During the 1960s, a number of Dawoodi Bohras travelled from East Africa to settle in the UK. Their arrival marked the origins of the British Dawoodi Bohra community, which today is made up of more than 2000 families. Globally, the Dawoodi Bohras number more than one million, the majority of whom live in India, East Africa, Pakistan and Yemen.
The Dawoodi Bohras are a distinct community within the Shia branch of Islam. They have their own language, ‘Lisan al-Dawat,’ which combines elements of Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Gujarati and has been in use for over a millennium. Their name originates from two distinct sources. ‘Dawoodi’ denotes followers of their historic leader Syedna Dawood Bin Qutubshah, while ‘Bohra’ is derived from the Gujarati word for trader or businessman.
The Dawoodi Bohra community places a strong emphasis on education and entrepreneurialism. For example, the Burhani Qardan Hasana Trust builds on the principles of Islamic finance to offer interest free loans to Dawoodi Bohras looking to start businesses, and has helped over 1000 Bohras since it was set up.
The spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohras is the Da’i al-Mutlaq, the title given to the most senior figure within the Tayyibi Isma’ili branch of Shia Islam. The current and 53rd Da’i al-Mutlaq is His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, who succeeded the 52nd Da’i al-Mutlaq in 2014.
The Dawoodi Bohras believe in all the fundamental tenets of Islam, such as the oneness of Allah (‘Tawhad’) and that the Qur’an is the word of Allah. They have a distinct form of cultural dress called ‘Libas al-Anwar,’ which includes a white and gold cap for men termed a ‘topi,’ and a distinctive two-piece dress for women called a ‘rida.’ It is also common for Dawoodi Bohras to participate in shared meals. During these meals the sweet course is often served before the savoury courses and food is served on a ‘thal,’ a traditional silver tray.
The Dawoodi Bohras place a strong emphasis on community service and charitable acts. In the UK, the Dawoodi Bohra community is involved in a range of initiatives relating to issues like homelessness and sustainability. On a global level, Dawoodi Bohras participate in an initiative called Project Rise, which is rooted in Islamic teachings and aims to tackle issues like poverty, hunger, climate change and education.
While the Dawoodi Bohras may be a small denomination numerically, their involvement and participation in the wider communities they live in around the world has enabled them to become an impactful part of the global Muslim community.