Engineer had alleged that the 51st Da'i al-Mutlaq, Taher Saifuddin, claimed infallibility and issued new doctrines pronouncing that all properties owned by the Bohras (including mosques) belonged to the Syedna, and that they are mere munims (account keepers) on his behalf.
[5] Further, Saifuddin professed to have instituted a doctrine of Raza, which required that his followers do nothing (secular or religious, including namaz) without first attaining his permission.
[5] The policy of requiring a Raza began in 1902, when the 50th Da'i al-Mutlaq, Abdullah Badruddin, demanded that it be sought before construction of a secular school in Burhanpur could begin.
[5] Several Bohras challenged Badruddin's and then his successor Saifuddin's authority through litigation in Mumbai courts and the Syedna's claims were accepted by the judge.
[6] The Progressives are subject to baraat, a form of excommunication that disallows other community members from speaking to them and bans them from mosques, and liken this situation to that of untouchables.