Short Answer

Dawoodi Bohras are a group within the misguided Ismaili Shia sect. There are only about one million of them in the world and they live mostly in India and Pakistan. They believe that the 20th Shia Imam Al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah established the office of the Da’i al-Mutlaq (“unrestricted missionary”) to act as vicegerent to the Imams in seclusion. These people are Allah’s representatives in this world. The current leader is the 53rd Da’i-al-Mutlaq named Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin who lives in India. All Bohras take a covenant to accept the spiritual guidance of the leader unconditionally. On the 18th of Dhul Hijjah all Bohras renew their covenant vows every year. The word Bohra comes from the Gujarati word vohrvu or vyavahar which means ‘to trade’ because that was historically their main occupation. The term Dawoodi comes from the support given to the 27th Da’i al-Mutlaq (“unrestricted missionary”) Dawood Bin Qutubshah during a schism that the community faced in 1592.

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Shaykh Mustafa Umar