Mufaddal Saifuddin - The Last Mogul
Enough is enough. Believe it or not, the "Impire" is at the verge of extinction. The prince Mufaddal Saifuddin is going to be written in Bohra history as "LAST MOGUL of SAIFEE SULTANATE"
The present sychphantic generation of Dawoodi Bohras may not know that for 800 years Bohra Dais had lived a simple and modest life, like other ordinary Bohras. The Dais then used to earn their daily needs by petty business selling household items on road-sides. Dais were poor and indebted but still they were not taxing the community members even for their day to day living.
Even the multi-millionaire Syedna Taher Saifuddin's father and 49th Dai, Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin was poor and indebted. This is evident from an incident quoted in the famouse "ChandaBhoy Galla Case" that:- One Amil Abdul Yayeb from whom 49th Dai had taken Rs. 50,000 loan had tried to put the indebted Dai in to Jail to get back his money. Even then 49th Dai did not excommunicate this audacious Amil.
This incident clearly shows that then Bohras and Amils were not bonded labourers of Dai They could openly oppose the Dai, without fear, as there was no inferiority complex among ordinary Bohras visa vise their Dai.
In the beginning of Twentieth century the prosperity came in Dawoodi Bohra community during British rule in India. This was the time when Taher Saifuddin, who was born in poverty in dilapidated house in Surat, ridded the community.
Till then the Dai was called Mullaji Saheb or Bade Mullaji and Bohras as Mullajis.
The wealth and power hungry Sayedna Taher Saifuddin immediately shifted to Bombay (commercial Capital of India) and systematically grabbed a Lion's share from this prosperity of the community and became multi-millionaire by adopting the most arrogant and ruthless means.
He projected himself as the absolute owner of body, soul, mind, wealth and property and trusts of his followers - a representative of the hidden Imam - and thus a representative of Allah, a God on earth, His holiness, Sadar, Sultan of Bohras, infallible, Aqa, Maula, Huzer-e-Aala, Dai-e-ajal, Dai-e-Allah, Dai-e-Ali, Dai-e-Husain, Qur'an-e-natiq, Dai-e-Fatemi, most pious and religious and spiritual leader, "Shamshud-Duatul-Mutlaqueen", A scholar of Islam, an authority on Ahlebyte and Imam Husain. Ultimately a divine God man and Super-human. By this tactic a simple mortal virtually became a the superhuman. A supieriority complex got set not only in the Dais' psychic but in his each every family member.
This was the situation about which a Dai was warned by the Fatemi Imams that:-
"A Dai should not be ambitious because ambition is the origin of all the calamities. It is stated from Moulana Ali Amir-ul-Muminin, May God bless him, that he was asked, "What is Din?" Thereupon he replied, "it is abstinence from immoralities." Again he was asked, "What is the cause of its ruin?" He said, "It is ambition." Ambition carries the Dai to take bribe in the affairs of Din. Then the first inevitable default in doing so is the breakage of the covenant because a vow had been taken from him that he should not be dishonest to the Imam of his time, neither in money matters nor in (the affairs of) Din, and if a person does so indeed he acts perfidiously, and if a man breaks the vows, certainly he goes out of the Din and he is dismissed from the office of Dawat. After that if he takes vow from anybody or he leaches secret knowledge to him, then surely this act is an adultery and debauchery there will be no goodness in it because he belongs to the person other than God, therefore he is thrown down and deprived of all Goodnesses.
"The Dai should not desirous of worldly rule, because that will carry him to falsehood, either in looking for the Riyasat with pure intent, or he may tell a lie after he has acquired the Riyasat, for the fear that the Riyasat, may not be disproved to him, and that thing will bear him to abuse that person whom he thinks fit for the Riyasat, that person being one of his friends. So that he (the person) may not reach to it, and it will compel him to think himself above all of his companions to tell a lie and he will follow their fouls and other similar things will be committed by him. And the falsehood is the root of all the reproaches. The result of telling lie is back-biting and back-biting transmits enmity, malice, separation, quarrels etc and on account of that the man goes out of the Din and the covenant. (C)
"A Dai should not be greedy and licentious. Greediness and license tend to develop the body and by doing to the share in education of the soul is neglected. Greediness and license result in miserliness. Love for the money is created and ambition increases. Ambition teaches dishonesty and one who misappropriates is driven out of the religion and the covenant.
"[Qualifications of A Dai - as given by Syedna Hatim, the 3rd Dai in his Risala of Mujazat-ul-Kafia, which is an abstract from an extract of the 2nd volume of the seven Historical volumes of Al-Azar her by Hasan bin Nuh (noted in this hook). Again Hasan bin Nuh says that he took the extract from Dai Ahmed bin Mohamed Neshapuri of the time of Mustasir Bil Lab; the 18th Imam.]
Yet Syedna Taher Saifuddin, who came from a poor background, amassed the wealth by hook or crook as he was greedy and ambitious.
Not only that, he introduced the practice of "Raza", (Dai's or his appointed agents' permission, for every activity of Bohras, religious, social or personal, throttling the freedom of the community. Then he made Bohras his slaves by declaring themselves as "Abd-e-Syedna and Amte-Syedna (Slaves of Syedna).
Syedna Taher Saifuddin, as excepted in Bombay High Court, altered the text of Oath of allegiance (Misaq-nama) and further enslaved the community by claiming that " no one is a Dawoodi Bohra by birth and true Momin (believer) without giving Misaq and submitting himself to the diktats of Syedna. This alterations he did inspite of the fact that a Dai was warned that "It is obligatory on Dai not to ascribe a single word of Misaq towards himself".
All 50 Dais, before Syedna Taher Saifuddin, faithfully observed these instructions and never exploited Misaq for worldly gains. But Taher Saifuddin most shamelessly used Misaq to build his financial empire and a personality cult. He most strictly used Misaq which was a ritual, making it an a weapon for centralizing power and collecting wealth on a fantastically large scale. By cleverly including Dai with Imam in Misaq Taher Saifuddin elevated his status to that of Imam and he started claiming "Infallible" and went on committing crimes after crimes and sins after sins like alleged poisoning of his own wife, Husaina I-saheba, his daughter, Sakina bai-saheba, several violent attacks on Bohras who dared to expose his wrongdoings, like 90 years old Shaikh Ali Mohammad (1917 Ujjain) Ibrahim Adamji Peerbhoy(1922 Bombay), Mrs. Amatullah Bai wife of Ali Bhoy Peerbhoy(1928 Bombay), who was buried in a private plot at Charni Road, Bombay after Taher Saifuddin refused her burial in any Bohra Kabrastan. The vindictive Syedna Taher Saifuddin immediately after burial sent his goons in the night to exhume the dead of of Amatullah Bai. They not only exhume the body removed its shroud and thrown the naked body on the footpath outside. After such heinous crime Syedna Taher Saifuddin hushed up the crimes through power of his purse and remained scot free in public. Whereas he unleashed a wave of terror and fear in the community. This made him and his family hardcore criminal and gave them a sense that they are above the law.
Not that the Bohra well-wishers of the community were blind to see the Taher Saifuddin's devilish designs. Many of them like, Taher Saifuddin's brother-in-law, Sayedi Ismailbhoy Saheb Lookmanji, Sons of Sir Adamji Peerbhoy, Faizullah bhai Hamdani, Tayyabbhai Koicha (Mandviwala), Abdul Tayeb Maskati, Justice Abdeali Qazi, Hatim Alvi, Adamali Jeevanji, Taherbhai Kikhabwala and Abdul Tayeb Sharafali Mamuji, and many more prominent Bohras of the time, dared to challenged him.
To silence them Taher Saifuddin devised an inhuman and un-Islamic weapon of "Salambnad and Jamatkharij. Then he floated a lie in the community that who-so-ever has opposed Syedna Taher Saifuddin he was wiped out from the surface of earth (halak).
With power of his purse and false propaganda he started meeting Indian and world leaders. His photographs were taken with these dignitaries, published in the newspapers and finally these photos were printed in attractive books form and widely distributed. This was done to create an impression in the community that "when such big leaders respect and honour Syedna Saheb, how can he be wrong". Such stage-managed meetings with high dignitaries further enhanced Dai's superiority complex.
When Syedna Taher Saifuddin moved from Badri Mahal in Sir Adamji Peerbhoy's mansion at Malabar Hill, Bombay and named it as Saifee Mahal he started living a royal luxury life making his family as Royal Family and introduced practices of holding royal darbar in the name of "Imami Darbar with two anchor-men announcing the arrival of the Syedna, Bohras standing with folded hands bowing down in salutation before Syedna.
But this man who was supposed to be a God, immortal, ever-shining did died and buried and turned into dust, like any other creature. Soon the community found his alternative in his son, Burhanuddin, who was also born in poverty but was soon brought up in the utmost luxury of palaces under the shadow of his ruthless father.
When Burhanuddin was Mazoon, the Bohras had an impression oh him as mild, kindhearted and affacinate. But he was under the thumb of his younger brother, Yusuf Najmuddin who was like their father, cunning, vindictive and shrewd manipulator.
When in 60s the reformist Dawoodi Bohras under leadership of Mr. Noman Contractor could create an impetus in the community, the farsighted Syedna Taher Saifuddin immediately contacted Mr. Noman Contractor and Mr. Fazal Husain Zamindar and agreed to accept the demands of the Bohra reformists, organised a conference in Bombay and cleverly imposed a new tax in the name of "Sabil" on the community to generate fund to meet the reformists' demand. But when a mass revolt took placed in Udaipur city in 70s and even though the leaders of Bohra Youth went to meet Syedna Burhanuddin under the advise of Yusuf Najmuddin refused to meet them and humiliated them. Then he leashed a wave of terror over the members and sympathizers of Bohra Youth.
Yusuf Najmuddin substituted the word "Jamatkharij" with an Arabic word "Barat" used in the holy Qura'n. He coined another word "Wajebat" combining various taxes, like Zakat, Sila-fitra, Nazarmukam, khums, Hakkun-Nafs, Salams of Dai, Mazoon and Mukasir etc. etc.
One more Arabic word "Darees" of Syedna Hatim was created and imposed. Syedna Hatim, the third Yemini Dai of the Dawoodi Bohras was revered for running his "Daras" from his own income to impart the religious education. There is no word "Darees" in the Arabic dictionary.
Syedna Burhanuddin, another Bohra God and immortal was turned into dust this year, 2015. As was Allah's command, Burhanuddin died without publicly declaring "Nass" on any one. With the result there exists two 53 Dais at the same time in the Dawoodi Bohra Community today.
His second son, Mufaddal who was a school dropout, he held no post in religious hierarchy, an inexperience reckless man, a known ruffian, has turned his hand to the empire through internal manipulation. His plans to stick on seat are more sinister than his immediate presidators.
This creature, Mufaddal Saifuddin is god-sent to stand at the "death-door" of "tyrannical priesthood".
Bohras have suffered a sort of permanent psychological injury but their future is not going to be the extension of today. In fact Mufaddal is fooling himself by keeping the present generation of Bohras busy in Roti-making and in his senseless sermons. The storm of advanced information technology, media, computer, WhatsApp, internet is focusing on individuality and breaking personality cult. Through these mediums the Bohras sitting at home are getting educated about true Islam and Fatemid literatures and comparing themselves with other Muslim communities.
For Muharram sermons they are taken to different countries which is broadening their view. Especially Amils and their children are fed up with primitive mentality of slavery. No one now can stop the empire from total abolition.
Mufaddal Saifuddin - The Last Mogul
Re: Mufaddal Saifuddin - The Last Mogul
About time we send Dai in parda, just like the 21st Imam.