Dawoodi Bohra Community Leadership Remains Unchanged as High Court Dismisses Petition

The court, led by Justice Gautam Patel, dismissed a 2014 suit brought by Syedna Taher Fakhruddin alleging that his uncle, Mufaddal Saifuddin, had fraudulently taken over the position of community leader. The court clarified that it had only ruled on the issue of proof and not faith. Mufaddal Saifuddin succeeded his father Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin as the 53rd Syedna of the community in 2014.

However, his father’s half-brother, Khuzaima Qutbuddin, contested Saifuddin’s succession, claiming that his brother had secretly conferred ‘nass,’ the official declaration of succession, upon him in 1965. Qutbuddin also alleged that his brother had instructed him to keep the ‘nass’ a secret. After Qutbuddin’s death in 2016, his son, Syedna Taher Fakhruddin, pursued his father’s case, seeking to be declared the community leader.

In response, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin refuted the allegations, stating that there were no witnesses to the supposed “secret” succession and that it could not be accepted. The court, in dismissing the suit, emphasized its decision on the issue of proof and not faith, aiming to maintain neutrality and avoid upheavals. The Dawoodi Bohras, a religious denomination within Shia Muslims, traditionally consisting of traders and entrepreneurs, have over 5 lakh members in India and more than 10 lakh worldwide.

The community’s top religious leader, known as the Dai-al-Mutlaq, is believed to be appointed through divine inspiration, and a “nass” can be conferred upon any deserving member of the community, not limited to a family member of the current Dai.