In a landmark ruling, the Bombay High Court has confirmed Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin’s status as the 53rd Dai-al-Mutlaq, the spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community. The court dismissed the claim of Taher Fakhruddin, who contested Saifuddin’s position.
Justice Gautam S. Patel, presiding over the decade-long legal dispute, emphasized the neutrality of the judgment, focusing solely on evidence rather than faith. The Dawoodi Bohra community expressed satisfaction with the ruling, eagerly awaiting a detailed understanding of the judgment.
The community’s statement highlighted the court’s dismissal of the challenge to Syedna Saifuddin’s appointment and the allegations it was based on. The claims of Khuzaima Qutbuddin, the original plaintiff, and his son Taher Fakhruddin, were comprehensively rejected. The community reaffirmed its faith in the Indian judiciary, which has consistently upheld the Syedna’s position and the community’s long-standing beliefs, customs, practices, and doctrines.
The dispute began following the death of the 52nd Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin in 2014. His son, Mufaddal Saifuddin, succeeded him as the 53rd Syedna. However, Khuzaima Qutbuddin, Syedna Burhanuddin’s half-brother, challenged Saifuddin’s succession. He alleged that Syedna Burhanuddin had secretly declared him as the successor in 1965, accusing Saifuddin of fraudulently assuming the Syedna’s role.
Following Qutbuddin’s death in 2016, his son Taher Fakhruddin continued the legal battle, asserting that his father had declared him as the 54th Dai of the community.
