What is the difference between the Dawoodi Bohra Shiites and the Rafidah Shiites in religion? Are they worse than the Twelver Shiites? Is their saying "Ya Ali Madad" (O Ali, help) and "Ya Hussein" and some of them prostrating to their Imam considered major shirk (polytheism)? What is the ruling on declaring them disbelievers? Are all of them to be judged as disbelievers, or are they misguided with a belief that contains disbelief, and the declaration of an individual's disbelief depends on establishing the proof against them?

First: The Rafidah (Twelver Shias) and the Bohra are deviant and misguided sects. The Bohra are part of the Esoteric Ismailis. A dispute arose between the Rafidah and the Ismailis regarding the order of imams after Ja'far al-Sadiq.

Second: The beliefs of the Twelver Imami Rafidah include heresy, atheism, and polytheism. Among their most prominent beliefs are the belief in the distortion of the Qur'an, the excommunication of most of the Companions, the belief in the infallibility of their imams and their knowledge of the unseen, and the veneration of graves and shrines. Ibn Kathir narrated that Imam Malik declared the Rafidah to be disbelievers due to their hatred of the Companions. Ibn Hazm stated that the Rafidah are not Muslims.

Third: The Bohra are a mixture of deviant beliefs. They are Esoteric and part of the Ismailis. They exaggerate in their veneration of their imams to the point of worship. They have innovated prayers, and they have an outward Islamic appearance but an inner malevolence. They venerate graves and shrines. The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has issued a fatwa declaring the Bohra to be disbelievers.

Fourth: There is no doubt about the disbelief of all the Bohra, both their scholars and their common folk, because they are an Esoteric sect. As for the Rafidah, scholars have differed on declaring them disbelievers, with two opinions: a. Their disbelief is fundamental; they never truly entered Islam in the first place, and there is no distinction between their scholars and their common folk. This is the opinion of Sheikh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz. b. Distinguishing between their common folk and their scholars. The common folk are not declared disbelievers except after the establishment of proof, whereas the scholars are declared disbelievers. This is the opinion of Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Sheikh al-Albani. It must be noted that whoever believes in the immorality or disbelief of the general Companions, or doubts their disbelief, is a disbeliever. Likewise, slandering Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, with what Allah has cleared her of, is an act of disbelief that expels one from the fold of Islam.