A novel with a grand sweep of contemporary history
It is no easy task to survey and present a comprehensive view of the contemporary history of a close-knit Shia Muslim community to a broad public audience without compromising on the scholarly rigour demanded by the subtle nuances of that history. In an ambitious endeavour to do precisely that, Shaukat Ajmeri masterfully executes just such a task in his debut novel Keepers of the Faith, setting an exemplary standard that ought to be followed by aspiring writers in the genre of historical fiction. more
A Muslim is identified by action not belief: Dr Aslam Parvaiz
"The Qur'an allows no cherry-picking and he whose knowledge and practice is limited to only 3.5 verses of the holy book is not a Muslim", says Dr Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz who was speaking at a webinar organised by the Central Board of Dawoodi Bohra Community on June 20, 2020. The topic of the webinar was: Current Indian Situation and Muslim Society - A Quranic Perspective. more
Torchbearer of a scholarly legacy
Dr. Abbas H. Hamdani passed away, peacefully and at home, on December 23rd, 2019. He was buried on December 26, 2019. He was predeceased by his cherished wife Zubeda (nee Ladkhawala/Sitabkhan) in 2015, and his beloved daughter Amal in 1994. His passing is full of sadness for his surviving daughter, Sumaiya Hamdani, and his grandchildren Ali Hamdani-Shaw, Anisa Hamdani-Shaw Conde, and Zahra Hamdani. It is a sadness that is mixed with gratitude for having known him, and for being inspired by his example. more
Bohra issues: archive of eye-opening articles and posts

This website and Forum have many interesting and thought-provoking posts submitted by various members over a period of many years, and which are difficult to locate. We have gathered this material in one place to provide easy access, and a starting point. Do yourself a favour, read this today.

  • News & Events
    Asghar Ali Engineer writes autobiography
    Dr. Asghar Ali Engineers autobiography A Living Faith: My Quest for Peace, Harmony and Social Change was launched in New Delhi on 20th July 2011 by Vice President of India Shri Hamid Ansari. Shri Hamid Ansari praised Dr. Engineers courage and his struggle against priesthood in his own community. more
    Features
    The unsung hero of reform movement
    It was small hours of the morning. A boy of 16-17 was poring over his books, engrossed in his studies. There is a knock on the door. A man in a simple Muslim garb enters, tells the boy that Hazur-e-aali wants to see him. They exchange a few words, and the boy is driven to a grand house where Hazur-e-aali is sitting on a chair in a large room. The boy is directed to sit on the floor before him. Hazur-e-aali commands him to look him in his eyes and begins to talk about the glorious history of the Dais, how they never die; about the infallible Imams and their resplendent past; about Fatimid history and its vicissitudes; about Islam and its Ismaili inheritance and about the Dawoodi Bohras who opposed their Dai and how they were ruined (halak thayaa). more
    Islamic perspective
    Islamic states have no Qur'anic sanction
    A number of Islamic countries claim that they are an Islamic state and that secularism has no place in their society. Some Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia consider secularism to be a great sin. Is there any concept of an Islamic state in the Qur'an? more
  • Bohras and Reform
    Doctrine of infallibility in Islamili tradition
    There is great deal of misconception about the doctrine of 'ismah (infallibility) and its precise meaning among the Isma'ilis, in general, and among the Dawoodi Bohras, in particular. The doctrine of 'ismah i.e. infallibility applies only to the Prophet in Sunni Islam and to the Prophet, his legatee (wasi) and imams in Shi'ah Islam. more
    A Manifesto on behalf of the Dawoodi Bohra Community
    Succession disputes, i.e., claims and counter-claims, are a familiar theme in Islamic history. As soon as the Prophet breathed his last in 10 H./632 C. E., the Muslim community was divided on the question of his succession as the leader of the community or of the proto-Islamic Medinan state that had evolved during the last years of the Prophet’s life. In contra distinction to the Sunnis the Shia asserted Ali’s succession both in political as well as in religious spheres. This had grave consequences, at least in theory, such as over the interpretation of the shari’a (religious regulations laid down in the Qur’an and the Sunna) or its alteration if necessary. more
    Multimedia
    Interviews and talks
    Few people understand what the reform movement is about. They think reformists are against the Dai. This is not true. Check out a series of long-ranging interviews and talks to understand why reformists are fighting and what they are fighting for. more
    Your story
    › Tell us your story, write to us.
    Walking out of the Bohra falsehood
    I was born in India in a small village more than 40 years ago into a Bohra family. I came with my family to Malaysia when I was only 4 years old. I grew up like any normal Bohra surrounded by the richness of the Bohra culture and rituals. My religion was primarily restricted to namaz and learning to read the Qur’an. more