Danger of Heretical Groups Professing Islam

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allâh, the Rahmân, the Merciful

One of the dangers posed by the Zanâdiqah, heretical sects that profess Islâm, is their propensity to back stab the Ummah by covertly, and in many cases not so covertly allying with our external enemies. In India the Dâwûdî (Bohra) sect of Ismâ’îlîs maintain a special relationship with the diabolical, anti-Muslim Prime Minister Modi and the BJP government. They have thrown all other Muslims under the bus with the aim of reaping favorable treatment for their own minuscule sect. To a lesser extent this is also true of the larger Twelver Shî’ah community, who are viewed more favorably by Hindus, and who have frequently back stabbed the mainstream Sunnî Muslim community by aligning with the BJP government and with the Hindutva movement. But unlike the Dâwûdî Bohras, who are more organized and beholden to the policy of their leader, the Twelvers are not monolithic in their politics, and some elements within that community have historically and presently expressed solidarity with the interests of the broader Ummah. Saifuddin Insaf, a reformist within the Dâwûdî Bohra community, exposed the attitude of his sect in an article published by the Milli Gazette, 28 November, 2012:

“The Dawoodi Bohra priesthood has always used Muslims to safeguard its interests and power. But it has not joined and helped Muslims in any welfare activity and humanitarian work, victims of riots and violence, participating in events like Miladun Nabi, peace committees, Babri Masjid agitation etc...Loss of Muslim support compelled the Bohra priestly class to seek support of Hindus and hardcore Hidutwa leaders like Narendra Modi, LK Advani, Bal Thackeray etc.”

The author goes on to detail the heretical theology and corrupt religious practices within the sect:

“To establish his absolute authoritarian control over the Bohra community, Syedna Taher Saifuddin went to the extent of claiming that he is “Elahul-Ard” (God on this earth) (na’udhu billah) and that he has powers equal to that of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and that he is accountable to no one and that he is master of the soul, mind, body and properties of his followers. He made it compulsory that every Bohra should call him/herself as “Slave of Sayedna” (Abd-e Sayedna / Amat-e Syedna) and perform “Sajda-e ‘Ubudiyat” in front of him. He also claimed that he is “Qur’an-e Natiq (speaking Qur'an) (na’udhu billah) and that the Quran in the present book form is a dead book (na’udhu billah)...Namaz, Hajj, Zakat etc., which are obligatory according to Islam and Quran for every Muslim, were declared unacceptable to Allah if done without the prior permission (Raza) of Syedna.”

While also heretical, some other sects and movements like the Nizârî Ismâ’îlî branch, led by the “Aghâ Khân” and the modernist Aligarh movement founded by Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khân, at least did not betray the broader Ummah in the political sense. To his credit, Aghâ Khân III, grandfather of the present Ismâ’îlî Imâm, Aghâ Khân IV, was one of the founders of the Muslim League in India which spearheaded the movement for a separate Muslim State, Pakistan. Cadres of the modernist Aligarh movement likewise worked passionately for the Muslims in India. Even the so—called Ahmadiyyah or Qâdiyânîs, have historically participated, however insignificantly, in the Muslim political cause, while presently issuing statements in favor of Muslims being oppressed in Palestine. But sadly no such positive contribution to at least the basic social, economic and political interests of the broader Ummah has been made by the Bohra sects (Tayyibîs or Must’alîs).

Another heretical sect, the Druze, who at least have the decency to not claim the label of Muslims (unlike the Ahmadiyyah, Bâtinî Ismâ’îlîs and Nusayrî Alawites), are fanatically devoted to the Zionist State. The Druze eagerly fight within the ranks of the Zionist armed forces, the IDF, and manifest a vicious hatred for the Muslims that is almost unparalleled. While the Druze do not profess Islâm, they are nevertheless an offshoot of the Ismâ’îlîs and are concentrated in a region of the world where they are in close proximity to the Muslims. Historically, they launched several armed rebellions against the Sunnî Ottoman empire. Concerning the Druze, Shaykh—ul—Islâm Ibn Taymiyah has said:

كفر هؤلاء مما لا يختلف فيه المسلمون؛ ‌بل ‌من ‌شك ‌في ‌كفرهم فهو كافر مثلهم؛ لا هم بمنزلة أهل الكتاب ولا المشركين؛ بل هم الكفرة الضالون فلا يباح أكل طعامهم وتسبى نساؤهم وتؤخذ أموالهم. فإنهم زنادقة مرتدون لا تقبل توبتهم؛ بل يقتلون أينما ثقفوا؛ ويلعنون كما وصفوا؛ ولا يجوز استخدامهم للحراسة والبوابة والحفاظ. ويجب قتل علمائهم وصلحائهم لئلا يضلوا غيرهم؛ ويحرم النوم معهم في بيوتهم؛ ورفقتهم؛ والمشي معهم وتشييع جنائزهم إذا علم موتها. ويحرم على ولاة أمور المسلمين إضاعة ما أمر الله من إقامة الحدود عليهم بأي شيء يراه المقيم لا المقام عليه

The Muslims do not differ as to the unbelief of these [Druze]. Rather, one who doubts their unbelief is an unbeliever like them. They are not in the same position as the people of the Scripture [Jews and Christians] or even the polytheists. Rather, they are misguided infidels so it is not permissible to eat their food. Their women and wealth are to be taken for they are heretical apostates whose repentance is not accepted. Rather, they are killed wherever they are found and cursed as they are described. It is not allowed to use them to guard or protect. It is obligatory to execute their scholars and their religious men so they do not lead others astray. It is prohibited to sleep the night with them in their houses, have their companionship, walk with them, and to participate in their funerals when learning of their death. (Majmû’ al-Fatâwâ; v.35, p.162)