A modified and extended version of my post on another thread. Relevant to the court case:
In his latest weekly lecture, STF discusses the issue of the faction of the Sulaymanis. See:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viiYHjWyRDA. As usual, at the end he connects it to the present conditions, in which he says that it is not surprising that the sons and family of the da'i turned from the "dawaat al-haq". However, beside saying that "this can happen and has happened" he really does not give any reason why we should actually consider his father's (i.e SKQ) claim to be the correct one. After all, SKQ was also the son of the da'i and one could say that in fact SKQ was behaving like Sulayman and not Muffy. Both situations are symmetrical and the same accusation that STF makes against Muffy can be made against STF's father.
For those who may not know. Sulayman bin Hassan bin Yusuf bin Sulayman was the grandson of the first Indian da’i S. Yusuf b. Sulayman. He was also appointed as a deputy in Yemen by S. Dawood b. ‘Ajabshah, the twenty-sixth da’i. Sulayman at first did not contest the position of the da’i S. Dawood b. Qutubshah. However, a few years later he claimed that he himself was the successor and was appointed to the position of da’i al-mutlaq by S. Dawood b. ‘Ajab. He returned to India to establish his claim. However, an important thing was that vast majority of the people had already accepted S. Dawood b. Qutubshah and hence Sulayman did not obtain any followers or success. However, some Yemeni tribes accepted him claim and since then the split was permanent and on ethnic grounds: the Sulaymani dawaat is mostly made up of Arabic speaking Yemenis, mostly from a single tribe. Strangely, Sulayman appointed his son Jafar as his successor, however he (Sulayman, i.e) died when Jafar was still a young child. During the period of Jafar’s minority Safi al-din al-Makrami was appointed as mustawda (acting) da’i. Now, for centuries, the position of the da’i has (with rare exception) remained in the al-Makrami family.
Now, in this court case and schism the situation is very similar: majority of people have accepted Muffy as the da’i al-mutlaq. Nothing will change their minds. Further, one can ask: why did not SKQ confront his nephews while SMB was alive? Was his silence not a tacit acceptance and the same thing that Sulayman did for the few years? Now, I personally think SKQ may have felt that there would be chaos and perhaps danger to his life. However, he had 48 years to convince his brother to make his designation explicit. This was SKQ’s tactic and perhaps greatest weakness. I believe his personality was such that he did not want to make an open confrontation. However, we know the SMB was a megalomaniac and there was nothing preventing him from making an open announcement. Nobody could have stopped him. So why did SMB wait and did not appoint anyone openly? I personally believe that nass was performed right at the start in secret. But why keep it secret for so many decades, when no real danger existed from outside forces? Perhaps SMB really did change his mind in the end, and as I said, his megalomania and feelings of godhood meant he perhaps did not care about past precedent or promises he had made to his father. (This much also I am sure of: STS had instructed SMB to appoint SKQ as the 53rd da’i al-mutlaq).
Also, what happens if STF loses this case? Will he accept that his father was not a real da’i and go become servant of Muffy? Of course not! Maybe he will lose half of the few followers he has, and like many schismatic movements in the past, his dawaat will go extinct.
So what purpose does this case serve now?
The answer is simple: to attempt to (re)exert control over the followers and obtain wealth and power. This answers the question raised by the FD bhakt on how one knows STF wants to control his followers. It is simple: the initial claim filed by SKQ was to stay the successorship of Muffy so he could control the properties. This was explicitly stated in the stay plea. As all the SXX know that one who controls the properties and wealth controls the sheep-like Bohra followers. That tactic failed and then SKQ filed his “declaratory suit”. Of course, given the history of STS, SMB and SKQ’s silent acceptance of the atrocities during the era of SMB, there is no reason to believe that STF or any SXX’s fundamental desire will not be to control his followers once he obtains power and wealth he craves. One who does not learn from history is a fool. But as a wise one said: “Bewakoofo qi qami nahi Galib, ek dhundo to hazar miljaye ge”.
Incidentally, it is not uncommon for court cases to drag on for years, even decades in Indian courts. The whole system is a farce. As such, perhaps even Muffy will not survive this case and maybe our grandchildren will be waiting for the outcome! Maybe qiyamaat will come before this case is resolved. Allah knows!