The Dawoodi Bohra community traces its spiritual heritage from Prophet Mohammed and his Vasi Amirul Mumineen Moulana Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet, and continuing through their successors, the Imams, who, functioning first from Medina, spread over to North Africa and Egypt in the succeeding centuries. 

Imam Al-Mehdi Billah set out for North Africa and established his religious kingdom in Tunisia and the adjacent territories. Three Imams succeeded him and the fourth, the celebrated Imam Al-Moiz Le-dinillah, established his seat of authority in Egypt. 

The great kingdoms these Imams founded, the noble traditions of thought and philosophy they fostered, the immense wealth of literature they produced and guarded, the resplendent civilisation they established and the wise way of life they pursued have all come to be called Fatimi after Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Mohammed and the consort of Imam Ali, thus linking two venerable personalities together. 

The Fatimi Imams, reigning in glory in Egypt, founded the City of Cairo, started the renowned centre of learning, Al Azhar University, which is the oldest institution of its kind in the world to exist to this day, and wrote into Egyptian history the unforgettable Fatimi era. This period and its unrivalled efflorescence of thought, art and culture owe everything to the Fatimi Imams who were inspired leaders, great builders and lofty thinkers, eminent scholars and writers. 

From Egypt the centre of Fatimi authority and activity was shifted to Yemen in Arabia. When the 20th Imam decided that the time had again come to keep away from the public eye, he made elaborate preparations for enabling his successor to go into seclusion at the appropriate moment and also for the preservation and continuation of the Fatimi tradition, from a congenial new centre in neighboring Yemen, and on a new basis. 

For this purpose he directed his grand emissary in Yemen, to establish the institution of the vicegerent of the Imam which dignitary was to function as the sole deputy of the Imams in seclusion, exercising all their powers to the fullest extent. The vicegerent came to be known as Dai-el-Mutlaq and his office necessitates the unfailing discharge of two obligations, viz., that the Dai-el-Mutlaq would take care to appoint a successor in time and that he would always carry on his mission in the name of the Imams with all the authority and power inherent in that high office. 

When the 2ist Imam went into seclusion in 1132 A.D., on the authority of the Imam, the institution of Dai-el-Mutlaq was established, which continues vigorously without interruption to this day. The first to enter upon the august office in Yemen was Syedna Zoeb. In all 23 Dai-el-Mutlaqs functioned in Yemen before the seat of authority was shifted to India. 

From Yemen, after a preparatory period lasting well nigh two centuries, the seat of the Dawat was transferred to India. Already ties of friendly intercourse, exchange of thought and culture and trade had existed for long between India and Yemen. The followers of the Dai in Yemen had settled down in India, and the more eminent amongst them used to visit Yemen, would stay with the Dais for long periods, acquire first-hand knowledge of the traditions of the faith and also observe how the Dais were managing the affairs of the community. The Dais also had representatives on the Indian soil to attend to the needs of their followers. When extreme persecution of the Fatimi followers on the ground of differing beliefs and adherence to the successive Fatimi Imams and Dais led to a sense of insecurity, the Dais chose India for the transfer of the Dawat in the knowledge and belief that this country was receptive and tolerant towards varying faiths and creeds. The first Dai to hold office in India was Syedna Yusuf Najmuddin in the year 1539 A.D. He commenced his mission in Gujarat and gradually the followers spread to other parts of India. 

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52^nd Dai al- Mutlaq Dr. Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin (TUS)

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