enslavement of children by parents.

[think]

The bohri rasam of missak is a ritual where the parents are elated with joy and partying. The child is completely unaware that he is making a solomn promise to the dai that he will be a bonded slave of his . All the money he earns, his wife, his children and his life is now the dai's if he wants it.
The child does not even at times understand the meaning of the word "naam"which is arabic for yes. This ritual also asks the child that is being bonded into slavery ,that he will take up arms against whoever the dai instructs and that he will abide aqnd be his loyal slave. Such rasam should be stopped. There was a time in the Rasool's life that such was neccessary to earn the trust of the companions during wars. There is no war and times have changed. Such rituals should be done away with; and it rests on the parents since the child is innoscent. There are no religious wars being fought for the spread of bohrism. The only wars fought are money wars, ziafat wars, wajebaat wars every ramadaan, and a lot of good eating and dining for the goondas of the jamaats.

[badrijanab]

@Think - please think about collecting correct knowledge then think over it correctly, and when you understand then think to post correctly.

[think]

yes misaak may have been taken even in the times of imams to gain the trust of the people fighting for him. history is full of plunder and bloodshed during the times of the imams specially after the fateh of Egypt. So much was the bloodshed and the khoja imam was so powerful due to his secret service agents that he boasted he could lay to rest any one he wanted right from the palace of qom in Iran to Egypt . Again, misaak may have been taken by the imams at that time. Misaak is not needed now since no holy wars are being fought and moreover bohraism is not spread anywhere in the world. As a matter of fact bohraism is shrinking because of the kothar and his henchmen. young ones are marrying outsiders and are turning away from the looting and plundering bhaisahebs and zadas.

[JC]

Becoming a Muslim and reciting Kalma is not enough for Kothar ........you MUST PROMISE to become a petty and cheap SLAVE of Dai ............

[Humsafar]

think,
Misaq is an article of faith for Bohras, a rite of passage, a formal pledge of allegiance to the tenets of faith and the Imam etc. There is nothing wrong with it per se. What makes it objectionable is its misuse by the Kothar which has turned into a treatise of enslavement and an instrument of terror.
It is one thing to criticise abuse of misaq and quite another to question the very tenet itself. As the cliche goes, don't throw the baby with the bath water.

JC,
There is a certain dogma and tradition attached to being a Bohra Muslim. That is the baseline, and by the way it also includes the Quran and the Kalama. You can criticise the evil Kothar all you want - and I'll join you gladly - but the moment you question the baseline you become totally irrelevant to the discussion. What you personally believe is not important but if reformists and sympathisers are going to have any weight in their argument they must first understand the Bohra dogma and then make sure that they launch criticism form within its framework.

[JC]

Humsafar,

I agree with you to some extent .......... the concept (or a mere tradition) of Misak is being gravely misused by Kotharis so what I am saying is that there is inherently something wrong with this concept/tradition. IF it is a tradition only (and becoming Muslim and reciting Kalma is enough) do we really need this TODAY? May be yes, but then it definitely needs to be 'reformed' and 'reworded' .......... you will agree that accepting the current Misak or not will not make me a better or worse Muslim (or Momin). Customs and traditions change with time and place, may be it is time to change this too. We did not use to do 'purjosh matam' say 20/30 years back, today we do (right or wrong is another debate), our ladies use to wear black burqa may be 20 years back, today they dont.... so 'believers' in current system themselves have opened this door for change in 'traditions' ......... Wadhawoo is totally regarded as Hindu tradition, will it harm us if we do away with this one?? Certainly not.

We have to separate 'things' which FORM part of our 'belief' with those which do not. REFORM does not only mean we are against Kothar and Current State of Affairs within Community, it also means CHANGE for BETTERMENT .... Our forefathers had many 'rasams' and 'traditions' but it is not a must for me to follow those even today.

[Humsafar]

JC,
Misaq is an article of faith. Yes, its text in its current form has been doctored to serve the interests of the clergy. We must try to bring back the original text and restore the practice to its original purpose. We reformists have done this without any problem. There is nothing inherently wrong with this practice.
As for, matam and wadhawu etc., these are inventions and cultural accretions that the clergy has imposed along the way. They are not part of core beliefs.
There is nothing wrong in following a particular tradition so long as it does not flout the basic tenets and is not used to control, demean and oppress others.

[think]

first of all the question to be posed is whether misaak is considered a rasaam, just like a special dishes thaal on bohri new years eve or should misaak be considered a tenet must if the child is to be a muslim bohri. If this ceremony is done so the child becomes of bohri faith then is this not a given, when the child is already born into a bohri family. That being said, why misaak then. the azans in the childs ears after birth should be enough for him or her to announce him or hers arrival in the world as a muslim. Being born in the family of bohri automatically makes the child a believer of imams and all the good dai's. Why should this child knowingly or unknowingly sware on oath to be a bonded slave of the dai and all his life and maal are for the use of the dai and he could be asked to lay down his life to fight the dais wars.
I do not see any bohri religious w2ars in far far distant.

[badrijanab]

Women to men under marriage is not only Halal but source of great blessings from Allah. Women to men without marriage (extra marital affairs) is haram and punishable by Allah. What is happening in marriage? The Dua's (prayers) are recited and standard condition are presented should it be acceptable to both parties then marriage is solemnized.

Misaq is connection with spritual world. Allah has always referred us in Quran by saying, "O you who tendered Imaan and did good deeds". This tendering Imaan is "misaaq" - it is prayers and standard conditions; one who agrees to it - his connections gets established with spritual world, now if he also did good deeds then he will be eligible for paradise. If someone did good deeds but didn't tendered misaaq he/she will be rewarded in this world but no rewards in life hereafter.

Misaaq is the must. Without misaaq (tendering Imaan) no paradise. Misaaq is only for Imam. All Kothar/Dai part in misaaq is fabricated and abusive.

[think]

so you have been to paradise and seen all the bohris with misaak. and if the child died at a tender age without misaak but being a bohri he will not go to paradise.

[asad]

When your kids are of age Just tell people your kids have taken Misaaq and ask them to join elders in prayer. Why dont use the same Taqiya against the hypocrites

[wise_guy]

The bohri rasam of missak is a ritual where the parents are elated with joy and partying. The child is completely unaware that he is making a solomn promise to the dai that he will be a bonded slave of his . All the money he earns, his wife, his children and his life is now the dai's if he wants it.
The child does not even at times understand the meaning of the word "naam"which is arabic for yes. This ritual also asks the child that is being bonded into slavery ,that he will take up arms against whoever the dai instructs and that he will abide aqnd be his loyal slave. Such rasam should be stopped. There was a time in the Rasool's life that such was neccessary to earn the trust of the companions during wars. There is no war and times have changed. Such rituals should be done away with; and it rests on the parents since the child is innoscent. There are no religious wars being fought for the spread of bohrism. The only wars fought are money wars, ziafat wars, wajebaat wars every ramadaan, and a lot of good eating and dining for the goondas of the jamaats.

so you start doubting long running traditions which I don't think harms anyone... I also took misaaq... but nothing bad happened to me.. Its just that your mind is so used to criticizing dawaat that you now start doubt each and every aspect of it.

[ozmujaheed]

The bohri rasam of missak is a ritual where the parents are elated with joy and partying. The child is completely unaware that he is making a solomn promise to the dai that he will be a bonded slave of his . All the money he earns, his wife, his children and his life is now the dai's if he wants it.
The child does not even at times understand the meaning of the word "naam"which is arabic for yes. This ritual also asks the child that is being bonded into slavery ,that he will take up arms against whoever the dai instructs and that he will abide aqnd be his loyal slave. Such rasam should be stopped. There was a time in the Rasool's life that such was neccessary to earn the trust of the companions during wars. There is no war and times have changed. Such rituals should be done away with; and it rests on the parents since the child is innoscent. There are no religious wars being fought for the spread of bohrism. The only wars fought are money wars, ziafat wars, wajebaat wars every ramadaan, and a lot of good eating and dining for the goondas of the jamaats.

This is an interesting topic and investigations and mobilisation will commence soon on whether Misaq breaches laws...it is likely that Misaq has to be rewritten such that a person over the age of 18 takes allegiance ..the wordings around divorcing wives, confistication or property, threats of damnation must be removed as they breach human rights.

A child under the age or regarded as a minor by law cannot be forced to take oaths and be enslaved with consequences that prevents him from expressing his democratic rights and freedom provided under law and the constitution of the land. There is no Islamic basis, its is unique to a sect. Historical precedence is no excuse to continue this barbaric tradition.

Using the oath whether the minor has obtained misaq or not to deny participation or segregation in affairs of the community is discrmination. Oath has to be taken in private , no public euphoria...this is just the start so stay tuned....and watch the space. The validity of misaq has to be private information protected under privacy law.

Let us give a shot ...some will be with me some against let society decide what is acceptable tradition....

[Al Zulfiqar]

ozzy,

you bring up a very important point. the dastardly and evil clergy can be forced to retract the objectionable clauses from the misaq if a successful legal challenge can be mounted in any western country. taking the misaq is an important rite of passage, agreed, but it has been misused by the last 2 dai's.

i fully second your take on this issue. bravo, and all strength to your idea. for a full transcript of the present oppressive misaq, please contact the admin of this board.

[محمد]

to be honest momeen is momeen from his birth, so there is no point of misaaq.

[think]

wise guy; years old traditions may be wrong and needs correction. A lot of hindu rasams are infused into the muslim bohri faith, and these hindu rasaams make a bohri muslim a half muslim.
Nowhere in the arab world and right in mecca or madinah where islam originated, will you see such rasaams being practised. Seven times around your head with coconut and handful of rice and many such aleinates the bohris from being true muslims.
Misaak or in other words an oath of alegeance was taken by the religious leader of that time soley for the purpose of the subjects being loyal to their cause. There is no holy wars being fought to spread bohri islam and so such indoctrination is not needed. Moreover this rasaam is practised byu the bhaisaheb on atleast three or four different occassions during the year so he can make a quick buck. Once you have sworn your alegeance to the imam should be enough. There is no sense in repeating this promise over and over again through out the year.

[think]

I have never stated that something bad will happen to you if you do not take misaak. and neither will any good come to you . either way it is your weak faith that leads you to believe that bad things will happen if so and so rasaam is not done. This is a weakness of your faith and shaitan is the one that is creating this doubt in you. You are god's child just like everyone else. rasaams and rituals and cultural practises are infused into the pure religion of islam for sefish reasons.

[Humsafar]

think,
Let me repeat, slowly....,, the misaq is an article of faith for Dawoodi Bohras. This is the dogma, You may not like it but this is the way it is. It is essential to being a Dawoodi Bohra. Do not confuse this with the misaq administered for political reasons during the troubled times of Islmaili history. This is misaq is a rite of passage, just as Christians have baptism and Jews have bar mitzvah.
What is wrong about it is its misuse and you may condemn that with all the moral righteousness you can muster but do not dismiss the custom itself. I agree, one must give misaq once, that is the bare essential.

About other rasams and cultural accretions, I agree they have been infused in our cultural and social practices. Some of them are harmless and cute, some of them not quite so. But so long as they do not go against the spirit of Islam I don't see anything wrong with them. Cultural and social diversity is a good thing, it adds variety and spice to life and to Islam. The key to Islam's rapid spread was its willingness to adapt to local customs, languages and mores. If not for this sensitivity Islam would have remained confined to Arabia.

[humanbeing]

In reality Misaak is just another event for kothar to extract some moolah. Remember misaak at hands of daai or his close side kicks cost a premium and its matter of fame and pride for an abde.

Misaak is recited in such a hurry that I doubt any kid or even an adult understand the implications of conditions setforth in the misaak. Like zombies or fools they just keep saying yes (naam). There is no written handout of misaak not event to new takers.

Terms and conditions setforth in the misaak are unrealistic and would not stand any merit as a contract or oath of allegiance in general world ( Islamic or secular). . Most of the points in misaak are against constitutional rights of a citizen of many countries. Kothar has very smartly kept misaak a secretive affair to outside world but a popular event internally.

Every 2nd abde flouts some terms and conditions of the misaak by the hour and day. Yet they remain in the fold and none of the punishment or excommunication takes place unless kothar is disturbed or threatened affecting their position of power and wealth.

Misaak like others ( milaads, majlises, zikra, ashura, muzakeraat, tabudaat) events; is a tool to keep sheeps under check and control. As well as they also need avenue to market and keep themselves busy.

AZ can predict the next development as follows : ( in consultation with Deep Throat)

Samuh or personal Misaak will involve registration of E jamaat IDs and status of Misaak will be recorded on the card with its date of validity.
There will be level of misaak :
Platinum Misaak : @ hands of Daai
Gold Misaak : @ hands of “Royals”
Silver Misaak : @ hands of Amils
Bronze Misaak : @ common congregations

[seeker110]

I had my Mishak at the ripe age of puberty. At the age when my mind was full of wild thoughts. Things that would knockout mishaq with one go. Yes mishak did not change anything for me, nor it did for any boys of my age. Only good thing about mishak was that girls would tell me that they have to do parda around me. I was happy that they knew, that now I could.

[Al Zulfiqar]

humsafar,

you should know well by now that member 'think' has the disease of posting without 'thinking'. i have pointed that out to him several times, but he persists in making a fool of himself.

there are other members like him on this forum who are like bulls in a china shop, they rush in where angels fear to tread. they indulge in loose talk, viz. electing a dai, overthrowing the dai and his family by force, taking sides on behalf of reformists in an illusory fight inside saifee mahal among the dai's family, asking for safai chitthis and then tearing it up there and then, etc etc, all impractical and foolish ideas which reflect badly on this forum. such members are unfortunately, abusing the freedoms which this forum provides. to top it all, they take umbrage if their stupidity is pointed out to them in no uncertain, equivocal terms and then rush to admin like cry babies and send threatening pm's.

alas, we have to live with such colourful characters. they come with the territory and we can only hope that discerning readers can sift the wheat from the chaff.

[anajmi]

I don't think that is fair. Do you want every progressive to think like you or Humsafar?

[S. Insaf]

The Ismaili movement was a religious mission with a definite political end. As Imam remained in hiding for the protection from prying eyes of the Abbasid rulers, the Dais played a very important role in the organising activities in the regions under them. They appointed two more functionaries – Mazoon and Mukasir.
Mukasir was required to be thoroughly conversant in the knowledge of the religion and beliefs and the weaknesses of opponents whom he wanted to convert. He was required to argue with them cautiously in order to create doubts in their mind about their religion and beliefs. He would start debating on some principle of shariah or contradictions in the apparent meaning of Quranic verses and wait for their further interest in the matter.
Mazoon would pursue the matter with them to overcome their doubts and then reveal the inner meaning or explain the contradictions and impart them further knowledge of the Ismaili doctrines. After thorough screening they would be allowed to have an audience with Dai who would then take the oath of allegiance (Misaq) from them.
Misaq had two parts. The first part had religious and the second part had political significance. Two historians Maqrizi and Bagdadi have given the text of this covenant in their books.
The first part giving a firm religious basis drawn from Quran begins with:
“The praise be to God who created all the creatures for his worship ……..and connected belief in His unity with obedience with the one whom He appointed His vice-regent on the earth………………This Misaq is a mark of respect and honour to Him. ….One who breaks it, God will punish him/her and one who fulfils what he/she promises, God will reward him/her. He took the covenant from Adam and it continued……...”
It had been made very clear that the practice of taking oath began with the Prophet Adam and after Prophet his Wasi and after him his Imams, whose obedience has been enjoined on human beings by God. It has been taken willingly and with one’s own free will. It is not forced on anyone.
Once a faithful took this covenant and affirmed his support to the movement voluntarism was replaced by compulsion as then the second part assumed political character. The faithful were now required to maintain all religious as well as political secrets of the mission. Thus the second part began with:
“And you will obey the Imam and anyone whom he orders you to obey, you will never defy him, never cheat him, never deceive him. ……..You will love whom he loves, and treat as enemy whom he declares as his enemy, fight him whom he fights with ……Say Yes."
“You will not establish contact with his enemy either through a letter, message, hint, signal, sign and inclination or trick whatever the reason or cause; Say yes."
"If anyone breaks the oath; whatever he owns from the property, assets, real estate, wealth, jewels, agriculture………………will be seized and distributed among poor and needy Muslims……………All his wives will be treated as divorced……….Say yes.”
Thus we see in the first and second part the absolute loyalty of supreme authority of Imam was must for two reasons. One, because Imam was believed to be infallible and two, to ensure the success of this underground movement for political end.
But the form of Misaq which Dawoodi Bohras have today is a version which has undergone many changes. This Misaq in two parts was a necessary for the movement which was underground then. Also, a highly centralized structure was also a political necessity for Fatemi Imams to achieve their goal and establish political power.
Misaq is not practiced by any other sect of Islam except Dawoodi Bohras who are descendants of Ismailis. As we have seen for Ismailis it was political necessity of a close-knit underground movement in the then hostile conditions.
Today the movement is no longer underground; the earlier mission of Dai, Mazoon and Mukasir to convert people of other faiths to Ismailism no longer exists.
The first religious part of the Misaq states that “Allah took the covenant from Adam and it continued…….” Nothing wrong in giving the oath to Allah. But today’s Misaq altered by Sayedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb is oppressive as it binds the followers to submit to a total surrender not to God but personally to Dai. Today’s Misaq is the most effective sanction for all kind of inhuman behavior which has changed the character of this decent, peace-loving and caring community. After the establishment of British rule in India and then the advent of Independence there remained no fear of persecution of Dawoodi Bohras and hence this oath of loyalty to central authority is no more essential.
Therefore the enforcing of the rigid conditions of second part of the Misaq of political significance and that too for Dai must be strongly opposed.
Similarly, the retaining the same centralised secretive structure of Dawat must be strongly opposed.
The fact is that till the 50th Dai only the first part of the Misaq which has religious significance was taken by the Bohra priests and that too for Imam, merely as religious custom. The Misaq had only ceremonial value till then.
But as our 51st Dai, late Sayedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb, admitted in Bombay High Court that he manipulated the text and added several passages in order to elevate Dai’s status to that of Imam and enforce his unquestionable authority over the followers of the faith.
Sayedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb introduced very harsh conditions in the text of Misaq making it an instrument of punishment. He made these changes despite the clear warning in Tuhfat-ul-Qulub by Sayedna Hatim that: The Dai is prohibited to ascribe a single word of the Misaq towards himself. Remember Sayedna Hatim was not a Dai during Imam’s time. He was our third Dai after the Imam Tayeb went into seclusion and the Fatimid empire had fallen down.
As Sayedna Taher Saifuddin moved unabashedly to build his financial empire he destroyed the spirit and norms of Ismailism giving it an authoritarian character which caused and is still causing many problems in the peace-loving community. There is no priesthood in Islam as religious functions can be performed by any ordinary Muslim. The priesthood is absent in all other Islamic sects. The same was the case in Dawoodi Bohra community till 50th Dai. The local Mullas and Amils were appointed and paid by the independent Jamats and they used to perform all the religious functions of the community including Moharram vaiz without interference of Dai.
But our 51st Dai used this centralised structure to his advantage making it more and more authoritarian by introducing one more rigid condition of his Raza , and ultimately introducing a deadly weapon of Jamat kharij and its latest version Baraat. Thus the Ismaili mission which played a very important role by attempting a creative intellectual synthesis of philosophy and the teachings of Islam, which attracts the best intellectuals even today, has now been reduced to a Cult.
His son and our present 52nd Dai Sayedna Burhanuddin has further taken the community away from Islam by declaring himself as owner of mosques and sole-trustee of community’s property. Under his ownerships Bohra mosques have become a playground for organizing birthday functions, cutting cakes, serving jamans, arranging vadhavnis, kadambosi, najwa and salam functions, mass marriages, meetings of politicians, putting cinema screen, video shooting, fund collection and lottery draws. Now even musalla spaces are priced and reserved thus killing the very spirit of namaz. As recent incidents indicate this commercialisation of religion has turned the Bohra mosques into battle fields.
Our Dai has given up the principle of accountability which is so central in Islam and which was followed by the holy Prophet and his Ahle-bait most vigorously.
In conclusion, I feel that having a huge stake in the system, the Dai and his family and their corrupt administration will not like to mend their ways as they care little about Islam and Ismailism. They have no concern for the suffering humanity. A systematic organised opposition by the mumineen is the only way out. The victims alone are the savior.

[think]

Thank you Mr: Insaf. you have indeed chosen the text that accurately portrays my sentiments toward misaak.
Perhaps you can elighten the bohri abdes to another level by summarising the fact that although the khojas have a imam of continous lineage right up to moula Ali, yet no khoja is asked to take misak with their present imam The Aga Khan.

[Al Zulfiqar]

I don't think that is fair. Do you want every progressive to think like you or Humsafar?

you know very well what i mean. everyone and anyone here is free to think whatever they want, as long as its in private. airing dangerous views in public on this forum is harmful to the reformist cause, which is clearly spelt out on the home page of this forum. what humsafar thinks or i think in private may be widely divergent from the core principles of the reformist movement, but we take care not to damage the reputation and credibility of the progressive movement and this forum.

as it is, this forum, being free and unfettered, attracts all manner of members and views. there is no restriction on them in terms of religion, beliefs and opinions. but where the problem arises is when people, in the name of the progressive db movement, express over-the-top ideas and propagate action plans which not only go against the grain of the reform demands, but end up maligning the very faith and belief structure of the dawoodi bohras. they call themselves bohras but advocate radicalism to such an extreme extent that if implemented, would make them and others who endorse them, no longer dawoodi bohras. pray, what use are such ideas?

what is only requested is that such people, in their misguided zeal, not tear down the entire tree, but stem the rot and remove the deadwood, IF they want to live in that tree or enjoy its shade. instead of hacking and cutting down everything indiscriminately, move away, declare yourselves ithna asheri, sunni, alavi, hindu, atheist, non-religious, whatever, but talk of repair, not destruction.

atleast you are honest enough to admit that you are not bohra and detest their customs and practices. many others dont, they are playing both sides and causing more damage here than the fanatic abdes. it is harder controlling the born-again frustrated, apoplectic, agitated bohra militants here than the foaming-at-the-mouth abdesyednas!

we are all guests here, let us respect this forum and what it stands for. the administrators of this site could very well start charging a nominal fee for membership to have the privilege to post, how many free-loaders would then remain? it would destroy the very raison de etre' of this board, which is to attract as many bohras on both sides and encourage progressive thinking leading towards reform.

[seeker110]

Bhoraism is not safe until every Zada is hanged with the entrails of every Chamcha.(be it Amil or Gunda).

[Humsafar]

I don't think that is fair. Do you want every progressive to think like you or Humsafar?

If that was the intention we would all be abdes and this forum wouldn't have existed.

[badrijanab]

"If anyone breaks the oath; whatever he owns from the property, assets, real estate, wealth, jewels, agriculture………………will be seized and distributed among poor and needy Muslims……………All his wives will be treated as divorced……….Say yes.”

To show down Burhanuddin sahab, you went quite far to the extent that you are speaking lies! Should above was part of Misaaq during caliphate of Fatimi Imam's or there after till before 51/52 - Prove it from Fatimi literature?

One, because Imam was believed to be infallible and two, to ensure the success of this underground movement for political end.

Fatimi Imam are authorized personnel appointed by Allah and Prophet s.a.w.w. - they don't work for political end but only as per wish of Almighty.

Misaq is not practiced by any other sect of Islam except Dawoodi Bohras who are descendants of Ismailis.

That is why Prophet s.a.w.w. said all sects of Islam will go to hell except one.

Similarly, the retaining the same centralised secretive structure of Dawat must be strongly opposed.

Why?

The fact is that till the 50th Dai only the first part of the Misaq which has religious significance was taken by the Bohra priests and that too for Imam, merely as religious custom. The Misaq had only ceremonial value till then.

Prove it? Fabricating lies will not work.

There is no priesthood in Islam as religious functions can be performed by any ordinary Muslim. The priesthood is absent in all other Islamic sects. The same was the case in Dawoodi Bohra community till 50th Dai.

Was Prophet Mohammed s.a.w.w. not a priest? Was Ameer al Mumineen Mola Ali a.s. not a priest?....

His son and our present 52nd Dai Sayedna Burhanuddin has further taken the community away from Islam by declaring himself as owner of mosques and sole-trustee of community’s property. Under his ownerships Bohra mosques have become a playground for organizing birthday functions, cutting cakes, serving jamans, arranging vadhavnis, kadambosi, najwa and salam functions, mass marriages, meetings of politicians, putting cinema screen, video shooting, fund collection and lottery draws. Now even musalla spaces are priced and reserved thus killing the very spirit of namaz. As recent incidents indicate this commercialisation of religion has turned the Bohra mosques into battle fields.
Our Dai has given up the principle of accountability which is so central in Islam and which was followed by the holy Prophet and his Ahle-bait most vigorously.

You are right.

A systematic organised opposition by the mumineen is the only way out. The victims alone are the savior.

Burhanuddin sahab is bad, but Engineer and you (Saifuddin Insaf sahab) are worst enemy of Fatimi Dawat. It is because of your (Engineer & Insaf sahab) anti-Bohra attitude that Bohra Youth movement is getting decimated.

[ghulam muhammed]

The below mentioned post appeared on this forum some time back :-

Translation of Bohra Misaq :-

"And if the Imam of the time or his Dai calls upon you to war against the enemy then you should make war. You should help with your life and property. And you should obey the Imam of the time or his Dai sincerely......Say yes.

And whatever the Imam of the time or his Dai orders you to obey you should obey the Dai and you shall not become a sinner (by disobedience); and you shall not become hostile to the Dai. You shall not falsify the Dai.

You shall keep up the command of the Imam and that Imam is Imam Tayeb Abul Qasim Amirul-Mominin. He is your Imam.

And you shall accept the order of the Dai of Imam in all things. And you shall not use that thing which the Dai shall forbid you, and you shall not take steps (towards it). You shall love him whom the Dai loves. You shall be enemy to him with whom the Dai is hostile. You shall war against him whom the Dai makes war. Any person transgressing those engagements to the Dai is outside the pale of religion. Whether he be great or small, whether he is a close relation or a distant one you shall not have any intercourse with him. You shall not correspond with him openly or secretly. You shall not do any act calculated to be friendly to him. And by no manner or means or pretense shall see the enemy of the Dai. The enemy of the Dai is your enemy.....Say yes.

And you shall attend on the summons (of) the Imam or the Dai to make religious war. At that time you shall not shirk or play the coward. You shall with all heart spend your property and your life in the cause of the Dai. You shall report fully to the Dai or to the Deputy of the Dai any person who transgresses the covenant of the Imamuzamam...Say yes.

And you shall not permit yourself to be induced to withhold assistance from the Dai, service and obedience to him, and prevent you from carrying out the order of the Dai. Further you shall not offer any disbeliever to turn you away from taking the oath of the covenant to the Dai. You shall render perfect service with your property and with the offer of your life (to the Dai). The master of your life is the Dai or the Imam of the time.....Say yes.

And you shall be pleased by the order of the Dai of the Imam. The Dai shall raise among you or degrade among you persons as he likes. He shall gift to and shall deprive persons as he pleases. The Dai shall reward persons and shall punish them in his discretion. The Dai shall smile upon or shall break his wrath on whomsoever he thinks fit. You shall be pleased in that which Dai is pleased....Say yes.

The person to whom the oath is due enjoins to this effect that if a person on whom it is made obligatory by me to keep faith to the oath openly or secretly breaks it the defaulter is forsaken by God the Creator of the Earth and heavens, the framer of the limbs of the creatures, the conferer of blessings on him, and the Bestower of health. The breaker of the oath is shut out from the books Tawrat (laws of Moses), Injeel (The Bible), Zaboor (Psalms of David), and the Holy Quran. He is also deprived of the perfect words (Blessings of the Imam)....Say yes.

If a person taking the oath breaks it, all his possessions, i.e. moveables, cash, housing, utensils, jewels, ornaments, carriages, horses, cattle, milking cows, she buffaloes, slaves, males and females and all worldly materials become unlawful for him. All his property is liable to be looted and to be distributed among the poor and the needy. When he takes the oath again and accepts all the terms of that covenant then his things become lawful to him and then only he is entitled to get his things back...say yes.

All the benefits which he had already enjoyed (from his possessions) becomes unlawful i.e. with a prospective effect unless he takes the oath afresh (the past enjoyments) do not become lawful. Say yes. All the slaves males and females of the breaker of the oath become free and the defaulter loses all ownership over them until a fresh oath and he keeps faith with the covenant...say yes.

And if the breaker of the covenant has a wife that wife becomes forbidden to him. The breach of covenant has the effect of three Talaqs (divorce) against the wife i.e. Kataee , Haraj and Sunnat (three forms of divorce). The woman can never marry him again, neither can he take her as a wife.. say yes. If the breaker of the oath performs Hajj thirty times with naked feet even then God shall not forgive him his sin (in breaking the covenant) nor God shall accept his Hajj. But if he takes the oath again by the true Dai's covenant, his master, then and then alone God shall accept his Hajj, his prayers, fasts and other good deeds. ... say yes.

And the breaker of the covenant accursed of God by that curse which was inflicted on Iblis, the Satan the effect of which was that paradise was lost to Satan and hell became his inheritance.

And the breaker of the covenant shall face his God as Kafir and apostate after his death. He is beyond redemption by the power of God. He will be thrown on his own soul and shall curse him and shall extend hell to him which hell is the worst of all places. There is no God but the Merciful and Benevolent. The Defaulter turns away his face from the worship of God and turns it to the worship of idols. All Kafirs worship idols and thus shall become attached to the idol and the grace of God shall destroy the breaker of the oath with rapidity and shall confine him to hell in which there is nothing but torture...say yes.

There is no freedom for your soul but loyalty to the covenant and there is no salvation for you but in fulfilling the terms of the covenant. You have made God your witness and the testimony of God is enough...say yes.

You heard my words and you are pleased with my conditions. The person to whom the covenant is due say that you took upon your neck the obligation to hear the covenant of God and you took the mighty oath and you gave oath of allegiance which is very strong and which for our Lord the Imam Tayeb Abul Qasim Amiril Mominin may the peace of God be on him and his holy ancestors and the generous descendants who are expected till the day of resurrection.

When Imam Tayeb went in seclusion owing to the high handedness of the oppressors, he left in Dawat three ranks behind him, namely, the rank of Dai, the rank of Mazoon and the rank of Mukasir. Owing to the existence of these three ranks the existence of Imam of the time is known to be in existence. The present Dai of the Imam of the time is the grand Maulana the singular Sayedna Zainuddin, may God prolong his life and his Mazoon is Bhai Saheb Shaikh Adam and his Mukasir is Bhai Saheb Hibtula Bhai. Whoever recognizes Zainuddin and these three ranks he recognizes the imam of the time...say yes.

Then be pleased that you have given the oath of allegiance to the Imam and his Dai, God says in the Quran to Prophet: "O Mohammed the people do not give the oath of allegiance to you, rather they give it to God. The hand of God is above the hands of all people". Whoever breaks the covenant his soul will be tormented and whoever fulfills the covenant God will bless him and will highly recompense him.

The person from whom the Misaq is taken says that God may keep firm to the covenant and it may not be that he may treat the covenant as a mere deposit. May God grant you and me, the true believers, to be faithful to the covenant and my God keep you and me steadfast to His obedience and the obedience of God's prophet and the obedience of Wali of God, the present Imam and his Dai and may God make it complete for you and us to remain firm for the mercy of God through the good end. And (all) praise is due to God, the one, the great Avenger; and peace of God be on Mohammed the Selected and on his wasi, Preserver, and on his Progeny, the good, the pure, the righteous.

And Salaam!

It is written on the 10th of the month of Rabiul Awal by the slave of Grand Dai Maulana Zainuddin, may God prolong his life, Ahmedji the son of Mulla Nurkhanji in the year 1248 (hijra) in the town of Ajmer, may God the Exalted protect him."

[seeker110]

Free man does not think go along and get along. The same Allah who made us all different also is not same same Allah that you and I see differently. One mans food is another's poison. Sewaie Allah ke, banda kisei ka mohtaj na bane. Live like Ali.