“Knowledge defines and enhances one’s self worth; make neighborhoods green; Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment making much progress due to state, central governments’ assistance and co-operation from MAHADA, police and local residence; families to be rehabilitated and resettled back in Bhendi Bazaar within 3 to 4 years”, this was the pronouncement of Syedi Mufaddal Bhaisaheb Saifuddin, heir apparent of Syedna, the spiritual leader His Holiness Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin.

Place Mumbai, where over 200,000 of the Dawoodi Bohra community members from all over India, South Asia, Far East, the Arabian Gulf, East Africa, Europe, North America and Australia congregated to attend the ten-day Moharram observance known as Ashara Mubaraka, with their spiritual leader.

The revered occasion concluded on the Day of Ashura on Wednesday, 13thNovember. The tragic martyrdom of Imam Husain SA, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), was narrated during these solemn days with much fervor in remembrance of his sacrifice for the cause of Islam and humanity remembered.

With the directions of Syedna, his heir-apparent Syedi Mufaddal Bhaisaheb Saifuddin (70) delivered the Moharram discourses at Saifee Masjid in Bhendi Bazaar. Apart from imparting teachings based on Islamic principles on family values, women empowerment, and patriotism, he reiterated Syedna’s universal message of social justice, peace and international harmony and conveyed His Holiness’s special prayers for the progress and prosperity of India and for the wellbeing of humanity at large.

For the convenience of the thousands of community members converging to the city, elaborate arrangements had been made by Anjuman-e-Shiate Ali – the community’s Mumbai Jamaat and the International Ashara Mubaraka Committee for all the necessary facilities and resources. Special cells for better management of the event had been set-up at the newly inaugurated Mufaddal Shopping Arcade, the first and only commercial transit provide by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) that is redeveloping the Bhendi Bazaar area.

[See Pressenza coverage of this story at:

http://www.pressenza.com/2013/06/55023/      ]

The community-run Saifee Hospital, The Saifee Ambulance Society and Burhani Medical Idarah (BMI) co-ordinated in providing the best of medical facilities to the attendees. Over 300 TV sets and a number of giant screens had been installed to relay the discourses in the neighborhood. To de-centralize the large number of participants, the Moharram discourses were transmitted in 60 other Dawoodi Bohra Masjids and community centres in South Mumbai and in the suburbs.
The occasion of Moharram was also observed with much spiritual enthusiasm by the Dawoodi Bohras living in all parts of the world.

In the past years, Moharram sermons of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin have been held in international cities such as Cairo, Dubai, Houston, Colombo, Karachi, Nairobi, Dar-e-Salaam and in Indore, Pune and Jamnagar in India to name some. Last year the occasion was held at Surat.

Photo:
Over 200,000 Dawoodi Bohra community members from all over congregated in Mumbai to attend the ten-day Moharram observance known as Ashara Mubaraka, with their spiritual leader His Holiness Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin.

Article details submitted by Qureish Raghib of the Dawoodi Bohra