Mustaali

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The Musta‘lī (Arabic: مستعلي‎) Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept al-Musta‘lī as the nineteeth Fatimid Caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir. (In contrast, the Nizāriyya — presently headed by the Aga Khan — believe the rightful nineteeth caliph was Musta‘lī's brother, Nizār.)

The Musta‘liyyah are also referred to as the Taiyabi or Ṭayyibī (Arabic: طيبي‎) after the last Imām they recognized, Ṭayyib Abī l-Qāṣim. Originally, there was a distinction between Ṭayyibiyyah and the Ḥāfiziyyah, who recognized the Fatimid rulers of Egypt between 1130-1169 as legitimate Imāms, not Ṭayyib Abī l-Qāṣim.

The Hafizi view lost all support after the downfall of the Fatimid Dynasty; current-day Musta‘liyya are all Ṭayyibiyyah. According to Tayyabī Mustaˤlī Ismā'īlī tradition, after the death of Imām al-Amīr, his infant son, AtTaiyab abi-l-Qasim, about 2 years old, was protected by the most important woman in Musta'li history after Prophet's daughter Fāṭimatu z-Zahrah. She was al-Malika al-Sayyida (Hurratul-Malika), wife of Fatimid Dai of Yemen. She was promoted to the post of hujja long before by Imām Mustansir at the death of her husband and she now ran the dawat from Yemen in the name of Imaam Tayyib. She was instructed and prepared by Imām Mustansir and following Imāms for the second period of Satr. It was going to be on her hands, that Imām Tayyib would go into seclusion, and she would institute the office of Dāˤī al- Mutlaq. Syedna Zueb-bin-Musa was first to be instituted to this office and the line of Tayyib Dais that began in 1132 have passed from one Dai to another and is continuing till date. In 1592, a leadership struggle caused the Ṭayyibī to split into Sulaymanīs (formerly Makramis) and Dawūdīs. The Sulaimani Bohra - named after their 27^th Da‘ī l-Muṭlaq, Sulayman ibn Hassan - are mainly concentrated in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, while Dawoodi Bohras are strongest in Pakistan and India. There is also a community of Sunni Bohra in India.

There was a later split from the Dawoodis and a new subsect formed, the Alavis (not to be confused with Alawis or Alevis).

In recent times, there has been another split with the formation of the Progressive Dawoodi Bohras, whose most notable spokesperson is Asghar Ali Engineer.

According to ismaili/mustali/Dawoodi Bohra tradition, the line of Imams (descendents of Ali ibn Abi Talib and hereditary successors to Muhammad in his role of legitimate leader of the community of Muslim believers is as follows):

1. Hasan ibn Ali 625-670 (Imam- 660-670)

2. Husain ibn Ali 626-680 (imam-670-680 )

3. Ali ibn Husain-659-712 (imam-680-712)

4. Mohd. ul bakir ibn ali-676-743 (imam 712-743)

5. Jafer us sadiq ibn mohd ul bakir 702-765 (imam- 743-765)

6. Ismail ibn Jafer 719/722-775 (imam 765-775)

7. Mohammad ibn Ismail 740-813 (imam 775-813)

8. Abdullah ibn mohammad (Ahmed al wafi)766-829 (imam 813-829)

9. Ahmed ibn Abdullah ( Mohammad al taqi)790‐840 (imam 829‐840)

10. Husain ibn ahmed (Abdullah) (Imam 840‐909)

11. Abdullah Al Mehdi ibn Husain (Abū Muḥammad ˤAbdu l-Lāh (ˤUbaydu l-Lāh) al-Mahdī bi'llāh) (909-934)

12. Mohammed ul Qaim ibn Abdullah (Abū l-Qāsim Muḥammad al-Qā'im bi-Amr Allāh) (934-946)

13. Ismail Al Mansoor ibn Mohammed(Abū Ṭāhir Ismā'il al-Manṣūr bi-llāh )(946-953)

14. Maad‐nil Muiz ibn Ismail Al Mansoor(Abū Tamīm Ma'add al-Mu'izz li-Dīn Allāh )(953-975)

15. Nizare nil Aziz ibn Moad‐al Moiz (Abū Manṣūr Nizār al-'Azīz bi-llāh )(975-996)

16 Husainil Hakim ibn Nizare‐al Aziz (Abū 'Alī al-Manṣūr al-Ḥākim bi-Amr Allāh) (996-1021)

17 Ali‐al Zahir ibn husain‐al Hakim (Abū'l-Ḥasan 'Alī al-Ẓāhir li-I'zāz Dīn Allāh) (1021-1036)

18 Maad‐al Mustansir ibn Ali ai Zahir(Abū Tamīm Ma'add al-Mustanṣir bi-llāh )(1036‐1094)

19 Ahmed al Mustali ibn Maadenil Mustansir (al-Musta'lī bi-llāh )(1094‐1101)

20. Mansuril Amir ibn Ahmed Al mustai( al-Āmir bi-Aḥkām Allāh) (1101-1130)

21. Tayyeb ibn Aamir

Imam 1 to 7 are known to all islam ,The imam (from 11 to21)are the same imam which are narrated in the history of Fatimid.

seventh imam from mohammad ibn Ismail onward , the name of eigtth,ninth and tenth imam were hidden, our religious book declares their names as listed above and they match with analysis of hidden imam names done in :

Quarterly Journal of the AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT ,Vol. XXI. Nos. 1 2,Edited by MAHMUD GHUL as THE HIDDEN IMAMS OF THE ISMAILIS,Sami N.Makarem,the tree is as follows

“In addition to what has been concluded from this study, the following deductions can also be drawn: To the Isma'ilis, the names of the hidden Imams after Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Ja'far are: Abdallah ibn Muhammad (better known in Isma'ili circles as Ahmad al- Wafi), Ahmad ibn Abdallah (better known as Muhammad at-Taqi) , Muhammad ibn Ahmad (better known as 'Abdallah ar-Radi) and Ali ibn Muhammad (better known as Ali ibn al-Husayn, with al-Mahdi as title). The latter died on his way to al-Maghrib but his name and title (al- Mahdi) were assumed by a certain Sa'id al-Khayr who conquered al-Maghrib in his name, established himself Caliph and founded the Fatimid dynasty. “

In Dawoodi Bohra religious books, the names of 21 Imams are given in “dua of taqqarrub” in same sequence as above. This dua is taught to all Bohras and compulsory to recite after all five times sallat offered every day, This rule is known and same from our first Dai, hence there is no ambiquity at all on this, among Bohra. in English script the part of dua is as follows; "......moulana JAFFER(5)-ibne-Mohammad-nil-sadiqil amin va moulana ISMAIL (6) -ibne-Jafer-in-sulalatil gurril mayamin va moulana MOHAMMAD (7)-ibne ismail-a-sabeil mutemain......moulana ABDILLAH (8) -ibne-mohammad va moulana AHMED (9)-ibne -Abdillah va moulan Husain (10)- ibne ahmed....moulana ABDILLAH (11)-il-imamil mehdi beka...."

The above fatemid era are based on the direct descendants of the Prophet and to reconcile Islamic religion, based on divine revelation.

The following quotes further elaborate the point:

“The Fatimids claimed to be descendants of Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, and wife of Ali, the fourth caliph and first Shi'i imam. The Fatimid leader defined himself not only as caliph — leader of the Muslim world, but even as Mahdi, the promised leader of the Muslim world. According to old ideas of the caliph, the Fatimid caliphs considered themselves to be infallible and sinless, and divinely chosen perpetuators of the true form of Islam”

“The Fatimid Caliphate was an exception in that the ruling elite belonged to the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam. The rulers were also Shia Ismaili Imams, hence, they had a religious significance to Ismaili Muslims. They are also part of the chain of holders of the office of Caliph, as recognized by most Muslims, the only period in which the Shia Imamate and the Caliphate were united to any degree after the death of Ali.”(mideastweb.org)

mustali/Dawoodi bohra also feel themselves on same line and consider their imam and Dais as infallible and sinless, and divinely chosen perpetuators of the true form of Islam. Their Dais are keeping the tradition which was instituted by al‐Malika al‐ Sayyida (Hurratul‐Malika), wife of Fatimid Dai of Yemen,who was instructed and prepared by Imām Mustansir and following Imāms for the second period of Satr.

The following quotes highlight the point better;

"However, in the Mustaali branch, the Dai came to have a similar but more important task. The term Dāˤī al‐Mutlaq (Arabic: الداعي المطلق ) literally means "the absolute or unrestricted missionary". This dai was the only source of the Imām's knowledge after the occultation of al-Qasim in Mustaali thought.

“According to Tayyabī Mustaˤlī Ismā'īlī tradition, after the death of Imām al-Amīr, his infant son, AtTaiyab abi-l-Qasim, about 2 years old, was protected by the most important woman in Musta'li history after Prophet's daughter Fāṭimatu z-Zahrah. She was al-Malika al-Sayyida (Hurratul-Malika), wife of Fatimid Dai of Yemen. She was promoted to the post of hujja long before by Imām Mustansir at the death of her husband and she now ran the dawat from Yemen in the name of Imaam Tayyib. She was instructed and prepared by Imām Mustansir and following Imāms for the second period of Satr. It was going to be on her hands, that Imām Tayyib would go into seclusion, and she would institute the office of Dāˤī al- Mutlaq. Syedna Zueb-bin-Musa was first to be instituted to this office and the line of Tayyib Dais that began in 1132 have passed from one Dai to another and is continuing till date.”

(Source; book : A short history of the Ismailis, By Farhad Daftary)

In the tradition, the Dais of mustali/Dawoodi Bohra are being continued as follows;

01 Syedna Zoeb Bin Moosa

02 Syedna Ibrahim Bin Husain

03 Syedna Hatim Bin Syedna Ibrahim

04 Syedna Ali Bin Syedna Hatim

05 Syedna Ali Bin Syedna Mohd. Bin Waleed

06 Syedna Ali Bin Hanjala

07 Syedna Ahmed Bin Mubarak

08 Syedna Husain Bin Syedna Ali

09 Syedna Ali Bin Syedna Husain

10 Syedna Ali Bin Syedna Husain

11 Syedna Ibrahim Bin Syedna Husain

12 Syedna Mohammed Bin Sayedi Hatim

13 Syedna Ali Shamshuddin Bin Syedna Ibrahim

14 Syedna Abdulmuttalib Syedna Mohd

15 Syedna Abbas Bin Syedna Mohd.

16 Syedna Abdullah Fakhruddin Syedna Ali

17 Syedna Hasan Badruddin Syedna Abdullah

18 Syedna Ali Shamshuddin Bin Syedna Abdullah

19 Syedna Idrees Bin Syedna Hasan

20 Syedna Hasan Badruddin Syedna Idrees

21 Syedna Husain Husamuddin Syedna Idrees

22 Syedna Ali Shamshuddin Syedna Husain

23 Syedna Mohammed Ezzuddin Syedna Hasan

24 Syedna Yusuf Najmuddin Bin Sulemanji

25 Syedna Jalal Shamshuddin Bin Hasan

26 Syedna Dawood Bin Ajabshah

27 Syedna Dawood Bin Qutubshah

28 Syedna Sheikh Aadam Safiuddin

29 Syedna Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin

30 Syedna Ali Shamshuddin Bin Molai Hasan

31 Syedna Kasimkhan Zainuddin Bin Feerkhan

32 Syedna Qutubkhan Qutubuddin Shaheed

33 Syedna Feerkhan Shujauddin Bin Ahmedji

34 Syedna Ismail Badruddin Bin Molai Raj Saheb

35 Syedna Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin Syedna Badruddin

36 Syedna Musa Kalimuddin Bin Syedna Zakiuddin

37 Syedna Noor Mohammed Nuruddin Syedna Kalimuddin

38 Syedna Ismail Badruddin Bin Sayyedi Sheikh Aadam

39 Syedna Ibrahim Wajiuddin Bin Sayedi Abdul Qadir

40 Syedna Hibtullahil Moiedy Syedna Vajiuddin

41 Syedna Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin Bin Syedna Badruddin

42 Syedna Yusuf Najmuddin Bin Syedna Zakiuddin

43 Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin Bin Syedna Zakiuddin

44 Syedna Mohammed Ezzuddin Bin Sayedi Jivanjee

45 Syedna Tayyeb Zainuddin Bin Sayedi Jivanjee

46 Syedna Mohammed Badruddin Bin Syedna Saifuddin

47 Syedna Abdulqader Najmuddin

48 Syedna Abdul Husain Husamuddin

49 Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin

50 Syedna Abdullah Badruddin Bin Syedna Husamuddin

51 Syedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb

The above Dais are appointed one after other in the same philosophy of “nass’ as done by earlier Imams. It is believed that The god representative can not die before appointing his true successor ,this is being followed from the time of 3rd Imam ali ibn Husain , strong army of Yezid also could not think of killing him,when they did not spared even a child of 6 month the Ali Asgar. Similar is the fact of one of Dai, who was prisoned by moghal ruler at kept in the hut near horses shelter. Fire broke in the area,the complete area was burnt but only the Hut of the Dai was intact. This has impressed the ruler so much that he has released the Dai to Ahmedabad with full honour. This also show that he was true representative and god saved him. On the similar belief ,bohra think ,that one day their Imam Tayyab,s heir will again reappear as Imam, their Dai claim for the same. One special thing about Bohra is their “kalema‐tut‐ sahadat’ adds ‘Ali –un‐ vali ‐ ul –lah’ to ‘La ‐ilah‐ ilal‐lah, Mohamad‐un‐ rasul‐al‐lah’. This is right from Fatemi Imam’s era. The photo on file'kalema-tut-shadat'shows Qiblah of Imam mustansir of Fatemi era masjid of Qahira showing the complete Kalema.

Mustali/dawoodi Bohra’s present 52 nd Dai Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin is representing the imam in true manner and made bohra prepared for enjoying the true fruits of life here in the world as well as in heavens there after through true islam. The Bohras seems some what different, not very hard core ,not very tough, soft spoken ,easy to compromise, tolerant and being a business like .Bohras have respect and tolerance for other religion and believe in brotherly co existence.This is respected by all and this is all due to true following of Islam.They are so peace loving and law abiders that there will be hardly any cases in the courts of justice, criminal case never. Hardly any beggars and most of them in well to do condition again due to true islam and their Dais who guided them.. Some time these quality are taken as their weak points and they are considered not the true follower of Islam, but they are hard core in their Iman,and they are most disciplined and sincere to follow the law of islams from which they are benifiting. Bohra,s have their origin in Gujrat, influenced by Dai,s came from Yemen.After all initial Muslim also did not come direct from heaven,they all are influenced by Mohammad and become believer of Islam one after another. Old imam history also tells same thing about respect and tolerance to other religion ,which is clear from the following;

“Unlike other governments in the area, Fatimid advancement in state offices was based more on merit than on heredity. Members of other branches of Islam, like the Sunnis, were just as likely to be appointed to government posts as Shiites. Tolerance was extended even to non-Muslims such as Christians and Jews, who occupied high levels in government based on ability”

(Source:Mullahs on the mainframe,By Jonah Blank)

“The establishment of the Fatimid dynasty resulted from the efforts of the Ismā?īli branch of the Shi'a, which sought to restore the caliphate to the direct descendants of the Prophet and to reconcile Islamic religion, based on divine revelation, with Greek philosophy, in order that the ideas of other religions could merge with their own. Hence, the members of this Islamic sect were inclined to be tolerant.”

Brotherly hood and Tolerance and help to huminity is basic of islam preached from Mohammad itself,who went to ask the well being of nasrani who did not through garbage on the way to him,which she used to do daily,on thinking that she may not be well. Bohra Duat are also of that nature, sayyedi Fakhruddin of Galiakot hear the call of the all without differentiating cast and creed. Even Khwaja of Ajmer also spread the same thinking.

Some excert from book "The Institute of Ismaili Studies – Ismailis Lifelong Learning: Articles,Ismailis,Dr Farhad Daftary" are as follows,which also 'confirm above mustaali history';

“The Fatimid Caliphate or al-Fātimiyyūn (Arabic اطميون 􀑧􀑧􀑧􀑧􀑧 الف ) was an Arab Shi'a dynasty that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Egypt, Sicily, Malta and the Levant from 5 January 909 to 1171. It was the fourth and final Arab caliphate. The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the Egyptian city of Cairo as their capital. The term Fatimite is sometimes used to refer to the citizens of this caliphate. The ruling elite of the state belonged to the Ismaili branch of Shi'ism. The leaders of the dynasty were also Shia Ismaili Imams, hence, they had a religious significance to Ismaili Muslims. They are also part of the chain of holders of the office of Caliph, as recognized by most Muslims, the only period in which the Shia Imamate and the Caliphate were united to any degree, excepting the Caliphate of Ali himself. With exceptions, the Fatimids were reputed to exercise a degree of religious tolerance towards non- Ismaili sects of Islam as well as towards Jews, Maltese Christians and Coptic Christians.[1] The Fatimids had their origins in Ifriqiya (modern-day Tunisia and eastern Algeria). The dynasty was founded in 909 by ˤAbdullāh al-Mahdī Billah, who legitimised his claim through descent from Muhammad by way of his daughter Fātima as-Zahra and her husband ˤAlī ibn-Abī-Tālib, the first Shīˤa Imām, hence the name al-Fātimiyyūn "Fatimid". Abdullāh al-Mahdi's control soon extended over all of central Maghreb, an area consisting of the modern countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, which he ruled from Mahdia, his newly-built capital in Tunisia. The Fatimids entered Egypt in the late 900s, conquering the Ikhshidid dynasty and founding a new capital at al-Qāhira (Cairo) in 969.

1. Abu Muḥammad ˤAbdu l-Lāh (ˤUbaydu l-Lāh) al-Mahdī bi'llāh (909-934) founder Fatimid dynasty

2. Abū l-Qāsim Moḥammad al-Qā'im bi-Amr Allāh (934-946)

3. Abū Ṭāhir Ismā'il al-Manṣūr bi-llāh (946-953)

4. Abū Tamīm Ma'add al-Mu'izz li-Dīn Allāh (953-975) Egypt is conquered during his reign

5. Abū Manṣūr Nizār al-'Azīz bi-llāh (975-996)

6. Abū 'Alī al-Manṣūr al-Ḥākim bi-Amr Allāh (996-1021)

7. Abū'l-Ḥasan 'Alī al-Ẓāhir li-I'zāz Dīn Allāh (1021-1036)

8. Abū Tamīm Ma'add al-Mustanṣir bi-llāh (1036-1094)

9. al-Musta'lī bi-llāh (1094-1101).

10 al-Āmir bi-Aḥkām Allāh (1101-1130)

1130: The Isma'ilis of Yemen who still owed their allegiance to Cairo, break free, following the death of caliph al-Amir, ….This Yemeni group claimed that al-Amir had left a son who had become the hidden imam.”

“In 148 AH/765 CE, on the death of Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq, who had consolidated Imami Shi‘ism Isma‘il, the eponym of the Ismalliyya, or Isma‘il’s son Muhammad. Little is known about the life and career of Muhammad ibn Isma‘il, who went into hiding, marking the initiation of the dawr al-satr, or period of concealment, in early Ismaili history which lasted until the foundation of the Fatimid state when the Ismaili imams emerged openly as Fatimid caliphs. Muhammad ibn Isma‘il, not long after 179 AH/795 CE It is certain that for almost a century after Muhammad ibn Ismail, a group of his descendants worked secretly for the creation of a revolutionary movement, the aim of which was to install the Ismaili imam belonging to the Prophet Muhammad’s family (ahl al-bayt) to a new caliphate ruling over the entire Muslim community; and the message of the movement was disseminated by a network of da‘is (summoners). Observing taqiyya, or precautionary dissimulation, these central leaders concealed their true identities in order to escape ‘Abbasid persecution. By the early 280s AH/890s CE, a unified Ismaili community had replaced the earlier splinter groups. However, in 286 AH/899 CE, soon after ‘Abdullah al-Mahdi, the future Fatimid caliph, had succeeded to leadership in Salamiyya, Ismailism was rent by a major schism. Abdullah claimed the Ismaili imamate openly for himself and his ancestors who had organised the early Ismaili da‘wa, also explaining the various forms of guises adopted by the earlier central Ismaili leaders who had preferred to assume the rank of hujja (proof or full representative) of the hidden Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail. The early success of the Ismaili movement culminated in the foundation of the Fatimid caliphate in North Africa, where the da‘i Abu ‘Abdullah al-Shi‘i (d. 298 AH/911 CE) had spread the da‘wa among the Berbers of the Maghrib. The new dynasty, established in 297 AH/909 CE, was named Fatimid (Fatimiyyun) after the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatima, to whom the Fatimid caliphs traced their ‘Alid ancestry. ‘Abdullah al- Mahdi (d. 322 AH/934 CE), the first Fatimid caliph–imam, and his successors ruled over an important state that soon grew into an empire stretching from North Africa to Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. During the Fatimid period, Ismaili thought and literature as well as da‘wa activities attained their summit and Ismailis made important contributions to Islamic civilisation, especially after the seat of the Fatimid caliphate was transferred to Cairo, itself founded in 358 AH/969 CE by the Fatimids. The Ismaili da‘wa of the Fatimid times achieved its greatest successes, however, outside the Fatimid dominions, especially in Yemen, where the Ismaili Sulayhids ruled as vassals of the Fatimids, Persia, and Central Asia The Fatimid da‘wa was particularly concerned with educating the new converts in Ismaili doctrine, known as the hikma (wisdom); and a variety of lectures, generally designated as sessions of wisdom (majalis al-hikma), were organised for this purpose. Ismaili law was also codified mainly through the efforts of al-Qadi al-Nu‘man (d. 363 AH/ 974 CE), the foremost jurist of the Fatimid period. Ismaili law accorded special importance to the Shi‘i doctrine of the imamate. The da‘wa organisation in Cairo, as well as the Ismaili communities of Egypt, Yemen, and western India, also recognised al-Must‘ali as his father’s successor to the imamate The Must‘ali Ismailis of the Sulayhid state in Yemen, as well as those of Gujarat, recognised the imamate of al-Amir’s son, al-Tayyib, and they became known as Tayyibis.” (source:The Institute of Ismaili Studies – Ismailis Lifelong Learning: Articles,Ismailis,Dr Farhad Daftary)

External links and references

Dawoodi Bohra

Shia Ismaili Sect

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