The Bombay High Court has dismissed a suit challenging Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin’s position as the 53rd religious leader of the Dawoodi Bohra Community. The court dismissed his nephew Taher Fakhruddin’s claim, upholding Saifuddin’s position as the legitimate leader of the community.
The suit was originally filed by Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin in March 2014 for a declaration that he was properly appointed as the 53rd Dai Al-Mutlaq by the 52nd Dai Al-Mutlaq and his half-brother Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin. However, Qutbuddin died in 2016 during the trial. Subsequently, his son, Syedna Taher Fakhruddin, filed an application in the high court seeking to replace his father in the suit.
Fakhruddin claimed he was conferred nass by his father, and he claimed to be the 54th Dai. However, the court dismissed his claim, holding that Saifuddin had been validly appointed as the successor to the 52nd Dai and had assumed office after his death in 2014.
The court’s decision is a significant victory for Saifuddin and the Dawoodi Bohra Community. It upholds the traditional system of succession within the community and provides stability and continuity in its leadership.
