Alavi Bohra

The Alavi Bohras are a Taiyabi Mustaali Ismaili Shi'i Muslim community from Gujarat, India. In India, during the time of the 18th Fatimid Imam Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah around 1093 AD, the designated learned people (wulaat) who were sent from Yemen by the celebrated missionaries under the guidance of the Imam established a Dawah in Khambhat.

After the division of the Mustaalid community, the Yemenite Dawah followed at-Tayyib Abi l-Qasim as their Imam, and the Bohras are the modern descendants of Taiyabi converts and immigrants.

Subsequently, splits occurred at various instances in the mainstream Bohra community regarding the spiritual appointment in the succession of the representative of the Imam or Da’i in Ahmedabad between 1422-1640 AD. Two major splits during this period resulted in the formation of three major groups of Bohras: Alavis, Dawoodis and Sulaymanis.

Basic history

One Dai succeeded another until the 23rd Dai in Yemen. In India also Wali-ul-Hind were appointed by them one after another until Wali-ul-Hind Moulai Jafer, Moulai Abdul Wahab and Moulai Qasim Khan bin Hasan (11th and last Wali-ul-Hind, d.950AH, Ahmedabad). The last three wali were of great help in the era of the 21st to 24th Dai. It was during this time when the Dawat was transferred to India from Yemen, that the 23rd Dai-al-Mutlaq Mohammed Ezzuddin performed nass (transfer of authority) on Yusuf Najmuddin ibn Sulaiman in Sidhpur, Gujrat, India.

Due to persecution by the local Zaydi Shi'a ruler in Yemen, the 24th Dai, Yusuf Najmuddin bin Sulayman (d.1567 AD), shifted the whole administration of the Dawat (mission) to India but continued to live in Yemen and died there. The 25th Dai Jalal Shamshuddin (d.1567 AD) was first dai to die in India; his mausoleum is in Ahmedabad, India. Dai Jalal's tenure as Dai was very short, only a few months, but before that he was Wali-ul Hind (after Moulai Qasim) for about 20 years under 24th Dai Yusuf while the Dai was in Yemen.

Following the death of the 26th Dai in 1591 CE, there was a dispute as to who was to succeed him. Suleman bin Hasan, the grandson of 24th Dai, was wali in Yemen and claimed the succession, supported by the other Yemeni Bohra. However, the Indian Bohra denied his claim of nass, declaring supporting documentation to be forged. The two factions separated, with the followers of Suleman becoming the Sulaymanis, and the followers of Dawood Bin Qutubshah becoming the Dawoodi Bohra.

After the death of the 28th daee al mutlaq, Sheikh Aadam Safiuddin, in 1621, a small faction of Alavi Bohra recognized his grandson Ali ibn Ibrahim (1046 AH/ 1637 AD) as his successor and seceded in 1204 AH/ 1789 AD from the majority Dawoodi Bohra recognizing the 29th Dai Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin, and have followed a separate line of daees residing mainly in Vadodara.

Ali was born in city of Vadodara, when 27th Dai Dawoodi bin Qutub Shah was alive in Ahmedabad. His father Ibrahim brought him to Ahmedabad in childhood. 28th Dai educated him.

Emergence of Alavi Bohras out of Ismailism

Main article: Ismailism
Alavi Bohras are marked as dark blue

See also

Notes

    External links

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