Mumbai mourns Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin's demise

The 52nd Dai al-Mutlaq of the world-wide Dawoodi Bohra community, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin today expired at the age of 102 at his Mumbai residence at Saifee Mahal. The cause of death was a cardiac arrest. Syedna was born in Surat and succeeded his father Syedna Taher Saifuddin as the leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community. [caption id=“attachment_1346089” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  People gather as Dawoodi Bohra community spiritual leader Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin Saheb dies in Surat on Friday. PTI[/caption] He was honoured with civilian titles like the Star of Jordan and Order of the Nile by the respective governments of Jordan and Egypt and was also conferred Honourary Doctorates for his efforts in social and educational development by institutes like Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Aligarh Muslim University and University of Karachi. Sydena was famous for pioneering initiatives like the Saifee Hospital in Mumbai. He also played a role in the on-going Saifee Burhani Upliftment project of the redevelopment of Bhendi Bazaar. In 2011, Syedna announced that he will be succeeded by his son Syedna Mufaddal SaifuddinTUS. The 70-year-old was the rector of the community’s 200-year-old institution Jamea-tus-Saifiah, which has campuses in Surat, Karachi, Mumbai and Nairobi. Among the many projects that Syedna Mufaddal SaifuddinTUS has worked under his father’s directions is the restoration of famous Fatemi Masjids in Egypt and other edifices in the Arab world. Syedna will be laid to rest at the Raudat Tahera mausoleum  in Mumbai. Thousands of Dawoodi Bohras from all over India and from some 40 nations are converging to Mumbai to pay their last respects and homage to their leader.