DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4646#0066
66
of the Prophet who would be offensive to the Shias and whom they
regard as usurpers.
The Sunis are not allowed to use mental reservation, and therefore,
no Suni can follow Shia practices as an outward form.
It is possible for the Shias to follow the exercises of the Suni faith,
but not for the Sunis to worship according to the Shiah rite.
The question then is thus raised, as an issue of fact: " Is it, or is
!t not the truth, that the Khojahs though outwardly practicing cer-
tain Suni religious forms, inwardly hold non-Suni opinions ?"
It is remarkable how the Plaintiffs' counsel have shrunk from ad-
ducing that kind of evidence which alone could do them any service
on this issue, whilst they called all the Suni Moolas that have officiat-
ed in the Khoja Musjid, and elicited, with unnecessary diligence the
fact distinctly admitted in the Answers—that the Khojahs have
been in the habit of performing funerals and marriages through Suni
Moolas, and therefore, of course, in Suni fashion. And what evidence
do they bring forward in the matter 1 Why they put forward the
Suni Moollas who have conducted these nikka and funeral services
for them, and all of whom on being questioned say; " Oh yes the
Khojahs have always been Sunis," but my learned friends did not
dare to ask a single question as to the private opinions or the religious
books of the community. That was left for us to do, and your Lord-
ship must have been struck by the result of our cross examination,
for it then came out distinctly, that the Moollas had no other reason
than the fact of the existence of these external conformities for infer-
ring the Suni opinions of the Khojahs, and further, a most significant
piece of evidence—that the Khojahs have always kept their Suni
Moollas at arm's length. The Moollas were not themselves Khojahs,
they would not, they said, intermarry with Khojas, they knew no-
thing of the Khoja religious books, and in particular they knew
nothing of the Dasgxiar, which as I shall show has always been the
peculiar and characteristic sacred book of this community. These
Moolas knew nothing about the private life of the Khojas or what
their private religious practices were. They only said, "these Khojas
are Sunis, because they practice the Suni form of worship." There
were indeed three Khoja,-, who said generally, that the Khojas were
Sunis, but these all belonged to the anti-Aga party, and their evidence
when analysed, goes for little or nothing: Mohamed Damn- said,
of the Prophet who would be offensive to the Shias and whom they
regard as usurpers.
The Sunis are not allowed to use mental reservation, and therefore,
no Suni can follow Shia practices as an outward form.
It is possible for the Shias to follow the exercises of the Suni faith,
but not for the Sunis to worship according to the Shiah rite.
The question then is thus raised, as an issue of fact: " Is it, or is
!t not the truth, that the Khojahs though outwardly practicing cer-
tain Suni religious forms, inwardly hold non-Suni opinions ?"
It is remarkable how the Plaintiffs' counsel have shrunk from ad-
ducing that kind of evidence which alone could do them any service
on this issue, whilst they called all the Suni Moolas that have officiat-
ed in the Khoja Musjid, and elicited, with unnecessary diligence the
fact distinctly admitted in the Answers—that the Khojahs have
been in the habit of performing funerals and marriages through Suni
Moolas, and therefore, of course, in Suni fashion. And what evidence
do they bring forward in the matter 1 Why they put forward the
Suni Moollas who have conducted these nikka and funeral services
for them, and all of whom on being questioned say; " Oh yes the
Khojahs have always been Sunis," but my learned friends did not
dare to ask a single question as to the private opinions or the religious
books of the community. That was left for us to do, and your Lord-
ship must have been struck by the result of our cross examination,
for it then came out distinctly, that the Moollas had no other reason
than the fact of the existence of these external conformities for infer-
ring the Suni opinions of the Khojahs, and further, a most significant
piece of evidence—that the Khojahs have always kept their Suni
Moollas at arm's length. The Moollas were not themselves Khojahs,
they would not, they said, intermarry with Khojas, they knew no-
thing of the Khoja religious books, and in particular they knew
nothing of the Dasgxiar, which as I shall show has always been the
peculiar and characteristic sacred book of this community. These
Moolas knew nothing about the private life of the Khojas or what
their private religious practices were. They only said, "these Khojas
are Sunis, because they practice the Suni form of worship." There
were indeed three Khoja,-, who said generally, that the Khojas were
Sunis, but these all belonged to the anti-Aga party, and their evidence
when analysed, goes for little or nothing: Mohamed Damn- said,