Quranists and Bokharists

Published in August 27, 2007

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Quranists and Bokharists: "Here are two adversaries feuding regarding their Lord..." (22:19)

Firstly:

 We mean by the term coined by us "Bokharists" those who follow and adhere to the hadiths/Sunna book of Al-Bokhary as part of their faith; these people include those who follow all Sunnite imams of hadiths, as all of them revere Al-Bokhary (the person and the book) above the rest of authors and books anyway. As for Quranists, they are the ones who follow the true Sunna of God and Muhammad: only the Quran. The terms Sunna in Arabic originally means (method) or (way). Quranists believe that the Quran is the only and one unique source of Islam. The Bokharists have declared their enmity toward the Quranists when they have emerged first in Egypt and begun their reformist endeavors to raise awareness of the Muhammadans to make them correct their faith by using the Quran as the only criterion to judge all Sunnite books of hadiths and fiqh legislations, especially Al-Bokhary book, so that they will discover that such books contradict the Quran and contain laws never revealed or ordained by God; such books/authors violate the right of God to be the Only Legislator in Islam/the Quran. The Quranists insist on showing to the Muhammadans how hadiths/narratives of such books are very insulting to Muhammad. Yet, because the Bokharists are more powerful and greater in number in circles of authority, they made themselves as foes, judges, legislators, and executioners at the same time; the Bokharists have mobilized all their evil agents and forces against unarmed, peaceful persons (i.e., Quranists) who do not own anything but a pen and the knowledge of the Quran and the books of traditions of the Muhammadan religions. Strangely, within all the fabrications propagated and the injustices committed by the Bokharists, they use the name of God and confiscate guidance as if it were confined to them; thus, they 'justify' their injustices. But what does God say about this dispute among two groups who both claim they believe in God? Let's read the verses pertaining to this topic: "Here are two adversaries feuding regarding their Lord. As for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be tailored for them, and scalding water will be poured over their heads.  Melting their insides and their skins. And they will have maces of iron. Whenever they try to escape the gloom, they will be driven back to it: "Taste the suffering of burning." But God will admit those who believe and do good deeds into Gardens beneath which rivers flow. They will be decorated therein with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments therein will be of silk. They were guided to purity of speech. They were guided to the path of the Most Praised." (22:19-24). When we ponder these verses, we see that God has divided all differences in faiths/religions of all humanity into two groups only: one in the right and one in the wrong. Because in this world on earth they are foes, they cannot be judges or arbiters over one another; the Eternal Judge here is only God, and He will decide who is right and who is wrong (as far as religion is concerned) within the Day of Judgment. The Truth about religion is explained lucidly by God in the Quran 14 centuries ago; God commands real believers to use the Quran as the only criterion to judge all inherited deep-rooted notions of the forefathers in order to cleanse their hearts and souls as well as faiths/beliefs and religious practices from all falsehoods of the ancestors and all lies and fabrications of Satan and devils. If such revisions, re-checking, and purification processes are not performed, and regardless of raised banners of adherence to 'Islam', the Muslims (like all human groups on earth) will be divided into two parts/foes like the rest of all humanity: one part is the winners in Paradise and the other one is the losers in Hell; as per deeds and faiths and as we infer directly from 22:19-24.

Secondly: dividing human beings on the Last Day into two groups, one in Hell and one in Paradise, applies to the Bokharists and the Quranists; how each group think of God? How come they are foes disputing over God?

This type of quarrelling over God and religion between the Bokharists and Quranists is a lengthy topic, which will be briefly tackled in the following lines.                          

Quarrelling over the true faith:

- Debating over God as the Divine Being: the Quranists believe in the One God without any deified or holy beings beside Him as per the Quranic Chapter 112. In contrast, the Bokharists overtly declare the same thing, but their inherited notions/tenets as well as religious practices contradict this monotheism; they assume that Muhammad is a deity beside God, and their hadiths tell them that the 'Muhammadan light' is the first created thing ever in the universe and it is derived from the Divine Light! Their hadiths led them to assume that God made Muhammad a prophet before Adam and he was created before Adam! Thus, they deify and sanctify Muhammad in exactly the same manner like Christians who deify Jesus. Quranists deny and refute these myths of the Muhammadan Bokharists using the Quranic verses.

- Debating over God's Epithets: the Quranists believe that God's Holy Epithets are never shared by any of His creatures; thus, Quranists describe Muhammad using ONLY Quranic description of him (e.g., the seal of prophets). In contrast, the Bokharists describe Muhammad by using divine and God-linked qualities and epithets; e.g., 'the Light of God's Throne' and 'Master of the Two Realms'; it is as if God's throne had no light before Muhammad was born! It is as if God has created a deity to share divinity and immortality with Him! Quranists believe that it is only God, and not mortals, Who with His Omniscience knows all about the metaphysical realm of the unseen, the past, and the future: "Say, "No one in the heavens or on earth knows the future except God..." (27:65). Yet, God in some cases grant some prophets a measure of this knowledge of the metaphysical realm to be a miraculous sign of their prophethood; e.g., Joseph who knew how to interpret dreams to predict future events (see the Quranic Chapter 12) and Jesus who knew some elements of the unseen, as per this verse quoting his words to his people: "...And I inform you concerning what you eat, and what you store in your homes..." (3:49). Some other prophets were not granted this knowledge of the metaphysical realm and they declared this: such as Noah and Muhammad. As per the Quran, Noah had announced to his people the following: ""I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of God, nor do I know the future..." (11:31). Muhammad has been commanded by God to utter the same statement: "Say, "I do not say to you that I possess the treasuries of God, nor do I know the future..." (6:50); "Say, "I have no control over any benefit or harm to myself, except as God wills. Had I known the future, I would have acquired much good, and no harm would have touched me..." (7:188); "Say, "I am not different from the other messengers; and I do not know what will be done with me, or with you. I only follow what is inspired in me..." (46:9); "Say, "I do not know whether what you are promised is near, or whether my Lord will extend it for a period." The Knower of the Invisible; He does not disclose His Invisible to anyone. Except to a Messenger of His choosing..." (72:25-27).   

- In contrast, the Bokharists who deify Muhammad ascribed many falsehoods to him, including that he knew all about the metaphysical realm, especially future events in this world and the next! Countless hadiths and narratives of that type of mythology fill the ancient books revered and honored by the Muhammadans. Among such myths about predicting the future is that they assume Muhammad as the owner and controller of the Last Day; when God commands that certain sinners enter into Hell, Muhammad as an interceder/mediator would bring them out of Hell to enter into Paradise! As if Muhammad controls God and makes Him revoke His decrees on the Day of Resurrection! As if Muhammad, as a Sunnite deity, has the final decisive word! Quranists refute such myths that are insulting to both Muhammad and God. Quranists use more than 150 Quranic verses to debunk the myth of intercession of mortals on behalf of mortals on the Last Day; the notion of intercession contradicts divine justice. The only type of intercession the Quran refers to is that of angels who carry good deeds of believers and they testify for the sake of believers only after having permission from Almighty God to do so, as we infer from these verses: "He knows what is before them, and what is behind them; and they do not intercede except for him whom He approves; and they tremble in awe of Him." (21:28); "How many an angel is there in the heavens whose intercession avails nothing, except after God gives permission to whomever He wills, and approves?" (53:26); "Those they invoke besides Him are incapable of intercession; only those who testify to the truth and have knowledge." (43:86).

- Thus, Quranists believe that infallibility is exclusively God's; no mortals are ever infallible. This is way we say: (Glorified and exalted be the name of Allah). All human beings, including prophets, make mistakes. The only thing prophets (who are the best human beings) do infallibly (and they never fail in it) is conveying God's message/scripture divinely inspired to them and it guided and corrected them in some cases: "Whatever good happens to you is from God, and whatever bad happens to you is from your own self. We sent you to humanity as a messenger, and God is Witness enough." (4:79); "Say, "If I err, I err only to my own loss; but if I am guided, it is by what my Lord inspires me..." (34:50). In contrast, the Bokharists in their adamant, willful ignorance insist on overlooking and ignoring about 150 Quranic verses that tackle errors and mistakes of some prophets/messengers, and they insist that Muhammad was infallible, as part of features that help deify him!

- Quranists believe that it is only God that is Immortal and He never sleeps; all creatures (especially human beings) are mortals who sleep and die. Each soul will surely taste death, including prophets as well. "And put your trust in the Living, the One who never dies..." (25:58); "Allah! There is no God except He, the Living, the Everlasting. Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep..." (2:255); "...All things perish, except His presence. His is the judgment, and to Him you will be returned." (28:88); "Everyone upon it is perishing.But will remain the Presence of your Lord, Full of Majesty and Splendor." (55:26-27); "We did not grant immortality to any human being before you. Should you die, are they then the immortal? Every soul will taste death..." (21:34-35). When Muhammad was alive in Mecca, God has said to him: "You will die, and they will die." (39:30). In contrast, the Bokharists assume that Muhammad is 'alive' in his mausoleum/tomb! They assume that he reviews deeds of 'his Umma' nonstop! They assume they must visit his mausoleum and worship at it, supplicating and imploring Muhammad to intercede on their behalf! They assume he hears them and grants their wishes! This means he is a deity for them! This sheer polytheism!

- Quranists believe in all scriptures, prophets, and messengers God tells us about in the Quran; this does NOT mean to believe in mortals as immortal, divine beings, but to believe in the divine messages they conveyed. This applies to the Quran and to Muhammad: we are not to believe in the person (this is deification of mortals!), but in the message he delivered (i.e., the Quran), as per these verses: "While those who believe, and work righteousness, and believe in what was sent down to Muhammad..." (47:2); "Say, "I am only a human being like you, being inspired that your god is One God. Whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and never associate anyone with the service of his Lord."" (18:110). In contrast, the Bokharists believe in Muhammad as a deified person/being who is assumed to be immortal and independent from the divine inspiration as a full-fledged god! This is why the so-called biographies of Muhammad (i.e., false accounts of him) are deemed holy books by the Bokharists and they derive 'benediction' from hadiths/narratives ascribed to him in countless books. Thus, this polytheism makes them deify Muhammad as a god beside Allah and take up so many ancient books as holier than the Quran. in the case of Quranists, they revere no book except God's Word and they never deify mortals (prophets or otherwise); this is why they do believe that the only true story of Muhammad is found exclusively in the Quran. Quranists never place Muhammad above the rest of prophets, as they apply the Quranic command in this verse: "The messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, as did the believers. They all have believed in God, and His angels, and His scriptures, and His messengers: "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey..." (2:285). Thus, Quranists say (we hear and obey), whereas the Bokharists say (we hear and disobey). Proof: the Bokharists make Muhammad the best human being and the best of all prophets (as their superior leader and above all prophets and messengers) who is infallible and immortal; they even concocted and fabricated hadiths like (...Without arrogance, I am the master of all Adam's Progeny...). They deify Muhammad that way as they hope he would intercede on their behalf before God to make them enter into Paradise however sinful they may have been during their lifetimes! The command to never make distinction between any of God's prophets and messengers is repeated in 2:136, 3:84, and 4:150-152.

Debating over God's sharia legislations:

In acts of worship:   

1- Because the Bokharists have made Muhammad as a deity beside God in their faith, they have also included him in all their acts of worship; e.g., besides the five daily prayers dedicated to God, they perform extra prayers dedicated only to Muhammad and inserted his name in the testimony inside prayers instead of 3:18, which is the true testimony inside prayers after prostration: "God bears witness that there is no God but He, as do the angels, and those endowed with knowledge - upholding justice. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise. Religion with God is Islam..." (3:18-19). God ordains that prayers are dedicated to His remembrance: "...There is no God but I. So serve Me, and practice the prayer for My remembrance." (20:14). Thus, prayers of the Bokharists contain features of polytheism by remembering and glorifying the name of Muhammad alongside with the name of God.   

2- The Bokharists include the name of Muhammad in the testimony of Islam (There is no God but Allah) by adding the phrase (Muhammad is the Messenger of God) and in the call to prayers (i.e., azan) by adding the same phrase, while disregarding this verse: "The places of worship are for God. So do not call, besides God, upon anyone else." (72:18).

3- Likewise, the Bokharists have imposed on pilgrims, who perform pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca, to perform another pilgrimage to Yathreb to worship at the mausoleum dedicated to Muhammad; they have made Yathreb a sanctuary though the only one in Islam (i.e., the Quran) is the Kaaba Sacred Mosque in Mecca. Besides, the Bokharists have invented certain rituals of such pilgrimage to Yathreb, rituals never ordained by God. By the way, historically, no one among the so-called companions ever visited the Yathreb mausoleum/tomb allegedly ascribed to Muhammad. Muhammad never during his lifetime visited his own tomb as part of pilgrimage, we are sure! This means that such Yathreb mausoleum is a fabrication and a polytheistic falsehood within other myths of the Bokharists who deify Muhammad after his death.      

4- The verse 22:56 is grossly misunderstood; it does not mean to praise and glorify the name of Muhammad. Rather, it means that the only link between us and Muhammad is reading and applying the Quran he brought from God through arch-angel Gabriel (i.e., the Holy Spirit); we are to adhere to it if we like to follow the footsteps of Muhammad through God's Path. In the 9:103, Muhammad has been commanded to pray for the sake of believers and all prophets (see 43:43-44, 27:59, and 37:181); and we in 33:56 are instructed to do the same. Yet, the Bokharists disregard such verses and make 33:56 to mean to praise and glorify the name of Muhammad all the time once his name is heard or mentioned! They never praise, glorify, and laud the name of God when it is mentioned in sermons! They prefer to worship Muhammad more than (or instead of) God! Their worship of Muhammad made them overlook and ignore that glorification of God is an act of worship ordained at certain times of each day: "...and celebrate the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before its setting. And during the hours of the night glorify Him, and at the borders of the day, that you may be satisfied." (20:130); "...and proclaim the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before sunset. And glorify Him during the night, and at the end of devotions." (50:39-40); "...and proclaim the praises of your Lord when you arise. And glorify Him during the night, and at the receding of the stars." (52:48-49).  

In dealing with people:

 The Quranists believe that Muhammad was sent with the message of the Quran as a mercy to the humankind, NOT to massacre and terrorize the humankind: "We did not send you except as mercy to humankind." (21:107). Within more than 1000 Quranic verses, Quranists infer that God has ordained absolute religious freedom in faith, belief, and rituals to all humanity, and He (and never any mortals) will settle their differences and disputes regarding religion on the Last Day. Peace is the basis of Islam; wars are exceptional cases of self-defense against aggressors and NOT occasions to attack others. As per Quranic higher values, aggressors are unjust ones who are disbelievers in terms of behavior. Quranic values include justice, freedom, equality, charity, mercy, pardon, ease, patience, etc. In contrast, the Bokharists in their hadiths make rules (ascribed falsely to Muhammad and to God) to fight all people to force them to convert to their Sunnite creed! They Bokharists allow themselves to massacre, rob, rape, loot, enslave, destroy etc. anything and anyone among non-Sunnites and to occupy their countries as well. Thus, there is discrepancy/contradiction between God's Quranic sharia and the sharia fabricated by the Bokharists formulated even before the book of Al-Bokhary and written down and codified later in it by inventing hadiths/narratives and scribing them to Muhammad 200 years after his death. Such earthly, man-made Sunnite religion contradicts real Islam (only the Quran) conveyed and applied by Muhammad.       

LASTLY:

1- The Bokharists' creed deifies Muhammad as well as clergy, imams, saints/allies, and authors of books revered by the Sunnites.

2- The Bokharists' creed belittles God as if He were  blood-thirsty deity and cannot control anything in this world and the next unless within commands of a more dominant deities: Muhammad and saints, who are worshipped and glorified by the Sunnite Muhammadans!

3- The Bokharists' creed leads to the harm, torture, and persecution of Quranists, because A) they believe in God as their Only Ally: "God is He who created the heavens and the earth and everything between them in six days, and then established Himself on the Throne. Apart from Him, you have no master and no intercessor. Will you not reflect?" (32:4), B) believe in God as the Only Supreme Controller over all creatures and creations: "...There is not a creature but He holds it by the forelock..." (11:56); "...They have no Ally apart from Him, and He shares His Sovereignty with no one." (18:26); "...His is the creation, and His is the command..." (7:54), and C) they believe in the fact that God has perfected the Quran as a Clear Book with no need to have exegesis or outside source of interpretation: "The Word of your Lord has been completed, in truth and justice. There is no changing to His words..." (6:115); "...Today I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My favor upon you, and have approved Islam as a religion for you..." (5:3); "...These are the Verses of the Book; a Quran that makes things clear." (15:1); "Whatever argument they come to you with, We provide you with the truth, and a better exposition." (25:33).

4- Despite the persecution inflicted on Quranists by the Bokharists, the Quranists forgive and pardon them (as per God's Quranic commands), as they are 100% sure that God will judge and settle such differences on the Day of Resurrection: "...The Hour is coming, so forgive with gracious forgiveness." (15:85); "As for his statement: "My Lord, these are a people who do not believe." Pardon them, and say, "Peace." They will come to know." (43:88-89); And say to those who do not believe, "Act according to your ability; and so will we." "And wait; we too are waiting."" (11:121-122).

5- Quranists hope that one day, the Bokharists of today will repent and reject the ways of the ancient Bokharists; Quranists call them to repent and reform before it is too late, and we advise them to read and ponder deeply on the last ten verses of the Quranic Chapter 10.