Questioning the various 'Do's and Dont's' of the Daw
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 4:17 am
Dear Friends,
I have compiled a couple of documents after a study of the Holy Quran which question the various beliefs that are imposed on innocent minds by the Kothar. These documents were compiled by me (Ayats from the Holy Quran) when I was going through a rough ride at a time when I started questioning the various 'Do's and Dont's' of the community.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to write to me. Also, please feel free to forward the attachments to people you know.
Best regards,
sak955@yahoo.com
************************************************
I. I have been involved in reading the Holy Quran with its meaning over the past few years. Over this period of time, a lot of my ancestral concepts and beliefs have come into direct contradiction with the Holy Quran and hence I would like to clarify these concepts with you so that you may understand my view point. Please read this carefully as the answers to many of the questions that you may have is recorded in the pages to follow.
All Muslims believe that the Holy Quran is the ultimate source of guidance sent by Allah for mankind. I believe that there is no contradiction in Allah’s Quranic Ayats. I justify this fact by quoting you the following Ayat from the Holy Quran: -
Sura 4 Ayat 82
“Do they not consider the Quran (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.”
Hence the above Ayat proves that there are no contradictions / discrepancies in the Quran.
I do not believe in blind faith. God has given me the intellect and intelligence to question various beliefs and concepts. So I turned to the Quran to find the answers to the various questions I had. In Sura 27, Ayat 75, God states: -
“Nor is there anything of the Unseen, in heaven or earth, but is (recorded) in a clear Book.”
Given the above Ayat, we are sure to find a solution to ALL our problems in the Quran. In addition my point is further strengthened by quoting Sura 10, Ayat 61: -
“……… Nor is hidden from the Lord the weight of an atom on the earth or in heaven. And not the least and not the greatest of these things (are recorded) in a clear Book.”
In the following pages, I have presented a few Ayats from the Holy Quran and its translation can be verified from any available source.
I thank you for the time that you have invested to read my letter and I do apologize if I have hurt anyone in the process. These are Quranic Ayats from the Holy Book and I am sure you all will appreciate the effort that has gone in compiling this document.
The concepts that I have questioned and the answers that I have received from the Quran have been documented.
Best regards,
sak955@yahoo.com
Point # 1 (Misaq)
The fundamental issue of ‘Misaq’ was raised by me when I thoroughly read (a week ago), a declaration of a Sunni Muslim who was going to get married. This declaration is signed before the ‘Misaq’ in order to get ‘Raza’ from the priest of the community. It read: -
“I, (name) age ____ born Sunni Muslim want to enter in fold of Dawat-e-Hadiyat giving the oath of allegiance (Misaq) to Al-Dai-ul-Mutlaq, thus I humbly request your holiness to kindly Forgive me all my sins and grant permission for my Misaq to be taken and accept me as your follower.”
With the above statement, the following questions were raised by me, and the following are the answers that I have received from the Holy Quran: -
a) “…… I humbly request your holiness to kindly forgive me all my sins ……. “
According to the Holy Quran – Sura 3, Ayat 135 : -
“And those who having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins – And who can forgive sins except Allah? – And are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done.”
Comments: If nobody other than Allah can forgive sins, how can we ask ‘…..your holiness to kindly forgive me all my sins.”
b) “ …….. and grant permission for my Misaq to be taken and accept me as your follower.”
According to the Holy Quran – Sura 3, Ayat 79 :
“It is not (possible) that a man, to whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the Prophecies, should say to people: ‘Be you my servants rather than Allah’s’: On the contrary (he would say): “Be you servants of Him who is truly the Cherisher of all: For you have taught the Book and you have studied it earnestly.”
Comments: Hence, with the above two Ayats, it is very clear to me that the ‘Misaq’ is not justified from the Quran. According to the Quran, we have to take our ‘Misaq’ from Allah and his commandments (i.e. the Holy Quran) and nobody else.
Point # 2 (To recieve God’s messages, we need a ‘Zarya’)
I have always heard from the educated lot and scholars that to reach God and his commandments, we need an intercessor, as it is impossible to understand Allah’s commandments in the Quran. Such people say “you have not reached the spiritual elevation that you may understand the Quran. It is only for us to explain to you as it is indeed a very difficult task.” Lets see what the Quran has to say in this regard: -
In Sura Qamar (Sura # 54), Ayats 17, 22, 32, 40
“ And we have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?”
Comments: Hence it is very clear with the above Ayats (repeated 4 times in Sura-e-Qamr) that the Quran is very easy to remember and understand.
In Sura 39, Ayat 3
“Is it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors others than Allah (say): ‘We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah.’ Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful.”
In Sura 6, Ayat 51
“Give this warning to those in whose hearts is the fear that they will be brought (to Judgement) before their Lord: Except for Him (Allah), they will have no protector, nor intercessor; that they may guard (against evil).”
Point # 3
With such a strong change and opposition in my beliefs coming directly from the Holy Quran, I then went on to search as to what stand I should take as the basis of my belief, being a Muslim. I got my answers from the following Ayats: -
Sura 6, Ayat 153
“Verily, this (Quran) is My Way leading straight: follow it; follow not other paths: they will partition you about from His great Path; thus does he command you, that you may guard yourself (against evil).”
Sura 7, Ayat 3
“Follow (O men!) the revelation given unto you from your Lord, and follow not, as friends or protectors, other than Him. Little it is you remember of admonition.”
Comments: Hence, the above Ayats have made a base for my belief system. God instructs me to serve Allah (and nobody other than Allah), the Prophet and the Holy Quran.
Point # 4
This then bought me up with the issue of ‘sects’ and whether it is correct for people to belong to various sects. The following Ayats make it clear: -
Sura 6, Ayat 159
“As for those who divide their religion and break into sects, you have no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did.”
Sura 30, Ayat 32
“Those who split up their Religion, and become Sects – each party rejoices in that which is with itself.”
The above two Ayats are very self explanatory. We need to be Muslims of Allah, follow His book (the Quran) and His prophets (the prophets followed Allah’s messages).
Point # 5
Given the concept of blind faith in religion and ancestral beliefs that we have been practicing, please note the following Ayats from the Holy Quran which are very self explanatory: -
Sura 43, Ayats 21 & 22
“What! Have we given them a book before this, to which they are holding fast? No! They say: ‘We found our fathers following a certain Ummat, and we do guide ourselves by their footsteps.’ ”
Sura 2, Ayat 170
“When it is said to them: ‘Follow what Allah hath revealed’: They say: ‘Nay! We shall follow the ways of our fathers’: What! Even though their fathers were void of understanding and guidance?
Sura 47, Ayat 24
“Do they not then earnestly seek to understand The Quran, or are their hearts locked up by them.”
Point # 6
In conclusion, I would like to present a few more Ayats which have further strengthened my belief in Islam. These Ayats also state the consequences of our actions if we deviate from the straight (Quranic path) and follow other paths apart from the Quran: -
Sura 6: Ayat 161 to 164
“Say: ‘Verily, my lord hath guided me to a Way that is straight – A judgement of standing – The religion practiced by Abraham, the true in faith, and he joined not Gods with Allah.’”
“Say: ‘Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are for Allah,
the Cherisher of the Worlds.’ ”
“No partner hath He: This am I commanded, and I am the first of those who bow to His Will.”
“Say: ‘Shall I seek for my Cherisher other than Allah, when He is the Cherisher of all things? Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is towards Allah: He will tell you the truth of the things wherein you disputed.’ ”
Sura 34, Ayat 31 to 33
“The Unbelievers say: ‘We shall neither believe in this Quran nor in any that is between his two hands.’ Could thou but see when the wrongdoers will be made to stand before their Lord, throwing back the word (of blame) on one another! Those who were weak will say to the powerful ones: ‘Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!’”
“The powerful ones will say to the ones who had been weak: ‘Was it we who kept you back from Guidance after it reached you? No, rather it was you who transgressed.’ ”
“Those who were weak will say to the powerful ones: ‘No! It was a plot of yours by day and by night: Behold! You ordered us to be ungrateful to Allah and to attribute equals to Him!’ They will declare repentance when they see the Penalty: We shall put yokes on the necks of the Unbelievers: It would be a requital for their (ill) deeds.”
Sura 33, Ayat 66 to 68
“On the Day when their faces will be turned around in the Fire, they will say: ‘Oh, would that we had obeyed Allâh and obeyed the Messenger.’”
“And they will say: ‘Our Lord! Verily, we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us from the (Right) Path.’ ”
“Our Lord! give them double penalty and curse them with a mighty curse!"
Sura 9, Ayat 34
“O you who believe! Verily, there are many among the priests who devour the wealth of mankind in falsehood, and hinder (them) from the Way of Allâh. And those who hoard up gold and silver, and spend it not in the Way of Allâh, -announce unto them a grevious penalty.”
Sura 4, Ayat 56&57
“Surely! Those who reject Our Ayâts. We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins that they may taste the punishment. Truly, Allâh is Ever Most Powerful, All¬Wise.”
“But those who believe (in Allâh and his Ayats) and do amend their deeds, We shall admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow, abiding therein forever. Therein they shall have companions pure and holy and We shall admit them to shades, cool and ever deepening.”
Sura 2, Ayat 165 to 167
“Yet there are men who take others besides Allâh as rivals (to Allâh). They love them as they should love Allâh. But those who believe, are overflowing in their love for Allah. If only, those who do wrong could see, when they will see the punishment: that to Allah belongs all power and Allah will strongly enforce the punishment.”
“When those who are followed, clear themselves of those who follow (them): They would see the Penalty and all relations between them would be cut off.”
“And those who followed will say: ‘If only we had one more chance (of this worldly life), we would clear ourselves of them, as they have cleared themselves of us.’ Thus Allâh will show them their deeds as regrets for them. And nor will there be a way for them out of the Fire.”
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II. Dear Friends,
After having been involved in the study of the Holy Quran for the past few years, there have been lots of questions that have been put forth to me and a lot of negative criticism that I have had to deal with. Kindly note that each answer of mine is supported by the Ayats of the Quran. I am going to discuss point-wise the issues that have been bought up and the answers will be quoted from the Holy Quran directly. We all know that Allah’s Ayats are His words and it cannot be challenged in any way or form.
Best regards,
Point # 1: - Because I study the Holy Quran and I am trying to live my life by it, I have been called a ‘Wahabi’, a ‘member of the Sunni sect’ and a ‘disgrace to the Bohra community.’ Lets see what the Quran says in this regard: -
Sura 6, Ayat 153
“Verily, this (Quran) is My Way leading straight: follow it; follow not other paths: they will partition you about from His great Path; thus does he command you, that you may guard yourself (against evil).”
Sura 6, Ayat 155
“And this is a Book which we have revealed as a blessing: so follow it and be righteous, that you may receive mercy.”
Sura 17, Ayat 89
“And We have explained to man, in this Quran, every kind of similitude: Yet the greater part of men refuse to (receive it) except with ingratitude.”
Comments: Given the clarity of the above Ayats, I do not understand why people cannot digest the fact that I am learning ‘the truth’. They directly place me into some named sect and tell me that I need to correct myself. Lets again look as to what the Quran has to say about ‘sects’.
Sura 6, Ayat 159
“As for those who divide their religion and break into sects, you have no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did.”
Comments: Hence it is very clear from the above two Ayats that we should not belong to any sects. We should instead be Muslims of Allah and follow the revelation (i.e. the Quran) he has sent down as a guidance to mankind. The following Ayats confirms this: -
Sura 14, Ayat 1
“Alif Lam Ra. A Book which We have revealed unto you, in order that thou mightest lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light – by the leave of their Lord – to the way of the Exalted in Power, worthy of all Praise !”
Sura 3, Ayat 138
“Here is a plain statement to men, a guidance and instruction to those who fear Allah.”
Point # 2: Family members have also often quoted ‘who is the person who is teaching Shayan the Quran.’ Praise be to Allah, there is no one other than Allah who can teach us the Quran. Lets look at a couple of Ayats from the Holy Quran in this regard: -
Sura 16, Ayat 103
“We know indeed that they say. ‘It is a human being that teaches him.’ The tongue of him (i.e the teacher) they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear.”
Sura 55, Ayat 1 & 2
“(Allah) Most Gracious ! It is He who has taught the Quran.”
Comments: The clarity of the above two Ayats cannot be questioned. They are absolutely crystal clear in content. Nobody other than Allah can teach us the Quran.
Point # 3 : - People from the Bohra community have told me that I am an isolated person studying the Quran with ‘messed up’ concepts. Again, lets turn to the Quran and get our answer from the Holy Book.
Sura 54, Ayat 24,25&26
“For they said: ‘What ! A man ! A solitary one from among ourselves ! Shall we follow such a one? Truly should we then be straying in mind, and mad !”
“Is it that the Message is sent to him, of all people amongst us? Nay, he is a liar, an insolent one!”
“Ah ! they (the unbelievers) will know on the morrow, which is the liar, the insolent one!”
Point # 4 : - When the Ayats of the Quran are presented to most individuals, their reaction is that of anger, resentment and mistrust. According to the Quran, this anger and resentment is not targeted at the individual who is studying the Quran, but is instead targeted at the ‘Truth’ in the words of the Quran. The following Ayat confirms this : -
Sura 6, Ayat 33
“We know indeed the grief which their (i.e. the unbelievers) words do cause thee: It is not you they reject: It is the Ayats of Allah which the wicked condemn.”
The Quran also talks about the reaction of various individuals when the Quranic Ayats are rehearsed to them : -
Sura 22, Ayat 72
“When Our Clear Ayats are rehearsed to them, thou wilt notice a denial on the faces of the Unbelievers ! They nearly attack with violence those who rehearse Our Ayats to them. Say, ‘Shall I tell you of something worse than these Ayats? It is the Fire (of Hell)! Allah has promised it to the Unbelievers. And evil is that destination!’”
Sura 23, Ayat 66 to 70
“My Ayats used to be rehearsed to you, but you used to turn back on your heels,”
“In arrogance : talking nonsense about the (Quran), like one telling fables by night.”
“Do they not ponder over the Word (of Allah), or has anything (new) come to them that did not come to their fathers of old?”
“Or do they not recognize their Messenger, that they Deny him?”
“Or do they say, ‘there is madness in him’? Nay, he has bought them the Truth, but most of them hate the Truth.”
Point # 5: - People often feel that by studying the Quran and communicating the Ayats to them, I am trying to hinder them from the ancestral beliefs they follow. The following Ayats in the Quran discuss this issue: -
Sura 34, Ayat 43
“When are Clear Ayats are rehearsed to them, they say, ‘This is only a man that wishes to hinder you from what your fathers practiced.’ And they say, ‘This is only a falsehood invented!’ And the Unbelievers say of the Truth when it comes to them. ‘This is nothing but evident magic.’”
Point # 6: - We are all individually responsible for our own actions and deeds. Hence I do not understand why people are so concerned by me studying the Quran. I feel we need to look at ourselves first and then correct our actions in accordance to what the Quran has to say: -
Sura 17, Ayat 13 & 14
“Every man’s fate we have fastened on his own neck; On the Day of Judgement we shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open.”
“(It will be said to him) : ‘Read thine (own) record; Sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee.’”
Sura 17, Ayat 15
“Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goes astray doth so to his own loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: Nor would We visit with our wrath until we had sent a messenger (to give warning).”
Point # 7: - In my last write-up I had mentioned a few Ayats relating to what the Quran has to say about taking protectors / intercessors other than Allah. I have always heard from the educated lot and scholars that to reach God and his commandments, we need an intercessor, as it is impossible to understand Allah’s commandments in the Quran. Let me mention a few more Ayats which I forgot to mention in my last write-up.
Sura 10, Ayat 17 & 18
“Who doth more wrong than such as forge a lie against Allah, or deny His Ayats? But never will prosper those who sin.”
“They serve, besides Allah, things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’ Say: ‘Do you indeed inform Allah of something he knows not, in the heavens or on earth? – Glory to Him! And far is He above the partners they ascribe (to Him)!’”
Sura 39, Ayat 43 & 44
“What ! Do they take for intercessors others besides Allah? Say: ‘Even if they have no power whatever and no intelligence?’ ”
“Say: ‘To Allah belongs exclusively (the right to grant) intercession : To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: In the end , it is to Him that you shall be bought back.’ ”
In Sura 39, Ayat 3
“IS it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors others than Allah (say): ‘We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah.’ Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful.”
Point # 8: - In conclusion, I would like to mention a few more Ayats which are relevant to this write-up. There are many more Ayats which I would like to include, but I will restrain myself from doing so as this write-up will become too long to read.
Sura 32, Ayat 2 & 3
“This is the revelation of the Book in which there is no doubt – from the Lord of the Worlds.”
“Or do they say, ‘he has forged it?’ Nay, it is the truth from thy Lord, that thou mayest admonish a people to whom no warner has come to thee: In order that they may receive guidance.”
Sura 22, Ayat 51
“But those (i.e. the unbelievers) who strive against our Ayats, to frustrate them (i.e. the believers) – They will be companions of the Fire.”
Sura 7, Ayat 51 & 52
“ ‘Such as took their religion to be mere amusement and play, and were deceived by the life of the world.’ That day (Day of Qiamat) shall we forget them as they forgot the meeting of this day (Day of Qiamat) of theirs, and as they used to reject our Ayats (Ayats).”
“For We had certainly sent unto them a Book (i.e. The Quran), based on knowledge, which we explained in detail – a guide and a mercy to all who believe.”
Sura 22, Ayat 73
“O men! Here is a parable set forth! Listen to it! Those on whom, besides Allah, ye call, cannot create even a fly, if they all met together for the purpose! And if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. Weak are those who seek and those whom they seek!”
Best regards,
sak955@yahoo.com
I have compiled a couple of documents after a study of the Holy Quran which question the various beliefs that are imposed on innocent minds by the Kothar. These documents were compiled by me (Ayats from the Holy Quran) when I was going through a rough ride at a time when I started questioning the various 'Do's and Dont's' of the community.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to write to me. Also, please feel free to forward the attachments to people you know.
Best regards,
sak955@yahoo.com
************************************************
I. I have been involved in reading the Holy Quran with its meaning over the past few years. Over this period of time, a lot of my ancestral concepts and beliefs have come into direct contradiction with the Holy Quran and hence I would like to clarify these concepts with you so that you may understand my view point. Please read this carefully as the answers to many of the questions that you may have is recorded in the pages to follow.
All Muslims believe that the Holy Quran is the ultimate source of guidance sent by Allah for mankind. I believe that there is no contradiction in Allah’s Quranic Ayats. I justify this fact by quoting you the following Ayat from the Holy Quran: -
Sura 4 Ayat 82
“Do they not consider the Quran (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.”
Hence the above Ayat proves that there are no contradictions / discrepancies in the Quran.
I do not believe in blind faith. God has given me the intellect and intelligence to question various beliefs and concepts. So I turned to the Quran to find the answers to the various questions I had. In Sura 27, Ayat 75, God states: -
“Nor is there anything of the Unseen, in heaven or earth, but is (recorded) in a clear Book.”
Given the above Ayat, we are sure to find a solution to ALL our problems in the Quran. In addition my point is further strengthened by quoting Sura 10, Ayat 61: -
“……… Nor is hidden from the Lord the weight of an atom on the earth or in heaven. And not the least and not the greatest of these things (are recorded) in a clear Book.”
In the following pages, I have presented a few Ayats from the Holy Quran and its translation can be verified from any available source.
I thank you for the time that you have invested to read my letter and I do apologize if I have hurt anyone in the process. These are Quranic Ayats from the Holy Book and I am sure you all will appreciate the effort that has gone in compiling this document.
The concepts that I have questioned and the answers that I have received from the Quran have been documented.
Best regards,
sak955@yahoo.com
Point # 1 (Misaq)
The fundamental issue of ‘Misaq’ was raised by me when I thoroughly read (a week ago), a declaration of a Sunni Muslim who was going to get married. This declaration is signed before the ‘Misaq’ in order to get ‘Raza’ from the priest of the community. It read: -
“I, (name) age ____ born Sunni Muslim want to enter in fold of Dawat-e-Hadiyat giving the oath of allegiance (Misaq) to Al-Dai-ul-Mutlaq, thus I humbly request your holiness to kindly Forgive me all my sins and grant permission for my Misaq to be taken and accept me as your follower.”
With the above statement, the following questions were raised by me, and the following are the answers that I have received from the Holy Quran: -
a) “…… I humbly request your holiness to kindly forgive me all my sins ……. “
According to the Holy Quran – Sura 3, Ayat 135 : -
“And those who having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins – And who can forgive sins except Allah? – And are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done.”
Comments: If nobody other than Allah can forgive sins, how can we ask ‘…..your holiness to kindly forgive me all my sins.”
b) “ …….. and grant permission for my Misaq to be taken and accept me as your follower.”
According to the Holy Quran – Sura 3, Ayat 79 :
“It is not (possible) that a man, to whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the Prophecies, should say to people: ‘Be you my servants rather than Allah’s’: On the contrary (he would say): “Be you servants of Him who is truly the Cherisher of all: For you have taught the Book and you have studied it earnestly.”
Comments: Hence, with the above two Ayats, it is very clear to me that the ‘Misaq’ is not justified from the Quran. According to the Quran, we have to take our ‘Misaq’ from Allah and his commandments (i.e. the Holy Quran) and nobody else.
Point # 2 (To recieve God’s messages, we need a ‘Zarya’)
I have always heard from the educated lot and scholars that to reach God and his commandments, we need an intercessor, as it is impossible to understand Allah’s commandments in the Quran. Such people say “you have not reached the spiritual elevation that you may understand the Quran. It is only for us to explain to you as it is indeed a very difficult task.” Lets see what the Quran has to say in this regard: -
In Sura Qamar (Sura # 54), Ayats 17, 22, 32, 40
“ And we have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?”
Comments: Hence it is very clear with the above Ayats (repeated 4 times in Sura-e-Qamr) that the Quran is very easy to remember and understand.
In Sura 39, Ayat 3
“Is it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors others than Allah (say): ‘We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah.’ Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful.”
In Sura 6, Ayat 51
“Give this warning to those in whose hearts is the fear that they will be brought (to Judgement) before their Lord: Except for Him (Allah), they will have no protector, nor intercessor; that they may guard (against evil).”
Point # 3
With such a strong change and opposition in my beliefs coming directly from the Holy Quran, I then went on to search as to what stand I should take as the basis of my belief, being a Muslim. I got my answers from the following Ayats: -
Sura 6, Ayat 153
“Verily, this (Quran) is My Way leading straight: follow it; follow not other paths: they will partition you about from His great Path; thus does he command you, that you may guard yourself (against evil).”
Sura 7, Ayat 3
“Follow (O men!) the revelation given unto you from your Lord, and follow not, as friends or protectors, other than Him. Little it is you remember of admonition.”
Comments: Hence, the above Ayats have made a base for my belief system. God instructs me to serve Allah (and nobody other than Allah), the Prophet and the Holy Quran.
Point # 4
This then bought me up with the issue of ‘sects’ and whether it is correct for people to belong to various sects. The following Ayats make it clear: -
Sura 6, Ayat 159
“As for those who divide their religion and break into sects, you have no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did.”
Sura 30, Ayat 32
“Those who split up their Religion, and become Sects – each party rejoices in that which is with itself.”
The above two Ayats are very self explanatory. We need to be Muslims of Allah, follow His book (the Quran) and His prophets (the prophets followed Allah’s messages).
Point # 5
Given the concept of blind faith in religion and ancestral beliefs that we have been practicing, please note the following Ayats from the Holy Quran which are very self explanatory: -
Sura 43, Ayats 21 & 22
“What! Have we given them a book before this, to which they are holding fast? No! They say: ‘We found our fathers following a certain Ummat, and we do guide ourselves by their footsteps.’ ”
Sura 2, Ayat 170
“When it is said to them: ‘Follow what Allah hath revealed’: They say: ‘Nay! We shall follow the ways of our fathers’: What! Even though their fathers were void of understanding and guidance?
Sura 47, Ayat 24
“Do they not then earnestly seek to understand The Quran, or are their hearts locked up by them.”
Point # 6
In conclusion, I would like to present a few more Ayats which have further strengthened my belief in Islam. These Ayats also state the consequences of our actions if we deviate from the straight (Quranic path) and follow other paths apart from the Quran: -
Sura 6: Ayat 161 to 164
“Say: ‘Verily, my lord hath guided me to a Way that is straight – A judgement of standing – The religion practiced by Abraham, the true in faith, and he joined not Gods with Allah.’”
“Say: ‘Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are for Allah,
the Cherisher of the Worlds.’ ”
“No partner hath He: This am I commanded, and I am the first of those who bow to His Will.”
“Say: ‘Shall I seek for my Cherisher other than Allah, when He is the Cherisher of all things? Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is towards Allah: He will tell you the truth of the things wherein you disputed.’ ”
Sura 34, Ayat 31 to 33
“The Unbelievers say: ‘We shall neither believe in this Quran nor in any that is between his two hands.’ Could thou but see when the wrongdoers will be made to stand before their Lord, throwing back the word (of blame) on one another! Those who were weak will say to the powerful ones: ‘Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!’”
“The powerful ones will say to the ones who had been weak: ‘Was it we who kept you back from Guidance after it reached you? No, rather it was you who transgressed.’ ”
“Those who were weak will say to the powerful ones: ‘No! It was a plot of yours by day and by night: Behold! You ordered us to be ungrateful to Allah and to attribute equals to Him!’ They will declare repentance when they see the Penalty: We shall put yokes on the necks of the Unbelievers: It would be a requital for their (ill) deeds.”
Sura 33, Ayat 66 to 68
“On the Day when their faces will be turned around in the Fire, they will say: ‘Oh, would that we had obeyed Allâh and obeyed the Messenger.’”
“And they will say: ‘Our Lord! Verily, we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us from the (Right) Path.’ ”
“Our Lord! give them double penalty and curse them with a mighty curse!"
Sura 9, Ayat 34
“O you who believe! Verily, there are many among the priests who devour the wealth of mankind in falsehood, and hinder (them) from the Way of Allâh. And those who hoard up gold and silver, and spend it not in the Way of Allâh, -announce unto them a grevious penalty.”
Sura 4, Ayat 56&57
“Surely! Those who reject Our Ayâts. We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins that they may taste the punishment. Truly, Allâh is Ever Most Powerful, All¬Wise.”
“But those who believe (in Allâh and his Ayats) and do amend their deeds, We shall admit them to Gardens under which rivers flow, abiding therein forever. Therein they shall have companions pure and holy and We shall admit them to shades, cool and ever deepening.”
Sura 2, Ayat 165 to 167
“Yet there are men who take others besides Allâh as rivals (to Allâh). They love them as they should love Allâh. But those who believe, are overflowing in their love for Allah. If only, those who do wrong could see, when they will see the punishment: that to Allah belongs all power and Allah will strongly enforce the punishment.”
“When those who are followed, clear themselves of those who follow (them): They would see the Penalty and all relations between them would be cut off.”
“And those who followed will say: ‘If only we had one more chance (of this worldly life), we would clear ourselves of them, as they have cleared themselves of us.’ Thus Allâh will show them their deeds as regrets for them. And nor will there be a way for them out of the Fire.”
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II. Dear Friends,
After having been involved in the study of the Holy Quran for the past few years, there have been lots of questions that have been put forth to me and a lot of negative criticism that I have had to deal with. Kindly note that each answer of mine is supported by the Ayats of the Quran. I am going to discuss point-wise the issues that have been bought up and the answers will be quoted from the Holy Quran directly. We all know that Allah’s Ayats are His words and it cannot be challenged in any way or form.
Best regards,
Point # 1: - Because I study the Holy Quran and I am trying to live my life by it, I have been called a ‘Wahabi’, a ‘member of the Sunni sect’ and a ‘disgrace to the Bohra community.’ Lets see what the Quran says in this regard: -
Sura 6, Ayat 153
“Verily, this (Quran) is My Way leading straight: follow it; follow not other paths: they will partition you about from His great Path; thus does he command you, that you may guard yourself (against evil).”
Sura 6, Ayat 155
“And this is a Book which we have revealed as a blessing: so follow it and be righteous, that you may receive mercy.”
Sura 17, Ayat 89
“And We have explained to man, in this Quran, every kind of similitude: Yet the greater part of men refuse to (receive it) except with ingratitude.”
Comments: Given the clarity of the above Ayats, I do not understand why people cannot digest the fact that I am learning ‘the truth’. They directly place me into some named sect and tell me that I need to correct myself. Lets again look as to what the Quran has to say about ‘sects’.
Sura 6, Ayat 159
“As for those who divide their religion and break into sects, you have no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they did.”
Comments: Hence it is very clear from the above two Ayats that we should not belong to any sects. We should instead be Muslims of Allah and follow the revelation (i.e. the Quran) he has sent down as a guidance to mankind. The following Ayats confirms this: -
Sura 14, Ayat 1
“Alif Lam Ra. A Book which We have revealed unto you, in order that thou mightest lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light – by the leave of their Lord – to the way of the Exalted in Power, worthy of all Praise !”
Sura 3, Ayat 138
“Here is a plain statement to men, a guidance and instruction to those who fear Allah.”
Point # 2: Family members have also often quoted ‘who is the person who is teaching Shayan the Quran.’ Praise be to Allah, there is no one other than Allah who can teach us the Quran. Lets look at a couple of Ayats from the Holy Quran in this regard: -
Sura 16, Ayat 103
“We know indeed that they say. ‘It is a human being that teaches him.’ The tongue of him (i.e the teacher) they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear.”
Sura 55, Ayat 1 & 2
“(Allah) Most Gracious ! It is He who has taught the Quran.”
Comments: The clarity of the above two Ayats cannot be questioned. They are absolutely crystal clear in content. Nobody other than Allah can teach us the Quran.
Point # 3 : - People from the Bohra community have told me that I am an isolated person studying the Quran with ‘messed up’ concepts. Again, lets turn to the Quran and get our answer from the Holy Book.
Sura 54, Ayat 24,25&26
“For they said: ‘What ! A man ! A solitary one from among ourselves ! Shall we follow such a one? Truly should we then be straying in mind, and mad !”
“Is it that the Message is sent to him, of all people amongst us? Nay, he is a liar, an insolent one!”
“Ah ! they (the unbelievers) will know on the morrow, which is the liar, the insolent one!”
Point # 4 : - When the Ayats of the Quran are presented to most individuals, their reaction is that of anger, resentment and mistrust. According to the Quran, this anger and resentment is not targeted at the individual who is studying the Quran, but is instead targeted at the ‘Truth’ in the words of the Quran. The following Ayat confirms this : -
Sura 6, Ayat 33
“We know indeed the grief which their (i.e. the unbelievers) words do cause thee: It is not you they reject: It is the Ayats of Allah which the wicked condemn.”
The Quran also talks about the reaction of various individuals when the Quranic Ayats are rehearsed to them : -
Sura 22, Ayat 72
“When Our Clear Ayats are rehearsed to them, thou wilt notice a denial on the faces of the Unbelievers ! They nearly attack with violence those who rehearse Our Ayats to them. Say, ‘Shall I tell you of something worse than these Ayats? It is the Fire (of Hell)! Allah has promised it to the Unbelievers. And evil is that destination!’”
Sura 23, Ayat 66 to 70
“My Ayats used to be rehearsed to you, but you used to turn back on your heels,”
“In arrogance : talking nonsense about the (Quran), like one telling fables by night.”
“Do they not ponder over the Word (of Allah), or has anything (new) come to them that did not come to their fathers of old?”
“Or do they not recognize their Messenger, that they Deny him?”
“Or do they say, ‘there is madness in him’? Nay, he has bought them the Truth, but most of them hate the Truth.”
Point # 5: - People often feel that by studying the Quran and communicating the Ayats to them, I am trying to hinder them from the ancestral beliefs they follow. The following Ayats in the Quran discuss this issue: -
Sura 34, Ayat 43
“When are Clear Ayats are rehearsed to them, they say, ‘This is only a man that wishes to hinder you from what your fathers practiced.’ And they say, ‘This is only a falsehood invented!’ And the Unbelievers say of the Truth when it comes to them. ‘This is nothing but evident magic.’”
Point # 6: - We are all individually responsible for our own actions and deeds. Hence I do not understand why people are so concerned by me studying the Quran. I feel we need to look at ourselves first and then correct our actions in accordance to what the Quran has to say: -
Sura 17, Ayat 13 & 14
“Every man’s fate we have fastened on his own neck; On the Day of Judgement we shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open.”
“(It will be said to him) : ‘Read thine (own) record; Sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee.’”
Sura 17, Ayat 15
“Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goes astray doth so to his own loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: Nor would We visit with our wrath until we had sent a messenger (to give warning).”
Point # 7: - In my last write-up I had mentioned a few Ayats relating to what the Quran has to say about taking protectors / intercessors other than Allah. I have always heard from the educated lot and scholars that to reach God and his commandments, we need an intercessor, as it is impossible to understand Allah’s commandments in the Quran. Let me mention a few more Ayats which I forgot to mention in my last write-up.
Sura 10, Ayat 17 & 18
“Who doth more wrong than such as forge a lie against Allah, or deny His Ayats? But never will prosper those who sin.”
“They serve, besides Allah, things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’ Say: ‘Do you indeed inform Allah of something he knows not, in the heavens or on earth? – Glory to Him! And far is He above the partners they ascribe (to Him)!’”
Sura 39, Ayat 43 & 44
“What ! Do they take for intercessors others besides Allah? Say: ‘Even if they have no power whatever and no intelligence?’ ”
“Say: ‘To Allah belongs exclusively (the right to grant) intercession : To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: In the end , it is to Him that you shall be bought back.’ ”
In Sura 39, Ayat 3
“IS it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors others than Allah (say): ‘We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah.’ Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful.”
Point # 8: - In conclusion, I would like to mention a few more Ayats which are relevant to this write-up. There are many more Ayats which I would like to include, but I will restrain myself from doing so as this write-up will become too long to read.
Sura 32, Ayat 2 & 3
“This is the revelation of the Book in which there is no doubt – from the Lord of the Worlds.”
“Or do they say, ‘he has forged it?’ Nay, it is the truth from thy Lord, that thou mayest admonish a people to whom no warner has come to thee: In order that they may receive guidance.”
Sura 22, Ayat 51
“But those (i.e. the unbelievers) who strive against our Ayats, to frustrate them (i.e. the believers) – They will be companions of the Fire.”
Sura 7, Ayat 51 & 52
“ ‘Such as took their religion to be mere amusement and play, and were deceived by the life of the world.’ That day (Day of Qiamat) shall we forget them as they forgot the meeting of this day (Day of Qiamat) of theirs, and as they used to reject our Ayats (Ayats).”
“For We had certainly sent unto them a Book (i.e. The Quran), based on knowledge, which we explained in detail – a guide and a mercy to all who believe.”
Sura 22, Ayat 73
“O men! Here is a parable set forth! Listen to it! Those on whom, besides Allah, ye call, cannot create even a fly, if they all met together for the purpose! And if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. Weak are those who seek and those whom they seek!”
Best regards,
sak955@yahoo.com
