What Tawaf is, the four corners of the Ka'bah, the difference between Tawaf al-Tahiyya and Tawaf al-Tatawwu', and the duas recited at each station.
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are among the most blessed days of the entire year — Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said: 'There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days.' A guide to maximizing their blessing.
What the sa'i is, how the seven circuits run between Safa and Marwah, where the running (raml) is prescribed, and the meaning the Qur'an gives to these two hills.
Eid al-Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice) is observed on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah — the day the pilgrims in Hajj proceed from Muzdalifah to Mina and perform the sacrifice. It commemorates the willingness of Sayyidna Ibrahim (AS) to sacrifice his son Ismail (AS) in obedience to Allah, and Allah's mercy in accepting a ram in his place. The Bohra community observes it with eid namaaz, sacrifice (qurbani), and communal gatherings.
Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power) is the most sacred night of the Islamic year — the night on which the Quran first began to descend, and which the Quran declares 'better than a thousand months.' It falls in the final ten nights of Ramadan, most likely the 27th or an odd night. Ibadah on this one night is worth more than 83 years of continuous worship.
Eid al-Fitr falls on the 1st of Shawwal — the morning after the completion of Ramadan. It is the community's celebration of having fasted, prayed, recited Quran, and transformed themselves through a month of ibadah. The Bohra community observes it with communal Eid namaaz, Zakat al-Fitr (obligatory charity), exchange of greetings, and festive gatherings. It is a day of gratitude, joy, and communal bond.
The 15th night of Sha'ban — Laylat al-Bara'at — is among the most sacred nights of the Islamic year. The Prophet (SAW) said that on this night Allah descends with His mercy and forgives more people than the number of hairs on the sheep of Banu Kalb. The Bohra community marks this night with congregational prayers, du'a al-Kumayl, and acts of ibadah.
Ziyarat (Arabic: زِيَارَة, 'visitation') is the act of visiting the graves and sacred sites of the Prophet (SAW), the Imams, the Dais, and the righteous — a profoundly important practice in Bohra devotional life, grounded in Quranic principle, supported by hadith, and understood within Ismaili theology as an act of tawassul (seeking intercession) and renewal of walayah.
Lailat al-Miraj (27 Rajab) commemorates the miraculous night journey of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Mecca to Jerusalem (al-Isra) and his ascension through the heavens to the Divine Presence (al-Miraj) — one of the most profound events in prophetic history and a night of special ibadah and remembrance in Bohra practice.
Eid-e-Ghadeer (18 Dhul Hijja) is among the most significant festivals in the Bohra calendar — the day on which the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) publicly declared Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) as his successor at the pond of Ghadir al-Khumm, establishing the chain of walayah that runs to the present Dai al-Mutlaq.
Du'a al-Tawassul is among the most beloved supplications in Bohra devotional practice — a dua that seeks the intercession of each of the 14 Ma'sumeen (the infallible ones: the Prophet, Sayyida Fatima, and the 12 Imams) as a means of drawing near to Allah. Its recitation connects the mumin to the entire chain of walayah.
Milad (Arabic: مِيلَاد) and Salgirah (Persian/Urdu: سَالگِرَه) are the celebrations of sacred birthdays — particularly the milad of the Prophet (SAW), the Imams, and the Duat Mutlaqeen — observed in Bohra communities with majlis, salawat, sadaqah, and joy. These occasions are among the most joyful events in the Bohra religious calendar.
Du'a al-Kumayl is one of the most profound and beloved supplications in Islamic devotional literature — a prayer taught by Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) to his companion Kumayl ibn Ziyad. In Bohra practice, it is recited on Thursday nights and on the night of Shab-e-Baraat (15 Sha'ban), and stands as one of the supreme expressions of the believer's longing for Allah's forgiveness and mercy.
Du'a al-Nudba is one of the most profound and beloved supplications in the Shia and Bohra tradition — a long, lyrical lament recited on the four great Eids and every Friday. Beginning with a sweep of prophetic history and the covenant of walayah, it culminates in a cry of longing for the Imam — and in Bohra ta'wil, for the appearance of the Imam through the Dai al-Mutlaq.
Rajab is the first of the four sacred months (ashhur al-hurum) in the Islamic calendar and one of the most spiritually rich months in the year. For the Dawoodi Bohra community, Rajab holds particular significance — it is the month of Laylat al-Mi'raj (27 Rajab), the wiladat of Imam Ali (AS) (13 Rajab), and the beginning of the three-month cycle of spiritual preparation that leads to Ramadan.
Sha'ban is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar and one of the most sacred in the year — the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) called it 'my month.' It contains the wiladat of Imam Husain (AS) and Imam Zainul Abidin (AS), the night of Laylat al-Bara'at (15 Sha'ban) when destinies are written, and forms the immediate preparation for the blessed month of Ramadan.
Salawat — prayers of blessing upon the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his progeny — are among the most meritorious and frequently performed acts in Islamic devotion. In the Bohra tradition, salawat are woven into every aspect of religious life, from daily prayers to communal gatherings, from wiladat celebrations to urs observances. The Quran commands salawat; the Prophet promised extraordinary rewards for those who perform them.
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and one of the four sacred months (al-Ashhur al-Hurum) in which warfare was traditionally prohibited. It carries the weight of the Islamic New Year, the remembrance of Karbala (culminating in Ashara Mubaraka for Bohras), and the ancient observance of Yaum Ashura. For Bohras, Muharram shapes the entire spiritual year.
The waaz (religious discourse) is the central institution of Bohra intellectual and spiritual life — a sophisticated oral tradition in which the Dai al-Mutlaq and his representatives deliver theological, esoteric, historical, and devotional lectures in Lisan ud-Dawat and Arabic. The waaz is not merely a sermon but a living transmission of Fatimid knowledge across generations.
Sawm (fasting) is one of the five pillars of Islam — a month-long practice of complete abstention from food, drink, and physical pleasures from dawn to sunset, paired with heightened worship and spiritual reflection. In the Bohra tradition, Ramadan is experienced as a total environment of learning, prayer, community, and esoteric wisdom — distinct from general Muslim practice in its liturgical forms, emphasis on Quranic tartil, and the primacy of the Dai's waaz.
Du'a (supplication) is the most intimate and direct form of communication between a mumin and Allah — a conversation the Quran describes as the 'essence of worship.' In the Bohra tradition, du'a is practiced through a rich corpus of prayers transmitted from the Prophet (SAW) through the Imams to the Duat, each word carrying layers of theological meaning and spiritual power. This guide explains how Bohras understand, practice, and experience du'a.
Talim (Quranic education) is one of the most distinctive features of Bohra community life — a structured programme of Quran recitation, memorisation, and comprehension that spans from early childhood through adulthood. Unlike general Islamic education, Bohra talim integrates the Fatimid tradition of Quranic tartil (rhythmic recitation), ta'wil (esoteric interpretation), and Lisan ud-Dawat literacy — transmitting the Imam's knowledge through every generation.
Niyaz (from Persian: niyāz, meaning 'need' or 'offering') is the tradition of preparing, blessing, and sharing food in the name of a Prophet, Imam, Dai, or Wali, in order to distribute its barakah (divine blessing) to the community. It is one of the most distinctively Bohra practices — simultaneously an act of sadaqah, a form of zikr, a social institution, and a vehicle for divine barakah entering daily life.
Ihram (the sacred state of Hajj and Umrah) and the Talbiyah (the pilgrim's response to Allah's call) together form the threshold between ordinary life and sacred journey. When a pilgrim assumes ihram — dressing in two unsewn white cloths, making the intention, and declaring the Talbiyah — they cross from the world of ordinary time into the world of sacred time. No distinction of rank, wealth, or nationality: in ihram, every pilgrim is equal before Allah.
The five pillars of Islam — Shahada (declaration of faith), Salah (prayer), Zakat (almsgiving), Sawm (fasting), and Hajj (pilgrimage) — form the structural foundation of every Muslim's religious life. The Dawoodi Bohra community observes all five pillars in their Ismaili-Tayyibi form, with the distinctive character and additional dimensions that the Dawat's 'ilm brings to each. Understanding the five pillars is understanding the zahir of Islam; understanding their ta'wil is understanding its batin.
Surah al-Fatiha (the Opening) is the first chapter of the Quran and the most recited text in the world — spoken seventeen times daily in the obligatory prayers alone, and countless more times in voluntary prayers, in du'a, and in every Islamic gathering. The Prophet (SAW) called it 'Umm al-Quran' (the Mother of the Quran) — the chapter that contains the essence of everything the Quran says. Understanding al-Fatiha deeply is understanding the entire Islamic vision of humanity's relationship to Allah.
Surah al-Ikhlas (the Surah of Pure Sincerity, also called al-Tawhid) is the 112th chapter of the Quran — four verses that contain the complete statement of Islamic monotheism. The Prophet (SAW) said it is equivalent to one-third of the Quran in merit. In the Ismaili tradition, al-Ikhlas is simultaneously the most accessible verse (every child memorizes it first) and the most theologically inexhaustible: its four lines map onto the four levels of divine incomparability that Ismaili theology calls tanzih.
Al-Mu'awwidhatain (the Two Refuge-Seeking Surahs) are Surah al-Falaq (chapter 113) and Surah al-Nas (chapter 114) — the final two surahs of the Quran. Called the 'refuge' surahs because each begins with 'Qul a'udhu bi-Rabb...' (Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of...), they are among the most recited surahs in daily Islamic life, used as spiritual protection against all forms of harm — physical, psychological, social, and metaphysical. The Prophet (SAW) recommended them for morning and evening, for protection before sleep, and as the cure for all known afflictions.
Surah al-Kahf (Chapter 18, The Cave) is one of the Quran's most structurally sophisticated surahs — four parallel stories that together constitute a complete map of the soul's trials in the dunya: the trial of religion and persecution (Companions of the Cave), the trial of wealth (the man with two gardens), the trial of knowledge (Musa and al-Khidr), and the trial of power (Dhul Qarnayn). Reciting Surah al-Kahf every Friday is a confirmed Prophetic Sunnah with special reward and protection — including protection from the Dajjal.
The Basmala — Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) — is the most recited phrase in Islamic life, spoken before every action of significance, beginning every surah of the Quran (except Surah al-Tawbah), and inscribed on every letter in the Ismaili tradition including the letters of the Quran itself. The phrase is simultaneously a prayer, an invocation, a theological statement, a protection, and a reminder of divine presence. In the Ismaili teaching, the Basmala is the key that unlocks the Quran — and the Quran is the key that unlocks creation.
Niyyah (intention) is the inner orienting of the will toward Allah before an act. The Prophet (SAW) declared: 'Actions are only by intentions, and every person will have only what they intended.' This single hadith — considered one of the most comprehensive statements in all of Islam — establishes that the spiritual value of every act depends not on its outward form but on the intention animating it. In the Ismaili teaching, niyyah is the batin of every zahir act: the intention is what determines whether an action is worship or merely behavior.
Eid al-Ghadir is celebrated on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah — the anniversary of the event at Ghadir Khumm (the Pond of Khumm) on that date in 10 AH, when the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage gathered the entire Muslim community at a watering-place on the road between Mecca and Medina and declared Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) as his successor and the wali of the believers. This event — authenticated in both Sunni and Shi'i hadith collections — is regarded by the Shi'i-Ismaili tradition as the culminating act of the Prophet's mission: the moment when the zahir revelation (the Quran and Shari'a) was completed and the batin succession (the Imamate) was formally declared. In the Ismaili tradition, Eid al-Ghadir is sometimes called 'the greatest Eid' — greater even than Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha — because it is the day when the divine's plan for guiding humanity after the Prophet was made manifest.
Ashara Mubaraka ('the Ten Blessed Days') is the Dawoodi Bohra community's commemoration of the first ten days of Muharram — culminating in 'Ashura, the 10th of Muharram, the anniversary of Imam al-Husayn's martyrdom at Karbala (61 AH / 680 CE). It is the most significant religious observance in the Bohra calendar, when the community gathers in the presence of the Da'i al-Mutlaq or his authorized representative to hear the narrative (milad/maqtal) of Karbala, to weep, to observe matam (ritual mourning), to recite ziarat (salutations) to Imam al-Husayn, and to renew their walayah to the Imam through collective grief and remembrance. Ashara Mubaraka is the annual Bohra expression of tawalli to Imam al-Husayn — the most visceral and comprehensive expression of the community's identity and faith.
Nikah (the Islamic marriage contract) is among the most significant acts in a Muslim's life — described by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as completing 'half of one's faith.' In Islamic jurisprudence, nikah is a formal, witnessed contract ('aqd) that establishes a legal and spiritual bond between husband and wife, with specific rights and obligations for both parties. In the Dawoodi Bohra tradition, the nikah is performed by an authorized representative of the Da'i — typically the 'Amil (local religious official) or a higher authority — and is preceded by the formal taking of the misaq (covenant of walayah) for any new mu'min entering the community. The Bohra nikah combines the Islamic legal structure with the da'wa's spiritual framework, making the marriage ceremony simultaneously a legal act, a spiritual act, and a communal act of walayah.
Ziyarat (visitation, pilgrimage) refers to the practice of visiting the shrines (*mazarat*, singular *mazar*) of the Prophets, Imams, and righteous saints — expressing love for them, seeking their intercession (*shafa'a*) before the divine, and renewing one's walayah through physical presence at the sites most intimately connected with their memory. In the Dawoodi Bohra tradition, ziyarat is a living practice: the community maintains and visits the maqams (mausoleums) of the Imams and Da'is scattered across the world, from the Fatimid Imams in Egypt and Yemen to the Da'is of the later period in India and Tanzania. The Bohra 'urs (death anniversary) gatherings at these sites are among the most significant events in the community's spiritual calendar.
Janazah (the funeral, from the Arabic *jnz*, to carry) encompasses the complete Islamic rites surrounding death — from the moment of passing through the washing (*ghusl*), shrouding (*kafn*), funeral prayer (*salat al-janazah*), and burial (*dafn*). In Islam, death is not the end of the soul's journey but a threshold — the transition from the life of testing (*hayat al-dunya*) to the life of what the soul truly is (*hayat al-akhira*). In the Dawoodi Bohra tradition, the janazah rites carry the full weight of the da'wa's theology: death is welcomed as the soul's graduation from this phase of its journey; the body is treated with profound dignity; the community gathers; and the rites are understood as the zahir expression of the deeper batin reality of the soul's transition toward the divine.
Istikhara (seeking the better of two options from the divine, from *khayr* — goodness) is the Islamic practice of asking the divine for guidance when facing a significant decision. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) taught his companions istikhara for all matters as he would teach them a surah of the Quran — indicating its centrality. Salat al-istikhara consists of two raka'at (units) of non-obligatory prayer followed by a specific du'a in which the supplicant submits their decision to the divine's knowledge and power, asking the divine to facilitate the matter if it is good and to remove it if it is not. In the Ismaili and Bohra tradition, istikhara is complemented by seeking the counsel (*mashwara*) of those with knowledge — recognizing that the divine's guidance reaches the believer both through direct inner response and through the wisdom of the community's leaders.
Mawlid al-Nabi (the Prophet's Birthday, on 12 Rabi' al-Awwal according to the majority, or 17 Rabi' al-Awwal according to Shi'i calculation) is observed across the Muslim world as a day of gratitude to the divine for sending the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), of renewed love and attachment to the Prophet's person and character, and of teaching about his life and example. The celebration of the Prophet's birth — from simple recitation of biographical poetry (*qasa'id*) to elaborate community gatherings — is one of the most visible expressions of the Prophet's unique status in Muslim consciousness. The Dawoodi Bohra community observes Mawlid al-Nabi with majalis, recitation of Prophetic poetry, and renewed commitment to the Prophet's Sunnah and the love of his Ahl al-Bayt.
Arba'een (الأربعون — the Fortieth) marks the fortieth day after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn ibn 'Ali (AS) at Karbala — observed on 20 Safar each year. This day has profound significance in the Ismaili-Shi'i tradition: it is the day of the first recorded visit (*ziyara*) to the Imam's grave by the Companion Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari, accompanied by the returning captives of Karbala. The number forty carries deep significance in Islamic and prophetic tradition, and the Arba'een marks the completion of the initial mourning period.
The Dawoodi Bohra community has a rich tradition of devotional religious poetry — qasidas (formal poems), marsias (elegies), and other poetic forms composed in Lisan al-Dawat (the community's liturgical language, a Gujarati-Arabic hybrid), Arabic, and Persian. These poems celebrate the Prophet, the Imams, the Dais, and the key events of Ismaili history; they are recited at religious gatherings, in majlis, during Muharram, and on festive occasions. This article introduces the tradition, its major genres, its significance, and selected examples.
The birth of a child in the Dawoodi Bohra community is accompanied by a series of sacred rites that mark the soul's entry into the world and its covenant relationship with the Imam and the da'wa. From the first adhan whispered in the newborn's ear to the aqiqa sacrifice, the naming ceremony, the tahnik, and the mithaq, each rite is both a sunnah of the Prophet and a covenant act — welcoming the child not only into a family but into the spiritual community of the da'wa.
Wuquf (الوُقُوف — the Standing) at Arafat on the 9th of Dhul-Hijja is the absolute pillar of Hajj — the rite without which no Hajj is valid. The Prophet declared: *'Hajj is Arafat.'* (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja — Sahih) Pilgrims stand on the plain of Arafat from after midday until sunset, facing their Lord in supplication, seeking forgiveness, and reciting the talbiyah. This single afternoon — the largest annual human gathering — is the closest humanity comes to the experience of the Day of Judgment: all standing, all equal, all before Allah.
Takbir al-Eid (تَكبِير العِيد — the glorification of the Eid, saying *Allahu Akbar*) is the distinctive communal remembrance (*dhikr*) that marks the days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The Quran commands the takbir explicitly: *'And so that you may complete the count [of days] and glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you.'* (2:185 — on Eid al-Fitr) and *'Remember Allah during [specific] numbered days.'* (2:203 — the Ayyam al-Tashriq of Eid al-Adha). The takbir transforms the Eid from private celebration to public proclamation — filling streets, mosques, and homes with Allah's name on the community's most joyful days.
Matam (المَأتَم — lamentation, mourning gathering; from the root *'tm* meaning to gather in grief; in classical Arabic, the word denotes any mourning assembly; in Shia usage specifically the physical and vocal expressions of grief over the martyrdom of Imam Husayn ibn Ali at Karbala on the 10th of Muharram, 61 AH / 680 CE) is the embodied practice of sacred grief — the collective ritual of lamentation that has defined Shia Muslim piety for fourteen centuries. The word encompasses a spectrum: *rawzat khwani* (recitation of the Rawzat, the canonical martyrdom narratives), *nadba* (eulogistic lament poetry), *latmiyya* (chest-beating), *nuhah* (elegiac weeping), and in some communities more intense forms of bodily grief. In Dawoodi Bohra tradition, matam is practiced throughout the first ten days of Muharram (*al-Ashra al-Muharrama*), culminating in Ashura (the 10th), presided over by the Da'i al-Mutlaq who leads the community through the rawzat, marsiyat (elegies), and communal grief for the family of the Prophet. The Bohra approach to matam is distinctive: rooted in the Fatimid Ismaili tradition of ta'wil, the mourning for Husayn is understood as both a historical tragedy and an eternal spiritual truth — Husayn's sacrifice is the zahir (outward truth) whose batin (inner truth) is the enduring covenant of walayah that his martyrdom sealed for all time.
The Misaak (مِيثَاق — covenant, pledge, solemn oath; from *wathaqa* — to bind firmly; related to *mithaq*, used in the Quran for the covenant Allah took from humanity before creation [7:172] and the covenant taken from the Prophets [33:7]) is the central rite of belonging in the Dawoodi Bohra community — the ceremony through which a young Bohra consciously and personally pledges their walayah (love and spiritual allegiance) to the Imam of the Time (al-Imam al-Zaman) through his representative, the Da'i al-Mutlaq. The Misaak transforms membership from birth-assigned community identity to personally chosen spiritual commitment. It is taken once in a lifetime, is theologically binding, and marks the individual's acceptance of the full religious, moral, and social obligations of the Bohra da'wa. The ceremony involves the physical handshake (*musafahat*) of the Misaak — taking the hand of the Da'i's authorized representative — the recitation of the words of the covenant, and the individual's deliberate verbal affirmation. The Misaak connects the individual to an unbroken chain: through the Da'i to the Imam, through the Imam to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and through the Prophet to Allah.
Janaza (جَنَازَة — funeral; the word refers both to the dead body and to the funeral proceedings; from *jannaza* — to cover; the funeral prayer is *salat al-janaza*) represents the final act of Islamic communal service to a deceased Muslim. From the moment of death to burial, a comprehensive set of rites governs how the body is treated and how the community responds — rites that simultaneously honor the deceased, support the bereaved, and remind the living of their own mortality. The Prophet (SAW) said: *'Visit the sick, follow the funeral, and greet the dying with the reminder of Allah — for these are things that remind you of the Hereafter.'* In Islamic theology, death is not an ending but a transition — the soul (*ruh*) departs to Barzakh (the intermediate realm) while the body returns to the earth it came from. The Islamic death rites treat the body with profound respect — ghusl (purificatory bath), kafan (shrouding in white), salat al-janaza (funeral prayer), and burial in the ground — and reflect the theology that this body will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment. In Dawoodi Bohra tradition, the death rites carry additional layers: specific du'as in Lisan al-Dawat, the Da'i's du'a for the deceased, distinctive burial practices, and strong community protocols for supporting the bereaved family.
Nikah (نِكَاح — marriage; the Islamic marriage contract; from *nakaha* — to marry; the contract is called *'aqd al-nikah* — the contract of marriage) is the only Islamic legal framework for conjugal relations between a man and a woman. Islamic jurisprudence treats marriage as both a civil contract (*'aqd*) and a sacred obligation — a means of fulfilling legitimate desires within a divinely sanctioned framework, building a family, and completing half one's faith. The Prophet (SAW) said: *'When a servant of Allah marries, he has completed half his faith — so let him fear Allah in the other half.'* (Bayhaqi) The nikah contract requires: a valid offer (*ijab*) and acceptance (*qabul*), the *mahr* (bridal gift, mandatory payment from the groom to the bride), and two Muslim witnesses. In Dawoodi Bohra tradition, the nikah ceremony is presided over by the community's authorized *mazoon* (the representative of the Da'i for legal transactions) and follows specific procedures rooted in the Bohra legal tradition. The Bohra wedding (*nikah* and *walima*) is among the most distinctive and joyous community events — a multi-day celebration involving specific customs that reflect the fusion of Islamic law, Yemeni tradition, and Gujarati culture.
Salat al-Istisqa (صَلَاةُ الاِستِسقَاء — the prayer of seeking water; from *istasqa* — to seek watering, to ask for rain; *saqa* — to water, to give drink) is the communal prayer performed when rain has been withheld and the earth suffers drought. It is one of the most moving forms of collective Islamic worship — a community emerging from their homes in humility, wearing simple clothing, turning to Allah and acknowledging that rain, water, and sustenance are His gifts that He can grant or withhold. The Prophet (SAW) led istisqa prayers, and the accounts of them describe a complete reversal of the imam's cloak on the minbar — a symbolic act of asking Allah to 'reverse' the drought — and a gathering in an open field (*musalla*) with supplication, khutba, and prayer. Istisqa embeds into Islamic community life the profound acknowledgment of human dependency on divine provision: no matter how advanced the civilization, if Allah withholds rain, the earth dries. The prayer is a community's *tawba* (repentance) and *tawakkul* (trust) expressed in a collective act of worship.