Dawoodi Bohra Forum

Biradar wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:45 pm

ilhamafief94 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 2:53 am Thank you all for the information. I am Shia and I am very interested in comparative madhhab. I've studied Imamiyah, Zaydiyah, Sunni, etc. But I think the most difficult literature for me to find is the teachings of Bohra, maybe Sulaymani Bohra too. So I came here to learn more.

There is not much difference (in the doctrinal beliefs, I mean) between the various Tayebi offshoots, i.e. the Dawoodis, Sulemanis, Alavis and other minor sects. They all follow the Da'im al-Islam for their legal practice but more often rely on prayer manuals produced locally. For example, the previous Sayenda's wife made a good manual based on earlier works in which she described every ritual and the logic behind it in great detail. However, it is in Gujrathi language written in Arabic script so you won't be able to understand it, unless you speak Gujrathi already. Bohras in general were secularized and also tend to resolve their issues in secular courts. However, recently, the mad-man in charge, i.e. Muffy, has tried to change that by appointing local "Qazya Committees" to handle matters internally.

If you really can't find Da'im al-Islam let me know and I will attempt to get an English PDF for you from my university library.

However, caution that the Bohra fiqh literature is unlike the Sunni or Imami Shias in that the chain of narrations are typically abbreviated and omitted. The logic behind this is that the Da'im was approved by the Imam himself so is essentially canonical and no further narrative authority is needed. Further, the practice of daily prayers is very similar to the Sunni madhabs rather than the Shia ones (of course there are minor differences). This may appear somewhat strange but it is probably because the author of the Da'im was likely a follower of Hanafi madhab before he converted to the Ismaili cause.

However, the most interesting aspect of the Ismaili beliefs are not in the daily rituals but in their esoteric interpretation of Islam. This aspect of Ismailism is controversial to say the least. However, it is well-founded on the primary texts of Islam, though the haqqaiq literature is a strange concoction of tribal superstition and magical thinking. In my opinion though the taweel interpretation of Islam is well-founded, haqqaiq literature represent the incursion of superstitions of Yemei origin that were mixed up in Ismaili beliefs as the Yemenis were great supporters of Ismailis for a few centuries.

Incidentally, the main difference between the various Bohra factions is ethnic and not doctrinal: Sulemanis are mostly ethnic Arabs, Dawoodis are moslty ethnic Indians. These ethocentric groups are unlike the larger Islamic denominations and Sufi groups in that the latter are genuinely transnational and trans-ethnic.