Taher Saifuddin

Syedna Taher Saifuddin 51st Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
Born	(1888-08-04)4 August 1888 Surat, British Raj
Died	12 November 1965(1965-11-12) (aged 77) Matheran, India
Resting place	Raudat Tahera, Mumbai
Organization	Chancellor, Aligarh (1953-65)
Style	His Holiness
Term	1915–1965
Predecessor	Abdullah Badruddin
Successor	Mohammed Burhanuddin, son
Spouse(s)	Aaisaheba Husaina
Parent(s)	Mohammad Burhanuddin Aaisaheba Amatullah

Syedna Taher Saifuddin bin Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin^[1] (سيدنا طاهر سيف الدين, 4 August 1888 – 12 November 1965) was the 51st Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohras, a section within Shia Islam. He was the son of the 49th Da'i al-Mutlaq Mohammed Burhanuddin, whose family lineage can be traced back to Syedi Fakhruddin Shaheed.

During his reign, Taher Saifuddin RA adapted the modernisation in Western and European ideas, and over the course of it, he established its benefits for the Bohra community. This sets him an ideal for the mixture of modern isation, education while being rooted in the traditions and the culture of the Fatimi Heritage and his son and successor Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin and grandson and his successor Syedna Aaliqadr Mufaddal Saifuddin have continued in his path taking giant strides in the benefit of the community. ,

Early life

Sayedna Taher Saifuddin was born to Mohammed Burhanuddin and Aaisaheba Amatullah Aaisaheba on 4 August 1888 in Surat, British Raj (now in the Indian state of Gujarat).

Da'i al-Mutlaq

Taher Saifuddin name recorded at Aqsa Mosque tomb

grave seen from entrance raudat Tahera

Saifuddin became the 51st al-Dāʿī al-Mutlaq in the year 1915. He rebuilt or repaired many monuments of Fatimi Imams, al-Dāʿī al-Mutlaq and other prominent structures and artifacts.^[2]

He was the Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University for four consecutive terms.^[3][4] He was made honorary chancellor of this university, which had only few Bohra students.

Contributions to Islamic Institutions

Saifuddin contributed vast sums of money towards the refurbishment of mosques and shrines. He along with the Nizam of Hyderabad were among the few Indian Muslims to contribute towards the renovation of Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem:^[5] Sultan Tahir Saif al-Din is said to have come from India with one hundred and fifty of his followers...At the Jerusalem station he was welcomed by the Mufti and other Sheikhs of the Supreme Moslem Council and a number of Arab notables including Ragheb Bey Nashashibi. A troop of Arab boy scouts paraded in his honour and there were two bands from Moslem institutions...The sultan was reputed to be a man of great wealth who had made substantial contributions to the religious and political funds of the Arabs of this country.^[6]

Syedna Taher Saifuddin also gifted the internal curtains which were kept in the Kaaba for decades to King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia in 1354AH, with whom he kept warm relations.^[7]

He constructed Ghurratul Masajid (Saifee Masjid)^[8][9] in Mumbai, al Mahal al Saifee^[9] for pilgrims in Mecca, the Zarih of Ali Ibn Abi Talib in Najaf and Husayn ibn Ali in Karbala and Cairo,^[9] the mausoleum of Qutubuddin Shaheed and Fakhruddin Shaheed.^[9] He also made and donated the Kiswah of the Kaaba.^[9]

Family

Syedna Taher Saifuddin married Aaisaheba Husaina Aaisaheba, who was also from the family of Da'i al-Mutlaq. After her death, he then married Wazeerah Aaisaheba, Fatema Aaisaheba and Amenah Aaisaheba.

He had a total of 12 sons and 8 daughters. His sons were Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, Husain Husamuddin, Abdut Taiyeb Zakiyuddin, Yusuf Najmuddin, Ismail Shehabuddin, Hatim Hamiduddin, Qasim Hakimuddin, Aliasghar Kalimudddin, Shabbir Nooruddin, Abbas Fakhruddin, Khuzaima Qutbuddin and Mohammed al-Baqir Jamaluddin. His daughters were Asma Baisaheba, Maryam Baisaheba, Khadijah Baisaheba, Zahra Baisaheba, Shireen Baisaheba, Banu Baisaheba, Fatema Baisaheba and Zainab Baisaheba.^[10]

His Holiness Syedna Taher Saifuddin belongs to family of Moulai Fakhruddin and Moulai Hakimuddin. He also has link with Mohammad Rasulullah family as indicated in tree placed below.

Literary works

The Chandabhoy Galla Case

Mausoleum 51st and 52nd Dai

The Chandabhoy Galla Case is celebrated case in the history of religion where a human being is challenged for the representative of God on earth who is infallible and immaculate. The case was filed by the Advocate General of Mumbai at the behest of Adamjee Pirbhai family members against Syedna Taher Saifuddin. The case was filed in 1917 and decided in 1921. The claim was based on the belief of Imam as representative of the Prophet, and through him the representative of God, having withdrawn from the world, someone must represent him, and so ultimately the Deity on earth. The Dai, according to community religious belief, is that representative. The ownership of the Chandabhoy ‘Galla’( box kept for religious offerings) was denied on the plea of improper succession. ^{[15] [16]}

Concluding this extraordinary case then Advocate general Strangman remark about Syedna Taher saifuddin recorded is as follows ^[17] :

"Looking back on the proceedings, I think what impressed me the most, even more than the extravagance of the claims, was the personality of the Mullaji, a frail looking figure possessed nevertheless of an iron will, great determination, and organising capacity. At the time he assumed office the administration must have been extremely slack. Yet he managed in a very few years not only to pull the administration together but to obtain a hold upon his followers greater perhaps than that of any of his predecessors."

During testimony of 51st Dai Syedna Taher Saifuddin, he clarified about knowledge classes of 'Zahir', 'Tavil' and, 'Hakikat' present in community. First two are known to many but third one namely 'Hakikat' content some religious truths known to very few. Some of which are known to only 2 or 3 persons in community, and there is also knowledge which is available with Dai only, and he gets it from his predecessor Dai.^[18]

Death

Saifuddin died on 12 November 1965 in Matheran, Maharashtra, India.^[19] His mausoleum is known as Raudat Tahera located in Mumbai, and was constructed by his successor, Mohammed Burhanuddin.

See also

• List of Dai of Dawoodi Bohra

References

Further reading

• Abdul Qaiyum Mulla Habibullah, His Holiness Syedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb, Dai-ul-Mutlaq of Dawoodi Bohra, Dawoodi Bohra Book Depot Publications,1953.
• Syedna Taher Saifuddin: A Philosophical Discourse, Al Jamea tus Saifiyah Publications 1963.
• Life and Works of His Holiness Syedna Dr. Taher Saifuddin Saheb, Leader Press Pvt. Ltd. Publications.
• Jafar us Sadiq Mufaddal Saifuddin, Al Aqmar: A Living Testimony to the Fatemiyeen, Al Jamea tus Saifiyah Publications, 2000.
• Jafar us Sadiq Mufaddal Saifuddin, Al Juyushi: A Vision of the Fatemiyeen, Al Jamea tus Saifiyah Publications, 2002.
• Mustafa Abdulhussein, Al-Dai Al-Fatimi Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin: An Illustrated Biography, Al Jamea tus Saifiyah Publications.
• (A Chronological List of Duatil Mutlaqin)

Tree linking Dawoodi Bohra Dai with Rasulullah