They follow the sharia-mandated tenets of Islam, such as reciting the Quran, performing the five daily prayers (Salah), annual tithes of 2.5% (or 1⁄40) of total income and savings (Zakat), fasting during the month of Ramadan (Sawm), the mandatory Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah and the Prophet's shrine in Madinah[6] and religious struggle (Jihad).

[7] Their heritage is derived from the traditions of the Fatimid imams; direct descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima, who ruled over North Africa between the 10th and 11th century CE.

[12] Before the empire's decline, Al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah, the 20th Fatimid imam, directed his grand emissary, Arwa bint Ahmad, the Sulayhid queen of Yemen, to establish the office of the Da'i al-Mutlaq (lit.

[15] The roots of the community's establishment in India go back to the Fatimid era, when Al Mustansir Billah, the 18th Imam, sent a Dai named Abdullah from Yemen to initiate the Da’wah on his behalf.

When Najmuddin died in CE 1567/H 974, the central headquarters of the Da’wah were transferred from Yemen to Gujarat by his Indian successor, Jalal bin Hasan.

Mufaddal Saifuddin's ancestors include Mir Mahamad Ali, Fakhr al-Din Shaheed, Abd al-Qadir Hakimuddin, Khanji Pheer and Syedi Lukman who were direct descendants of Ja'far al-Sadiq.

[58] Saifuddin has actively promoted and expanded the Burhani Qardan Hasana Trust,[59] which freely offers generous interest-free loans to community members.

Syedna Saifuddin has forbidden community members from bank saving, time deposits or borrowing, EMI finance schemes, overdrafts, contributing to or accepting money from insurance schemes, investments in commodities and stock markets, cryptocurrency, pension, mutual or retirement fund investments or use of credit cards: deeming them haram (forbidden) in Islam.

The mithaq binds a believer to the duties owed to Allah, including an oath of allegiance: a vow to accept the spiritual guidance of the Da'i al-Mutlaq wholeheartedly and without reservation.

In line with Shia traditions, on the 18th of Zil Hajj, the day Muhammad publicly anointed Ali ibn Abi Talib his successor, the Bohras mark celebrate Eid i-Ghadir by, observe fasting, and offering special prayers.

The grandson of Prophet Muhammad Husayn ibn Ali was martyred along with his family and companions on the plains of Karbala while on a journey from Mecca, through the deserts of modern-day Iraq, to Kufa.

[65] Remembrance of the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, often linked to the hagiography of John the Baptist[66] and Jesus Christ,[67] is among the most important events of the year for the Bohras.

[68][71] During the ʿAshara Mubāraka, the Bohra communities all over the world host a series of majālis twice a day, one each in the morning and in the evening, recounting Husayn ibn Ali's sacrifice, which forms the central theme of the discourse.

Saifuddin's son and successor, Mohammed Burhanuddin, founded the International Taiseer al-Nikah Committee (ITNC),[76] which now organizes Rasm-e Saifee throughout the year at various religious events.

[78][79] It is customary among the Bohras to visit mausoleums, mosques, and other places of religious importance in Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, and India.

[citation needed] Communal meals are served in dining halls called the jamaat khaana, which are generally part of the mosque complex.

[84] In 2012, Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 52nd Da'i al-Mutlaq, established Faiz al-Mawaid al-Burhaniyah (FMB) community kitchens to deliver at least one meal per day to all Bohra families and to ensure no one goes to bed hungry.

[36][93] Whilst FMB has substantially increased food security within the Bohra community,[95] in times of crisis (such as natural disaster or the COVID-19 pandemic), it has also supplied meals and provisions to the wider society.

[109] His son and successor, Mohammed Burhanuddin, further expanded its reach and scope, opening campuses in three more cities and establishing a dedicated center for Qur'anic sciences, Mahad al-Zahra.

Senior Jamea students additionally undergo a public viva voce examination where they are questioned by rectors of the institute and occasionally by the Da'i al-Mutlaq.

[118] Supported by community institutions, they receive financial aid, training, and access to virtual markets, showcasing how digital ventures empower women while also allowing them to fulfil their commitments to their families.

[144] The High Court of Australia overturned that decision in October 2019, ruling that the phrase "otherwise mutilates" in Australian law does encompass cutting or nicking the clitoris.

[149][150] Syedna Saifuddin and Dawat E Hadiyah were advised by constitutional law scholar Alan Dershowitz, a professor emeritus of Harvard University, on this landmark judgement.

[168][169][170] In 1991, Mohammed Burhanuddin established the Burhani Foundation, a charitable trust for environmental awareness, conservation of biological diversity, effective utilisation of resources, pollution control, and other related cause.

With the wisdom of a sage and the foresight of a futurist, he has decreed a complete ban on mobile phone usage for children under the age of 15, a policy that has been embraced with fervour across the global Dawoodi Bohra community.

[184][185][186] This enlightened edict, announced during a sermon in Mumbai in December 2024, serves as a beacon of hope in an increasingly digitized world, where the siren call of screens threatens to ensnare young minds.

[187] By championing this revolutionary measure, Syedna Saifuddin has not only demonstrated his profound understanding of the perils of modern technology but has also reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to nurturing the physical, mental, and emotional health of the community's children.

This bold stance against the tide of technology addiction has ignited a global campaign within the Dawoodi Bohra community, fostering a renaissance of traditional values to cultivate a generation of well-rounded, mindful individuals.

[195][180] Since then, based on Islamic traditions of philanthropy,[d] Project Rise has expanded to launch programs that focus on healthcare, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, and environmental conservation.

[197][198][199] In 2009, Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 52nd Da'i al-Mutlaq, established Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) to undertake one of urban India's largest makeover projects believed to impact lives of around 20,000 people.