March 6, 2021 will mark the 106th birth anniversary of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 52nd Dā’ī al-Mutlaq of Dawoodi Bohras. Many consider him to be the guiding hand that led 12-lakh-strong Dawoodi Bohra community toward modernity and prosperity. The Dā’ī al-Mutlaq is the temporal, spiritual head of Bohra Muslims, a largely business-oriented community. His insightful teaching had a great impact on the community which is known for nearly 100% literacy among the members. He was born in Surat, Bombay Presidency in 1915 to late Syedna Taher Saifuddin and succeeded him in the role.

He breathed his last on January 17, 2014 in Mumbai at the age of 98.

Here are five facts about the Syedna’s fascinating life and teachings:

1.Doctor and promoted education:The Syedna received his Doctorate in Literature at the University of Karachi. He was an Arabic scholar.He is credited with supporting “400 educational institutions in the world to impart religious, spiritual and secular education.”

2. Business leader:As mentioned before, the community is largely business-centric. In order to promote healthy business, he institutionalized the Quranic concept of interest-free loans.He also promoted combining mercantile and Islamic principles while conducting businesses. The Syedna founded Burhaniyah Business Counselling Centre in Mumbai to help with modern business solutions.

3. Environmental activist:He was extremely fond of the environment and his love for plants and animals was wellknown among his community. He recognised that we as a species were responsible for environmental degradation and needed to resolve it while we still had a chance. He believed in “giving back to nature” and promoted ecological conservation programmes. In 2011, he was involved in conservation efforts to protect the sparrow. Burhani Foundation (India) also undertook apiculture projects, greenhouses, horticulture, afforestation projects, and many more such positive interventions.

4. Social welfare:The Syedna did not want people to indulge in extravagant weddings and engage in wasteful practices. He promoted and institutionalized the tradition of mass marriages to help with the issue.He was also involved in low-finance housing schemes in Mumbai. The redevelopment of old, dilapidated buildings in Bhendi Bazaar was directed by the Syedna and housed over 4,000 Dawoodi Bohra families.

5. History and heritage:The Syedna oversaw construction, renovation or restoration of several ancient and world heritage mosques, and mausoleums. Any old religious, historical site with worldwide significance would pique his interest. Some of these include the ninth-century mosque of Imam Hakim, Al-Jame Al-Anwar in Cairo, as well as ancient buildings in Yemen, Syria and India.