Alavi Bohra
Encyclopedia
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. Alavis are the smallest in number of the Bohras.
). 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 Sulemani Bohras, and the followers of Dawood Bin Qutubshah becoming the Dawoodi Bohra.
Again in the period of the 29th Dai Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin, a small group of Aliya Bohra separated from Dawoodi Bohra under Ali bin Ibrahim (1034 AH/1634 AD), the grandson of 28th Dai Sheikh Adam Safiyuddin.
The Da'i of the present time i.e. the representative (naa'ib) of Imaam uz-Zamaan (the imaam in the progeny of Imaam Taiyeb), Saiyedna Abu Haatim Taiyeb Ziyauddin Saheb (tus). Vadodara is the center of Davat for Alavi Bohras.
Taiyabi
Tayyibi is a branch of Mustaali Ismailism that split with the Fatimid supporting Hafizi branch by believing Taiyab abi al-Qasim was the rightful Imam. They are the surviving branch of the Mustaali and have split into Dawoodi Bohra, Sulaimani Bohra, and Alavi Bohra.Upon the death of the 20th Imam...
Mustaali
Mustaali
The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...
Ismaili Shi'i Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
community from Gujarat, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
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
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
by the celebrated missionaries under the guidance of the Imam established a Dawah
Dawah
Da‘wah or Dawah usually denotes the preaching of Islam. Da‘wah literally means "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation", being the active participle of a verb meaning variously "to summon" or "to invite"...
in Khambhat
Khambhat
Khambhat , formerly known as Cambay, is a city and a municipality in Anand district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was formerly an important trading center, although its harbour has gradually silted up, and the maritime trade has moved elsewhere...
.
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
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
between 1422-1640 AD. Two major splits during this period resulted in the formation of three major groups of Bohras: Alavis, Dawoodis
Dawoodi Bohra
Dawoodi Bohra is a subsect of Ismāʿīlī Shīʿa Islām. While the Dawoodi Bohra is based in India, their belief system originates in Yemen, where it evolved from the Fatimid Caliphate and where they were persecuted due to their differences from mainstream Sunni Islam...
and Sulaymanis. Alavis are the smallest in number of the Bohras.
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, AhmedabadAhmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in 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 Sulemani Bohras, and the followers of Dawood Bin Qutubshah becoming the Dawoodi Bohra.
Again in the period of the 29th Dai Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin, a small group of Aliya Bohra separated from Dawoodi Bohra under Ali bin Ibrahim (1034 AH/1634 AD), the grandson of 28th Dai Sheikh Adam Safiyuddin.
The Da'i of the present time i.e. the representative (naa'ib) of Imaam uz-Zamaan (the imaam in the progeny of Imaam Taiyeb), Saiyedna Abu Haatim Taiyeb Ziyauddin Saheb (tus). Vadodara is the center of Davat for Alavi Bohras.