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:

 

Salamun aleikum.

I am a muslim from Tanzania and was much impressed by the way you answer questions by referring from the Quran.However it seems in practise, the Bohora faith does not live up to its name; when we were in airobi,Kenya  recently we were denied access to the Bohora mosque for Subh prayers on the pretext that we were not from your community- is this right or not?

Concerned Muslim

 

(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 stop people from praying in their mosque

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 96 Surah Al-Alaq verses 6-19:

6        Nay!  But man doth transgress all bounds

7        In that he looketh upon himself as self-sufficient.

8        Verily to thy Lord is the return (of all).

9          Seest thou one who forbids.

10        A slave (of Allah) when he (turns) to pray?

11      Seest thou if he is on (the road of) guidance?

12      Or enjoins righteousness?

13      Seest thou if he denies (Truth) and turns away?

14      Knoweth he not that Allah doth see?

15      Let him beware!  If he desist not We will drag him by the forelock!

16      A lying sinful forelock!

17      Then let him call (for help) to his council (of comrades):

18      We will call on the Angels of Punishment (to deal with him)!

19      Nay heed him not: but bow down in adoration and bring thyself the closer (to Allah)!

 

It is not permissible and indeed a grave sin in the Sight of Allah Subhanah for one to prevent or forbid a slave of Allah from offering his prayers.   Regardless of ones differences, it would be a grave sin in the sight of Allah Subhanah for a believer to deny another believer access to the Houses of Allah.

 

The Bohras, although they do fulfill most of the obligations of prayer, pray in a particular dress and a particular manner and neither are they allowed to pray in congregation with the other muslims by their ‘holy’ priests, nor are they comfortable allowing other muslims to pray amongst them in congregation.  Both these acts are absolutely against the spirit of Universal Brotherhood which Islam propagates! 

 

Without an iota of a doubt, it was absolutely wrong of the Bohra brother to deny access to a believer who wished to offer his prayers in their mosque.  May Allah Subhanah grant him the opportunity to seek His forgiveness for the deed he did in his ignorance and guide him to the Straight Path.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan