syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin appointed as the 53rd al-Dai-al-Mutlaq : historic verdict issued by the High Court

Santosh Gaikwad April 24, 2024 04:33 PM

syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community, has been officially appointed as the 53rd al-Dai-al-Mutlaq, according to a historic verdict issued by the High Court

 Mumbai: The High Court issued a historic verdict on Tuesday confirming the appointment of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as the spiritual leader, or, the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra community. The 52nd al-Dai-al-Mutlaq Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin had appointed his son Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as his successor and the 53rd al-Dai-al-Mutlaq. Justice Gautam Patel’s verdict confirming the appointment has brought a joyous atmosphere within the Dawoodi Bohra community.

The appointment of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin was first challenged by Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin's stepbrother Khuzaima Qutbuddin and after Khuzaima’s demise, by his son Taher Qutbuddin. This resulted in a legal battle.

Both sides presented their arguments in the High Court over a decade. Justice Patel carefully considered the evidence and arguments from both parties and after lengthy deliberations, pronounced the verdict confirming the appointment of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin as the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq, dismissing all claims from the opposing side. Justice Patel also criticised the misrepresentation of the Dawoodi Bohra faith and principles by the opposing party.

 Complete faith in the judicial system

“We have always had full confidence in the judiciary, which consistently reaffirms the ancient traditions, customs, practices, and principles of the Dawoodi Bohra community. Justice Patel dedicated 10 years to this matter and patiently conducted hearings in this complicated case, ultimately delivering a just verdict,” said the representatives of the Dawoodi Bohra community.

Eminent lawyers including senior advocate Iqbal Chhagla, Vitre, Janak Dwarkadas, Pankaj Sawant, Firdaus Puniwala (current Justice), Azmeen Irani,  Ammar Faizullabhoy, Shahen Pradhan, Jihan Mehta, Chirag Kamdar, the late Ibrahim A K Faizullabhoy, Argus Partners, Abhijar Ibrahim Faizullabhoy, Murtaza Kachwala, Jaisha Sabawala etc represented the community during the hearings. The Dawoodi Bohra community also appreciated various law firms and all witnesses for their consistent attendance from the outset during the 10 years of hearings.