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Dawoodi Bohras are the main branch of the Bohras (a Musta'li subsect of Ismaili Shi'a Muslims) based primarily in India and Pakistan. Their spiritual leader is Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin. He is known as the Da'i al-Mutlaq and is the 52nd Da'i in an unbroken chain of Da'is. The Bohras believe that the 21st Imam, Imam Taiyab (a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed S.A. via his daughter Fatema Zahra S.A.) went into seclusion and established the offices of the Da'i al-Mutlaq, Madhun (common usage: Mazoon) and Mukasir. The Da'i al-Mutlaq is the Imam's vicegerent, with full authority to govern the Dawoodi Bohra community in all matters both spiritual and temporal. During the Imam's seclusion, the Da'i al-Mutlaq is appointed by his predecessor in office. The Madhun and Mukasir are in turn appointed by the Da'i al-Mutlaq. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin has appointed Syedi Khuzaima Qutbuddin as his Madhun, and Syedi Husain Husamuddin as his Mukasir. The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al KarÄ«m or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Hadith (Arabic: , Arabic pl. ... This article is not about the group of British engineering companies called Sira; see Sira (group of British companies). ... Islamic jurisprudence, Fiqh (in Arabic and Persian: فقه) is made up of the rulings of Islamic scholars to direct the lives of the Muslim faithful. ... Sharia (Arabic: ; also SharÄ«ah, Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law, also known as Allahs Law. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic: سنّة ) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Shia Islam (Arabic: or follower. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف tasÌ£awwuf) is the school of esoteric philosophy in Islam, which is based on the pursuit of spiritual truth as a definite goal to attain. ... The religion of Islam has many divisions, sects, schools, traditions, and related faiths. ... This is a list of cities that various groups regard as holy. ... Islamic architecture is the entire range of architecture that has evolved from Islam as a social, cultural, political and religious phenomenon. ... Mediums of Islamic art Islamic art throughout history has been mainly abstract and decorative, portraying geometric, floral, Arabesque, and calligraphic designs. ... The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar (also called Hijri calendar) is the calendar used to date events in predominately Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Muslim holy days. ... Islamic religious leaders are persons who, as part of the clerisy, mosque, or government, perform a prominent role within their community or nation. ... Imam is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ... Caliphate is the political system for humanity. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... Islam as a political movement has a diverse character that has at different times incorporated elements of many other political movements, while simultaneously adapting the religious views of Islamic fundamentalism, particularly the view of Islam as a political religion. ... Jihad (ǧihād جهاد) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root ǧhd (to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle to further the Islamic cause. ... The following list consists of concepts that are derived from both Islam and Arab tradition, which are expressed as words in the Arabic language. ... The History of Islam involves the history of the Islamic faith as a religion and as a social institution. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, etc. ... The Ismaili (Persian: اسماعیلیان Esmâiliyân) branch of Islam is the second largest Shia community, after the Twelvers who are dominant in Iran. ... Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin His Holiness Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin is the 52nd Dai al-Mutlaq of the largest group of Mustali Ismailis, the Dawoodi Bohras. ... The Shia Imam is considered by the Shia sect of Islam to be the rightful successor to Muhammad, and is similar to the Caliph in Sunni Islam. ... Muhammad is a common Muslim male name. ... Fatima Zahra also called Fatemeh Al Zahraa or Az-Zahra (Arabic: ) was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadija. ... The official administrative deputy of a ruler or head of state. ...

Origins

The majority of Bohras' ancestors were converts from Hinduism. Their conversion—the result of the work of some Arab missionaries from Egypt and Yemen—took place around the twelfth century A.D. in Gujarat in India. The converted were largely from the Hindu middle and upper castes, many of whom were engaged in trade and commerce. Later, indigenous converts undertook the missionary activities in other contiguous regions such as the areas that today constitute Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Hinduism (सनातन धर्म; also known as Sanātana Dharma, and Vaidika-Dharma ) is a worldwide religious tradition that encompasses many beliefs and ideologies. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب Ê»arab) are an originally Arabian ethnicity widespread in the Middle East and North Africa. ... Gujarat (ગુજરાત in Gujarati) is the most industrialized state in India after Maharashtra and is located in western India, bordered by Pakistan to the northwest and Rajasthan to the north. ... A caste system is a rigid system of social stratification, which divides members of a society into different castes. ... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ... Rajasthan (राजस्थान) is the geographically largest state in northwestern India. ... Madhya Pradesh (मध्य प्रदेश) is a state in central India. ... Maharashtra (महाराष्ट्र) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ...

Contemporary Dawoodi Bohras

The Dawoodi Bohras are a very closely-knit community who seek advice from the da'i in both spiritual and temporal matters.

While the majority of Dawoodi Bohras have traditionally been traders, it is becoming increasingly common for them to become professionals. Within the Indian Subcontinent many choose to become Doctors, and in the Far East and the West, a large number now work as consultants or analysts. Dawoodi Bohras are encouraged to educate themselves in both religious and secular knowledge, and as a result, the number of professionals in the community is rapidly increasing. Unlike many other sects of Islam, Dawoodi Bohras believe that the education of women is equally important to that of men, and many Dawoodi Bohra women choose to enter the workforce. Composite satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia. ... Far East is an inexact term often used for East Asia and Southeast Asia combined, sometimes including also the easternmost territories of Russia, i. ... The term Western world or the West can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ... A consultant is a professional that provides expert advice in a particular domain or area of expertise such as accountancy, information technology, the law, human resources, marketing, medicine, finance or more esoteric areas of knowledge, for example engineering and scientific specialties such as materials science, instrumentation, avionics, and stress analysis. ... Religion, sometimes used interchangeably with faith, is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the practices and institutions associated with such belief. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ...

Today there are approximately one million Dawoodi Bohras. The majority of these reside in India and Pakistan, but there is also a significant diaspora resident in the Middle East, East Africa, Europe, North America and the Far East. Look up Diaspora in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The term diaspora (Ancient Greek διασπορά, a scattering or sowing of seeds) is used (without capitalization) to refer to any people or ethnic population forced or induced to leave their traditional ethnic homelands, being dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... East Africa is a region generally considered to include: Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Somalia Tanzania Uganda [[Image:Example. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west... Far East is an inexact term often used for East Asia and Southeast Asia combined, sometimes including also the easternmost territories of Russia, i. ...

The ordinary Bohra is highly conscious of his identity and this is especially demonstrated at religious and traditional occasions by the appearance and attire of the participants. Dawoodi Bohra men wear a traditional white three piece outfit, plus a white and gold cap (called a topi), and women wear the rida, a distinctive form of the commonly known burka which is distinguished from other forms of the veil due to it often being in colour and decorated with patterns and lace. Afghan woman wearing Afghan burqa Two different items of traditional Muslim womens clothing are known as a burqa, (sometimes misspelled as burka or burqua). ... Frances Perkins wearing a veil after the death of president Roosevelt Veils are articles of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, which cover some part of the head or face. ...

Besides speaking the local languages, the Bohras have their own language called Lisan al-Dawat. This is written in Arabic script but is derived from Urdu, Gujarati and Arabic. Arabic (العربية al-arabiyyah, or less formally arabi) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Urdu(اردو) is an Indo-European language which originated in India, most likely in the vicinity of Delhi, from whence it spread to the rest of the subcontinent. ... Gujarati written in gujarati Gujarati (ગુજરાતી, also sometimes Gujrati) is a language native to the state of Gujarat in western India. ...

Remembrance of Imam Husain AS (Grandson of Prophet Mohammed)'s martyrdom is an essential part of every Bohra community activity. Every year the head of the community Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin delivers religious discourses for 9 days during the days of Aashurah and these are attended by a large number of community members.

Contributions to the Community At-Large

The Bohras trace their origins to the Fatimids of Egypt and thus their cultural mores are based on the practices of the Fatimid Imams. This is further found in the myriad constructions that the Bohras have carried out around the world all of which feature Fatimid influences from the mosques and buildings of Cairo. Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin undertook the complete renovation and restoration of the Mosque of the Imam Al-Hakim in Cairo, a project UNESCO had considered but did not undertake. The Fatimid or Fatimid Caliphate is the Ismaili Shiite dynasty that ruled North Africa from A.D. 909 to 1171. ... Tulip Mosque in Ufa, Russia. ... Although technically in Giza, The Great Pyramids have become a symbol of Cairo internationally Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; romanized: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... Al-Hakim Mosque is one of the largest Fatimid mosques in Cairo. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1946. ...

More recently, the Dawoodi Bohra community built Saifee Hospital in Mumbai, India. The hospital is one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in the entire country, and was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh on June 4, 2005. At the inauguration, the Dawoodi Bohra community was commended by the Prime Minister during a speech delivered by him. The Saifee Hospital is a State of the art, modern hospital built in Charni Road region of Mumbai, India. ... Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई ) (pronounced in Marathi, and in English), formerly known as Bombay (IPA: ), is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and is the most populous Indian city with a 2005 estimated population of about 13 million. ... Executive President Prime Minister The Union Ministries Legislative Parliament Rajya Sabha Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Lok Sabha Speaker of the House Judicial Supreme Court Chief Justice of the Supreme Court High Courts District Courts Constitution Fundamental Rights and Directive principles Regions States and territories Elections General Elections State Assembly... Dr. Manmohan Singh (Gurmukhi: ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ, Devanagari: मनमोहन सिंह) is the fourteenth, and current, Prime Minister of India. ...

Dissent in the community

A small minority reject the authority of the Da'i over temporal matters, and view the role of the Da'i as a spiritual guide only. These dissidents are known as the Progressive Dawoodi Bohras [1], and are led by Asghar Ali Engineer. A dissident is a person who actively opposes the established order. ... Asghar Ali Engineer was born in Salumbar, Rajasthan on 10th March, 1939. ...

One of the reasons for dissidence in Dawoodi Bohras is the tight control of the Dai who seems to be running a government within the government. He has used the weapon of social boycott (Barat) to crush any progressive voices within the community. Please refer to Religion-communalism/bohra.htm

The dissidents have very little support from the mainstream Dawoodi Bohras. Where support exists, mainstream Bohras may be too afraid of social ostracism to openly voice their dissent.

Dissent does not often mean an allegiance to the movement founded by Mr. Engineer. However, calls for genuine democratic reform within the community are rarely heard because of the threat of social boycott. Another issue among the dissidents is related to the vast sums of money under the control of the Dawoodi Bohra Trust. There is little or no public accountability and this results in charges of corruption. The government within a government run by the Dai would be more acceptable if it weren't so nepotistic.

See also

• Ismaili
• Shi'a
• Islam
• Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin

The Ismaili (Persian: اسماعیلیان Esmâiliyân) branch of Islam is the second largest Shia community, after the Twelvers who are dominant in Iran. ... Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... Islam   listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ... Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin His Holiness Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin is the 52nd Dai al-Mutlaq of the largest group of Mustali Ismailis, the Dawoodi Bohras. ...

External links and references

• Mumineen.org - The most comprehensive online source of information related to Dawoodi Bohras
• Official website of Syedi Khuzaima Qutbuddin
• Malumaat.com - A Dawoodi Bohra news website most frequented by Bohras on the Indian Subcontinent.