Da'a'im al-Islam

The Foundation of Bohra Law

The Da’a’im al-Islam (دَعَائِمُ الإِسلَام — Pillars of Islam) is one of the most important books in the history of Islamic law. For the Dawoodi Bohra community, it occupies the central position that the major Sunni hadith collections occupy for other communities — it is the authoritative legal text from which Bohra Islamic practice is derived.

The Da’a’im was compiled by al-Nu’man ibn Muhammad al-Tamimi — known as Qadi al-Nu’man — the greatest jurist of the Fatimid period. He died in 363 AH / 974 CE in Cairo.

Qadi al-Nu’man — The Author

Al-Nu’man ibn Muhammad al-Tamimi al-Maghribi was the chief judge (qadi) of the Fatimid Caliphate and served as the authoritative religious scholar of the dawat for several decades. He was a contemporary of:

Imam al-Mahdi (AS) — the 1st Fatimid Caliph (though al-Nu’man likely entered the service after al-Mahdi’s death)
Imam al-Qa’im (AS) — the 2nd Fatimid Caliph
Imam al-Mansur (AS) — the 3rd Fatimid Caliph
Imam al-Mu’izz (AS) — the 4th Fatimid Caliph, under whose reign the Da’a’im was completed

Al-Nu’man composed the Da’a’im under the direct supervision and correction of Imam al-Mu’izz (AS). This is not incidental — it is essential: in the Ismaili understanding, the validity of fiqh depends on its connection to the living Imam, who holds the authoritative knowledge of both the zahir (exoteric law) and batin (esoteric meaning) of the Sharia.

The Imam’s sanction of the Da’a’im gives it its authoritative status in Bohra law.

Structure of the Da’a’im

The Da’a’im is organized around the seven pillars of the Ismaili Tayyibi understanding of Islam:

The Seven Da’a’im (Pillars)

Walayah (وَلَايَة) — Love and devotion to the Imam and the dawat; the spiritual and legal foundation of everything else
Taharah (طَهَارَة) — Purity: the laws of physical cleanliness, wudu, ghusl, tayammum
Salat (صَلَاة) — Prayer: the five daily prayers, Friday prayer, eid prayers, voluntary prayers
Zakat (زَكَاة) — Almsgiving: the obligations and calculations of the annual wealth tax
Sawm (صَوم) — Fasting: Ramadan and other fasts
Hajj (حَجّ) — Pilgrimage: the rites of Hajj and their legal requirements
Jihad (جِهَاد) — Struggle: in the Ismaili understanding, this includes both the inner jihad (struggle against the ego) and the outer struggle (defense of the community and dawat)

Each section is subdivided into detailed chapters covering specific legal questions, supported by hadith from the Prophet (SAW) transmitted through the Ahl al-Bayt.

Its Distinctive Method

The Da’a’im differs from Sunni fiqh collections in its isnad methodology:

Hadith are transmitted exclusively through the Ahl al-Bayt — the Prophet’s family. This is the defining feature of Shia hadith methodology.
The Imam’s authority is foundational: legal rulings trace to the authority of the Prophet’s family, not to the Companions more broadly.
Walayah as the first pillar: unlike most fiqh books, which begin with taharah (purity), the Da’a’im places walayah (devotion to the Imam) as the first and foundational pillar — reflecting the Ismaili understanding that all acts of worship are validated by walayah.

Majalis al-Hikma and Legal Teaching

In the Fatimid period, the Da’a’im was not merely a book — it was taught in the majalis al-hikma (sessions of wisdom) in Cairo, where Qadi al-Nu’man himself lectured to students who came from across the Islamic world.

The tradition of teaching the Da’a’im in formal majalis contexts continues in the Bohra community through the Syedna, who incorporates its teachings into wa’az (discourses) and formal instruction.

The Da’a’im Today

The Da’a’im al-Islam remains the primary fiqh reference of the Dawoodi Bohra community. It is:

The source from which Bohra prayer rites, fasting rules, zakat calculations, hajj requirements, and marriage/inheritance law are derived
Cited in wa’az and fatawa issued by the Dai al-Mutlaq
The foundation text of Islamic education in al-Jamea al-Saifiyah, the Fatimid academy of the Bohra community
Available in Arabic with scholarly commentary

When Bohra Muslims ask “what does the Sharia say about X?” — the Da’a’im al-Islam is the book to which the answer ultimately traces.

Qadi al-Nu’man’s Other Works

Al-Nu’man was extraordinarily prolific. Beyond the Da’a’im, he wrote:

Ikhtilaf Usul al-Madhahib — a comparative study of legal schools, arguing for the superiority of the Ahl al-Bayt tradition
Kitab al-Majalis wa’l-Musayarat — a record of his sessions with the Fatimid Imams
Asas al-Ta’wil — on the esoteric interpretation of Islamic law
Sharh al-Akhbar — a collection of hadith with commentary, one of the most important hadith collections in the tradition

Da'a'im al-Islam — The Pillars of Islamic Law