Today, the main unifying characteristic among Arabs is the Arabic language, a South Semitic language from the Afroasiatic language family. Modern Standard Arabic serves as the standardized and literary variety of Arabic used in writing, as well as in most formal speech, although it is not used in daily speech by the overwhelming majority of Arabs. Most Arabs who are functional in Modern Standard Arabic acquire it through education and use it solely for writing and formal settings. While various varieties of Arabic are spoken as vernaculars by each distinct Arab group, these varieties are often regarded as dialects rather than independent languages. Most of these dialects are mutually intelligible, although not all of them.
During the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Classical Era there was no Arab presence in the areas encompassed by modern Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Iran, North Africa, Somali Peninsula, Asia Minor or Kuwait.
The Arabs are first mentioned in the mid 9th century BC as a tribal people dwelling in the mid Arabian Peninsula subjugated by the north Mesopotamian based Assyrians. The Arabs appear to have remained largely under the vassalage of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911-605 BC), and then the succeeding Neo-Babylonian Empire (605-539 BC), Persian Achaemenid Empire (539-332 BC), Greek Macedonian/Seleucid Empire and Iranian Parthian Empires.
Arab tribes, most notably the Ghassanids and Lakhmids begin to appear in the south Syrian deserts and southern Jordan from the mid 3rd century AD onwards, during the mid to later stages of the Roman Empire and Sassanid Empire. The Nabateans of Jordan appear to have been an Aramaic speaking ethnic mix of Canaanites, Arameans and Arabs. Thus, although a more limited diffusion of Arabic culture and language was felt in some areas by these migrant minority Arabs in pre-Islamic times through Arab Christian kingdoms and Arab Jewish tribes, it was only after the rise of Islam in the mid-7th century that Arab culture, people and language began their wholesale spread from the central Arabian Peninsula (including the Syrian desert) through conquest and trade.
At the time of the Arab Muslim conquests of the 7th and 8th centuries AD, the population of Aramea and Phoenicia (modern Syria and Lebanon) was largely Aramean and Phoenician, with minorities of Greeks, Assyrians, Armenians and Romans also extant, as well as pre-Islamic Arabs in the south Syrian deserts. Israel-Palestine (ancient Israel, Judah and Samaria) and Jordan (ancient Moab, Edom and Ammon) were largely inhabited by native Jews, Samaritans, and other Canaanites, together with Arameans, Greeks and Nabateans. Egypt was largely populated by natives of Ancient Egyptian heritage together with a Greek minority, what had been Phoenician Carthage (modern Tunisia) by its mixed Phoenician-Berber population. A number of Germanic peoples such as the Vandals and Visigoths were also extant as rulers throughout North Africa (modern Libya, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco) at this time.
In Sudan, there are numerous Arab tribes, including the Shaigya, Ja'alin, Shukria, Rashaida, etc. in addition, there are Arabized or partially Arabized ethnic groups such as the Nubians, Copts, or Beja; they are sometimes united under the umbrella term of Sudanese Arabs. Arab slave trade in the Sudan region and West Africa created a clean division between Arabs and indigenous populations, and slavery in contemporary Africa substantially persists along these lines, contributing to ethnic conflict in the region, such as the internal conflicts in Sudan, Northern Mali conflict, or the Islamist insurgency in Northern Nigeria.
The 250,000 strong Lebanese community in West Africa is the largest non-African group in the region.
Arab traders have long operated in Southeast Asia and along the East Africa's Swahili coast. Zanzibar was once ruled by Omani Arabs. Most of the prominent Indonesians, Malaysians, and Singaporeans of Arab descent are Hadhrami people with origins in southern Yemen in the Hadramawt coastal region.
Arabs in the Caucasus
Arabs first established themselves in the Caucasus in the eighth century, during the Islamic conquests of the Middle East. The process of shrinking of the Caliphate in the tenth century was followed by the establishment of several Arab-ruled principalities in the region, chiefly the principality of Shirvan (most of present-day Azerbaijan and southeast part of Dagestan) ruled by the Mazyadid dynasty. As the rulers of Shirvan (known as Shirvanshahs) spread their control over much of the Southeast Caucasus and at the same time found themselves more and more isolated from the Arab world, they were undergoing gradual Persianisation. Arab personal names of the Shirvanshahs gave way to Persian ones, members of the ruling dynasty were claiming Ancient Persian descent (possibly having intermarried with members of local pre-Islamic nobility) and Persian gradually became the language of the court and the urban population, while the rural population continued to speak the indigenous languages of Caucasian Albania. However by the seventeenth century a local Turkic idiom (which later would develop into modern Azeri) became the language of everyday life, as well as the language of interethnic communication.
Arab migration continued during the Middle Ages. Nomadic tribes of Arabs occasionally made their way into the region undergoing assimilation by the local population. In 1728, a Russian officer named Johann-Gustav Gärber described a group of Sunni Arab nomads who rented winter pastures near the Caspian shores of Mughan (in present-day Azerbaijan). It is likely that the Arab nomads arrived in the Caucasus in the sixteenth or seventeenth century.
In 1888, an unknown number of Arabs still lived in the Baku Governorate of the Russian Empire.
Language
In his report, Gärber mentioned that the Arab nomads of Mughan spoke a "mixed Turkic-Arabic language". In 1840 Abbasgulu Bakikhanov attested an "altered version of Arabic" among some residents of Shirvan (see Shirvani Arabic). The Arabic language, or its local variety, lingered in Azerbaijan until the second half of the nineteenth century and in Dagestan until the 1930s (in Darvag, Tabasaransky District), after which the population of these pockets began identifying itself as Azeri, having adopted Azeri as their mother tongue. The 1897 Russian Imperial census indicated 912 Arabic-speakers in central and southern Dagestan and none in what would become Azerbaijan. Notably, literary Arabic retained its role as the language of learning in Dagestan for centuries and was the main language of instruction in the local schools from 1920 to 1923 until replaced by Azeri (and later by other indigenous languages of Dagestan).
As of 2012 the names of dozens of villages across Azerbaijan and Dagestan (e.g. Arabgadim, Arabojaghy, Arablar, Arab-Yengija, Chol Arab etc.) bear traces of their once Arab population.
History of Arabs in Afghanistan
The history of Arabs in Afghanistan spans over one millennium, from the 7th century Islamic conquest when Arab ghazis arrived with their Islamic mission until recently when others from the Arab world arrived to defend fellow Muslims from the Soviet Union followed by their liberation by NATO forces. Most of the early Arabs gradually lost their Arabic hegemony and ultimately mixed with the local population, though they are still considered a cognizably distinct ethnic group according to the Constitution of Afghanistan and the Afghan National Anthem. Afghans who carry Sayed or Quraishi in their names usually claim Arab ancestry.
At the end of the 7th century, the Umayyad Arabs entered into the area now known as Afghanistan after decisively defeating the Sassanid Empire in Nihawand. Following this colossal defeat, the last Sassanid Emperor, Yazdegerd III, who became a hunted fugitive, fled eastward deep into Central Asia. In pursuing Yazdegerd, the route the Arabs selected to enter the area was from north-eastern Iran and thereafter into Herat where they stationed a large portion of their army before advancing toward eastern Afghanistan. Some Arabs settled in these new areas and married locals while adopting new customs. Other groups and contingents who elected not to settle gradually pushed eastwards but encountered resistance in areas surrounding Bamiyan. When ultimately arriving at Kabul, the Arabs confronted the Kabul Shahan who had built a long defensive wall around the city. The bloodiest war in Kabul was in Chahardihi area where still tombs of Arabs killed in that war exist in Darul Aman area. The most famous Arab character killed in that war was Shah-do Shamshira, whose tomb is located near Kabul river in Asmayee st. One of the most famous Commanders who fought against Arab invaders is known as Mazangi. Mazangi was in command at the battle of Asmayee (Kohi-Sherdarwaza) where Shah-Do Shamshira was killed. There is a number sights where Arab invaders fought in Kabul, but the bloodiest battle after Asmayee was the battle of Alwoden in the area known as Darul Aman today. The historical details of this battle remains largely unknown, though the Arabs were nonetheless victorious.
Despite the lack of much written accounts, another famous archaeological legacy of this battle remains standing in Kabul, notably the tomb of the Shah-e Do Shamshira (translated into, The leader with the Two Swords in Persian) next to the Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque. The site, located near Kabul's market district, was built near the area where an Arab commander died.
Following their confrontation, the region was made part of Khorasan with its seat of power in Herat in the west. The Arabs later partially relinquished some of their territorial control though reasserted its authority approximately 50 years later in 750 when the Abbasid caliphs replaced the Ummayads. By then, many Arabs increasingly blended with locals as the Arabic identity in the region began to undergo a significant change. Arab contingents settled throughout various parts of present day Afghanistan including the Wardak, Logar, Kabul, Balkh and in the Sulaiman Mountains. Over time they adopted local customs and languages, some became Persianized while others became Afghanized who followed Pashtunwali.
After the Bolshevik Revolution, many Sunni Arabs residing in Bukhara and other areas of Central Asia ruled by Russians migrated to Afghanistan where they were better able to practice their religion without fear of religious persecution or discrimination. One estimate indicated that approximately 30,000 Arabs lived in Bukhara during the mid-nineteenth century. The Arabs who entered into Afghanistan during this time still retained some Arabic in contrast to the Afghan Arabs who came during the first wave.
Some Arabs from the second wave intermarried with the local population as they adopted the languages of northern Afghanistan, namely Uzbek, Turkmen, and Persian language. Many settled in Kunduz, Takhar and Sar-e Pol provinces. Currently, while they still view themselves as Arab, all the Arabs from the second wave have, like those from the original wave, lost their language of Arabic, adopting Persian instead.
Although some tribal names, including Qureshi and Shaiboni are still remembered, most of the Arabs view genealogies as unimportant. Many of these Afghan Arabs work in the agricultural industry, often growing cotton and wheat while others raise karakul sheep. According to an academic, the Central Asian Arabs have not had any contact with Middle Eastern Arabs since the time of Tamerlane (circa 1400).
The main body of the Afghan Arabs are found in Shibarghan provinces. Afghan Arabs, however, are presently all Dari-speaking and have been in their collective memories. However, they claim an Arab identity. There are other such Persian-speaking "Arabs" to the east, between Shebergan, Mazar-i Sharif, Kholm and Kunduz living in pockets. Their self-identification as Arabs is largely based on their tribal identity and may in fact point to the 7th and 8th centuries migration to this and other Central Asian locales of many Arab tribes from Arabia in the wake of the Islamic conquests of the region.
Estimates of the number of Muslim Arab volunteers that came from around the world to fight in Afghanistan include 8,000, 20,000 and 35,000.
These Arabs are revered by the Taliban and the Salafist sympathizers as shahid (martyrs).
Regional groups
Balkh
Around 900 families live in Khoshal Abad and Yakhdan villages of Dawlat Abad district of the province, the villagers can trace their lineage back to the third caliphate of Uthman, in the 7th century. These families are mainly engaged in agriculture and carpet weaving. Most Arabs in Balkh Province, speak in Arabic as their mother tongue, and Dari as a second language. While some of the older generation had never learned to speak either of Afghanistan’s two official languages, Dari and Pashto, many of the younger generation were being taught Dari in school and forgetting their Arabic; about 40 percent can no longer speak Arabic. Many of their customs have been forgotten, or are no longer relevant to a younger generation that identifies more with Afghanistan. Arabs who settled in northern Balkh province are worried that their culture is being wiped out as more people adopt the language and traditions of Afghanistan. Arabs form the smaller minorities in the town and district of Kholm; many identify themselves as ethnic Arabs although no one actually speaks Arabic.
Jowzjan
There are about 1,000 families living in Hassanabad of Shebarghan, capital of Jowzjan province, and in Sultan Arigh village of Aqcha district that identify themselves as Arabs. None, however, has spoken Arabic in their collective memory, with Dari forming their native language.
Ashraf
Ashraf (Arabic: أشراف) refers to someone who is a direct blood-line descendant from Muhammad by way of his daughter Fatimah. The word is the plural of sharīf "noble", from sharafa "to be highborn" if pronounced with long ā in the second syllable (أشراف /ašrāf/), but with short a (أشرف /ašraf/) is the intensive of sharīf meaning "very noble", "nobler", "noblest".
Like the Sadaa (plural of Sayyid), Ashraf often take their names from ancestry from Ali, Fatima and Muhammad and have in many Muslim societies Ashraf evolved into an honorific denoting "master" or "gentry". More precisely, the Ashraf are descendants of Ali's elder son, Hassan, and the Sadah those of Ali's younger son Hussain.
During the Abbasid period, the term was applied to all Ahl al-Bayt, basically Muhammad's own family, including, for example, the descendants of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, of Ali's second wife and of the Hashemites. During the Fatimid Dynasty, the use of the term was restricted to the descendants of Hasan and Husayn only. This restriction remained in force even after Egypt became Sunni again under the Ayyubids.
Also, the Ashraf tribe exist along countries including Somalia and Ethiopia. There are 2 to 3 sub-categories of them also, which usually have Sharif in their middle or surname. They are originally from Yemen and have in the recent generations migrated to Somalia due to its wealth and profitable businesses at the time, before the civil war broke out.
Many tribes couldn't distinguish between Ashraf and Sada. Sada Ashraf and Sayyid became a Sharif's title. The distinction between Hassani Ashraf and Hussaini Ashraf is not known. As late as the beginning of the nineteenth century, sayyid had no meaning other than sharif. Abdurrahman al-Gabarti felt compelled to explain that a certain as-Sayyid Ali al-Qabtan was a Mamluk and not a Sharif, as might have been mistakenly inferred from his title. The title in this case, meaning a Mamluk master, originated from the Maghribi usage of "Sidi", which was equivalent in meaning to Emir or Shaikh.
In modern usage, sayyid has lost its religious significance and means simply "mister".
Well aware of their distinguished descent, the Ashraf tribes kept genealogical records and were socially acknowledged as a religious elite. Inevitably, doubts arose concerning the descent of many claimants to the title. Al-Gabarti once commented of one person: "He is one of the Ashraf of true genealogy. Sayyid Muhammad Murtada verified his genealogy."
Arabs in Pakistan (Urdu: عربي) consist of migrants from different countries of the Arab world, especially Egypt, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Jordan and Yemen and have a long history. The first form of contact between the Arab people and modern-day Pakistan originally came in 711 to Sindh, when Muhammad bin Qasim, an Arab military general, was on a quest to free Muslims and their families who had apparently been arrested by Raja Dahir's soldiers while they were returning in a merchant ship to their homes in Iraq's city of Basra from Sri Lanka.
However, another version tells us about the migration of a number of the descendants of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, to Sindh, after the atrocities by the Ummayad and Abbasid caliphs against them. They have settled in the province of Sindh, Panjab and as far north as Murree.
History
The ship was hauled up by Dahir's men while it was passing a port located in the Sindh province of Pakistan and the people were taken as captives. At that time, Hajjaj bin Yusuf was the governor of present-day Iraq. Upon hearing the news, he wrote to Raja Dahir and demanded him to release the prisoners. Raja Dahir, who was the governor of Sindh at that time, refused to accept the request which tempted Yusuf to order Muhammad bin Qasim to proceed to Sindh along with an army unit of 6,000 troops in order to get the prisoners released. Qasim was hardly seventeen years of age at that time, however he was a ruthless and capable military commander, the main reason for which Yusuf may have recruited him.
After being deployed to Sindh, Qasim defeated Raja Dahir's troops and the prisoners were liberated. He also conquered Sindh and annexed the entire areas up to Multan, into Muslim territory. From that time on, the South Asia experienced its first formal contact with the Arabs and there were significant elements of Arab culture, food, sciences, arts and traditions brought into the region. This period also marked the introduction of Islam into what is now Pakistan, and the rest of South Asia, which thrived and flourished considerably. Today, Islam is the predominant state-religion of Pakistan and also has an immense number of followers in India. Islam is currently followed by at least 400-500 million people in South Asia.
After the death of Qasim, the areas of Sindh continued to remain under Arab rule for two centuries.
Migrants
According to many statistics, the total number of Arabs in Pakistan, both legal and non-legal residents, still number in the thousands, and reside in the country.
Egyptians
There were 1,500 Egyptians living in Pakistan during the 1990s. Following the 1995 attack on the Egyptian Embassy in Pakistan by Egyptian radicals, the Egyptian government renewed its security focus and collaborated with the Pakistani government to remove Egyptians from the country whom it deemed as shady elements; consequently, many Egyptians living in Pakistan were expelled or faced a discriminate crackdown. An extradition treaty was signed between the two countries, ensuring that any wanted Egyptians apprehended in Pakistan could be more efficiently mainlined back to Cairo.
Emiratis
Emirati nationals and royals periodically visit Pakistan for hunting falcons, especially Macqueen's bustards (or Asian houbara). In Rahim Yar Khan, Sheikh Zayed built his own summer palace and an airport for his personal use whenever he visited Pakistan for hunting and recreation. The tradition has been revived by many other royals, amid rage by ecologists over the declining population of falcons. A notable Emirati who lived in Pakistan is Suhail Al Zarooni, who is also half-Pakistani.
Iraqis
There are a few hundred Iraqis, most of whom are categorised as refugees.
Jordanians
Jordanians in Pakistan are mostly students.
Omanis
Oman lies in close proximity to Pakistan. Immigration between the two states has been common. Pakistani immigrants from Balochistan have formed settlements in Oman for decades and have obtained Omani citizenship. Many of these Omani Balochis, who have absorbed into Omani society, maintain migration and contact with Balochistan.
Palestinians
Palestinians in Pakistan once had a total population as high as 8,000 during the 1970s. [7][8] Now, however, the community has considerably reduced to figures ranging between 400 and 500, and only a partial number of families still remain in the country. Most Palestinians found in Pakistan are most commonly students of medicine and engineering, seeking education in various universities and institutions across Karachi, Lahore, Hyderabad, Quetta and Multan. Settled families on the other hand, are primarily based in Islamabad and Karachi.
The recent years have shown a decrease in the number of Palestinians migrating to the country, as students increasingly opt to complete undergraduate degrees in Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan. The Pakistani government reserves 50 seats for Palestinian students in universities across the country: 13 are for medicine, 4 for dentistry, 23 for engineering, and 10 for pharmacy. Eight scholarships are also offered.
During the Soviet-Afghan war, there were numerous Palestinians who took aid and shelter in Pakistan while fighting alongside the U.S.-backed guerillas against the Soviet Union. Abdullah Yusuf Azzam was one of those Palestinians who stayed in Pakistan.
Saudis
There were 250 to 300 Saudi nationals in Pakistan as of 2009.
Syrians
There are about 200 Syrians in Pakistan. There are also students from Syria studying in Pakistani institutions. In May 2011, Syrian expatriates in Pakistan were seen protesting outside the Syrian embassy in Islamabad and condemning Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and his regime, amid the Syrian protests back home.
Yemeni
Many Muhajir communities in Pakistan, such as the Chaush, Nawayath and the Arabs of Gujarat, are of Hadhrami descent from modern-day Yemen. A considerable proportion of Arabs in Pakistan come from Yemen.
Tribes with Arabic heritage
Due to the long history of Arab contact with the Indus region in Pakistan, there are now a substantial number of Pakistanis who claim Arabic origin, descent and heritage. A sizeable population of the eight million Muhajirs who migrated to Pakistan in 1947 from India also claim to have Arab ancestral root. Found among the Muhajirs, are the Iraqi biradri.
Large number of Sindhis are of arab origin.
In Punjab, there are numerous tribes who have Arab ancestry, such as the Siddiqui, Salara, , the Hijazis, Arain Shaami, the Dhund Abbasi, the Dhanyal, the Hans, the Hashmi (Nekokara), the Kahut and the Bodla.
The Dhond Abbasi of Murree and Kalhora of Sindh claim direct descent of Abbas ibn Abd Al-Mutalib paternal uncle and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
The Thaheem of Sindh and Punjab claim descent from the Banu Tameem of Arabia
The 'Poswal'. The word "Poswal" is derived from the Arabic word "Boswal", which literally means "one who asks questions", but it has been pronounced as "Poswal" for many centuries in South Asia. Poswals are a branch of the main Gujjar Tribe, which spans across India (Gujarat), Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The first contingent of Poswals arrived in South Asia with the Forces of Muhammad bin Qasim when he invaded Sindh in 712 A.D. Even before Poswals arrived, hundreds of thousands of Gujjars were living across the South Asia though no Poswals were residing there at that time. Today, many Poswals may be found in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan, in Uttar Pradesh of India and in modern Saudi Arabia. However, the word Poswal doesn't exist in Arabic, as this language does not support the /p/ sound; consequently, many Poswal Arabs are Boswal, or they have adopted the name of their great great ancestor as their subtribe and trace their descent back to Sahabi-e-Rasool Hazrat Wahi Kalbi RA who was from the Arab tribe of Banu Kalb.
The Mashwani and Kakakhel tribes among the Pashtuns also claims to be of Arab heritage. Though this is most likely a show of being ill-informed on their part as their lineage is documented and traced to being offshoots of other Pashtun tribes. Pashtuns are a specific ethnicity and claiming Arab descent would result in the implication that they are not Pashtun.
Syeds, Khawajas and Shaikhs
There are then a numerous number of Syeds or Khawajas (descendants of Muhammad) in Pakistan, who are yet another clear example of Pakistanis with Arabic heritage. Some of these Syeds first migrated to Bukhara and then to the South Asia. Others reportedly settled in Sindh to protect their lives against the atrocities of the Omayya and Abbasi caliphs of Arabia. The Syed people of Pakistan are figured as the most prominent and well-established people of the country, with a number of them having become popular and well-known religious icons, political leaders and professionals.
Many members of the Khawaja Shaikh and Shaikh communities in Pakistan, claim Arab ancestry. The Syeds, Abbassi, Quraishi, Chishti, Ansari, Osmani, Siddiqui, Poswal, and Farooqi all claim Arab ancestry, though the authenticity of the claim can not be confirmed.
Iraqi Biradari
Iraqi Biradari, (العراقي برادری) or Iraqi Tamimis a Sunni Muslim community in India. They are a sub-tribe who migrated to Sindh, Pakistan and further to Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
History and origin
All the above reason have their own importance for a first attack on Sindh. but immediate causes for the conquest of Sindh was the plunder of the gifts of Ceylon's ruler to Hijjaj and attack on Arab ships that were carrying the orphans and widows of Muslim soldiers who died in Jihaad against Africa. These Arab were imprisoned later on by the Governor Deebal Partaab Raye. [citation needed] A letter written by the an escaped girl from the Arab that are put in the prison of the Partab Raye. She asked Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf for help. When Hijjaj asked Dahir for release of prisoners and compensation, the later refused on the ground that he had no control over those. Hajjaj sent Muhammad Bin Qasim for this great expedition in 711 A.D. It was during this time when Spain and many parts of Africa and Central Asia were brought under the Muslim rule; and war was continue so Muslims were not in a position to start a new expedition. The only reason of this conquest was to rescue pilgrims that were taken captive by Hindu governor. [citation needed] Along with Muhammad bin Qasim thousands of people from Bani Tamim of Southern Iraq and Syria settled in Sindh after migration. Further in 16th century about a thousand people further migrated to Eastern UP for trade reasons and named themselves as Iraqi to be separated from Shaikh group of India which included converts from local Hindu castes. Thus Iraqi biradri could be considered a sub-tribe of Bani Tamim. The Biradari population practices endogamy according to family Shijra; first cousin marriages are not very common.
Cuisine
Some of the dishes made by people are: Baba ghanoush, Falafel, Kolba, Dolma, Manti, Muhammara, Biryani, Kofta along with local Indian dishes.
Eminent people
Maqbool Ahmed Lari - a renowned social worker, Nasreen Jalil - Naib Nazim of Karachi, Yasmeen Lari - first woman architect of Pakistan, Tabinda Lari - famous Pakistani singer
Thaheem
The Thaheem (or Thahim, Tamimi) are a Sindhi tribe said to be of Arab origin found in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan.
The word Thaheem said to be derived from the name of an influential tribe of the Arabian Peninsula, the Banu Tamim. Thaheems were initially warriors who migrated to the South Asia and conquered India under the command of the Muslim general Muhammad Bin Qasim. A majority speaks Saraiki language. Thaheem in Sindh region speak Saraiki and Sindhi. in Balochistan (Khuzdar) Thaheem tribe speak Balochi and Brohi. The Bafan community of Gujarat claim descent from the Thaheem tribe. Currently majority of Thaheem live in South Punjab especially in District Chiniot, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha (Sillanwali), Patraki (A village, hometown of NAWAB SAADULLAH KHAN THAHEEM, prime minister during SHAH JAHAN era.) and Sindh Province in Pakistan alongside the ancient conquest route.
The Tamim find reference in the book Tarikh i Tahiri written by the author Mir Tahir Muhammad Nasyani which details the history of Umar Sumra and Ganga of the tribe of Tamim.
194/R.B Lathianwala, Faisalabad is a known village of Thaheem caste in Pakistan. Chauhdry Muhammad Ali (Late) was Chairman of Union Council Khurrianwala during the time of General Ayub president of Pakistan was also belong to this tribe. His sons Chauhdry Hamid Javeed and Chauhdry Saeed Ahmad Mehmood are the well known person of this village.
Subdivisions
The 1901 book A short sketch, historical and traditional, of the Musalman races found in Sind, Baluchistan and Afghanistan states that the Thaheem are divided into six septs: Dilawarzai, Kamalani, Mugi, Muhamadani, Nihalani y Paryani.
Banu Israil
The Banu Israil are a Muslim community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. Their name means "Children of Israel", and the community claims descent from the Jewish community of Madinah. They belong to the Shaikh caste, and typically carry the surname Israily. They should not be confused with the Bene Israel, a Jewish community found in western India.
Origin
The exact circumstances of their settlement in India is unclear, but their traditions make clear that they were Muslims at the time of their settlement. They are largely an urban community, occupying distinct quarters in a number of towns and cities in western Uttar Pradesh, such as Banu Israilyan in Aligarh. Quite a few of them occupied important administrative positions under both the Sultanate of Delhi and its successor, the Mughal Empire. This was especially true of the Banu Israil of Aligarh, where the community were the heredity kotwals, a post which entailed being both the head of police and garrison commander.
Although largely an urban community, there were several settlements of rural Banu Israil in Etah District. These Banu Israil are unique in that they are largely a community of farmers. In additions, the community were found in the town of Dhampur in Bijnor District, in Bilari in Moradabad District, in Sahaswan and Badaun in Badaun District, and in the city of Bareilly in Bareilly District.
Shaikh of Uttar Pradesh
Total population (8,076,000) Regions with significant populations • India • Pakistan
Khawaja Shaikh
Khawaja Shaikh (Urdu:خواجه شيخ) are prominent branch of Khawaja in South Asia.
Name
Khawaja or Khwaja (Arabic: خواجة khawājah, Persian: خواجه pronounced khâje) is a title used in Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia. Khawaja is a Persian word . It means lord or master.
Khawaja is also used as family name in South Asia. In South Asia they are chisti and the Chishti Order is explained in detail below: A number of Chishti family members are now living in different parts of South Asia especially in northern Punjab province of Pakistan and also in Indian state of Gujarat. They often bear the surname "Khwaja" and it is claimed that they are Sayyid.
Marriage customs
Khawaja people usually marry within their own social affiliation that is "Sayyid or Khawaja". They marry regardless of status wealth or class discrimination. Depending on circumstances a group (clan) may be as small as few hundred families and as large as few thousand families. For example, in the Bhat clan's definition, their clan system is to be an entire group having very few sub-groups, whereas Khawajas are branched into a dozen or two sub-groups. For the Bhat clan (a Kashmiri clan) a group, by and large, usually shares an ancestral village in Kashmir as a reference point. Marriage into a family other than Khawaja family and between first cousins was discouraged in the past. Marriages to men outside the social group, i.e. the Khawaja clan (e.g. marrying outside such as Muslim Punjabi families), is now welcomed and accepted by a few Khawaja families, although some community elders may still discourage it. Although most of the departed Group of families who are out of the Family clan system (Baradari) are not following the antique family traditions.
People using the name Khawaja Sheikh
Significant figures with the name, or using the title Khawaja in South Asia include: Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty, also known as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz was a Sunni Muslim and is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of South Asia. He was born in 536 A.H./1141 CE, in Sajistan, a famous city in Khorasan province (other accounts say Isfahan) in Persia. He is also known as "Sultan-e-Hind." Descendants of Sufi saints also use this as a pronominal, He was born in a sayed family of Iran.
Fariduddin Ganjshakar Khawaja Farid (Punjabi/Saraiki: خواجہ فرید)he was a great Sufi his shrine is located in the city of Pakpattan, otherwise Pākpattan Sharīf.
Khwaja Nizamuddin
Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki(born 1173-died 1235) was a renowned Muslim Sufi mystic, saint and scholar of the Chishti Order from Delhi, India.
Khwaja Jalaluddin Surkh-Posh Bukhari was a prominent "Suhrawardiyya" Sufi saint and missionary. Bukhari was called Surkh-posh ("Red-clad") on account of the red mantle he often wore.
Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi, Abu Yusuf Bin Saamaan, Maudood Chishti, Khwaja Najamuddin Ahmed, Khwaja Wali Kirani, Baha-ud-Din Naqshband
Bukhari Khatris
When Khatri people from the western districts of the Punjab like Sargodha, Jhang, Jehlum, Chakwal, Faisalabad accepted Islam called themselves Khawaja and adopted Shaikh as title. They are thus called Khawaja Sheikh. Some of them have also adopted Mian as title. In recent years traders from a small town of Chiniot,in the Chiniot District, became prominent due to their contribution in the industries of Pakistan. These traders are known as Chiniotis or Chinioti Shaikhs. The famous trading family of Sahgals, Sahgal Khatris of Chakwal, are known simply as Punjabi Shaikh instead of Khawaja Shaikh. They use Mian as title.
The first censuses of the Punjab were conducted by Denzil Ibbetson and Edward Maclagan in 1883 and 1892. According to their reports, the Khawajas of Bhera in Shahpur, Sargodha District were converted from Khatris, and those from Jhang were said to be converted from Arora. At Chiniot in Jhang District, Majority of the Khawajas are Khatris, while some are Arora. They reported the following sections (gotras) of Khatris from Chiniot: Adal, Behrara Maggun (or Maghoon), Sahgal, Wihara, Talwar, Puri, Topra.
The sections of Khawajas from Bhera were reported as follows: Vohra, Sahgal, Duggal, Nanda, Magun, Mehndru, Motali. These are all Khatri sections.
The sections of Khawajas from Pindi Bhattian were reported as follows: Sahgal and Wadhaun. These are all Khatri sections.
The Qidwai or Kidwai (Urdu: قدوای ) are a community of Muslims in Pakistan and India. They are mostly settled in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also settled in the city of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, also they are settled in areas of the Middle East. The Qidwai, together with the Milki, Malik and Chaudhary are one of the four sub-group of a community who collectively form the Mian Muslim. The Mian Muslim were once a community of substantial landowners in the Awadh region.
History and origin
The Qidwai claim descent from Uzair Qidwai, a prince of the Sultanate of Rûm, in what is now modern Turkey. There are differing traditions as to the ethnic origin of the Qazi. Some sources claim he was a descendent of Abu Bakr, the first caliph of Islam. Qazi Qidwa had a fall out with the Sultan, his brother, and migrated to India, with wife and son. There he became a close associate of the famous Sufi saint, Moinuddin Chishti. The saint is said to have sent him to the Awadh region to spread Islam, where he is said to have won over fifty villages to Islam. These fifty villages were later awarded to him, and the region became known as Qidwara.
According to another tradition, Qazi Qidwa is said have defeated a local ruler in the Awadh region by the name of Raja Jagdeopur. This Raja was said to have belonged to the aboriginal Bhar community. The original settlement of the tribe was Juggaur in Lucknow district, from where they spread to Barabanki District. The taluqdar families have historically intermarried with the Awadhi Bhatti, a neighbouring Muslim Rajput community, with whom they share many cultural traits.
Present circumstances
The abolishment of the zamindar system by the newly independent India in 1947 had a major impact on the Qidwai community. The larger estates were broken, and land given to the farmers who worked on their lands. This led to some emigration of the Qidwais to Pakistan. The Qidwais are still found mainly in the districts of Lucknow, Faizabad and Barabanki in Awadh Sultanpur region of Uttar Pradesh.
Chaush
The Chaush are Muslim community of Hadhrami Arab descent found in the Deccan region of India. It is a Turkish word used particularly during the Ottoman era of the Balkans, Čauši were military officers often tasked with guarding palaces. They have a common origin with the Chavuse community of Gujarat.
Distribution
The Arab community in Hyderabad is the central connection chord to the government affairs and where in have some families representing the Hadhramis of India and secure their right in Yemen.
Fareedi
Fareedi or Faridi (Persian: فریدی ), is a clan of the Farooqi tribe named after Hazrat Bābā Farīduddīn Mas'ūd Ganjshakar, a murid of a sheikh who belongs to the sufi order of Baba Fareed Shaker Gunj.
Origin
Descendants of Hazrat Bābā Farīduddīn Mas'ūd Ganjshakar, the Sufi Saint of Pak Patan in Pakistan. Most Fareedis live in Pakistan while some have moved to what is India now, mostly in the province of Uttar Pradesh, basically Badayun region. From there some moved forward to Bangladesh.
Most Fareedis carry the name Farooqi but some carry the name Fareedi or Faridi. Some even carry the name Masudi or Masoodi. Those in charge of Baba Farid's carry the title Diwan in addition to the name Farooqi.
Fareedis or Faridi in South India
During the early days of the State of Hyderabad, the Fareedis came to Kannahar which was later named Kandahar after the conquest by Nizam's army which included Pethans from Kandahar. The Nizam appointed them judges, ombudsmen, and aldermen due to their ancestary with Caliph Umer Bin Khattab who was known as Farooq for his judgement. These judges were based in Parbhani but were spread in neighboring areas of Bhoker, Basmatnagar, and Palam. A detailed history can be found in the royal Nizam archives and the books "Mashaheer-e-Qandhar" (Nobles of Kandahar) and "Khandan-e-Beed" (Families of Beed).
Farooqi
Farooqui (Arabic: فاروقي ) (also spelt as Farooq or Faruqi), is a distinct name or surname or last name.
Origin
The name purportedly signifies ancestry from Umar ibn al-Khattāb (Arabic: ابن الخطاب عمر), the second Caliph of Islam. Umar was also titled 'al-Farooq' (the Redeemer). Today Farooqies are a multilingual Muslim community spread across Turkey', Romania, Middle East' and parts of Europe.
Farooqies in South Asia
The travel of Adham to Balkh
Adham, the father of Ibrahim Bin Adham and the great grandson of Umar ibn al-Khattāb, was a great travel as narrated in the papers read in the conference on "Balad As-Shaam". He travelled all the way up to Balkh where he married the only daughter of the King, and his son Ibrahim became the King of Balkh. His descendants got uprooted after the attack by Mongols, and most moved to the area which is now the modern day Punjab.
Spread to South India
In the later days of the Moghul Empire, it had crippled and a general named Asif Jah decided to move South with his friends and form his own kingdom named State of Hyderabad. Among his friends and soldiers included Farooqies who became preachers and judges. Some took their family title "Qazi" as their family name. Common Surnames used by descendants of Umar Ibn Khattab are Farooqi, Shaikh, Qazi, Fareedi.
The name "Farooqi" or "Farooqui" reappeared from time to time as the Nizam family grew too large, as Farooqui was more or less of a title of reference (to Umar ibn al-Khattāb) rather than a Family name until the mid 19th century. They're official residence was Chowmahalla Palace. It later grew to Falaknuma Palace, Bashir Bagh Palace, etc., under the Jah title.
Spread to Pakistan
After the 1947 partition of Pakistan and India, many of the Faruqui family members moved to Lahore, where they now live as comfortable higher middle class citizens. They are supposed to be descended from Umar al Khattab.
The Farooqi Dynasty
Farooqi Dynasty was formed by Abdul Malik Ahmad, the son of minister Khan-i-Jahan Farooqi of Delhi Sultanate. He became a general under Feroz Shah Tugluq and then founded Khandesh (Land of Khan) to become an independent ruler. Khandesh later became a province of Moghul Empire under Akbar.
Qazies of Deccan
After the establishment of State of Hyderabad, many Farooqies took up the job of judges, ombudsmen, and other law professions. As per the caste systems which recognized families by profession instead of ancestry, their family name became Qazi, along with Syyeds and Siddiquies etc. However these families continued to identify themselves are Farooqies, Siddiquies and Syyeds.
Farooqies in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, the children of Umar ibn al-Khattāb are known as El-Umari or Al-Omery. However the Farooqies of sub-continent, who went back to Saudi Arabia retained the family name Al-Farooqi or Al-Farouki.
Notable Farooqis
Shayan Farooqi, Mr. Pakistan World, Umar bin al-Khat'tab, Second Caliph of Islam, Hafsa bint Umar, Wife of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, Sachal Sarmast (Sufi Saint), Shaikh Salim Chisti, Sufi Saint, Shamsur Rahman Faruqi (an eminent Urdu critic, poet and theorist), Khwaja Ghulam Farid, Sufi Poet, Hazrat Mai Safoora Qadiriyya (a Sufi lady of Southern Punjab), Hazrat Mian Mir (a famous Sufi saint), Fariduddin Ganjshakar (a famous Sufi venerated by Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs
Nisar Ahmed Faruqi (a well-known Islamic scholar), Mufti Baha-ud-din Farooqi (12th Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir), Musharraf Ali Farooqi (Canadian writer), Ahmad Sirhindi (Islamic scholar and Sufi saint), Ibrahim ibn Adham (a Sufi saint), Shad Saleem Faruqi (a Malaysian Emeritus Professor of Law), Sharmila Farooqi (Pakistani politician), Ismail al-Faruqi (Palestinian-American philosopher).
Muker People
The Muker are a Muslim community, found in North India and Nepal. They are also known as Muzkeri, Mekrani, Barmaki, Ranki and Mukri.
History and origin
The name Muker is said to have derived from the Arabic makeri, meaning those who helped in the construction of Makkah. They were initially called Makkai, which meant the resident of Makkah, which was later corrupted to makeri. They are divided into two endogamous groups, the Mukeri and Shaikh Banjara. They rank themselves as Shaikh. The Shaikh Banjara are further divided into the Makrani, Muqri, Barmaki, Siddiqui and Shaikh. Different groups have different traditions to their origin, with the Makrani claiming Baluch ancestry...
The Muker in Bihar claim to be descendants of early Arab settlers, whose initial area of settlement in South Asia was the Makran region. According to their tradition they arrived in Bihar during the period of Khilji ruler, and were initially known as Makrani, which was eventually shortened to Muker. They are found in Bhagalpur and Deogarh DARBHANGA (Simri, Rampura, Dharnipatti, Kelwagachhi, Karamganj, Harchanda, Sidaspur, Kharaj villages), SUPUAL ( Jadia, phulkaha, Raghunathpur, parsa grahi, baghelwi, Tamua, koriapatti, chikni, Manganj, kokraha Tribeni ganj, chunni, soharwa, kushar, parsa tappu, barmotra and Triveniganj villages), MADHEPURA (Bishanpur, Tikulia, Rmnagar, Gardoal, Raht a, Lakshmipur, puraini, GADA. Pathraha Kajra Pakri Villages) MADHUBANI (Aunsi, Nayatola, Kabai, Shakri) ANDSAHARSA districts, and in Bhagalpur are found in the settlements of Amarpur, Sabour, Shahkind, Barahat and Banka. They speak both Urdu and the local Angika language.
Present circumstances
The Muker were traditionally peddlers, moving from place to place, selling goods. They historically traded food grains, tobacco and cattle. Many are now settled agriculturalists. The community are Muslim of the Sunni sect. They have their own tribal association, the International Mukeri Tanzeem.
The community is found in both Nepal and India. In India, they are concenterated in Uttar Pradesh, in the districts of Bahraich, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Basti, Gonda, Faizabad, Azamgarh, Deoria, Varanasi, Shahjahanpur, Hamirpur. Orai, Meerut and Rampur. In Nepal, they are found in the Terai region.
The community in Bihar is strictly endogamous, marrying in close kinship groups. Thet practice both cross cousin and parallel cousin marriages. Unlike the Uttar Pradesh Muker, those of Bihar are essentially farmers, nowadays they are involved in Business all over India 5% are in Service also they facilate for higher Education to both Girls and Boys. A few are also share croppers. There traditional occupation was the buying and selling of cattle, but many have diversified into other businesses. The community are Sunni Muslims, with the rural Muker still incorporating folk beliefs in their Islam. But the urban Muker have been coming under the influence of reformist sects of Islam, such as the Tablighi Jamat. They have their own caste association, the Bihar Muker Anjuman, which deals with community welfare issues.
Makrani (Mukeri) also large number resident in Sagar, Jabalpur, Bhopal in MP and Modha in Mahuwa.
Many members of the Khawaja Shaikh and Shaikh communities in Pakistan, claim Arab ancestry. The Syeds, Abbassi, Quraishi, Chishti, Ansari, Osmani, Siddiqui, Poswal, and Farooqi all claim Arab ancestry, though the authenticity of the claim can not be confirmed.
Large number of Sindhis are of arab origin.
In Punjab, there are numerous tribes who have Arab ancestry, such as the Siddiqui, Salara, , the Hijazis, Arain Shaami, the Dhund Abbasi, the Dhanyal, the Hans, the Hashmi (Nekokara), the Kahut and the Bodla.
The Dhond Abbasi of Murree and Kalhora of Sindh claim direct descent of Abbas ibn Abd Al-Mutalib paternal uncle and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
The Thaheem of Sindh and Punjab claim descent from the Banu Tameem of Arabia
The 'Poswal'. The word "Poswal" is derived from the Arabic word "Boswal", which literally means "one who asks questions", but it has been pronounced as "Poswal" for many centuries in South Asia. Poswals are a branch of the main Gujjar Tribe, which spans across India (Gujarat), Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The first contingent of Poswals arrived in South Asia with the Forces of Muhammad bin Qasim when he invaded Sindh in 712 A.D. Even before Poswals arrived, hundreds of thousands of Gujjars were living across the South Asia though no Poswals were residing there at that time. Today, many Poswals may be found in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan, in Uttar Pradesh of India and in modern Saudi Arabia. However, the word Poswal doesn't exist in Arabic, as this language does not support the /p/ sound; consequently, many Poswal Arabs are Boswal, or they have adopted the name of their great great ancestor as their subtribe and trace their descent back to Sahabi-e-Rasool Hazrat Wahi Kalbi RA who was from the Arab tribe of Banu Kalb.
The Mashwani and Kakakhel tribes among the Pashtuns also claims to be of Arab heritage. Though this is most likely a show of being ill-informed on their part as their lineage is documented and traced to being offshoots of other Pashtun tribes.
Pashtuns are a specific ethnicity and claiming Arab descent would result in the implication that they are not Pashtun.
Syeds, Khawajas and Shaikhs
There are then a numerous number of Syeds or Khawajas (descendants of Muhammad) in Pakistan, who are yet another clear example of Pakistanis with Arabic heritage. Some of these Syeds first migrated to Bukhara and then to the South Asia. Others reportedly settled in Sindh to protect their lives against the atrocities of the Omayya and Abbasi caliphs of Arabia. The Syed people of Pakistan are figured as the most prominent and well-established people of the country, with a number of them having become popular and well-known religious icons, political leaders and professionals.
Salara tribe
The Salara are a Punjabi tribe of Arab origin, found mainly in Chiniot District of Punjab, Pakistan.
History and origin
According to the tribe's traditions, the tribe gets its name from the Arabic word Salar which means the Leader. Muhammad Bin Qasim, the leader of the Arab army that conquered Sindh and southern Punjab, was referred to as the Salar because he was commander of the Arab army. When the Arab army come in Multan region, a group of Arab soldiers from his army settled in the region. They became known as the Salara. This tribe is thus connected with Muhammad Bin Qasim. After many hundred years of living in Multan then as a result of an unknown problem, the Salara had to leave the Multan, and settle in Chiniot.
Main villages
Their main villages are Mauza, Salara and Chak.
The Arain (Urdu:آرائیں) are a Pakistani tribe who are found mainly in the Punjab province and also that of Sindh. They are chiefly associated with small time farming or market gardening. with some being zamindars (landlords).
Origins
The origin of the Arain community is uncertain, with some members of the community claiming a connection with the Rajputs. Others, with whom the historian and political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot agrees, believe that they are displaced farming communities who moved to Punjab from Sindh and Multan as Arab Muslim armies encroached. Jaffrelot also believes the community to be related to the Kamboj. Some scholars have linked Arains to the Hindu Rayeen caste of India. Ishtiaq Ahmed, who is a political scientist like Jaffrelot and also a member of the Arain community, acknowledges that some early Arain texts ascribe a Persian origin and others a Hindu Rajput descent. He says that the Arain claims to be of Arab descent are based on the community's uniform belief in Islam and almost-entire adherence to the Sunni sect of that religion, which is a trait they share with the early Arab invaders under Muhammad bin Qasim.
British Raj period
The Arains have mostly been small farmers specializing in vegetable production. In pre-partition Lahore district they were the main Muslim-landowning group located close to the urban areas while in the rural areas of the districts Jats predominated. When the British wanted land developed in the Punjab after its annexation, the Arain were brought in to cultivate lands around the cities, and were preferred to assist with the opening up of the new agrarian frontier in canal colonies of the Punjab between 1906 – 1940. The Arain received 86 per cent of the land that was allotted to Muslim agricultural castes in canal colonies.
The British favoured them for their "hard work, frugality and sense of discipline". Subsequent development of towns and cities and increasing urbanisation resulted in the value of the land settled by Arain to rise significantly, and Arain families thus flourished. Education was prioritised with the new-found wealth and the Arain came to dominate the legal profession amongst urban Punjabi Muslims. Many used law to enter politics.
Distribution
The Arain were found in territory stretching from the Chenab in the west to the Sultlej in the east, in what was the Punjabi speaking heartland of the British colonial province of Punjab. This was also the region that suffered the worst violence during the partition of India in 1947, with almost the entire Arain population of Indian Punjab migrating to Pakistani territory. However, there are still a small number of Muslim Arains still found in Malerkotla, Sangrur and Patiala districts.
The bulk of the Arain population is now settled in the districts of Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh, with a large number of refugees settled by the Thal Development Authority in the districts of Khushab, Mianwali, Bhakkar and Layyah.
Dhanial
Dhanial (Urdu: دھنیال, or Dhanyal) is one of the largest tribes living in the Potohar plateau and Lower Himalayas for the last eight centuries. Most of the Dhanyals are settled in Kahuta, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and in Murree Hills. Some families of the tribe live in Kashmir, Abbottabad, Sialkot and Hazara. They are the descendants of Hazrat Ali from his ninth wife Hazrat Khola bint-e-Ayas bin Jaffar Bannu Hanifa. Hazrat Khola gave birth to Hazrat Ali's famous son Muhammad bin Ali also known as Muhammad bin Hanifa.
History
The name 'Dhanyal/Dhanial' is derived from Mohazzam Shah which was the name of chief and famous Sufi saint of Lower Himalayas who shifted from Dhanni (old name of Chakwal) in late 12th century. Mohazzam Shah is more famously known as 'Dhanni Pir'. Origin of Mohazzam Shah (Shajra Nasb of Dhanni Pir); Hazrat Ali > Imam Muhammad bin Hanifa (Muhammad-ul-Akbar)> Imam Ibrahim> Hassan> Zaid > Ismail> Ahsan-ul-Tarosh> Qasim> Hassan> Ibrahim > Ali> Muhammad> Abdullah> Muavia> Jaffar> Ameer Malik> Khusro Shah> Moaazam/Mohazzam Shah (DhanniPir). Forefathers of Mohazzam Shah who were Arab Muslims - migrated from Iraq to Multan during the era of Muhammad Bin Qasim. Desandants of Mohazzam Shah ruled Multan state for about 190 years. For further details regarding Dhanials and famous Potohar tribes.
Mohazzam Shah supported Muhammad Ghori to curb the activities of Hindu Rajputs who aggressively attack Muslim army of Muhammad Ghori. Due to influence of Mohazzam Shah alias Hazrat Baba Dhanni Pir, many non-Muslims of this area converted to Islam. The forefather of Dhanyal tribe was inspired by Syed Ali Hamdan alis Shah-i-Hamdan of Srinagar, Kashmir. Mohazzam Shah sacrificed his life with the battle of Hindu Dogra Rajputs in Kashmir in 13th century. Mohazzam Shah was the spiritual leader of Dhanyal, Satti and Abbasi tribes in the area of Murree Hills, plain area of Potohar and Kashmir. Hazrat Baba Dhanni Pir's shrine is situated in Mouri Sayyaedan, a valley on Lehtrar Road, Islamabad, Pakistan. An Urs (annual death anniversary) is held every year in April at his shrine. This Urs is currently organised by Raja Asif and his younger brother Raja Haroon, of Mora Malaal, Karor (Grandsons of Sardar Bahadur Raja Tikka Khan, son of Sardar Raja Namana Khan who was Chief of the Dhanials).
Hans clan
The Hans are a tribe found in Punjab, Pakistan.
Hashmi Syed
The Nakokara (Hashmi Syed) is tribe, descent from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraish, and are found in Punjab, Pakistan. They are concentrated in the Jhang and Chiniot districts of Punjab.
The Nakokara clan are said to have come originally from Bahwalpur some 600 years ago. In addition to Jhang Basti Ghazi Shah,Basti Shah Shakoor,Chak Mian Murad Shah and Chak Mian Wali Shah Bagh Jhang and Chiniot, (Thati Bala Raja) they also hold lands in Gujranwala and Sargodha Districts.
Members of this Syed clan carry the family name Hashmi or Hashimi. The Ali bin Abi Talib A.S All Generation Fatmi Or Gair Fatmi Is Syed. Coz Ali Bin Abi Talib A.S Is Syed. The Ali Bin Abi Talib 3rf Son Muhammad Akbar R.A ( Muhammad Bin Hanfia ) Generation Also Syed. Alvi The 4th Son Generation Also from Gair Fatmi They Are Also Syed. Coz Imam Ali A.S Is Syed.e.Na.
Nakokara (Pious) is a surname, was given by Prophet Muhammad Muhammadصلےاللہعلیہ وسلم to Uqeel bin Abu Talib.
Family tree
The family tree of the Nakokara meets up with their ancestor Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (Arabic:) (549 – 619), who was the head of the clan of Banu Hashim (Hashim ibn Abdul Manaf). He was married to Fatima bint Asad and was an uncle of Mohammad ( علیہ وسلم صلےاللہ ). His real name was Imran, but he is better known as Abu Talib because he had a son named Talib.
Abu Talib raised and supported Mohammad ( صلےاللہعلیہ وسلم ) while he was a young man.
Aqeel (radi ALLAH unho) was second of the four sons of Abu Talib, who was the uncle and protector of Muhammad صلےاللہعلیہ وسلم . Aqeel's (radi ALLAH unho) nickname was Abu Yazid. He fought in the Battle of Mu'tah and became blind late in his life, dying at the age of 96.
Villages
The main villages of the tribe in Chiniot District area is Hersa Shaikh , Chauntrewala, Thatta Karam Shah, Taliyala and Zakhera. There also a few villages in Jhang District such as Nekokara.Basti Ghazi Shah,Basti Shah Shakoor,Chak Mian Murad Shah and Chak Mian Wali Shah In addition, Sheikh Waen in Bahawalpur District, Sagharpur in Jhelum District are also important villages of the tribe. In Vehari District, there is the village of Nekokara.
The 'Kalhoro/Kalhora' (written in Sindhi: 'ڪلهوڙو/ڪلهوڙا') is a Sindhi clan of Abbasi tribe. They are the descendants of Hazrat Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (رضي اللهعنه) Paternal Uncle and Sahabi (Companion) of Islamic Prophet Muhammedمحمدﷺ.
The Kalhora Dynasty (ڪلهوڙا راڄ) ruled Sindh and some parts of the Modern Punjab of Pakistan for over a century (1701 - 1783) CE. The Era of Kalhora dynasty is known as - Golden Times for Sindh. Many prominent personalities of Sindh is born and flourished in this era, the Poet of Sindh Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai famous for his Shah Jo Risalo (شاھ جو رسالو) is amongst the production of Kalhora dynasty.
Arrival in Sindh
It is cited in Tareekh-e-Sindh Kalhora Daur, Part I:
The Abbasi Leader Al-Qaim Abbasi descendant of Abbasid caliph of Cairo Al-Mustansir II arrived in 1366 CE in Sindh to enforce the law of the Caliphate and to work with the rulers of the local tribe. In 1370 CE Ahmed also arrived in Sindh to assist his brother.
Al-Ahmed Abbasi married with the daughter of Rai King Dohrang Sahta, and received one third of Sindh Province in dowry. Fathu'llah Khan Abbasi great great grandson of Al-Ahmed Abbasi, conquer the territory Dallu of Alor and Bhamanabad from Bhangar. and renamed the territory to Qahir Bela. In 1583, Fathu'llah's son, Chenai Khan Abbasi, entered in imperial services as a panch hazari in the Mughal forces.
Chenai Khan Abbasi was a pious saint, famous for his bravery and a leader of Panch Hazari in the Mughal Dynasty which was the highest Military grade in Mughal Dynasty. Chenai Khan had two sons Mehdi Khan Abbasi and Daud Khan Abbasi. After the death of Chenai Khan, Mehdi Khan was honored with father's sword and leadership of the tribe and Daud Khan inherited his father's spiritual legacy: the Mussallah (the place of worship), the Tasbeeh (the sacred chants) and the role of Murshid (The Spiritual Leader).
Mehdi Khan died shortly after his Father's death, Ibrahim Khan, succeeded his father Mehdi Khan. However, Ibrahim Khan abdicated his role in order to pursue a simple spiritual life at Mount Kalho (ڪلهو), near Hyderabad. Thus then he become famous as Kalhoro Khan (ڪلهوڙو خان), meaning (one who lives a spiritual life alone) and later his descendants use Kalhoro as their Surname.
The Kalhora are the descendants of Mehdi Khan Abbasi, and the Daudpota are the descendants of Daud Khan Abbasi.
Mian Adam Shah Kalhoro
Mian Adam Shah Kalhoro, (Urdu: ٱدم شاھ کلھوڑو ميان), the ninth descendant of Chenai, was born in a small village. He rose to prominence through the patronage of Wadera Khabar Abro of Dabah village. The small village of his birth became a centre of Islamic spiritual learning. After travelling widely, Adam Shah Kalhoro settled in Hatri, Chandukah taluk (now a rural union council of Hyderabad).
In 1591, Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana took the rule of Multan. He moved his forces south into Sindh to attack the Turkhans and their supporters, the Safavids of Iran and the Portuguese. Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khanan helped a commander of Akbar to take Sindh from Mirza Jani Beg Turkhan.
Mirza Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khánán, the Nawib (a princely ruler), visited Adam Shah Kalhora to ask for his blessing, pay his respects and offer him the zamindar or parguna (an area of land) of Chándúkah, as a jagir (a feudal life estate), for support in the military campaign.Later, his blessings was accepted and Khan-e-Khánán cameback victorious from the Battle. Adam Shah Kalhora later went to Multan to Makhdoom Lal Esan Qureshi, a celebrated living saint of the time and a descendant of Sheikh Baháuddín Zakariya Multani. These events had the effect of consolidating Adam Shah Kalhora's influence in north-west Sindh.
However, his travels through the lands of the local rulers and the presence of his large entourage caused discord and Adam Shah Kalhora was killed. He became a martyr among the Kalhora people. Adam Shah Kalhora has followers in a number of tribes including: the Abro, Bhatti, Jokhiyo, Junejo, Sial, Sahta, Rajputs, Kalwar, Jatoi, Khosa, Chandio, Leghari and, Talpurs.
Adam Shah Kalhora founded the Mianwal movement. [1] He had two sons: Daud Kalhora and Ibrahim Kalhora. The Kotwal (chief of police) and his supporters selected Daud Kalhora as their new leader. Daud Kalhora extended his power and authorities in Hatri village near Larkana. He had two sons, Ilyas and Ali (Shahal).
Ilyas increased holdings of land and disciple numbers. In 1620, he died in Mujawar village, Dokri taluk, Larkana District. After Ilyas' death the disciples elected Shahal Kalhora their new spiritual guide and governor of the area. Shahul Kalhora held the lands of the Abro and Sangi tribes until his death in an attack by the ruler of Bakhri in 1657 CE.
Kalhora Rulers of Sindh
The Kalhora ruled Sindh (now a Sindh province of Pakistan) between 1701 and 1782 CE. From 1701 to 1736 CE the centre of power was Khudabad, and from 1768 - 1782 CE Hyderabad, Sindh. The official and court language was Persian and Sindhi was language of the people.
Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro (1657-1692)
The first ruler of the Kalhora dynasty was Nasir Kalhoro (1657-1692). Nasir, a pious and virtuous man, was harassed by the Mughals of Bakhir, (north Sindh). He spent much of his time in the sand desert near Shahdadkot, Punjab. Eventually, he established his settlement on the plains of Kachho (an area in Sindh). He battled Mirza Pini, governor of the Siwi and the Panhwars and in a settlement truce, was exiled to Gwalior by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Fighting continuing, until Nasir escaped with the help of Bahadur Daudpota of Shikapur. Nasir returned to lead the Mianwal movement and defeat the Mughals. Nasir died in 1692 CE and was buried in Gaarhi near Kakar taluk, Khairpur district, Dadu, Sindh. His tomb was built by his son, Yar, in 1708 CE.
Mian Deen Muhammad Kalhora (1692 - 1699)
In 1692, Nasir Kalhora was succeeded by his elder son, Deen (Din) Kalhora who fought against Mughals to consolidate his power. Deen continued to lead the Mainwal movement, becoming strong politically and increasing land holdings.
Battle between Kalhora and Mughals
In 1695 CE, Muiz ul-Din, the eldest son of Muazam Shah Alam, was appointed as Governor of Multan by his grandfather, the emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir. The Mughals accused the Kalhora of making trouble and Muiz ul-din and the governors of Bakhar Sarkar and Siwistan Sarkar objected to the Mianwal movement. A series of attacks on the dairas (holdings) of the Mianwal leaders failed, leading to the battle of Garello township, Dokri taluk, Larkana district in 1699 CE. In this battle Feroze Faqir Virar (a disciple of Nasir Kalhora and a general of Deen Kalhora’s army) led the Kalhora forces who included men from Gaarhi, Kakar, Khairpur. Jehan led the Mughal forces, assisted by the Panhwar. The Kalhora persisted and Jehan died.
In 1701 CE, Muiz ul-din retaliated, marching from Lahore to Sindh. Deen Kalhora sent his brother, Muhammad Kalhora, and two advisors, Qasim and Khaman, to Bakhar, to appease Muiz ul-din. The men appeared before the prince and convinced him to return to Lahore. Muiz ul-din was on his way to Lahore when he heard news of looting and ransacking of villages by the Mianwal. He returned and a fierce battle was fought on the banks of Nai Gaj river, Dadu District. On his defeat, Deen Kalhora asked for clemency but was killed and buried in Sindh.
Mian Yar Muhammad Kalhora
After Deen Kalhora's death in 1701, Yar Kalhora, a younger son of Nasir Kalhora, took refuge with his followers at Kalat. There, he was rejected by the Baloch and lived in the Kirthar Mountains where the Mian Gun peak is named for him. Eventually, he returned to Sindh and the prince, Auranzeb honoured him with the title Khudayar Khan.
Mian Noor Muhammad Kalhora
In 1736, the Mughal Emperor, Muhammad Shah, affirmed the next ruler of the Kalhora dynasty, Noor Kalhora, by naming him the Kalhora Nawab of Sindh. The latter later became, in the late 1740s, subordinate to the Afghan Durranis, who incorporated Sindh.
A necropolis (1753), named for Noor Kalhora, is located 15 km east of Dalautpur town, Nawabshah district.
Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro
In 1762, Ghulam Kalhora helped Ahmad Shah Durrani fight the Hindu Marathas during the Third Battle of Panipat in order to restore Mughal rule. Ghulam Kalhora commanded a large army and fought against the Rao of Kuchh, an ally of the Maratha and an adversary of Sindh in the Thar desert. He fought again in Kutch 1764. he also build the tomb of hazrat shah Abdul latif bhattai
Battle of Halani
In 1782, the Talpur Baloch fought against the Kalhora. The Talpur Baloch defeated the Kalhora ruler at the Battle of Halani. At the end of rule of the Kalhora dynasty, the Kalhora settled in Khanpur, Shikarpur. The Kalhora dynasty left to Sindh province a legacy of arts, science and a system of benign taxation. For example, an irrigation system of several wah (channels) was completed.
Struggle of Security Council
The great Kalhora clan took their expertise to the plains of Lahore for a showdown with the Haroon clan and the Jamis.
Mashwanis
The Mashwani (also Moshwani, Mishwani, or Miswani) (Urdu: مشوانی) are an indigenous tribe of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa allied to the Pashtun, living predominantly in Pakistan today.
History
The Mashwani tribe claims descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah and her husband Ali Ibne Abu Talib.
Historical role
The Mashwanis played an active role in resistance against the Sikh invasion and occupation of the Hazara region during the 19th century. During the Sikh occupation of Hazara, Muslims were persecuted and Muslim monuments were destroyed.
Mashwanis have been historically soldiers and were part of different armies, especially the British Indian Army which they enrolled in, in sizable numbers between the 1850s and 1940s. Many Mashwanis are now soldiers in the Pakistan Army.
Kakakhel (tribe)
Kakakhel is a prominent Syed clan and are descendents of Husayn ibn Ali. Also Known as Mians they speak Pashto and are considered as the most noble clan amongst Pashtuns. Kakakhels are descendents of a great Sufi saint Sheikh Rehamkar Hazrat Kaka Sahib.
Sulaymani (Redirected from Sulaymani Bohra)
For the city in Iraqi Kurdistan, see Sulaymaniyah.
Sulaymani Bohras (Sulaymanis) are a Musta‘lī Ismaili community that predominantly reside in Saudi Arabia (Najran), Yemen, Pakistan and India. They are also called Makrami. [1] They number between several hundred thousand and one million in Saudi Arabia alone. [2] They belong to Tayyibi Ismailis, which bifurcated into various Bohras including major group Dawoodi Bohra.
History
This Tayyibī Isma'ilī community is named after their 27th Dā‘ī, Sulayman bin Hassan, who ascended to this position after the death of the 26th dā‘ī muṭlaq, Dawūd ibn Ajabshah.
Sulayman ibn Hasan was Dawūd ibn Ajabshah's deputy in Yemen at the time of the latter's death. A heated dispute broke out because in India, as per the Sulaymanis, Dawūd ibn Qutub Shāh Burhanuddin claimed the position of Dā‘ī muṭlaq for himself and managed to win the support of the majority of the Indian Ṭayyibis. As per the Sulaymanis, Sulayman returned to India to claim the succession on the basis of the nass (explicit designation of succession by his predecessor) of Dawūd ibn Ajabshah. The heated succession dispute was brought before the Emperor Akbar at Lahore but before his claim and the dispute came to any conclusion, Sulayman died under mysterious circumstances in Lahore.
The great majority of the Ṭayyibi Ismailis in Yemen, and a small group of Indian Ṭayyibi Ismailis, upheld the succession rights of Sulayman ibn Hasan. Henceforth the Sulaymanis and the Dawūdis followed different du‘āt (dā‘īs).
When Sulayman ibn Hasan was released from the Ottomans' jail, he was contacted by the Yam tribe and al-Fakih Ali ibn Hanthalah al-Yami, who was handling the da‘wah's affairs in Najran at the time, and asked to move the center of the da‘wah from Yemen to Najran. Sulayman ibn Hasan went to Najran but had to leave for India to deal with the urgent succession dispute. He appointed Muhammad ibn al-Fahad al-Makrami to handle the affairs of the da‘wah in Yemen and Ali ibn Hanthalah al-Yami to handle the affairs in Najran, and sent al-Fakih Jabir ibn Hadi al-Waili to India ahead of him.
Sulayman ibn Hasan was succeeded by his elder son, Ja‘far ibn Sulayman, as 28th dā‘ī mutlaq. During his youth, Safī ud-Dīn Muhammad ibn al-Fahad, who belonged to the influential Makrami family of the Yemeni Isma‘ili tribe of Yam, ran the affairs of the Sulaymani da‘wah as mustard "acting dā‘ī". He was later designated as the 29th dā‘ī al-mutlaq after Ja‘far ibn Sulayman.
The Sulaymani da‘wah headquarters was transferred to Najran in northeastern Yemen when the 31st Dā‘ī, Ibrāhīm ibn Muhammad ibn Fahad was appointed by Sulayman ibn Hasan's younger son, ‘Alī ibn Sulayman, who had succeeded by then as the 30th Dā‘ī al-Mutlaq.
Yemen and Najran
Population
The total number of Sulaymanis, currently, are around 300,000 and they mainly reside in Najran, Saudi Arabia. Besides the Banu Yam of Najran, the Sulaymanis are in the eastern district of Haraz in the northwest of Yemen, among the inhabitants of the Jabal Maghriba and in Hawzan, Lahab and Attara, as well as in the district of Hamdan and in the vicinity of Yarim and in India and Pakistan.
Support and coalition
In Yemen, the Sulaymanis were supported by the powerful tribe of Banū Yam who, like the bulk of the Yemeni Isma'ilis, had sided with Sulayman ibn Hasan and the Sulaymani cause. Sulaymani du‘āt ruled Najran independently, usually from Badar.
The Sulaymani du‘āt fought battles with local Zaydi Imāms who ruled Yemen after expelling the Ottomans in 1045 AH (1635 CE). During the dā‘īship of Hibatullah ibn Ibrahim al-Makrami, the Zaydis formed a pact with the Sulaymanis which allowed the latter to control Haraz. In 1127, Dai Muhammed bin Ismail bin Ibrahim Almakrami left Taibah in Yemen to Najran as a result of the fierce fighting that was going on at the time, he settled with Yam tribe of Najran and formed a coalition with them (the coalition included the Makramai tribe, the Yam tribe and Ibn Abdullah tribe, and a local army of the Da'wa to protect them from hostile raids was formed. This army then sought to re-claim their land and properties in Yemen. The army however would only be able to go to Yemen through Tihaamah. This lead Dai Muhammad bin Ismail bin Dai Ibrahim Almakrami and his coalition to form another alliance with the rulers of the Al-Mekhlaf Alsulaimani who reside in the Tihaamah region and control traffic to and from Yemen. The two parties then signed pacts of peace and cooperation against outsiders.
The Da'wa coalition was very strong and militarily advanced that the rulers of Al-Mekhlaf Al-sulaimani (currently called Jizan in the southwestern part of Saudi Arabia) relied on them and asked for their assistance and back-up in their internal and external wars. Moreover, the Da'wa coalition led by Dai Muhammad bin Ismail bin Dai Ibrahim Almakrami engaged in many battles from Hadhramout (in Yemen) to Najd (in the center of Arabian Peninsula)
Taking control
In the mid 12th century AH (18th century CE), the Sulaymanis, led by their du‘āt, were able to take control of the Mikhlafus-Sulaymani, which adjoins the Red Sea. Later, they went on to conquer Hadramout in 1170 AH (1756 CE) and attained political power in that area. It was at this time that they were faced by the rising power of the Sa‘ūdī family of Central Arabia. In the mid 12th century Hijri (18th century CE), it lay under the banner of the powerful Muhammad ibn Sa‘ūd; this marked the beginning of the Wahhabi State in Central Arabia.
By 1202 AH (1788 CE), all of Najd had been conquered by ibn Sa‘ūd's son and successor, ‘Abdul-‘Azīz, who was successful in repelling three expeditions sent against him by the Sulaymanis. However, in 1288 AH (1871 CE) the Ottomans reoccupied Yemen and curtailed the power of the Zaydi Imāms and expelled the Sulaymanis from Haraz. The 42nd Dā‘ī, al-Hasan ibn Ismail ash-Shibam, was killed at this time and their fortress at Attara was destroyed. It was this event that marked the end of the political power of the Sulaymanis and the Makrami dynasty in Yemen.
Sulaymani du‘āt and their community in Yemen withstood much hostility from the Zaydis; after accepting a peace settlement with the Sa‘ūdīs, their du‘āt moved permanently to Najran.
Boundary settlement
In the 20th century CE, ‘Abdul-‘Azīz II became king of Sa‘ūdī Arabia and war broke out with Yemen over a boundary dispute. After defeating the Zaydi Imam Yahyá, the demarcation of the boundary was drawn up and Najran, seat of the Sulaymani du‘āt, was apportioned to Sa‘ūdī Arabia. Though times were turbulent, the 46th Dā‘ī, ‘Alī ibn Muhsin Shabaam, used all of his diplomatic skill and foresight to handle this dispute carefully, conferring with King ibn Sa‘ūd and the Zaydi Imām Yahyá.
Succession
The 47th Sulaymani Dā‘ī was an Indian, Ghulam Husayn, who visited Yemen and Najran twice but died shortly after being a Dai, and is buried in Bombay . The 48th Dā‘ī was Dai Ash Sharafi al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Makrami, who eventually died in Ta'if. After him Ad Dai Ali bin Husain Ash Sharafi was designated as dai and for about 46 years served the Daiship and Da'wa, Da'watul Haq. After him Ad Dai Sayyadna As Sharafi Husain bin Hasan bin Abdullah Al-Makrami was a designated Dai, who served the Da'wa ilallahi Ta'aala in the best possible way. After him 51st Sayyadna Ad Dai Ash Sharafi became the Mansoos Alaihi, Rightful Dai and was instrumental in bold reforms for the betterment of Da'wa.
In recent years, after a long illness, the 51st Dā‘ī, ash-Sharfī Husayn ibn Isma'il died on 2 June 2005. He was succeeded by Al-Fakhrī Ad Dai' Sayyadna ‘Abdullāh ibn Muhammad bin Husain al-Makrami. Al-Fakhrī Ad Dai' Sayyadna ‘Abdullāh ibn Muhammad bin Husain al-Makrami died on 7 April 2015.
South Asia
Population
Ahmedabad in Gujarat was the centre of the Sulaymani Da‘wah in South Asia during the Dā‘īship of Ja'far ibn Sulayman ibn Hassan and ‘Ali ibn Sulayman ibn Hasan but later relocated to Baroda. However because of the presence in Ahmedabad of the Rouza "mausoleums" of their Dā‘ī Sulayman ibn Hassan and his son ‘Ali ibn Sulayman ibn Hasan and many other earlier Dā‘ī's rouzas and graves, many Sulaymanis visit Ahmedabad as a centre of pilgrimage from all over the world, there is a Sulaymani centre in the city, with a mosque, jamatkhana and accommodation and other facilities for travelling pilgrims. Ahmedabad still houses some Sulaymani families with an amil to look after the affairs of the community.
Baroda became the centre of the Sulaymani da‘wah and was the centre of Da‘wah for a long period before it was transferred to Mumbai in 1973 AD. It is still the largest Sulaymani centre with two mosques one of which is recently built, a large jamatkhana also a function hall, a library, a bank, a cooperative banking society, school for young children, a medical centre and many other welfare organizations. After the death of 30th Dai'Sayyadna ‘Ali ibn Sayyadna Ad Dai' Sulayman in 1088 AH,and was buried in Ahmedabad, India the da‘wah's headquarters moved to Najran and the South Asian mission remained in the hands of Sayyadi Hassan Khan ibn ‘Abd ul-Malik, who was appointed by Sayyadna Ad Dai'Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Fahad al-Makrami.
In Pakistan, there is a well established Sulaymani community of 15,000 in Jazeera e Sindh and Punjab, which has been there since the time of Ali bin Abi Taalib, who sent a missionary, bin Murrat ul Abdi, to preach there. He died and was buried in the village of Langarwah.
The Fatimid Imām Mu‘izz liDīn in Allāh also sent his du‘āt to Sindh to propagate Islam. The rest reside in Karachi, Pakistan. In India, there are around 5000–6000 Sulaymanis living mainly in Baroda, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Surat and Indore.
There are also about one thousand or so Sulaymanis scattered around the world. Mainly from South Asia, they are found in greatest numbers in the Persian Gulf states, USA, Canada, Thailand, Australia, Japan and UK.
As stated earlier, in 1973 AD, after the visit of 49th Dā‘ī-ul-Mutlaq,Sayyadna ‘Alī ibn Husayn, to India, Mumbai became the new center of the Da‘wah for all regions aside from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Yemen, replacing Baroda.
Manaseeb
The first mansūb "representative", or Dā‘ī Hind wa Sind "missionary to Jazeeras of Hind (India) and Sind" was Sayyidi Dawūd ibn Ahmad. He was appointed by the 32nd Dā‘ī Mutlaq. The second mansūb was Sheikh Dawūd ibn Feer(pronounced as Feer in Arabic,actually Peer). Later, the responsibilities were taken away from him . "Mansūb/s" were also appointed separately for Sind during the time of Syedna Al-Dā‘ī Sulayman ibn Hassan and thereafter by Ja‘far ibn Sulayman and ‘Ali ibn Sulayman. The first Mansūb of Sindh was Dawūd ibn Babu. The last Mansūb in Sindh was Sayyidi Al Mansub Shēr Muhammad ibn Abdul-Khaliq. Afterwards The Mansub of Hind and Sind is one personality who looks after the affairs of both these Jazeeratain .
In recent times, during the dā‘īship of Husamuddarain Ad Dai' Sayyidna Ghulam Husain ibn Al Mansub Farhat Ali, his brother Almansub AlAalimul Awwah Fatehul uloom Sayyidi Fathullāh Saheb was appointed 16th Mansūb Hind wa Sind, (1341–1355 AH). Maulaana Almansub AlAalimul Awwah Fatehul uloom Sayyidi Fathullāh Saheb was a passionate exponent of Uloome Ahle bait and was in service of his deen fully from dawn to dusk.Administrating, teaching and leading a life by excellent example to others, a much loved orator, and a strong advocate and a right exponent of Deeni matters, especially in the meetings of Uluma and Mashaaiq of Hind wa sind. He died in Baroda, India . The 19th Mansūb, Sayyidi Muhammad Husayn ibn Shamsud-Dīn was appointed (1355–1360 AH) by Dai Sayyidna Husamuddarain Ghulam Husain bin Mansoob ul Jali Farhat Ali .
20th Mansub - Muhammad Ishaq ibn Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim Ziaee (1356–1376 AH)
He appointed by Ash Sharafi Sayyidna Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Makrami. Sayyidi Almansub Muhammad Ishaq Saheb's time in office was quite eventful. Apart from Deeni matters and discourses, The da‘wah began to expand, with many new buildings being constructed under his watch; the old mosque was rebuilt in Hyderabad, India, which was contemplated and started by Dai Husamud-Daarain Sayyidna Ghulam Husain bin Al Mansub Farhat Ali. Cooperative banks were established and many young Sulaymanis began to migrate heading to the Persian Gulf states, Saudi Arabia and to Western Countries.
21st Mansub - Sayyidi Mowlana Al Mansoob Muhammad Shakir Zi‘a ibn Mullah Walī Muhammad Toorabally Saheb
After the death of Sayyidi Almansub Muhammad Ishaq Ziaee Saheb, Sayyidi Mowlana Al Mansoob Muhammad Shakir Zi‘a ibn Mullah Walī Muhammad Toorabally Saheb and Sayyidi Almansub Nasrullāh ibn Mulla Hibatullāh Husami Saheb became the 21st & 22nd Mansūbs, appointed simultaneously by Aljamali Ad Dai' Sayyidna ‘Alī ibn Husayn al-Makrami. Al Mansoob Muhammad Shakir Zi‘a hails from an eminent family of Sulaimani Hudood starting from Sayyedi Hazrat Al Mansoob Sher Mohammed bin Abdul Khaliq in the 17th century. Sayyedi Mowlana Al Mansoob Muhammad Shakir Zi‘a ibn Walī Muhammad Toorabally Saheb was a renowned poet and scholar in Arabic language Arabic, Persian and Urdu and was sent to Lucknow to study at Nadwatul-Ulama' under the guidance of Maulana Shibli Naumani. He stayed there for four years and was later sent to Najran under the guidance of Sayyidi Almansub Fathullāh ibn Al Mansub Farhat Ali Saheb. After returning to India, he decided to travel to Bangkok, Thailand; he was the Amil, (chief representative of Dawat for a particular city/country) of Bangkok for many years. He later moved to Japan to help his father in business and lived in Kobe for some time. There his father Mulla Walī Muhammad ibn Haji Toorabally was a well-known personality, fluent in Arabic, English as well as in Japanese. He traveled extensively before settling down in Japan in 1890. There Sayyidi Mowlana Al Mansoob Muhammad Shakir Zi‘a ibn Mullah Walī Muhammad Toorabally Saheb helped to establish the first mosque and was twice elected the president of the Japanese India Club. When he returned to Baroda, India, he was made Amil "Representative" of Baroda by Sayyidi AlMansub Muhammad Ishaq ibn Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim Ziaee.
During the historic visit of Sayyadna ‘Ali ibn Husayn al-Makrami in 1973 AD (1393 AH) Sayyadi Mowlana Al Mansub Muhammad Shakir Zia ibn Mullah Walī Muhammad Toorabally was taken seriously ill largely due to old age, however he was so excited by the historic arrival of Sayyadna ‘Ali ibn Husayn Al-Makrami that in spite of his illness he went to Mumbai to welcome his Dā‘ī-ul-Mutlaq personally. Soon after he died in Baroda on the 6th of Rajab 1393 AH at the grand age of 86. After his demise Sayyadi Almansub Al Aa'lim ul Awwah Nasrullah ibn Hibatullah Husami took full charge as Mansoob e Munfarid to greater heights in Educational and development activities of this Community.
22nd Mansub - AlAalim ul Awwah Al Mansub Sayyidi Nasrullah ibn Mulla Hibatullah Hussami Saheb
He was a grandson of Almansub Sayyidi Fathullah ibn Sayyidi Almansub Farhat Ali, and along with Sayyadi Almansub Hakeem-ul-Waqt Zia Ali ibn Sayyadi Almansub Muhammad Ishaq Ziaee and his brother Sayyadi Almansub al-Fakhri Abdullah ibn Hibatullah Fathi,he was sent to Najran by Sayyadi Almansub Muhammad Ishaq ibn Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim Ziaee for further religious studies called "Hijrat". There they resided for nine months.
Sayyadi Almansub Al Aa'lim ul Awwah Nasrullah ibn Hibatullah Husami based his Da'wa in Bombay, India. He was an able and efficient administrator, a fine Orator of Religious discourses, a prolific exponent of Fiqh and of uloom e Ahle Bait of a very high form, a Qaari of repute and a learned Master of Arts in Arabic and Urdu from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India. during his time in office and through his best persuasion, Sayyadna Ali bin Husain the 49th Dā‘ī-u l-Mutlaq Sayyadna Ali ibn Husayn al-Makrami visited India in 1973, followed by his visit to Jazeera e Sindh in Pakistan . This was the first visit of a Sulaymani al-Makrami Dā‘ī to India and Pakistan. following this visit, Mumbai became the centre of Indian Da'wah replacing Baroda. During Mansoobiyat time of Sayyadi Almansub Al Aa'lim ul Awwah Nasrullah ibn Hibatullah Husami extensive building expansion for the residential facility for downtrodden members of the Community, renovations and new building constructions of Masaajid and Jamaat Khana were undertaken in all places of his jurisdiction in Hind-India and Sind − now largely Pakistan and even facilitated the construction of a huge building called Ribaat in Makkae Muazzama and Madina e Munawwara. Many religious books and manuscripts were translated into Urdu and published in all Sulaymani centres in his time .
He died in 1399 AH (1979 AD)at a ripe age of just 58 years 0n 12th Ramazaan ul Mubaarak 1399 Hijri .
23rd Mansub - ASayyadi Almansub Hakim-ul-Waqt Zia Ali ibn Sayyadi Almansub Muhammad Ishaq Ziaee
He was appointed by Husayn ibn Hasan Al-Makrami.Sayyadi Almansub Al Almujtahid Alfakhri Abdullah ibn Hibatullah Fathi was appointed as deputy Mansoob also.
24th Mansub - Sayyadi Almansub Al Almujtahid Alfakhri 'Saahib ul Jazeeratain' Abdullah ibn Hibatullah Fathi (Current)
He was appointed as Mansoob e Munfarid on his predecessor's demise.He is an able administrator, living his life by example to others as ordained by Shariat e nabawiyya and a keen Historian, with such a profound knowledge of uloom e Dawat that it keeps the Mumineen enthralled for hours. His Khidmaat is very Wasi' and large to be captured in mere sentences here.
25th Mansub - Sayyadi Almansub Muhammad Ibrahim ibn Sayyadi Muhammad Ishaq Ziaee (Current)
Sayedna Husain bin Ismail appointed Sayyadi Almansub Muhammad Ibrahim ibn Sayyadi Muhammad Ishaq Ziaee as the 25th Mansūb of Hind and Sindh. Both these Manaseeb reside in Hyderabad, but travel extensively to look after the affairs of their congregation in India and abroad. They are assisted and helped by their amils and Mufeedeens, (religious Teachers ) in the day-to-day affairs of the community in Deen and Duniya.
Notable Personalities
During the time of Sayyidna Ghulam Husayn ibn Farhat Ali, the late Mullah Gowhar Ali ibn Mullah Nūru d-Dīn Hakim was the Amil of Baroda, he was a prominent and well known personality and the adviser to the late Maharaja Gaekwad of Baroda, was also a member of the Muslim Council of Baroda and a Member of Parliament. He initiated and established a boarding school for young Sulaymani children.
Ra's l-Hudūd Maulvi Muhammad Abbas ibn Mullah Nūru l-Husayn Nadvi was another personality in Baroda, he was originally from Surat but made his home in Baroda, before moving to Hyderabad where he became the amil, a teacher by profession, he taught in many languages including Arabic, Persian and Urdu, at first teaching in schools and later at Osmania University. In his youth he was sent to Nadwatu l-‘Ulamā', a well known Muslim school of Theology in Lucknow with two other Sulaymanis by Sayyidi Almansub Fathullah ibn Farhati ‘Ali. After his retirement from teaching, he returned to Baroda, and died in 2000, at the age of 107.
Azim Hussain Tyabji was another Sulaymani from Baroda, an educationist and a reformer, he was a well known public figure, pioneer of the Urdu Academy he was also the founder member of Muslim Education society (MES) in 1936 which has established 15 schools for Muslim girls in Baroda, he was the president of the Sulaymani Co-operative Bank, the bank has been a very successful enterprise and used by Sulaymani's and other communities alike, at present his son Irshad Tyabji is the current chairman of the bank, his wife Amina Tyabji was a very active socialworker. Fatehali Huseinuddin Palejwala, a Sulaymani lawyer was the Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
Badruddin Tyabji was the son of Mullah Tyab Ali Bhai Miyan. He sent all of his six sons to Europe for further studies, at a time when English education was considered an anathema for Muslims in India. Badruddin Tyabji returned to India in 1858 as the first Indian Solicitor, one of the other brothers was sent to Najran for religious studies. Apart from Badruddin Tyabji (who at one time was the vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University), all of his other brothers were prominent and well respected members of Indian establishment. Their accomplishments included the first Muslim Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, the first Indian barrister and the first Muslim to qualify as an Engineer.
Asaf Ali Asghar Fyzee, another Sulaymani, was a scholar and an eminent writer and a legal luminary, as well as was the ambassador to Egypt. He translated into English the famous work of al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān's "Da'a'imu l-Islam", which is the authoritative Ismaili work of fiqh, used by all Ismailis as well as many other books on Ismaili subjects.
Atiya Fyzee was a Sulaymani social worker, writer and a poet. Abbas Tyabji was a prominent freedom fighter and played an important role in the struggle for Indian independence.
Dr. Salim Ali was another Sulaymani, the "Bird Man", an ornithologist and a writer of many popular and academic books on the subject. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1958 and then Padma Vibhushan in 1976, for his lifelong work and research on birds. He also received numerous awards internationally and elected Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy in 1958, was nominated a member of upper Houses of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) in 1985.
In recent days, Air-Vice Marshal Idris Hasan Latif was the Governor of the State of Maharashtra. Zafar Saifullah was the first Muslim Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India, Maqbūl Fida Husain (M. F. Husain) the internationally renowned and famous painter was awarded the Padmashree in 1966, the Padma Bhushan in 1973 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1986, he also nominated as a member of the Upper Houses of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) in 1986. He recently celebrate his 100 birthday as per Islamic calendar (AH) and after a brief illness died in London on 8th. of June 2011 and buried there in Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, UK.
The first Sulaymani family migrated to Hyderabad originated from Aurangabad and this occurred in the 17th century. In the 19th century, during the time of Mansub Fathullah, the Sulaymanis were a prosperous business community, however under the guidance of Mansub Fathullah and with his insistence, the community's emphasis began to shift to education.
The person who was the first Muslim to pass the examination of the Gazetted Officer for the finance department was Mohammed Akbar Hydari the son of Mullah Nazar Ali Hydari. He become the Finance Secretary and later Minister of Finance in Hyderabad, and within a few years the Prime Minister of Hyderabad. He was the most competent and ablest Prime Minister of the State of Hyderabad, he was Knighted by the British Government, and the Nizam gave him the title of "Haydar Nawaz Jung". In 1941 he was appointed as the member of the Executive Council of the Viceroy of India. He represented Hyderabad in three Round Table Conferences in London. His wife Lady Amina Hydari was renowned for her welfare and social work. Their elder son, Sir Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, served as the Governor of Assam State after the Independence.
There were many personalities of the Sulaymani community residing in Hyderabad, which was considered to be the centre of Muslim culture. Hashim Mu‘izu d-Dīn (Hashim Yar Jung) was Legal Advisor to The Nizam of Hyderabad, later he become the Chief Justice of Hyderabad High Court. Hasan Latif was the Chief Engineer of the State and soon become the Principal of the College of Engineering of the Osmania University, his brother Alma Latif was the person, who first conceived the idea of establishing a university, using Urdu medium of instruction. Osmania University was established in 1918 with the guidance of Sir Mohammed Akbar Hydari and under the patronage of HEH The Nizam of Hyderabad.
Language and customs
The Sulaymanis' vernacular gradually changed from Gujarati to Urdu and all their religious discourses, lectures and correspondence are conducted in this language, apart from prayer and religious gatherings. Sulaymanis follow no special dress code, blending with and adapting to the local norms of dress. There is no compulsion or coercion to make any payments to the religious authorities. All donations and other religious obligations are voluntary.
Most of these changes occurred during the Dā‘īship of Sayyadna Husamuddarain Ghulam Husayn ibn Al Mansub Farhat Ali who was an eminent scholar, author of many books and an able administrator. His younger brother Sayyadi Almansub Fathullah ibn Almansub Farhat Ali was himself a well known scholar, a fine orator, an exemplary Teacher and a finest example to his students who numbered in great numbers when they came to Hyderabad to learn deen e Haq . During the time of these two able brothers, the Sulaymani community transformed into a modern and progressive society.
Today Sulaymanis have their own mosques, community halls, cemeteries, religious schools, co-operative Banks, medical centers and other welfare and social organizations. After the Demise of Sayyadi Almansub Zia Ali, Sayyadi Almansub Alfakhri Abdullah bin Mulla Hibatillah bin Almansub Fathullah Saheb was elevated by a nass to Mansubiyat by Sayyadna Ad Dai Ash Sharafi Husain bin Ismail almakrami,and he was given a title of Saheb ul Jazeeratain by current Dai e Mutlaq Sayyadna Alfakhri Abdullah bin Muhmmad.
In Mumbai during the time of the 15th mansūb, Farhat ‘Ali and the 16th mansūb Zia ‘Ali (1892), the Sulaymani mosque and jamatkhana was located in Nagpada, which at the time was a rundown and undesirable area of Mumbai. However, as the Sulaymani community progressively developed so did their needs. It was at this time that Farhat ‘Ali decided to move the mosque from the Nagpada to Khetvadi. This was possible due to the generous aid and help from a well known and wealthy Sulaymani Badruddin Tyabji, and the centre named after him, Badarbagh.
After 11 years in 1905, the centre moved again to a new location, the present day centre, called new Badarbagh. This centre was only a bungalow at first, with a land which was purchased by Badruddin Taybji and given to the community in trust for the community to use. This has developed into a large centre with jamatkana, mosque and many buildings for including residence for mansubs and amils, recently the centre is being redeveloped into a modern up to date centre for Sulaymani community of Mumbai.
Extract from Farhad Daftary's "The Ismailis their history and doctrines", page 323: "In sum, the Sulaymanis have come to represent a progressive group, approving of social change and encouraging modern secular education and the attainment of specialized training at the higher occidental institutions. It is not surprising, therefore, that the small Sulaymani community has produced, proportionately speaking , a significant number of prominent men & women".
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.
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.
Dawoodi Bohra
The Dawoodi Bohras (Arabic: بوہرہ داؤدی) are a sect within the Ismā'īlī branch of Shia Islam. Bohras mainly reside in the western cities of India and also in Pakistan, Yemen and East Africa. The main language of the community is "Lisan ud-Dawat", a dialect of Gujarati with inclusions from Arabic, Urdu and other languages. The Script used is Perso-Arabic.
When in communal attire, a bohra male has a form of Tunic called Kurta, equally lengthy overcoat dress called Saya,and a izaar typically donned underneath, all of which are mostly white, along with a white and golden cap called Topi. Most men have a beard. A bohra woman wears a two piece dress called a rida.
The Dawoodi Bohra follow a sort of Shi'ite Islam as propagated by the Fatimid Imamate in medieval Egypt. They pray 3 times a day joining both afternoon prayers Zuhr & Asr and both evening prayers Maghreb & Isha, fast in the month of Ramadan, perform Haj and Umrah and give Zakat. The Dawoodi Bohras, being Ismailis and thus Jafaris, were included as Muslims in the Amman Message. There are some criticism of the Amman message.
The Bohras do stand out from other Islamic sects in some ways such as their outlook on the status of women. Prof Zainab Bano a Bohra Professor quoted that "Dawoodi Bohras are out of the Muslim mainstream, but part of the national mainstream. There is gender equality and women's empowerment." However, others dispute this, pointing to the recent convictions for female genital mutilation in Australia’s first prosecution of an FGM case. As well as two women from the community who were convicted – a retired nurse and the mother of the two young girls – Shabbir Mohammedbhai Vaziri, a spiritual leader in the Dawoodi Bohra sect, was found guilty of being an accessory after the fact by attempting to help cover up the FGM after police began investigating.
Name and Etymology
The word Bohra comes from the Gujarati word vehru ("trade"), in reference to their traditional profession. The term Dawoodi comes from the support given to Dawood Bin Qutubshah during a schism that the community faced in 1592 when there was a leadership dispute.
Evolution of Dawoodi Bohra from other Shia sects
The Dawoodi Bohra sect is a Shia sect also referred to as the Tayyabī Musta'lī Ismā'īlī sect. The Isma'ilis were split from the now mainstream Ithna Ashari Shias over the succession issue of Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq. The Isma'ilis took Isma'il bin Jafar as their Imam whereas the Twelvers (Ithna Ashari Shia) took Musa Kazim bin Jafar Al-Sadiq as their Imam. The Ismailis split into Druze and mainstream Isma'ilis due to a succession issue and further down the line they again split into Nizari and Musta'ali branches. the Musta'ali branch to which Dawoodi Bohra trace their legacy continues until the 21st Imam Al-Tayyab, who went into occultation (hiding). His direct descendent is considered as the current Imam and remains in seclusion. In that period the governance of the sect has been entrusted to the Da'i al-Mutlaq (Unrestricted Missionary). Splinter groups of the Bohras have subsequently emerged over the succession dispute of the preceding Dai.
Spiritual leader
The spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community is called Da'i al-Mutlaq (Arabic: داعي المطلق), who serves as the representative of the purported hidden Imam, who according to Dawoodi Bohra's belief lives on in seclusion. The role of Da'i was created by Queen Arwa bint Ahmed (also known as Al-Hurra Al-Malika) of Yemen. It should not be confused with other offices that exist in the Imamate such as Dai-ad-Du'at and Dai al-Balagh. Zoeb bin Moosa is the first Dai-al-Mutlaq.
History
As Shi'a Muslims, Bohras believe that their Imāms are descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad by way of his daughter Fatimah and her husband Ali. They believe that Muhammad chose Ali as his successor and publicly declared this while he was returning from his first and last Haj in 632 CE. Dawoodi Bohras, in keeping with all Shi'a believe that after Muhammad, Ali had been the rightful wasi, Imam and caliph, but the actual Caliphate was usurped by Ẓāhirī ("literalist") caliphs. Ali was the final Rashidun Caliph from 656-661 CE; the Imamate and caliphate were united in this period.
After Ali, his son Hasan ibn Ali, the first Ismāīlī Imam, was challenged for the Caliphate, ultimately resulting in a truce with the Umayyad Caliphate to recognise the claimant in power, Muawiyah I, as Caliph and avoid bloodshed, while Hasan retained the Imamate. After Hasan, Husain and his family and companions were killed at the Battle of Karbala and Husain's body was buried near the site of his death. Dawoodi Bohras believe that Husain's head was buried first, in the courtyard of Yazid (the Umayyad Mosque), then transferred from Damascus to Ashkelon, and then to Cairo.
Shia schisms and the Fatimid Dynasty
The first through the fifth Ismāīlī Imams - until Ja'far al-Sadiq - are commonly accepted by all the Shi'a, although numbered differently. Bohras and Nizari Ismāīlīs treat Ali as Vasi (successor to Mohammad) and Imam Hasan as first Imam whereas Twelvers number Ali as the first. The followers of Ja'far's son, Isma'il ibn Jafar, became Ismailis, to whom the Bohras belong. Twelvers believe that Musa al-Kadhim was heir to Ja'far instead; their Imams diverged at that point.
During the period of Ja'far, the Abbasid Caliphate replaced the Umayyads and began to aggressively oppose belief in an Imamate. Due to strong suppression by the Abbasids, the seventh Ismāīlī Imam, Muhammad ibn Ismail, went into a period of Occultation. During this period his representative, the Dāī, maintained the community.
The names of the eighth, ninth, and tenth Imams are considered by some traditions to be "hidden", known only by their nicknames due to threats from the Abbasids. However, the Dawoodi Bohra, claim to have the true names of all the known Imams in sequence, including the "hidden" Imams, namely: the eighth Ahmad al-Wafi (Abadullah), the ninth Muhammad at-Taqi (Ahmed ibn Abadullah), and the tenth, Rabi Abdullah (Husain ibn Ahmed). [13]
The 11th Imam, Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah, founded the Fatimid Caliphate in 909 CE in Ifriqiya (present Tunisia), ending the occultation. In Ismāīlī eyes this act again united the Imamate and the Caliphate in one person. The Fatimids then extended up to the central Maghreb (now Morocco, Algeria, Libya). They entered and conquered Egypt in 969 CE during the reign of the fourteenth Imam, al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah, and made Cairo their capital. After the eighteenth Imam, al-Mustansir Billah, the Nizari sect believed that his son Nizar was his successor, while another Ismāīlī branch known as the Mustaali (from whom the Dawoodi Bohra would eventually form), supported his other son, al-Musta'li. The Fatimid dynasty continued with al-Musta'li as both Imam and Caliph, and that joint position held until the 20th Imam, al-Amir bi-Ahkami l-Lah (1132 CE).
Tayyibi-Hafizi schism
Main articles: Mustaali, Taiyabi and Hafizi
At the death of Imam Amir, one branch of the Mustaali faith claimed that he had transferred the imamate to his son at-Tayyib Abi l-Qasim, who was then two years old. Another faction claimed Amir died without producing an heir, and supported Amir's cousin al-Hafiz as both the rightful Caliph and Imam. The al-Hafiz faction became the Hafizi Ismailis, who later converted during the rule of Sultan Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūbi. The supporters of Tayyeb became the Tayyibi Ismāīlī.
Tayyeb's claim to the imamate was endorsed by the Hurrah al-Malika ("the Noble Queen") Arwa al-Sulayhi, the Queen of Yemen. Arwa was designated a hujjah, the highest rank in the Yemeni Dawat, by al-Mustansir in 1084 CE. Under Queen Arwa, the Dai al-Balagh (intermediary between the Imam in Cairo and local headquarters) Lamak ibn Malik and then Yahya ibn Lamak worked for the cause of the Fatimids.
Tayyibis (which include the modern Dawoodi Bohra) believe the second and current period of satr began after Imam Tayyeb went into seclusion, and Queen Arwa created the office of the Dai al-Mutlaq to administer the community in the Imam's absence. Zoeb bin Moosa (d.546 AH/1151 CE) was the first Dai-ul-Mutlaq, and lived and died in Haus, Yemen. His ma'dhūn (assistant) was Khattab bin Hasan. The 3rd Dai Sayedna Hatim (d. 1191 CE) was prominent among the Du'at of Yemen and wrote many books, both exoteric and esoteric in philosophy on the Ismaili sect.
Transfer of Dawat to India
Moulai Abdullah was the first Walī al-Hind in the era of Imam Mustansir (427–487 AH). Moulai Abdullah and Moulai Nuruddin were originally from Gujarat and went to Cairo, Egypt, to learn. They came to India in 467 AH as missionaries of the Imam. Moulai Ahmed was also their companion.
Dā'ī Zoeb appointed Maulai Yaqoob (after the death of Maulai Abdullah), who was the second Walī al-Hind of the Fatimid dawat. Moulai Yaqoob was the first person of Indian origin to receive this honour under the Dā'ī. He was the son of Moulai Bharmal, minister of Hindu Solanki King Siddhraja Jaya Singha (Anhalwara,Patan). With Minister Moulai Tarmal, they had honoured the Fatimid dawat along with their fellow citizens on the call of Moulai Abdullah. Moulai Fakhruddin, son of Moulai Tarmal, was sent to western Rajasthan, India, and Moulai Nuruddin went to the Deccan (death: Jumadi al-Ula 11 at Don Gaum, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India).
One Dā'ī after another continued until the 23rd Dā'ī in Yemen whilst in Hind the Waliship continued in the descendents of Moulai Yaqoob; Moulai Ishaq, Moulai Ali, Moulai Hasan Fir. Moulai Hasan Fir was the fifth Wali in the era of the 16th Dai Syedna Abdullah (d.809 AH/1406 CE) of Yemen. The Awliya al-Hind were champions of the Fatimid dawat in India, who were instrumental in maintaining & propagating it on instructions of the Dā'ī at Yemen, and it is because of them that the Fatimid dawat was able to survive the persecutions of Cairo and Yemen.
The wali Moulai Jafer, Moulai Abdul Wahab, Moulai Qasim Khan bin Hasan (d.950AH, Ahmedabad) and last Jalal Shamshuddin (1567 CE) (12th wali-ul Hind and also became 25th Dai) 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 of Sidhpur, Gujrat, India.
The 24th Dai, Yusuf Najmuddin bin Sulayman (d.1567 CE), shifted the whole administration of the Dawat (mission) to India, in part due to their persecution by the Zaydi Imams. However, Yusuf Najmuddin continued to live in Yemen and died there. The last Wali-ul-Hind and 25th Dai Jalal Shamshuddin (d.1567 CE) was the 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, however, before his nass, he was Wali-ul Hind (after Moulai Qasim) for about 20 years under the 24th Dai Syedna Yusuf while the Dai was in Yemen.
Intra-Bohra Schisms
Following the death of the 26th Dai in 1591 CE, Suleman bin Hasan, the grandson of the 24th Dai, was wali in Yemen and claimed the succession, supported by a few Bohras from Yemen and India. However, most Bohras denied his claim of nass, declaring that the supporting document evidence was forged. The two factions separated, with the followers of Suleman Bin Hasan becoming the Sulaymanis, and the followers of Syedna Dawood Bin Qutubshah becoming the Dawoodi Bohra.
Again in the period of the 29th Dai Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin, a small group of Aliya Bohra separated under Ali bin Ibrahim (1034 AH/1634 CE), the grandson of the 28th Dai Syedna Sheikhadam Safiyuddin. A further branch broke from the Dawoodi in 1754, with the Hebtiahs Bohra splicing in a dispute following the death of the 39th Dai.
Move to India
The 34th Dai Syedna Ismail Badruddin (son of Moulai Raj, 1657 CE onward) was the first Dai of Indian Gujrati origin. He shifted the Dawat from Ahmedabad to Jamnagar. [14] During this period the Da'is also moved to Mandvi and later to Burhanpur. In the era of the 42nd Dai Syedna Yusuf Najmuddin (1787 CE onward) the Dawat office shifted to Surat. The educational institute Al-Dars-al-Saifee (later renamed Al Jamea tus Saifiyah) was built in that era by the 43rd Dai Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin, who was an extremely renowned scholar in the literary field. During the period of the 51st Da'i Syedna Taher Saifuddin (1915-1965 CE), the Dawoodi Bohra Dawat administration has been located to Mumbai and continues there to the present day. The 51st and 52nd Da'is both had their residence at Saifee Mahal in Mumbai's Malabar Hill as does the current, 53rd, Da'i [15] Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.
Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (6 March 1915 – 17 January 2014) was the 52nd Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq.
Imams and Dais
Dawoodi Bohras believe that the 21st Mustaali Imam, Taiyab abi al-Qasim, is a direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima Zahra. According to this belief, Ṭayyib Abī l-Qāṣim went into occultation and established the office of the Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq as the Imām's vicegerent, with full authority to govern the believing community in all matters spiritual and temporal, as well as those of his assistants, the Ma'dhūn (Arabic: مأذون) and Mukāsir (Arabic: مكاسر). During the Imām's seclusion, a Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq is appointed by his predecessor. The mazūn and mukasir are in turn appointed by the Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq. A fundamental belief held by the Dawoodi Bohra is that the presence of the secluded Imām is guaranteed by the presence of the Dāī al-Muṭlaq.
The 52nd Dai Al Mutlaq, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin served the dawat for 50 years. His main policy was one of Islamisation, countering the modernizing tendencies of his predecessor, [16] . :184–185 Under his rule, a system of strict social control was developed using modern means of communication. [3] A group of reformists, the Progressive Dawoodi Bohra, was formed by Asghar Ali Engineer, but its members have been excommunicated by the mainstream DB clergy. [3] Since the death of the 52nd Dāī in 2014, two claimants for the post of Dai emerged, Mufaddal Saifuddin and Khuzaima Qutbuddin, leading to several court cases being filed with the Mumbai High Court.
Office and administration
The office of the Da'i al-Multaq; known as Dawat–e-Hadiyah,is central to secular and religious affairs among Dawoodi bohra's. The present office is in Badri Mahal, Mumbai which is represented by Jamaat Committee in all the cities with significant Dawoodi Bohra members. The Aamil is the president of the Jamaat committee, at their respective city. He is appointed by the Dawat–e-Hadiyah with permission of Dai al Mutlaq.
There are several sub committee and trusts under the Jamaat committee, who looks after different aspects of Dawoodi bohras administration.
Demographics and culture
The population Dawoodi Bohra sect is over one million. [17] The majority of adherents reside in Gujarat state in India and Karachi city in Pakistan. There are also significant diaspora populations in Europe, North America, the Far East and East Africa. [3]
Dawoodi Bohras have a blend of ethnic cultures, including: Yemeni, Egyptians, Africans, Pakistanis and Indians. In addition to the local languages, the Dawoodi Bohras have their own language called Lisan al-Dawat. [18]
which is written in Perso-Arabic script and is derived from Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Gujarati.
The centralized, hierarchical organization of the Dawoodi Bohras is maintained largely using (the threat of) excommunication of those who do not conform to the rules laid down by the Syedna and other members of the clergy. [16][page needed] Excommunication dissolves marriage and bars burial in Dawoodi burial sites. [19]
The Dawoodi Bohra maintain a distinct form of attire; the Dawoodi Bohra men wear a white three piece outfit, plus a white and gold cap Kufi (called a topi), and women wear the rida, a distinctive form of the commonly known burqa which is distinguished from other forms of the veil due to it sporting bright colors and decorated with patterns and lace. The ridah can have any color except black, preventing confusion of Bohra women with Sunni women and thus enabling easy identification of fellow members of the community, which in turn is important for maintaining strict social control. [3] The rida additionally differs from the burqa in that the rida does not call for covering of women's faces like the traditional veil. [20] It has a flap called the pardi that is usually folded to one side to facilitate visibility, but can also be worn over the face if so desired. This way of dressing was not always the norm; it was only established (in fact, mandated) as part of an Islamization program by the da'i Mohammed Burhanuddin, starting in the late 1970s. Prior to this, especially under the modernizing Taher Saifuddin, Dawoodi Bohra dress and culture were "considerably more assilimated to mainstream Indian culture" (says journalist Jonah Blank). Traditional dress existed in several regional variants before standardization was decreed in 1981. [16]:184–187
The Dawoodi Bohra retain the Fatimid-era Tabular Islamic calendar, [21] which they believe matches perfectly with the lunar cycle, not requiring any correction. In this calendar, the lunar year has 354 days. Their odd-numbered months have 29 days and the even-numbered months have 30 days, except in a leap year when the 12th and final month has 30 days. This is in contrast with other Muslim communities, which base the beginnings of specific Islamic months on sightings of the moon, with the naked eye, by religious authorities, which often result in differing opinions as to the occurrence of religiously significant dates, such as the start of Ramadan.
Status of women
Female genital mutilation, known as khatna, is considered a religious obligation in the Bohra community, in most cases performed on girls around age 7. The practice may originate in North Africa, where the Dawoodi Bohras trace their origins, and is now considered "intrinsic to their identity". The Dawoodi Bohras are the only Muslim sect in India to practice it;
it is mostly kept alive by women, with men "[seeming] unaware that their own daughters and sisters are undergoing the cut". A 2011 Internet petition, to be delivered to Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, was the first public protest against female genital mutilation to emerge from the Bohra community.
In Australia, in November 2015, a Dawoodi Bohra sheikh along with 2 women were found guilty of genital mutilation of two young girls.
In 2012, the community leadership under Mohammed Burhanuddin instituted community kitchens in Mumbai that deliver Bohra families two meals per day; the goal of this system is to free women from the task of preparing food, providing them with time to pursue education or economic activities.
Masjid
Dawoodi Bohras have their own jamaats (local communities) which will be focussed around a Masjid or a markaz (community centre) where an "Amil" (leader appointed by the Syedna (TUS) leads namaaz and gives discourses).
Dawoodi Bohras have a unique system of communal eating with groups of 8 or 9 people seated around a thaal (particularly large metal tray). Each course of the meal is served for the people around the thaal to share. The place where meals are served is called the Jamaat Khaana. The Jamaat Khaana is usually adjoined to the masjid complex.
Education and educational institutes
During the 20th century, the Syednas have established colleges, schools and madrasas in villages, towns and cities all around the world. [vague] The focus on literacy and education has meant that the community has a high percentage of degree holders and professionals both male and female with a high number of doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, teachers and IT professionals in the community in addition to the large number [quantify] of businessmen and industrialists.
Al Jamea tus Saifiyah is the Dawoodi Bohra theological university, which was founded in Surat, India in 1814 AD(1224AH)by the 43rd Dai Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin who named it ‘Dars-e-Saifee". A second campus was founded in 1983 located in the northern foothills of Karachi, Pakistan. A third campus was established in Nairobi, Kenya in 2011, and in 2013 a fourth campus was established in Marol (Mumbai), Maharashtra.
The 51st Dai Syedna Taher Saifuddin introduced modern subjects including sciences and arts to the curriculum in 1961 and renamed the academy Al Jamea tus Saifiyah. This process of modernization continued with his son and successor Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin who introduced 'state-of-the-art' facilities such as the 'Mahad al-Zahra' Quran training Institute. He also made it an International Baccalaureate Office. The academies are administered by a central office located in Badri Mahal, Fort, Mumbai.
The 51st Dai Syedna Taher Saifuddin was a prolific scholar who wrote more than 40 volumes or 'Risalas' and has penned more than 10,000 verses in tribute to the Shia saints.
Many of his works are part of the syllabus in the different fields of Arabic study in Al Jamea tus Saifiyah.
The Aligarh Muslim University conferred a Doctorate of Theology on the 51st Dai Taher Saifuddin and offered its Chancellorship after a series of "strategic donations" by the Syedna.
He remained as Chancellor for three consecutive terms until his death in 1965. In October 1999, the 52nd Dai Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin was also elected Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University.
Mausoleums
Thousands of Dawoodi Bohra visit every year Mausoleums of Ahl al-Bayt especially Medina, Karbala,Shaam and Cairo.
The Dai al Mutlaq RA and Wali of Past have been laid to rest in Rauza's, where thousands of community members visit every year, in Yemen and India.
Raudat Tahera (Arabic: روضة طاهرة Rawḍatu Ṭāḥiratu), is the Rauza of Syedna Taher Saifuddin. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin was buried by his son, Mufaddal Saifuddin in the same mausoleum
Theology
For an overview of the Mustaali Shi'a faith, see Mustaali.
Seven pillars
The Dawoodi Bohras follow the Seven pillars of Ismaili Islam in the tradition of Fatimid Dawat: Walayah (guardianship of the faith), Taharah (purity), salat (prayer), Zakat (tithing), Sawm (fasting), Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), and Jihad (struggle).
Dawoodi Bohras believe Walayah to be the most important of the seven pillars of Islam. It is the love and devotion for God, through their Dai, Imam, Wasi (Wali) Ali and Nabi Muhammad. There is an incident famous amongst Bohra which confirm how they mean and weigh ‘walayat’ principle. There was an order from 19th Dai Syedna Idris in Yemen to the 6th Wali-ul-Hind, Moulai Adam, to perform prayer behind a water-carrier called Sakka. Moulai Adam along with his associates were willing to perform prayer under Sakka, although this order was later revoked. As a result, the Da'wat was shifted to India.
Their interpretations of the pillars Sawm, Hajj, and Jihad are akin to those in other forms of Islam, but the Dawoodi forms of salat and Zakat differ from other groups:
Salat (prayer) as per tradition to be performed five time intervals specified as Fazr, Zohr, Ashr, Magrib and Ishah. Zohr and Ashr are having overlapping period, same is Magrib and Ishah. Hence they are combined together and Bohra perform these five Salat in three intervals. Fazr in morning, Zohr & Ashr in afternoon, and Maghrib and Ishah in the evening, making convenient to perform.
Zakat is done during Month of Ramzaan (Ramadan). This is organized and collected by central authority Dawat–e-Hadiyah from every member of the community. The family of a Bohra who refuses to pay Zakat is refused all religious services.
As is the case with the majority of Shi'a Muslims, the Bohra append Aliyun waliallah to their profession of faith (kalema‐tut‐ sahadat). The Dawoodi Bohra utilise the versions of the azaan (call to prayer) and shahada common to other Mustaali, which incorporate mention of Ali.
Differences
Some Sunni Islamic Organizations considers Dawoodi Bohra to be disbelievers due to what they perceive as the ardent worship of their leader without being instructed in the completed Sharia to do so.The Reformist Dawoodi Bohra claim that the practice of Sajda (Prostration) was started by 51st Dai Taher Saifuddin and went to the extent of claiming that he is "Elahul-Ard" (God on earth) that he is accountable to no one and that he is master of the soul, mind, body and properties of his followers
Bohras on the other hand claim that Saifuddin never claimed to be God on Earth. [45] This is further supported by court records, where Judge Marten who presided over the case in 1921 clearly states in Point 36 that it was the lawyer of Saifuddin who wrongly stated that the Dai was God on Earth. Saifuddin himself reprimanded his own lawyer for making the erroneous claim. Bohras similarly reject the allegations above as simple fabrications, for example, the Misaq has been dated by al Maqrizi (a Sunni Shaf'i historian) to the days of the Fatimid Caliphate, not something that was introduced by Saifuddin.
Zoaib Rangwala, secretary of the community at Palo Alto says that the terrorists are not representatives of Islam.
Qardhan Hasana
Islam prohibits Riba; Dawoodi Bohra follow principle of Qardhan hasana, an interest free loan. Special arrangements are made under Aamil in their respective cities to facilitate Qardhan Hasana. The fund is generated from contributions of members and bulk amount comes from Dai-al-Mutlaq office. (In 2014, Mufaddal Saifuddin donated more than Rs. 103.50 crore (Rs. 1.035 billion).)
Muharram and Ashura
Muharram is a month of remembrance that is often considered synonymous with the event of Ashura. Ashura, which literally means the "Tenth" in Arabic, refers to the tenth day of Muharram. It is well-known because of historical significance and mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad.
Dawoodi Bohra begin mourning from the first night of Muharram and continue for ten nights with discourse and Matam(beating chest), climaxing on the 10th of Muharram, known as the Day of Ashura. The last few days up until and including the Day of Ashura are the most important because these were the days in which Hussein and his family and followers (consisting of 72 people, including women, children and elderly people) were killed by the army of Yazid I at the Battle of Karbala on his orders. Surviving members of Hussein's family and those of his followers were taken captive, marched to Damascus, and imprisoned there.
Thousands of Dawoodi Bohra flock from around the world to hear discourse offered by Da'i al-Mutlaq at different places, for ten days and on the tenth day of Muharrum, they pray for Hussein till the magrib, which ends with breaking of fast.
Dawoodi Bohras and The World
The first Dawoodi Bohra mosque in the West was built in Farmington Hills, Michigan in 1988. Immediately thereafter, the first Canadian masjid was inaugurated by Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin in Toronto. Mohammed Burhanuddin inaugurated the Houston masjid in 1996, which was reconstructed into a larger masjid that is four times the size of the original. This new masjid was inaugurated in Oct, 2015 by Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.
In June 2001 Masjid-ul-Badri in Chicago was inaugurated. In July 2004 new mosques in New Jersey (Masjiduz-Zainy), Washington DC and Boston were inaugurated.
The following year, August 2005, the Dā‘ī l-Mutlaq inaugurated another new masjid in Fremont, California (metropolitan San Francisco) and was congratulated by various officials and dignitaries from local, state and federal US governments. President George W. Bush also sent a letter from the White House. On 8 July 2007, Mohammad Burhanuddin inaugurated a new masjid in Paris, France.
The total population of Arab Indonesians is 87,227 (2005), but there are 5,000,000 native Indonesians with Arab ancestry.
The Hui people of China are Muslims. Their ancestors include Central Asians, Arabs and Persians who married Hans.
The desirable physical qualities of a Fulani are a light color, slight bone structure, straight hair, thin lips, and, above all, a long narrow nose...”. These are obviously 'Caucasian' characteristics, and the natural explanation is that the Fulani have a partly Caucasian ancestry, either from East Africa (e.g. Ethiopean) or more likely from the North (e.g. Tuareg). The Fulani themselves believe they are related to the Tuaregs and Arabs. They despise the Black populations to their South.
The whole Pakistan has local origin but got mixed with Arabs, Persians and Afghans.
Harvard Genetics Study Finds Most Indians Are Not Indigenous
Debunking the myth of "the purity of the Race" pushed by Hindu Nationalist leader Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, a Harvard study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics has found that vast majority of Indians today have descended from a mixture of two genetically divergent populations--Ancestral North Indians (ANIs) who migrated from Central Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Europe, and Ancestral South Indians (ASI), who are not closely related to groups outside the subcontinent.
Geographically, Ancestral North Indians (ANIs) tend to be more concentrated in the northern and western parts of India closer to West Asia, while Ancestral South Indians are found mostly in southern and eastern parts of India.
The paper, titled "Genetic Evidence for Recent Population Mixture in India" confirms that North Indians ancestors started migrating to India from outside thousands of years before the advent of Islam. ANIs and ASIs routinely intermarried between 4,200 and 1,900 years ago until the imposition of strict segregation by the Hindu caste system, according to the study.
Similar genetic studies of Pakistanis published in the American Journal of Human Genetics have found very diverse ancestral origins of the people in the country. These range from Balochis with origins in Aleppo (modern Syria) to Brahuis who are indigenous Dravidian, and Baltis of Sino-Tibetan ancestry to Pashtuns of Jewish or Central Asian origins.
These genetic studies offer strong rebuttal of Hindu Nationalists' claims of "racial purity" of Hindus. Genetics confirm that most Indians (and Pakistanis) are, in fact, people of mixed or foreign ancestry regardless of their faith.
Y chromosomes of self-identified Syeds from the Indian subcontinent show evidence of elevated Arab ancestry but not of recent common patrilineal origin. This study ratifies to long held belief that so many Pakistanis, Indians, Bengalis... have Arab ancestry. In the 8th century peoples of Arab, Turkish, and Persian descent began to enter the area.
Although there is considerable controversy surrounding their origins, according to popular Baluchi legends they migrated northward from Aleppo (in modern Syria) for pastureland and fresh water during the Arab conquests of the ninth century, travelling along the southern shores of the Caspian Sea and subsequently settling in what is now Iranian and Pakistani Baluchistan by the fourteenth century.
Osmani
Usmani or Osmani (Sometimes Osmany) or Othmani or Uthmani (Arabic: عثمانی) is a large community (Urdu: Biradari), found mainly in South Asia. The word Usmani or Osman (one and the same thing) is a surname. Osmani are found throughout South Asia, and have spread across Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
Shaikh Usmani
The Shaikh Usmani are a Urdu speaking community, and many are found among the Sindhis of Pakistan.They are of Arab origin. The word usmani derived from Hazrat Usman Ghani, the third caliph of Islam. One of the sub-continent's well known personalities Hazrat Maulana Shabir Ahmed Usmani (Sheikh ul Islam) belongs to this origin. They claim that they came in India with sufi fakir Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti .
Turk Usmani
They claim to have Turk ancestry and are found mainly in North-West India and Pakistan.They include the descendants of Karlugh Turks who came with Taimur in 1398-1399.They live in Hazara region and Kashmir regions of Pakistan.They are Hindko speaking. The Turks who came with Khilji and Slave dynasties also use "usmani" as surname.
Usmani of Bilgram
Ale Usman of Bilgram, a historical town in Awadh region in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh are the direct decedents of third Islamic Caliph Hazrat Usman through his grand son Abdullah Akbar bin Amr and from maternal side to the fourth Islamic Caliph Hazrat Ali through her grand daughter Fatimah Sughra bint Husain. they came to India from a small town of Kazroon (Ghazroon) in the Fars province of modern-day Iran. They first migrated to Herat in Afghanistan and from there they came to India with the army of Mahmood Ghaznavi in eleventh century AD. After conquering Bilgram in 1018 AD Qazi Yusuf Ghazrooni served as the first Qazi of Bilgram appointed by Mahmood Ghaznavi. Ale Usman of Bilgram holds the title of Qazi-ul-Bilgram since that time barring brief interregnum where another esteemed faction of Farshori Sheikhs of Bilgram held the position of Qazi.
Dawoodi Bohra
The Dawoodi Bohras (Arabic: بوہرہ داؤدی) are a sect within the Ismā'īlī branch of Shia Islam. Bohras mainly reside in the western cities of India and also in Pakistan, Yemen and East Africa. The main language of the community is "Lisan ud-Dawat", a dialect of Gujarati with inclusions from Arabic, Urdu and other languages. The Script used is Perso-Arabic.
When in communal attire, a bohra male has a form of Tunic called Kurta, equally lengthy overcoat dress called Saya,and a izaar typically donned underneath, all of which are mostly white, along with a white and golden cap called Topi. Most men have a beard. A bohra woman wears a two piece dress called a rida.
The Dawoodi Bohra follow a sort of Shi'ite Islam as propagated by the Fatimid Imamate in medieval Egypt. They pray 3 times a day joining both afternoon prayers Zuhr & Asr and both evening prayers Maghreb & Isha, fast in the month of Ramadan, perform Haj and Umrah and give Zakat. The Dawoodi Bohras, being Ismailis and thus Jafaris, were included as Muslims in the Amman Message. There are some criticism of the Amman message.
The Bohras do stand out from other Islamic sects in some ways such as their outlook on the status of women. Prof Zainab Bano a Bohra Professor quoted that "Dawoodi Bohras are out of the Muslim mainstream, but part of the national mainstream. There is gender equality and women's empowerment." However, others dispute this, pointing to the recent convictions for female genital mutilation in Australia’s first prosecution of an FGM case. As well as two women from the community who were convicted – a retired nurse and the mother of the two young girls – Shabbir Mohammedbhai Vaziri, a spiritual leader in the Dawoodi Bohra sect, was found guilty of being an accessory after the fact by attempting to help cover up the FGM after police began investigating.
Name and Etymology
The word Bohra comes from the Gujarati word vehru ("trade"), in reference to their traditional profession. The term Dawoodi comes from the support given to Dawood Bin Qutubshah during a schism that the community faced in 1592 when there was a leadership dispute.
Evolution of Dawoodi Bohra from other Shia sects
The Dawoodi Bohra sect is a Shia sect also referred to as the Tayyabī Musta'lī Ismā'īlī sect. The Isma'ilis were split from the now mainstream Ithna Ashari Shias over the succession issue of Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq. The Isma'ilis took Isma'il bin Jafar as their Imam whereas the Twelvers (Ithna Ashari Shia) took Musa Kazim bin Jafar Al-Sadiq as their Imam. The Ismailis split into Druze and mainstream Isma'ilis due to a succession issue and further down the line they again split into Nizari and Musta'ali branches. the Musta'ali branch to which Dawoodi Bohra trace their legacy continues until the 21st Imam Al-Tayyab, who went into occultation (hiding). His direct descendent is considered as the current Imam and remains in seclusion. In that period the governance of the sect has been entrusted to the Da'i al-Mutlaq (Unrestricted Missionary). Splinter groups of the Bohras have subsequently emerged over the succession dispute of the preceding Dai.
Spiritual leader
The spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community is called Da'i al-Mutlaq (Arabic: داعي المطلق), who serves as the representative of the purported hidden Imam, who according to Dawoodi Bohra's belief lives on in seclusion. The role of Da'i was created by Queen Arwa bint Ahmed (also known as Al-Hurra Al-Malika) of Yemen. It should not be confused with other offices that exist in the Imamate such as Dai-ad-Du'at and Dai al-Balagh. Zoeb bin Moosa is the first Dai-al-Mutlaq.
History
As Shi'a Muslims, Bohras believe that their Imāms are descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad by way of his daughter Fatimah and her husband Ali. They believe that Muhammad chose Ali as his successor and publicly declared this while he was returning from his first and last Haj in 632 CE. Dawoodi Bohras, in keeping with all Shi'a believe that after Muhammad, Ali had been the rightful wasi, Imam and caliph, but the actual Caliphate was usurped by Ẓāhirī ("literalist") caliphs. Ali was the final Rashidun Caliph from 656-661 CE; the Imamate and caliphate were united in this period.
After Ali, his son Hasan ibn Ali, the first Ismāīlī Imam, was challenged for the Caliphate, ultimately resulting in a truce with the Umayyad Caliphate to recognise the claimant in power, Muawiyah I, as Caliph and avoid bloodshed, while Hasan retained the Imamate. After Hasan, Husain and his family and companions were killed at the Battle of Karbala and Husain's body was buried near the site of his death. Dawoodi Bohras believe that Husain's head was buried first, in the courtyard of Yazid (the Umayyad Mosque), then transferred from Damascus to Ashkelon, and then to Cairo.
Shia schisms and the Fatimid Dynasty
The first through the fifth Ismāīlī Imams - until Ja'far al-Sadiq - are commonly accepted by all the Shi'a, although numbered differently. Bohras and Nizari Ismāīlīs treat Ali as Vasi (successor to Mohammad) and Imam Hasan as first Imam whereas Twelvers number Ali as the first. The followers of Ja'far's son, Isma'il ibn Jafar, became Ismailis, to whom the Bohras belong. Twelvers believe that Musa al-Kadhim was heir to Ja'far instead; their Imams diverged at that point.
During the period of Ja'far, the Abbasid Caliphate replaced the Umayyads and began to aggressively oppose belief in an Imamate. Due to strong suppression by the Abbasids, the seventh Ismāīlī Imam, Muhammad ibn Ismail, went into a period of Occultation. During this period his representative, the Dāī, maintained the community.
The names of the eighth, ninth, and tenth Imams are considered by some traditions to be "hidden", known only by their nicknames due to threats from the Abbasids. However, the Dawoodi Bohra, claim to have the true names of all the known Imams in sequence, including the "hidden" Imams, namely: the eighth Ahmad al-Wafi (Abadullah), the ninth Muhammad at-Taqi (Ahmed ibn Abadullah), and the tenth, Rabi Abdullah (Husain ibn Ahmed). [13]
The 11th Imam, Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah, founded the Fatimid Caliphate in 909 CE in Ifriqiya (present Tunisia), ending the occultation. In Ismāīlī eyes this act again united the Imamate and the Caliphate in one person. The Fatimids then extended up to the central Maghreb (now Morocco, Algeria, Libya). They entered and conquered Egypt in 969 CE during the reign of the fourteenth Imam, al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah, and made Cairo their capital. After the eighteenth Imam, al-Mustansir Billah, the Nizari sect believed that his son Nizar was his successor, while another Ismāīlī branch known as the Mustaali (from whom the Dawoodi Bohra would eventually form), supported his other son, al-Musta'li. The Fatimid dynasty continued with al-Musta'li as both Imam and Caliph, and that joint position held until the 20th Imam, al-Amir bi-Ahkami l-Lah (1132 CE).
Tayyibi-Hafizi schism
Main articles: Mustaali, Taiyabi and Hafizi
At the death of Imam Amir, one branch of the Mustaali faith claimed that he had transferred the imamate to his son at-Tayyib Abi l-Qasim, who was then two years old. Another faction claimed Amir died without producing an heir, and supported Amir's cousin al-Hafiz as both the rightful Caliph and Imam. The al-Hafiz faction became the Hafizi Ismailis, who later converted during the rule of Sultan Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūbi. The supporters of Tayyeb became the Tayyibi Ismāīlī.
Tayyeb's claim to the imamate was endorsed by the Hurrah al-Malika ("the Noble Queen") Arwa al-Sulayhi, the Queen of Yemen. Arwa was designated a hujjah, the highest rank in the Yemeni Dawat, by al-Mustansir in 1084 CE. Under Queen Arwa, the Dai al-Balagh (intermediary between the Imam in Cairo and local headquarters) Lamak ibn Malik and then Yahya ibn Lamak worked for the cause of the Fatimids.
Tayyibis (which include the modern Dawoodi Bohra) believe the second and current period of satr began after Imam Tayyeb went into seclusion, and Queen Arwa created the office of the Dai al-Mutlaq to administer the community in the Imam's absence. Zoeb bin Moosa (d.546 AH/1151 CE) was the first Dai-ul-Mutlaq, and lived and died in Haus, Yemen. His ma'dhūn (assistant) was Khattab bin Hasan. The 3rd Dai Sayedna Hatim (d. 1191 CE) was prominent among the Du'at of Yemen and wrote many books, both exoteric and esoteric in philosophy on the Ismaili sect.
Transfer of Dawat to India
Moulai Abdullah was the first Walī al-Hind in the era of Imam Mustansir (427–487 AH). Moulai Abdullah and Moulai Nuruddin were originally from Gujarat and went to Cairo, Egypt, to learn. They came to India in 467 AH as missionaries of the Imam. Moulai Ahmed was also their companion.
Dā'ī Zoeb appointed Maulai Yaqoob (after the death of Maulai Abdullah), who was the second Walī al-Hind of the Fatimid dawat. Moulai Yaqoob was the first person of Indian origin to receive this honour under the Dā'ī. He was the son of Moulai Bharmal, minister of Hindu Solanki King Siddhraja Jaya Singha (Anhalwara,Patan). With Minister Moulai Tarmal, they had honoured the Fatimid dawat along with their fellow citizens on the call of Moulai Abdullah. Moulai Fakhruddin, son of Moulai Tarmal, was sent to western Rajasthan, India, and Moulai Nuruddin went to the Deccan (death: Jumadi al-Ula 11 at Don Gaum, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India).
One Dā'ī after another continued until the 23rd Dā'ī in Yemen whilst in Hind the Waliship continued in the descendents of Moulai Yaqoob; Moulai Ishaq, Moulai Ali, Moulai Hasan Fir. Moulai Hasan Fir was the fifth Wali in the era of the 16th Dai Syedna Abdullah (d.809 AH/1406 CE) of Yemen. The Awliya al-Hind were champions of the Fatimid dawat in India, who were instrumental in maintaining & propagating it on instructions of the Dā'ī at Yemen, and it is because of them that the Fatimid dawat was able to survive the persecutions of Cairo and Yemen.
The wali Moulai Jafer, Moulai Abdul Wahab, Moulai Qasim Khan bin Hasan (d.950AH, Ahmedabad) and last Jalal Shamshuddin (1567 CE) (12th wali-ul Hind and also became 25th Dai) 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 of Sidhpur, Gujrat, India.
The 24th Dai, Yusuf Najmuddin bin Sulayman (d.1567 CE), shifted the whole administration of the Dawat (mission) to India, in part due to their persecution by the Zaydi Imams. However, Yusuf Najmuddin continued to live in Yemen and died there. The last Wali-ul-Hind and 25th Dai Jalal Shamshuddin (d.1567 CE) was the 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, however, before his nass, he was Wali-ul Hind (after Moulai Qasim) for about 20 years under the 24th Dai Syedna Yusuf while the Dai was in Yemen.
Intra-Bohra Schisms
Following the death of the 26th Dai in 1591 CE, Suleman bin Hasan, the grandson of the 24th Dai, was wali in Yemen and claimed the succession, supported by a few Bohras from Yemen and India. However, most Bohras denied his claim of nass, declaring that the supporting document evidence was forged. The two factions separated, with the followers of Suleman Bin Hasan becoming the Sulaymanis, and the followers of Syedna Dawood Bin Qutubshah becoming the Dawoodi Bohra.
Again in the period of the 29th Dai Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin, a small group of Aliya Bohra separated under Ali bin Ibrahim (1034 AH/1634 CE), the grandson of the 28th Dai Syedna Sheikhadam Safiyuddin. A further branch broke from the Dawoodi in 1754, with the Hebtiahs Bohra splicing in a dispute following the death of the 39th Dai.
Move to India
The 34th Dai Syedna Ismail Badruddin (son of Moulai Raj, 1657 CE onward) was the first Dai of Indian Gujrati origin. He shifted the Dawat from Ahmedabad to Jamnagar. [14] During this period the Da'is also moved to Mandvi and later to Burhanpur. In the era of the 42nd Dai Syedna Yusuf Najmuddin (1787 CE onward) the Dawat office shifted to Surat. The educational institute Al-Dars-al-Saifee (later renamed Al Jamea tus Saifiyah) was built in that era by the 43rd Dai Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin, who was an extremely renowned scholar in the literary field. During the period of the 51st Da'i Syedna Taher Saifuddin (1915-1965 CE), the Dawoodi Bohra Dawat administration has been located to Mumbai and continues there to the present day. The 51st and 52nd Da'is both had their residence at Saifee Mahal in Mumbai's Malabar Hill as does the current, 53rd, Da'i [15] Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.
Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (6 March 1915 – 17 January 2014) was the 52nd Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq.
Imams and Dais
Dawoodi Bohras believe that the 21st Mustaali Imam, Taiyab abi al-Qasim, is a direct descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima Zahra. According to this belief, Ṭayyib Abī l-Qāṣim went into occultation and established the office of the Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq as the Imām's vicegerent, with full authority to govern the believing community in all matters spiritual and temporal, as well as those of his assistants, the Ma'dhūn (Arabic: مأذون) and Mukāsir (Arabic: مكاسر). During the Imām's seclusion, a Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq is appointed by his predecessor. The mazūn and mukasir are in turn appointed by the Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq. A fundamental belief held by the Dawoodi Bohra is that the presence of the secluded Imām is guaranteed by the presence of the Dāī al-Muṭlaq.
The 52nd Dai Al Mutlaq, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin served the dawat for 50 years. His main policy was one of Islamisation, countering the modernizing tendencies of his predecessor, [16] . :184–185 Under his rule, a system of strict social control was developed using modern means of communication. [3] A group of reformists, the Progressive Dawoodi Bohra, was formed by Asghar Ali Engineer, but its members have been excommunicated by the mainstream DB clergy. [3] Since the death of the 52nd Dāī in 2014, two claimants for the post of Dai emerged, Mufaddal Saifuddin and Khuzaima Qutbuddin, leading to several court cases being filed with the Mumbai High Court.
Office and administration
The office of the Da'i al-Multaq; known as Dawat–e-Hadiyah,is central to secular and religious affairs among Dawoodi bohra's. The present office is in Badri Mahal, Mumbai which is represented by Jamaat Committee in all the cities with significant Dawoodi Bohra members. The Aamil is the president of the Jamaat committee, at their respective city. He is appointed by the Dawat–e-Hadiyah with permission of Dai al Mutlaq.
There are several sub committee and trusts under the Jamaat committee, who looks after different aspects of Dawoodi bohras administration.
Demographics and culture
The population Dawoodi Bohra sect is over one million. [17] The majority of adherents reside in Gujarat state in India and Karachi city in Pakistan. There are also significant diaspora populations in Europe, North America, the Far East and East Africa. [3]
Dawoodi Bohras have a blend of ethnic cultures, including: Yemeni, Egyptians, Africans, Pakistanis and Indians. In addition to the local languages, the Dawoodi Bohras have their own language called Lisan al-Dawat. [18]
which is written in Perso-Arabic script and is derived from Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Gujarati.
The centralized, hierarchical organization of the Dawoodi Bohras is maintained largely using (the threat of) excommunication of those who do not conform to the rules laid down by the Syedna and other members of the clergy. [16][page needed] Excommunication dissolves marriage and bars burial in Dawoodi burial sites. [19]
The Dawoodi Bohra maintain a distinct form of attire; the Dawoodi Bohra men wear a white three piece outfit, plus a white and gold cap Kufi (called a topi), and women wear the rida, a distinctive form of the commonly known burqa which is distinguished from other forms of the veil due to it sporting bright colors and decorated with patterns and lace. The ridah can have any color except black, preventing confusion of Bohra women with Sunni women and thus enabling easy identification of fellow members of the community, which in turn is important for maintaining strict social control. [3] The rida additionally differs from the burqa in that the rida does not call for covering of women's faces like the traditional veil. [20] It has a flap called the pardi that is usually folded to one side to facilitate visibility, but can also be worn over the face if so desired. This way of dressing was not always the norm; it was only established (in fact, mandated) as part of an Islamization program by the da'i Mohammed Burhanuddin, starting in the late 1970s. Prior to this, especially under the modernizing Taher Saifuddin, Dawoodi Bohra dress and culture were "considerably more assilimated to mainstream Indian culture" (says journalist Jonah Blank). Traditional dress existed in several regional variants before standardization was decreed in 1981. [16]:184–187
The Dawoodi Bohra retain the Fatimid-era Tabular Islamic calendar, [21] which they believe matches perfectly with the lunar cycle, not requiring any correction. In this calendar, the lunar year has 354 days. Their odd-numbered months have 29 days and the even-numbered months have 30 days, except in a leap year when the 12th and final month has 30 days. This is in contrast with other Muslim communities, which base the beginnings of specific Islamic months on sightings of the moon, with the naked eye, by religious authorities, which often result in differing opinions as to the occurrence of religiously significant dates, such as the start of Ramadan.
Status of women
Female genital mutilation, known as khatna, is considered a religious obligation in the Bohra community, in most cases performed on girls around age 7. The practice may originate in North Africa, where the Dawoodi Bohras trace their origins, and is now considered "intrinsic to their identity". The Dawoodi Bohras are the only Muslim sect in India to practice it;
it is mostly kept alive by women, with men "[seeming] unaware that their own daughters and sisters are undergoing the cut". A 2011 Internet petition, to be delivered to Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, was the first public protest against female genital mutilation to emerge from the Bohra community.
In Australia, in November 2015, a Dawoodi Bohra sheikh along with 2 women were found guilty of genital mutilation of two young girls.
In 2012, the community leadership under Mohammed Burhanuddin instituted community kitchens in Mumbai that deliver Bohra families two meals per day; the goal of this system is to free women from the task of preparing food, providing them with time to pursue education or economic activities.
Masjid
Dawoodi Bohras have their own jamaats (local communities) which will be focussed around a Masjid or a markaz (community centre) where an "Amil" (leader appointed by the Syedna (TUS) leads namaaz and gives discourses).
Dawoodi Bohras have a unique system of communal eating with groups of 8 or 9 people seated around a thaal (particularly large metal tray). Each course of the meal is served for the people around the thaal to share. The place where meals are served is called the Jamaat Khaana. The Jamaat Khaana is usually adjoined to the masjid complex.
Education and educational institutes
During the 20th century, the Syednas have established colleges, schools and madrasas in villages, towns and cities all around the world. [vague] The focus on literacy and education has meant that the community has a high percentage of degree holders and professionals both male and female with a high number of doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, teachers and IT professionals in the community in addition to the large number [quantify] of businessmen and industrialists.
Al Jamea tus Saifiyah is the Dawoodi Bohra theological university, which was founded in Surat, India in 1814 AD(1224AH)by the 43rd Dai Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin who named it ‘Dars-e-Saifee". A second campus was founded in 1983 located in the northern foothills of Karachi, Pakistan. A third campus was established in Nairobi, Kenya in 2011, and in 2013 a fourth campus was established in Marol (Mumbai), Maharashtra.
The 51st Dai Syedna Taher Saifuddin introduced modern subjects including sciences and arts to the curriculum in 1961 and renamed the academy Al Jamea tus Saifiyah. This process of modernization continued with his son and successor Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin who introduced 'state-of-the-art' facilities such as the 'Mahad al-Zahra' Quran training Institute. He also made it an International Baccalaureate Office. The academies are administered by a central office located in Badri Mahal, Fort, Mumbai.
The 51st Dai Syedna Taher Saifuddin was a prolific scholar who wrote more than 40 volumes or 'Risalas' and has penned more than 10,000 verses in tribute to the Shia saints.
Many of his works are part of the syllabus in the different fields of Arabic study in Al Jamea tus Saifiyah.
The Aligarh Muslim University conferred a Doctorate of Theology on the 51st Dai Taher Saifuddin and offered its Chancellorship after a series of "strategic donations" by the Syedna.
He remained as Chancellor for three consecutive terms until his death in 1965. In October 1999, the 52nd Dai Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin was also elected Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University.
Mausoleums
Thousands of Dawoodi Bohra visit every year Mausoleums of Ahl al-Bayt especially Medina, Karbala,Shaam and Cairo.
The Dai al Mutlaq RA and Wali of Past have been laid to rest in Rauza's, where thousands of community members visit every year, in Yemen and India.
Raudat Tahera (Arabic: روضة طاهرة Rawḍatu Ṭāḥiratu), is the Rauza of Syedna Taher Saifuddin. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin was buried by his son, Mufaddal Saifuddin in the same mausoleum
Theology
For an overview of the Mustaali Shi'a faith, see Mustaali.
Seven pillars
The Dawoodi Bohras follow the Seven pillars of Ismaili Islam in the tradition of Fatimid Dawat: Walayah (guardianship of the faith), Taharah (purity), salat (prayer), Zakat (tithing), Sawm (fasting), Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), and Jihad (struggle).
Dawoodi Bohras believe Walayah to be the most important of the seven pillars of Islam. It is the love and devotion for God, through their Dai, Imam, Wasi (Wali) Ali and Nabi Muhammad. There is an incident famous amongst Bohra which confirm how they mean and weigh ‘walayat’ principle. There was an order from 19th Dai Syedna Idris in Yemen to the 6th Wali-ul-Hind, Moulai Adam, to perform prayer behind a water-carrier called Sakka. Moulai Adam along with his associates were willing to perform prayer under Sakka, although this order was later revoked. As a result, the Da'wat was shifted to India.
Their interpretations of the pillars Sawm, Hajj, and Jihad are akin to those in other forms of Islam, but the Dawoodi forms of salat and Zakat differ from other groups:
Salat (prayer) as per tradition to be performed five time intervals specified as Fazr, Zohr, Ashr, Magrib and Ishah. Zohr and Ashr are having overlapping period, same is Magrib and Ishah. Hence they are combined together and Bohra perform these five Salat in three intervals. Fazr in morning, Zohr & Ashr in afternoon, and Maghrib and Ishah in the evening, making convenient to perform.
Zakat is done during Month of Ramzaan (Ramadan). This is organized and collected by central authority Dawat–e-Hadiyah from every member of the community. The family of a Bohra who refuses to pay Zakat is refused all religious services.
As is the case with the majority of Shi'a Muslims, the Bohra append Aliyun waliallah to their profession of faith (kalema‐tut‐ sahadat). The Dawoodi Bohra utilise the versions of the azaan (call to prayer) and shahada common to other Mustaali, which incorporate mention of Ali.
Differences
Some Sunni Islamic Organizations considers Dawoodi Bohra to be disbelievers due to what they perceive as the ardent worship of their leader without being instructed in the completed Sharia to do so.The Reformist Dawoodi Bohra claim that the practice of Sajda (Prostration) was started by 51st Dai Taher Saifuddin and went to the extent of claiming that he is "Elahul-Ard" (God on earth) that he is accountable to no one and that he is master of the soul, mind, body and properties of his followers
Bohras on the other hand claim that Saifuddin never claimed to be God on Earth. [45] This is further supported by court records, where Judge Marten who presided over the case in 1921 clearly states in Point 36 that it was the lawyer of Saifuddin who wrongly stated that the Dai was God on Earth. Saifuddin himself reprimanded his own lawyer for making the erroneous claim. Bohras similarly reject the allegations above as simple fabrications, for example, the Misaq has been dated by al Maqrizi (a Sunni Shaf'i historian) to the days of the Fatimid Caliphate, not something that was introduced by Saifuddin.
Zoaib Rangwala, secretary of the community at Palo Alto says that the terrorists are not representatives of Islam.
Qardhan Hasana
Islam prohibits Riba; Dawoodi Bohra follow principle of Qardhan hasana, an interest free loan. Special arrangements are made under Aamil in their respective cities to facilitate Qardhan Hasana. The fund is generated from contributions of members and bulk amount comes from Dai-al-Mutlaq office. (In 2014, Mufaddal Saifuddin donated more than Rs. 103.50 crore (Rs. 1.035 billion).)
Muharram and Ashura
Muharram is a month of remembrance that is often considered synonymous with the event of Ashura. Ashura, which literally means the "Tenth" in Arabic, refers to the tenth day of Muharram. It is well-known because of historical significance and mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad.
Dawoodi Bohra begin mourning from the first night of Muharram and continue for ten nights with discourse and Matam(beating chest), climaxing on the 10th of Muharram, known as the Day of Ashura. The last few days up until and including the Day of Ashura are the most important because these were the days in which Hussein and his family and followers (consisting of 72 people, including women, children and elderly people) were killed by the army of Yazid I at the Battle of Karbala on his orders. Surviving members of Hussein's family and those of his followers were taken captive, marched to Damascus, and imprisoned there.
Thousands of Dawoodi Bohra flock from around the world to hear discourse offered by Da'i al-Mutlaq at different places, for ten days and on the tenth day of Muharrum, they pray for Hussein till the magrib, which ends with breaking of fast.
Dawoodi Bohras and The World
The first Dawoodi Bohra mosque in the West was built in Farmington Hills, Michigan in 1988. Immediately thereafter, the first Canadian masjid was inaugurated by Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin in Toronto. Mohammed Burhanuddin inaugurated the Houston masjid in 1996, which was reconstructed into a larger masjid that is four times the size of the original. This new masjid was inaugurated in Oct, 2015 by Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.
In June 2001 Masjid-ul-Badri in Chicago was inaugurated. In July 2004 new mosques in New Jersey (Masjiduz-Zainy), Washington DC and Boston were inaugurated.
The following year, August 2005, the Dā‘ī l-Mutlaq inaugurated another new masjid in Fremont, California (metropolitan San Francisco) and was congratulated by various officials and dignitaries from local, state and federal US governments. President George W. Bush also sent a letter from the White House. On 8 July 2007, Mohammad Burhanuddin inaugurated a new masjid in Paris, France.
The total population of Arab Indonesians is 87,227 (2005), but there are 5,000,000 native Indonesians with Arab ancestry.
The Hui people of China are Muslims. Their ancestors include Central Asians, Arabs and Persians who married Hans.
The desirable physical qualities of a Fulani are a light color, slight bone structure, straight hair, thin lips, and, above all, a long narrow nose...”. These are obviously 'Caucasian' characteristics, and the natural explanation is that the Fulani have a partly Caucasian ancestry, either from East Africa (e.g. Ethiopean) or more likely from the North (e.g. Tuareg). The Fulani themselves believe they are related to the Tuaregs and Arabs. They despise the Black populations to their South.
The whole Pakistan has local origin but got mixed with Arabs, Persians and Afghans.
Harvard Genetics Study Finds Most Indians Are Not Indigenous
Debunking the myth of "the purity of the Race" pushed by Hindu Nationalist leader Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, a Harvard study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics has found that vast majority of Indians today have descended from a mixture of two genetically divergent populations--Ancestral North Indians (ANIs) who migrated from Central Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Europe, and Ancestral South Indians (ASI), who are not closely related to groups outside the subcontinent.
Geographically, Ancestral North Indians (ANIs) tend to be more concentrated in the northern and western parts of India closer to West Asia, while Ancestral South Indians are found mostly in southern and eastern parts of India.
The paper, titled "Genetic Evidence for Recent Population Mixture in India" confirms that North Indians ancestors started migrating to India from outside thousands of years before the advent of Islam. ANIs and ASIs routinely intermarried between 4,200 and 1,900 years ago until the imposition of strict segregation by the Hindu caste system, according to the study.
Similar genetic studies of Pakistanis published in the American Journal of Human Genetics have found very diverse ancestral origins of the people in the country. These range from Balochis with origins in Aleppo (modern Syria) to Brahuis who are indigenous Dravidian, and Baltis of Sino-Tibetan ancestry to Pashtuns of Jewish or Central Asian origins.
These genetic studies offer strong rebuttal of Hindu Nationalists' claims of "racial purity" of Hindus. Genetics confirm that most Indians (and Pakistanis) are, in fact, people of mixed or foreign ancestry regardless of their faith.
Y chromosomes of self-identified Syeds from the Indian subcontinent show evidence of elevated Arab ancestry but not of recent common patrilineal origin. This study ratifies to long held belief that so many Pakistanis, Indians, Bengalis... have Arab ancestry. In the 8th century peoples of Arab, Turkish, and Persian descent began to enter the area.
Although there is considerable controversy surrounding their origins, according to popular Baluchi legends they migrated northward from Aleppo (in modern Syria) for pastureland and fresh water during the Arab conquests of the ninth century, travelling along the southern shores of the Caspian Sea and subsequently settling in what is now Iranian and Pakistani Baluchistan by the fourteenth century.
Osmani
Usmani or Osmani (Sometimes Osmany) or Othmani or Uthmani (Arabic: عثمانی) is a large community (Urdu: Biradari), found mainly in South Asia. The word Usmani or Osman (one and the same thing) is a surname. Osmani are found throughout South Asia, and have spread across Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
Shaikh Usmani
The Shaikh Usmani are a Urdu speaking community, and many are found among the Sindhis of Pakistan.They are of Arab origin. The word usmani derived from Hazrat Usman Ghani, the third caliph of Islam. One of the sub-continent's well known personalities Hazrat Maulana Shabir Ahmed Usmani (Sheikh ul Islam) belongs to this origin. They claim that they came in India with sufi fakir Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti .
Turk Usmani
They claim to have Turk ancestry and are found mainly in North-West India and Pakistan.They include the descendants of Karlugh Turks who came with Taimur in 1398-1399.They live in Hazara region and Kashmir regions of Pakistan.They are Hindko speaking. The Turks who came with Khilji and Slave dynasties also use "usmani" as surname.
Usmani of Bilgram
Ale Usman of Bilgram, a historical town in Awadh region in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh are the direct decedents of third Islamic Caliph Hazrat Usman through his grand son Abdullah Akbar bin Amr and from maternal side to the fourth Islamic Caliph Hazrat Ali through her grand daughter Fatimah Sughra bint Husain. they came to India from a small town of Kazroon (Ghazroon) in the Fars province of modern-day Iran. They first migrated to Herat in Afghanistan and from there they came to India with the army of Mahmood Ghaznavi in eleventh century AD. After conquering Bilgram in 1018 AD Qazi Yusuf Ghazrooni served as the first Qazi of Bilgram appointed by Mahmood Ghaznavi. Ale Usman of Bilgram holds the title of Qazi-ul-Bilgram since that time barring brief interregnum where another esteemed faction of Farshori Sheikhs of Bilgram held the position of Qazi.
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