The Musta‘lī (Arabic: مستعلي) are a sect of Isma'ilism
named for their acceptance of al-
Musta'li

Musta'li as the legitimate nineteenth
Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir
Billah. In contrast, the Nizari—the other living branch of
Ismailism, presently led by
Aga Khan

Aga Khan IV—believe the nineteenth
caliph was al-Musta'li's elder brother, Nizar.
Isma'ilism

Isma'ilism is a branch
of
Shia

Shia Islam.
The
Musta'li

Musta'li originated in Fatimid-ruled Egypt, later moved its
religious center to Yemen, and gained a foothold in 11th-century
Western India

Western India through missionaries.
Contents
1 The Taiyabi and the Hafizi
2 History
2.1 Branches
3
Musta'li

Musta'li Imams
3.1 Their ancestors and descendants according to
Ismā'īlī-Mustā'lī
Imāmah

Imāmah doctrine
3.2 Da'is
3.3 Profession of faith
4 References
5 Further reading
6 External links
The Taiyabi and the Hafizi[edit]
Historically, there was a distinction between the Taiyabi and the
Hafizi

Hafizi Musta'lis, the former recognizing at-Tayyib Abu'l-Qasim as the
legitimate heir of the Imamate after al-Amir bi-Ahkami'l-Lah and the
latter following al-Hafiz, who was enthroned as caliph. The Hafizi
view lost all support following the downfall of the Caliphate:
current-day Musta'lis are all Taiyabi.
Most
Musta'li

Musta'li are Bohras, and the largest Bohra group is the Dawoodi
Bohra, who are primarily found in India. The name Bohra is a
reinterpretation of the Gujarati word vahaurau "to trade". The Bohra
comprise two principal groups: a chiefly merchant class Shi'i majority
and a
Sunni Bohra

Sunni Bohra minority who are mainly peasant farmers.
Mohammed Burhanuddin

Mohammed Burhanuddin was the 52nd
Da'i al-Mutlaq

Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra
community. After his death, there was a dispute regarding succession
with both
Mufaddal Saifuddin

Mufaddal Saifuddin and
Khuzaima Qutbuddin

Khuzaima Qutbuddin claiming to be the
53rd
Da'i al-Mutlaq. This dispute is unresolved.
History[edit]
According to Musta'lī tradition, after the death of al-Amir
bi-Ahkami'l-Lah, his infant son, Tayyib, about two years old, was
protected by Arwa al-Sulayhi, wife of the chief Fatimid
Da'i of Yemen.
She had been promoted to the post of
Hujjat al-Islam long before by
al-Mustansir Billah when her husband died and ran the Fatimid dawah
from
Yemen

Yemen in the name of Imam Tayyib. During her leadership Tayyib
went into occultation so she instituted the office of
Da'i al-Mutlaq.
Zoeb bin Moosa

Zoeb bin Moosa was first to be instituted to this office and the line
of Taiyibi Da'is that began in 1132 has passed from one
Da'i to
another up to the present day.
Arwa al-Sulayhi

Arwa al-Sulayhi was the Hujjah in Yemen
from the time of Imam al Mustansir. She appointed the Dai in
Yemen

Yemen to
run religious affairs. Ismaili missionaries Ahmed and Abadullah (in
about 1067 AD (460 AH))[1][2] were also sent to India in that time.
They sent
Syedi Nuruddin

Syedi Nuruddin to Dongaon to look after southern part and
Syedi Fakhruddin

Syedi Fakhruddin to East Rajasthan, India.[3][4]
Branches[edit]
In 1592, a leadership struggle caused the Ṭayyibi to split.
Following the death of the 26th Dai in 1591 CE, Suleman bin Hasan, the
grandson of the 24th Dai, was wali in
Yemen

Yemen and claimed the
succession, supported by a few Bohras from
Yemen

Yemen and India. However,
most Bohras denied his claim of nass, declaring that the supporting
document evidence was forged. The two factions separated, with the
followers of Suleman Bin Hasan becoming the
Sulaymanis

Sulaymanis named after
Sulayman ibn Hassan and mainly located in
Yemen

Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and
the followers of Syedna Dawood Bin Qutubshah becoming the Dawoodi
Bohra. Dawoodi Bohra, found mostly in the Indian subcontinent.
There is also a community of
Sunni Bohra

Sunni Bohra in India. In the fifteenth
century, there was schism in the Bohra community of Patan in Gujarat
as a large number converted from
Musta'li

Musta'li Isma'ili
Shia Islam

Shia Islam to
mainstream Hanafi
Sunni

Sunni Islam. The leader of this conversion movement
to
Sunni

Sunni was Syed Jafar Ahmad Shirazi who also had the support of the
Mughal governor of Gujarat.
A split in 1637 from the Dawoodi resulted in the Alavi Bohra.
The
Hebtiahs Bohra

Hebtiahs Bohra are a branch of
Musta'li

Musta'li Isma'ili Shi'a Islam that
broke off from the mainstream
Dawoodi Bohra

Dawoodi Bohra after the death of the
39th
Da'i al-Mutlaq

Da'i al-Mutlaq in 1754.
The
Atba-i-Malak

Atba-i-Malak community are a branch of Musta'ali Isma'ili Shi'a
Islam that broke off from the mainstream
Dawoodi Bohra

Dawoodi Bohra after the death
of the 46th
Da'i al-Mutlaq, under the leadership of Abdul Hussain
Jivaji in 1840. They have further split into two more branches:
Atba-e-Malak Badar

Atba-e-Malak Badar - The current leader is Maulana Muhammad Amiruddin
Malak Saheb.
Atba-i-Malak

Atba-i-Malak Vakil - Their current leader is Tayyebhai Razzak.
The Progressive
Dawoodi Bohra

Dawoodi Bohra is a reformist sect within Musta'li
Ismai'li Shi'a Islam that broke off circa 1977. They disagree with
mainstream Dawoodi Bohra, as led by the
Da'i al-Mutlaq, on doctrinal,
economic and social issues.
Taher Fakhruddin

Taher Fakhruddin is a claimant to the title of Dai al Mutlaq since
2016. In 2014 following the death of Mohammed Burhanuddin, there was a
succession dispute over who became the 53rd
Da'i al-Mutlaq. This
dispute has been resolved and Dr. Syedna
Mufaddal Saifuddin

Mufaddal Saifuddin has been
claimed as the 53rd
Da'i al-Mutlaq.
Note: Kaysani's Imam Hanafiyyah is descendant of
Ali

Ali from Ali's wife
Khawlah
Musta'li

Musta'li Imams[edit]
According to
Musta'li

Musta'li belief, the line of Imams, descendants of Ali
and hereditary successors to Muhammad in his role of legitimate leader
of the community of Muslim believers, follows:
Hasan ibn
Ali

Ali 625–670 (imam 660–670)
Husayn ibn
Ali

Ali 626–680 (imam 670–680 )
Ali

Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidinm 659–712 (imam 680–712)
Muhammad al-Baqir

Muhammad al-Baqir 676–743 (imam 712–743)
Ja'far al-Sadiq

Ja'far al-Sadiq 702–765 (imam 743–765)
Isma'il ibn Jafar

Isma'il ibn Jafar 719/722–775 (imam 765–775)
Muhammad ibn Isma'il

Muhammad ibn Isma'il 740–813 (imam 775–813)
Ahmad al-Wafi (Abadullah)

Ahmad al-Wafi (Abadullah) 766–829 (imam 813–829)
Muhammad at-Taqi (Ahmed ibn Abadullah)

Muhammad at-Taqi (Ahmed ibn Abadullah) 790–840 (imam 829–840)
Radi Abdullah

Radi Abdullah (imam 840–909)
Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah
.png/440px-Calif_al_Mahdi_Kairouan_912_CE(png).png)
Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah (909–934)
al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah (934–946)
al-Mansur Billah (946–953)
al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah (953–975)
al-Aziz Billah (975–996)
al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (996–1021)
Ali

Ali az-Zahir (1021–1036)
al-Mustansir Billah (1036–1094)
al-
Musta'li

Musta'li (1094–1101)
al-Amir bi-Ahkami'l-Lah (1101–1130)
at-Tayyib Abu'l-Qasim
Imams one through five are well-known historical figures in the early
history of Islam who are also revered by Twelvers. The Imams numbered
11–21 are the Imam-Caliphs that ruled the Fatimid Caliphate.
The imams from
Muhammad ibn Isma'il

Muhammad ibn Isma'il onward were occulted by the
Musta'li; their names as listed by
Dawoodi Bohra

Dawoodi Bohra religious books are
listed above.[5]
Followers of the
Musta'li

Musta'li Imams also recite the names of these imams
in Dua-e Taqarrub[clarification needed] after salah daily. This
tradition is reported to have come from the imams of the Ahl al-Bayt
The prayer is as follows in English:
O Allah send blessings upon Muhammad and his progeny. O Allah I seek
nearness to you not only with your help but also with the good wishes
of Prophet Muhammad, the chosen one,
Ali

Ali al Murtadha, the source of
Imamah and the successor of the prophet, and lady Fatimah az-Zahra,
the daughter of the prophet, and Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain, the
grandsons the Prophet and the masters of the youth of paradise, and
the descendants of Imam Hussain from Imam
Ali

Ali Zayn al-Abidin, Muhammad
al-Baqir, Ja'far al-Sadiq,..(so on as listed above).., al-Amir and
Imam At-Tayyib Abi l-Qasim.
O Allah indeed I seek nearness to you by my reference to all of them
since I love them and keep away from their enemies. O Allah make me
steadfast in following their examples and include me in their company
on the day of judgement. Bestown honour upon me and success in this
world and the hereafter since I am their follower.
I bear witness and sincerely believe that they will undoubtedly lead
me unto you. May your blessings be upon them all.[citation needed]
The
Musta'li

Musta'li consider their imam and Dais as infallible and sinless,
and divinely chosen perpetuators of the true form of Islam. Their Dais
are keeping the tradition which was instituted by Arwa al-Sulayhi,
wife of the Fatimid
Da'i of Yemen, who was instructed and prepared by
al-Mustansir and the subsequent Imams for the second period of
Occultation. However, in the
Musta'li

Musta'li branch, the Dai came to have a
similar but more important task. The term
Da'i al-Mutlaq

Da'i al-Mutlaq (Arabic:
الداعي المطلق) literally means "the absolute or
unrestricted missionary". This da'i was the only source of the Imām's
knowledge after the occultation of al-Qasim in Musta'li
thought.[citation needed]
Their ancestors and descendants according to Ismā'īlī-Mustā'lī
Imāmah

Imāmah doctrine[edit]
See also:
Imāmah

Imāmah and Imamah (Ismaili doctrine)
Jāʿfar al-Sādiq
(Imamāh‘Shi'ā)
Fatima bint al-Hussain'l-Athram
bin al-Ḥasan bin Ali
Al-Aftāh
(Aftāhīyyah)
Ismā‘il
(Ismā‘il’īyyah)
Muhammad
Muhammed
Al-Wafi
At-Tāqī
Ar-Rāḍī
Mahdi Billāh
Fatimids

Fatimids (Ismailism)
Al-Qā'im
Al-Mansur
Al-Mu'izz
Al-Aziz
Al-Hakim
Az-Zahir
Al-Mustansir
Nizār al-Muṣṭafá (Nizārīyyah)
Muhammed
Al-Mustā‘lī (Mustā‘līyyah)
Al-Āmīr
Alamut

Alamut Castle (Hassasins)
Al-Hāfeez (Ḥāfīzīyyah)
Aṭ-Ṭāyyīb (Ṭāyyībīyyah)
Al-Zāfīr
Yūssuf
Nizārī Imāmah
Al-Fā'īz
Taiyabi Dā'ĩs
Al-'Āḍīd
Nizārī Ismāilism
Dawoodi Dā'ĩs
Da'is[edit]
See also: List of Dai of Dawoodi Bohra
Arwa al-Sulayhi

Arwa al-Sulayhi was the Hujjah from the time of Imam Mustansir. She
appointed Dai in
Yemen

Yemen to run religious affair. Ismaili missionaries
Ahmed and Abdullah (in about 1067 AD (460 AH))[1][2] were sent to
India in that time. According to Fatimid tradition, after the death of
Al-Amir bi-Ahkami'l-Lah,
Arwa al-Sulayhi

Arwa al-Sulayhi instituted the
Da'i al-Mutlaq
in place of Dai to run the independent dawah from
Yemen

Yemen in the name of
Imam Taiyab. The Dais are appointed one after other in the same
philosophy of nass (nomination by predecessor) as done by earlier
imams. It is believed that God's representative cannot die before
appointing his true successor. This is being followed from the time of
3rd Imam
Ali

Ali ibn Husain, the strong army of Yezid also could not think
of killing him, although they did not spare even a child of six
months,
Ali

Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn.
On the similar belief, the
Musta'li

Musta'li think and their Dai claim, that
one day their Imam Tayyab's heir will again reappear as Imam (as
happened with the eleventh Imam, Abdallah al-Mahdi Billah, who
appeared after period of 150 years since the sixth Imam).
Under the fifteenth Imam, Al-Aziz Billah, the fifth Fatimid caliph,
religious tolerance was given great importance. As a small Shi'i group
ruling over a majority
Sunni

Sunni population with a Christian minority
also, the Fatimid caliphs were careful to respect the sentiments of
people. One of the viziers of Imam Aziz was Christian, and high
offices were held by both
Shia

Shia and Sunnis. Fatimid advancement in
state offices was based more on merit than on heredity.[6]
Al-Aziz Billah
.jpg/440px-Dinar_of_al-'Aziz_billah,_AH_366_(AD_976-977).jpg)
Al-Aziz Billah rebuilt the
Saint Mercurius Church in Coptic Cairo

Saint Mercurius Church in Coptic Cairo near
Fustat

Fustat and encouraged public theological debate between the chief
Fatimid qadi and the bishops of
Oriental Orthodoxy

Oriental Orthodoxy in the interest of
ecumenism.[6]
Profession of faith[edit]
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As is the case with the majority of the Shia, Ismailis conclude the
Shahada

Shahada with ʿAliyun waliyu l-Lah ("
Ali

Ali is the friend of God").
Musta'lis recite the following shahada:
ʾašhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾillā l-Lāh,
waʾašhadu ʾan Muḥammadun ʿabduhun warasūlu l-Lāh;
ʾanna mawlāna ʿAliyun waṣiyuhu wawazīruhu;
I bear witness that there is no god but God,
and I bear witness that Mohammad is God's servant and His Messenger
and
Ali

Ali is his successor and minister.[citation needed]
The first part of this shahada is common to all Muslims and is the
fundamental declaration of tawhid. The wording of the last phrase is
specific to the Musta'li.
The second phrase describes the principle of Prophecy in
Shia

Shia Islam.
The third phrase describes the
Musta'li

Musta'li theological position of the
role of Ali.
Photo of the qibla of al-Mustansir Billah in the Mosque of Ibn Tulun
in
Cairo

Cairo showing the Shahada
Photo of the
Shahada

Shahada at
Bab al-Futuh

Bab al-Futuh Fatimid Cairo
References[edit]
^ a b Enthoven, R. E. (1922). The Tribes and Castes of Bombay. 1.
Asian Educational Services. p. 199.
ISBN 81-206-0630-2.
^ a b The Bohras, By: Asgharali Engineer, Vikas Pub. House, p.109,101
^ [1], Mullahs on the Mainframe.., By Jonah Blank, p.139
^ The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines By Farhad Daftary; p.299
^ http://www.ismaili.net/Source/0910.ht[permanent dead link] Quarterly
Journal of the AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT Vol. XXI. Nos. 1 2 Edited
by MAHMUD GHUL HIDDEN IMAMS OF THE ISMAILIS
^ a b Mullahs on the mainframe: Islam and modernity among the Daudi
Bohras, page 29, By Jonah Blank
Further reading[edit]
The Dawoodi Bohras: an anthropological perspective, by Shibani Roy.
Published by B. R. Publishing, 1984.
Mullahs on the mainframe: Islam and modernity among the Daudi Bohras,
by Jonah Blank. University of Chicago Press, 2001.
ISBN 978-0-226-05676-0.Excerpts
A Short History of the Ismailis, by Farhad Daftary
The Ismaili, Their History and Doctrine, by Farhad Daftary
Medieval Islamic Civilisation, by Joseph W. Meri, Jere l. Bacharach
Sayyida Hurra: The Isma‘ili Sulayhid Queen of Yemen, by Dr Farhad
Daftary
Cosmology and authority in medieval Ismailism, by Simonetta Calderini
Religion, learning, and science in the ʻAbbasid period, by M. J. L.
Young, John Derek Latham, Robert Bertram Serjeant
External links[edit]
Dawoodi Bohras (operated by
Mufaddal Saifuddin

Mufaddal Saifuddin faction)
Official website of Alavi Bohras
Dawoodi Bohras (operated by Khuzaima Qutbuddin/Taher Fakhruddin
faction)
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