Marrying a Bohra

I really commend your attitude. It is only fair that we investigate issues related to religion especially when they may have grave consequences. I also agree with you that we should not label shias as non-Muslims, everyone’s belief is theirs. It is the individual whom God will judge on the Day of Judgment. Everyone has to strive for truth in light of Quran, and live by it.

Coming to your issue, there is a very important phrase that you have used: ‘His parents would like me to convert in their religion.’ This conversion to me clearly implies that if nothing else, at least that family thinks that you are of a different religion than them. If they believe they are Muslims and Islam allowed Muslim men to marry non-Muslim women, then how could they ask you to ‘convert’ if you are a Muslim too?

Here is my brief understanding of the Bohra sect. Keep in mind that I outline only the relevant issues.1

1) Bohras believe in the concept of Wilaya of Ali ibn Talib and the concept of Imamate. What this means is that Ali (ra) inherited the knowledge of religion from the Prophet (pbuh) and it was transferred to the Imams thereon. As a result, it is the Imam who can provide the real understanding of the religion. In Bohra belief, after the death of their last Imam, the power was transferred to the vice-Imam known as ‘Dai’. Dai is acting as an Imam and is the supreme leader of religious affairs of Bohra community. Their current Dai is Muhammad Burhanuddin, and this concept of accepting the Dai is an intrinsic part of Bohra belief.

2) Bohras believe that Quran as an outer meaning and an inner meaning. No one can understand the inner meaning of the Quran themselves except the Dai. Therefore, believers can only read Quran in Arabic without understanding it, it is actually the Dai who can interpret Quran correctly and derive rulings from it. Whatever the Dai orders in the community, it becomes incumbent upon the followers. In other words, the Dai brings the religious laws and more or less, there is no questioning.

3) The source of religious practices and religious narratives (ahadith) is quite different from Sunni sources and Sunni sources are mostly rejected. Since a different source is used, the results, for example the method of prayers, how to fast, one’s beliefs etc, become quite different. And since they base it on their own methodology, mostly the Ramadan will be starting for you on a different date and your Eids will often be on different dates than your family if they continue to be Sunnis.

4) Anybody who ‘converts’ to Bohra community will have to accept the Dai as their leader along with a clergy that runs religious and social affairs in the community. The clergy collects taxes, Zakat, ‘waajibaat’ etc in addition to organizing social events. Bohras also have concept of ziyarat, which is visiting the graves of pious people, Dais, Imams etc.

5) Conversion to this sect does not affect your religious beliefs only, there is a social change as well associated with it. Bohras have their own religious festivals and functions, including one more Eid than Sunnis (like Shias). The Bohras have their ‘jamaat khanas’ (places of gathering) where they hold Bohra events, gatherings and the like.

6) Those who reject Bohra beliefs or practices deeming them against Islam are socially boycotted by the community and many times even persecuted.

This is a very high-level understanding of Bohra beliefs. Their current belief is that it is invalid for Bohras to marry non-Bohras and it is for this reason that they are asking you to convert.

I am convinced that many practices and beliefs of Bohras are not in consonance with Quranic understanding. In such case, if you are not pressed, it may be wise to look at other options, primarily because along with changes in many beliefs, it may affect your social standing in the society too. Even if you reject many of these beliefs, there will still be a question of how your children will be raised, as Sunnis or Bohras?

I hope I have clarified at a very high level the issues involved in marrying in a Bohra community. Lets say you were to ask the Bohra person to convert to Sunnism to marry you, what would their response be? It is my belief that no Bohra will ever convert outside of their faith, but they will like to convert whoever they marry into Bohras. Only the fact that they proposed and asked you to convert to their faith is concerning.

Most of my understanding of the Bohras is based on the book “The Isma'ilis : Their History and Doctrines” by Farhad Daftary published by Cambridge University Press. To understand more about Bohra beliefs and understand their community, you might also want to consider visiting the website mumineen.org. There is a reformist Bohra movement who has declared the current Dai and the clergy as corrupt and stood against them, their website is dawoodi-bohras.com. Finally, there is another interesting website of a member of Bohra who rejected Bohra faith and has since been trying to highlight both Bohra and otherwise Islamic issues in the light of Quran and Sunnah at islamhelpline.com. You might want to read Bohra related issues on this website.

If you are serious about this proposal, then it is my advice that you understand completely the Bohra faith, their beliefs, their practices, community before you come to a decision. Please feel free to ask me any questions, because various sects, schools of thoughts and differences of opinion has been an area of interest for me and I have significant time and energy understanding various sects and beliefs. This includes my own research by directly meeting some members from various communities.