Progressive Dawoodi Bohra

Progressive Dawoodi Bohra is a movement within the Dawoodi Bohra subsect of Mustaali Ismai'li Shi'a Islam. Their split with the mainstream Dawoodi Bohra is based not on religious beliefs, but on economic and social issues. Progressives or Reformists, as they call themselves, assert that they do not differ from mainstream Bohras, they rather claim to challenge the absolute authority and hegemony of the Dai, or spiritual leader of the movement.

The Progressive Dawoodi Bohras, led by Asghar Ali Engineer, allege that the 51st Da'i Sayedna 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. Further, the Da'i Syedna professed to be instituted a doctrine of Raza, which required that his followers could do nothing (secular or religious, including namaz) without first attaining his permission. The policy of requiring a Raza began in 1902, when the 50th Da'i Syedna demanded that it be sought before construction of a secular school in Burhanpur could begin. Several Bohras challenged the authority of Taher Saifuddin through litigation in Mumbai courts and the Sayedna's claims were rejected by the judge.

The Progressive Dawoodi Bohra community also claims that the 52nd Da'i Sayedna Mohammad Burhanuddin asserted the same rights as Taher Saifuddin, but, the District Court of Udaipur upheld his claims. The ruling was appealed before the Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur, with Progressive Bohras claimed that the Waqf Act of 1954 provided exclusive control of property such as mosques to the Waqf Board, and that the Sayedna have no rights over them.