claim that all, except a handful few of the noble companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) became apostates immediately after his death is nothing short of blasphemy and misguidance;  for Allah Subhanah has Himself praised and honored the noble companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) in the Glorious Quran.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 100:Allah was well pleased with those Muhajirs and Ansaar who were the first to respond to the invitation of the Faith,   and with those also,  who followed them in their righteous conduct,  and they too,  were well pleased with Allah.   Allah has got ready for them Gardens,  underneath which,  canals flow,  and they will abide therein for ever.   This is the Greatest Success.

 

To claim that all, except a handful few of the noble companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) were power-hungry and did not follow his guidance is to practically accuse that Prophet Mohamed (saws), the best leader mankind has ever seen, could not even choose good friends and companions! 

 

Besides,  it is absolute misguidance to believe that in all times and ages there is a human being who has been appointed by Allah Subhanah to be an ‘imam’ or leader of mankind!   Allah Subhanah appoints only His Messengers who come with His Message or His Book,  and they declare Allah’s Message to mankind in clear terms. 

 

A simple observation will prove this point beyond any doubt:  Who was the appointed ‘imam’ of the believers just before the birth of Prophet Mohamed (saws)?  Or, Who were the appointed ‘imams’ after the ascension of Prophet Isa (a.s.) and before the advent of Prophet Mohamed (saws)??  And who is the ‘Imam’ today ?

 

Thus it is not that Allah Subhanah leaves the believers alone after the death of His appointed Prophets;  but it is the duty of the believers who declared the faith at the hands of the Prophets to proclaim the Message to mankind. 

 

Q-6: Who would tell the general public(muslims) keep on the right track if it were not for Imams ??????

The Quran and the Sunnah were established in the life of the Prophet Mohamed (saws); and tens of thousands of believers had declared their faith in the Divine Message.   Allah Subhanah made it a duty of the believers to invite all mankind to the Truth of Al-Islam.

 

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.

 

Q-7: Are you confident in your assumption that Allah tallah left out appointing Imam Ali as 1st Imam after Rasoolilha (SAW)(ref:606)????????????
The only people Allah Subhanah appoints as the ‘Imams’ or Leaders of mankind are His Prophets!  Thus if Allah Subhanah had appointed Hadrat Ali (r.a.) as the ‘Imam’, then he would have declared himself to be a Prophet of Allah;  which we all agree he never ever claimed to be so!  

 

If the noble companions had chosen Hadrat Ali (r.a.) as their ‘Imaam’ or ‘Ameer’ after the death of the Messenger of Allah (saws); history would have recognized him as the first Imam and Ameer. 

 

We were neither present at the time of the appointment of the first Khalifah, or Ameer, or Imam, after the death of the Prophet (saws), nor will we be held accountable in the Court of Allah Subhanah for the deeds of the noble companions who chose Hadrat Abu Bakr as the first Khalifah.  We will be accountable for our deeds,  and they for theirs!

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 134: They were a people who passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you shall have the reward of what you will earn. And you will not be questioned as to what they did.

 

The believers, who truly fear Allah and the Last Day, are absolutely confident that Allah Subhanah does not appoint any Khalifahs, or Ameers, or Imaam, etc.;  but Allah Subhanah appoints only His Prophets and His Messengers.  

 

If any person claims that any Khalifah, or any Ameer, or any Imaam has been appointed by Allah Subhanah as a leader of mankind after the Last Messenger of Allah (saws),  he is a confirmed liar!

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verse 17:Who can be a greater sinner than the one who himself forges a lie and ascribes it to Allah,  or falsifies His real Revelations?   Indeed,  the criminals can never attain true success.

 

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