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Newsletter for September 2010
The Bohras in South and South East Asia
Part 1 of 2
by Asgher Ali Engineer
The Bohras are a Shi’ah Isma’ili sect, which branched off from
the main Shi’a community, known as twelver (Ithna Ashari) Shi’as
around the mid
2nd century of Islam (ninth century A.D.). All Shi’a sects
believe that the Holy Prophet (SAW) had nominated his son-in-law
Ali (AS) Khalifah in
that order. Those who maintained Ali (AS) was designated as his
heir by the Prophet (SAW) were called Shi’an-e-Ali as the word
Shi’a in Arabic
means partisan. Thus, partisans or disciples and followers of
Ali (AS) were known as Shi’a.
The Shi’as also believe that Ahl al-bayt (i.e. people of house
of the Prophet) are sacred persons and only the progeny of
Fatima (Prophet’s
daughter) and Ali could be legitimate political and spiritual
successors until the day of judgement (Qiyamah). The Shi’as
believe in the doctrine
of Imamah as against the Sunni Muslims who believe in the
doctrine of Khilafah. Khilafah is based on the principle of
bay’ah (pledging one's
loyalty to a person to assume authority, an elective principle
in a limited sense).
The Ithna Ashari Shi’as believe that Ali (AS) was the first Imam
after the Prophet (SAW) whereas Isma’ilis believe that he was
wasi (legatee)
and not an Imam. According to the Isma’ilis the first imam was
Ali’s son Hasan whereas Hasan is the second Imam according to
twelver Shi’as. The split between Ithna Asharis and Isma’ilis
took place on the question of succession to Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq
(sixth Imam according to twelvers and 5th according to Isma’ilis).
The twelvers maintain that Imam Al-Sadiq (AS) was succeeded by
his younger son Musa Kazim as his elder son Isma’il died during
Imam
Ja’far’s life time. However, Isma’ilis maintain that though
Isma’il died in Imam Ja’far’s life time but he was succeeded by
Muhammad, Isma’il’s
son. Thus according to the Isma’ilis Imam Isma’il succeeded Imam
J’afar al-Sadiq and Isma’il in turn was succeeded by his son
Muhammad.
It is interesting to note that most, though not all, Shi’as were
non-Arabs and we can call them in terms of Toynbee’s term
external
proletariat of Islam as the Khwarij (seceders) who were mostly
Bedouin Arabs as internal proletariat of Islam. The Isma’ilis
too, to begin
with, were mostly of Persian origin. All top Isma’ili preachers
(da’is) were of Persian origin though there were many Arabs also
among their
followers. However, both in the case of the twelvers as well as
Isma’ili Shi’as, leadership or imamah remained with the
descendants of the
Prophet (SAW) i.e. they were of Arab origin.
Islam was a revolutionary movement which tried to usher in a new
political culture based on the values of equality and justice
but soon
Islamic regimes also developed the same old political culture
based on dynasties and maintained through coercion and use of
power rather than
consensus and participation. Dr. Taha Husain, a noted Egyptian
scholar, pithily observes:
“…it became apparent that this new government too (the caliphal
regime after the death of the Prophet) which was expected to be
of a new type at last adopted the same old course and like other
old types of governments it too had to be based on vested
interests, power politics
and a class system in which a small minority of a particular
nationality uses as its instrument a vast majority of peoples of
different
nationalities.”
Thus, all through after the death of the Prophet (SAW) we see
disputes about succession between various ruling factions and
some of which
became reasons for coming into existence of new sects. The
Isma’ili sect also came into existence as a result of dispute
for succession to Imam
J’afar al-Sadiq and once it assumed a new sectarian identity, it
developed a new set of doctrines to develop its own rationale of
a new sect.
All Shi’a sects were highly persecuted first by the Umayyad
rulers and then by the Abbasids. Thus, the Shi’a sects,
particularly the twelvers
and Isma’ilis, had to develop a strategy for existence and hence
they adopted what is called the doctrine of taqiyyah i.e.
dissimulation. Most
of the Shi’as tried to hide their real identity and pretended to
be following Sunni madhhab (religion).
However, while the ordinary Isma’ilis practiced taqiyya the
leaders went underground to avoid detection by the Abbasid
rulers who were hunting
for them everywhere. Most of the Isma’ili Imams remained
underground for a long period of time until Imam Abdullah
al-Mahdi appeared and founded the Fatimid Dynasty in 297/909
North Africa. The Shi’a sects believe in the re-appearance of
Imam Mahdi (ATFS) who will fill this earth with justice while it
is filled with oppression. The Isma’ilis claim that Imam Mahdi
appeared in North Africa whose name was Abdullah and founded
the Fatimid dynasty which is drawn from the progeny of Ali (AS)
and Fatima (SA).
However, the twelver Shi’as believe that Imam Mahdi (ATFS) is
still in seclusion and will appear one day when this earth is
filled with
oppression. They are still waiting for the re appearance of the
Mahdi. Thus, Ithna ‘Ashris and Isma’ilis though they agree on
appearance of
Mahdi, differ on whether he appeared or not.
The Isma’ilis also differed significantly from Ithna ‘Asharis
about their organizational structure. The Ithna Asharis have an
Imam at the
top but then no other hierarchical structure around him. In
Imam’s seclusion various mujtahids (who interpret and lay down
the Shari’ah
laws) deputise him. But the Isma’ilis, being an underground
movement for quite sometime, developed a well- structured
hierarchy with the Imam at the top. The Imam is followed by 12
hujjahs (proofs) who in turn appoint a number of da’is (summorners).
There was a whole network of these da’is actively inviting other
Muslims to embrace the Isma’ili faith. The da’is in turn were
actively assisted by ma’dhun (direct assistant to da’I who
is also permitted to summon to the faith) and mukasir (assistant
to ma’dhun in convincing people for Isma’ili faith being the
only right faith).
Thus, this tight hierarchy functioned under the hidden
leadership of the Imam of the time (Imam al-Zaman). It is also
important to note that
Isma’ilis succeeded in attracting well-known intellectuals of
the Islamic world, as it appeared to be quite a rational and
liberal faith
to many of them. Intellectuals like Ya’qub Sijistani, Hamidudin
Kirmani, Mu’ayyad Shirazi were da’is who actively worked for
Fatimid Imams. It is
claimed by Isma’ilis that even scholars and philosophers and
intellectuals like Avicena (Abu Sina), Ghazzali and others were
also at
one time Isma’ili da’is. However, it is very difficult to
substantiate such claims.
courtesy: Islam and the Modern Age, Issue No. 141-08, July 4,
2008/ 30th
Jamadi ul Aakhar 1429 AH).
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