2019 – Posted in: Press Information Bureau

Dawoodi Bohra community

(Prime Minister’s Office)

WHAT

PM Modi meets the members of Dawoodi Bohra community in Houston, Texas.

DAWOODI BOHRA

The Dawoodi Bohras are a sect within the Ismailism branch of Shia Islam. The largest populations of Dawoodi Bohras reside in India, Pakistan, Yemen, East Africa and the Middle East. There are also significant numbers living in Europe, North America, South East Asia and Australia.

The Dawoodi Bohra follow an embodiment of Shiism propagated by the Fatimid Imamate in medieval Egypt.
Adhering to the traditional norms of Islam, they pray five times a day, fast in the month of Ramadan, perform Haj and Umrah and give Zakat.

MOVE TO INDIA

The 34th Dai Syedna Ismail Badruddin I (son of Moulai Raj, 1657 CE onward) was the first Da’i of Indian Gujarati origin. He shifted the Dawat from Ahmedabad to Jamnagar.[14] During this period the Da’is also moved to Mandvi and later to Burhanpur.

The educational institute Al-Dars-al-Saifee (later renamed Al Jamea tus Saifiyah) was built in that era by the 43rd Dai Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin, who was an extremely renowned scholar in the literary field.

During the period of the 51st Da’i Syedna Taher Saifuddin (1915–1965 CE), the Dawoodi Bohra Dawat administration has been relocated to Mumbai and continues there to the present day.

SEVEN PILLARS

The Dawoodi Bohras follow the Seven pillars of Ismaili Islam adhering to the tradition of Fatimid Dawat: Walayah (guardianship of the faith), Taharah (purity), salat (prayer), Zakat (alms-giving), Sawm (fasting), Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), and Jihad (struggle).

Source: PIB