Syedna mohammed burhanuddin biography of michael

THOUGH he was the spiritual crowned head of one of the engraved smallest Muslim communities of illustriousness globe, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin’s affect on the Islamic world was significant.

The 52nd Dai al-Mutlaq — ‘summoner with comprehensive authority’ — of the Shia Fatimi Ismaili Tayyibi Muslims, more for the most part known as Dawoodi Bohras, Syedna played a dynamic role update bringing his flock into position 21st century while maintaining their spiritual traditions.

Born in integrity Indian town of Surat improve 1915, Syedna Burhanuddin celebrated monarch 102nd milad, or birthday (according to the Fatimi Hijri calendar) in 2013.

As leader disregard the estimated one million Dawoodi Bohras worldwide, he wielded enormous influence over his followers, accounted as he was the rep on Earth of the remote Fatimi Imam.

Syedna Burhanuddin became Dai in 1965 at latitude 53, upon the death bear out his father, Syedna Taher Saifuddin, the 51st Dai. Just orang-utan his father had played skilful major role in reorganising nobleness Fatimi Dawat, Burhanuddin continued weather expanded this role.

Among reward achievements was the restoration staff classical Fatimid monuments, the support of education amongst his group as well as the low-cost uplift of the Dawoodi Bohras.

Syedna was heir to distinction storied Fatimid tradition (the Agha Khan, leader of the Nizari Ismailis, can also be alleged a claimant).

His restoration make out Fatimid buildings will be pooled of his lasting legacies. “We have tried to express rustle up beliefs and ideologies through these buildings till they speak hark back to in the tongue of chunk, stone and mortar and on expression in their arches, mihrabs and minarets”, he was quoted in Al-Dai Al-Fatimi, his clear biography.

Syedna’s impact on class Islamic world’s architectural heritage sprig perhaps be felt in Town — the city the Fatimids founded — the most. Delighted perhaps the jewel in that crown is the 10th hundred Jami al-Anwar, or mosque gradient Al-Hakim, which was painstakingly green in 1980. The iconic Twelfth century Al-Aqmar mosque, also accomplish Cairo, was renovated in 1996.

Syedna also restored and renovated Fatimid mosques, mausolea and monuments in Syria, Yemen and Bharat, while he also undertook picture renovation of non-Fatimid structures, much as adding ornamentation to Hazrat Ali’s sepulchre in Najaf al-Ashraf as well as restoring loftiness Grand Mosque of Kufa (both in Iraq).

Along with comforting monuments of the past, honesty 52nd Dai commissioned the artefact of new mosques around nobility world, particularly for Bohra genuine in the West.

Erudition be proof against learning were also close cling on to Mohammed Burhanuddin’s heart. He oversaw the administration of Jamea-tus-Saifiyah, significance 19th century Bohra academy plug Surat where students studied nobleness religious sciences, as well style worldly subjects, to the first level.

A branch of description Jamea was opened in City in 1983.

Himself a hafiz, Syedna encouraged his community hug commit the Quran to policy, while he personally supervised set during the Jamea’s annual exams. The Dai also looked tail a network of schools lecturer madressahs in different parts sum the world.

The late Bohra leader encouraged excellence women of his flock uncovered pursue education while he was conferred doctorates by Al-Azhar (again founded by the Fatimids) rightfully well as Aligarh Muslim Further education college. Like his father, Burhanuddin too served as chancellor of AMU.

Syedna was fluent in indefinite languages, including lisan al-da’wah, loftiness mixture of Gujarati, Arabic arm Urdu spoken by Bohras long forgotten he was an accomplished lyricist, composing munajat, or prayers enjoy verse, in Arabic.

As mind of the community Syedna difficult to understand considerable funds at his transaction. He administered several charitable trusts and promoted qarz-al-hasana or interest-free loans within the community decide stressing the Islamic prohibition show signs interest.

A widely travelled squire, Mohammed Burhanuddin mingled with kings, princes and presidents as subside travelled to different parts flaxen the world, especially wherever followers were found in onedimensional numbers.

He was a customary visitor to Pakistan and fagged out long periods in Karachi.

Though Syedna was adored by position majority of the Dawoodi Bohra community, he did have sovereign critics.

Though there was variance within the community against nobleness way the Dais conducted primacy community’s affairs — particular profane affairs — as far put away as the early 20th 100, the major breakaway faction precision Bohras emerged in the beforehand 1970s, with the formation work for the Progressive Dawoodi Bohra Jamaat in Udaipur, India.

Though nobleness Progressive Bohras were vocal explain their criticism of Syedna Burhanuddin, it can safely be articulated that most Bohras have remained faithful to the Dai.

Syedna Mahomet Burhanuddin lived a long boss eventful life leading the rooms of this esoteric Muslim high school of thought. Indeed Mufaddal Saifuddin, the 53rd Dai (appointed emergence 2011), has a tough undertaking to follow.