Tanzania’s Dawoodi Bohras: An Ismaili Muslim Community Between Tradition and Modernity

 Tanzania is often described as one of the rare countries in East Africa where people of all faiths live together in peace. Islam was introduced to the region through Arab and Persian merchants, while Christianity was spread by European missionaries. Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism came with Indian and Chinese settlers. Today, in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam and the tourist hub of Zanzibar, mosques, churches, temples, and other houses of worship can be found side by side.

How did Islam arrive in Tanzania?

Tanzania’s encounter with Islam dates back to the very first century of the Hijri calendar. Arab, Persian, and Indian Muslims settled in East Africa, intermarrying with local communities and creating a new cultural blend. This synthesis is most evident in Swahili (Kiswahili), the lingua franca of East Africa. Although Christian missionary activities under Portuguese, German, and later British colonial rule reduced the relative presence of Muslims, Islam never disappeared from the region.

Today, the majority of Tanzanian Muslims are Sunni (Shafiʿi), while Shiites make up around 20 percent and Ahmadis (Qadianis) approximately 5 percent. Smaller Ibadi and other Muslim groups also exist, mostly concentrated in Zanzibar. In Dar es Salaam, the influence of Shia Muslims, particularly Ismaili groups such as the Nizari Ismailis (known as Khojas) and the Tayyibi (Mustali) Ismailis, more commonly referred to as the Dawoodi Bohras, is highly visible. These two communities rank among the wealthiest and most influential in the country.

The Dawoodi Bohra Community

The Dawoodi Bohras are a Tayyibi Ismaili Muslim group with roots in Gujarat, India. Much like the Nizari Khojas, their ancestors converted from Hinduism centuries ago and embraced Shiʿa Islam through the Ismaili branch. As a result, traces of earlier Hindu traditions remain woven into their religious and cultural practices.

The primary distinction between the two Ismaili sects lies in the succession of the imamate. The Nizaris follow Imam Ismaʿil, son of Imam Jaʿfar al-Sadiq, while the Bohras recognize his brother Musa as their rightful imam. Today, the Nizari leader is known as the Aga Khan, whereas the Dawoodi Bohras are guided by the Dāʿī al-Mutlaq (“Absolute Missionary”).

The very name “Bohra” (or “Bohoro”) derives from the Gujarati word for “trader,” reflecting the community’s strong mercantile orientation. Since the late 16th century, under the leadership of Dāʿūd bin Qutubshah (the 27th Dāʿī), the group became known as the Dawoodi Bohras. Their imams first relocated to Yemen after the fall of the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt, later moving to India in the 16th century due to persecution.

Wealthy and well-educated, the Dawoodi Bohras of India are often described as one of the country’s most prosperous Muslim communities. Their close relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—despite his Hindu nationalist policies and history of hostility toward Muslims—has attracted attention, with many suggesting that the Bohras’ wealth and trade networks explain this unusual alliance.

At the same time, the Bohras emphasize loyalty to the countries they reside in, a principle said to be explicitly enjoined by their imam.

The Dawoodi Bohras in Tanzania

In Tanzania, the Dawoodi Bohra population is estimated at 50,000–60,000. Their current leader, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, is the 53rd Dāʿī al-Mutlaq. His portrait can be found prominently displayed in Bohra homes, schools, hospitals, and shops. In July last year, during a visit to Tanzania, he was officially received by both President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zanzibar’s President Hussein Ali Hassan Mwinyi.

The imam’s authority is far-reaching. For example, choosing baby names is considered a privilege reserved for him. Families unable to reach him personally can now send requests via email, and names are announced on the sixth day after birth in a special ceremony known as chatti. This illustrates the community’s remarkable integration of religious tradition with digital adaptation; members’ information is kept in a comprehensive digital registry.

Distinctive dress also sets them apart. Men wear long white robes called kurta, while women wear colorful two-piece garments known as rida. These outfits make it easy for community members to recognize one another in public.

Tasneem, a Dawoodi Bohra woman from Dar es Salaam, stresses that all Islamic sects—and indeed all religions—coexist peacefully in Tanzania, unlike in India where political tensions fuel religious and sectarian divides.

Beliefs, Practices, and Social Life

Unlike Twelver Shiites (Ithnaʿashariyya), the Dawoodi Bohras categorically reject temporary marriage (mutʿa). Although polygamy is permitted in principle, it is rarely practiced within the community. Their mosques resemble Sunni mosques more than Shiite ones; for instance, they do not use the small clay tablet (turbah) that many Shiites place under their foreheads during prostration. While their mosques are technically open to other Muslims, Bohra religious events are usually held internally.

Education is a central priority, with equal rights granted to both men and women. Tasneem notes that most Bohra women are highly educated and socially active. Around 80 percent of Bohra children in Dar es Salaam attend Al Madrasa Saifiyatul Burhaniyah, a school offering both modern education and religious instruction grounded in Ismaili tradition.

The community also demonstrated remarkable solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the initiative known as the “Smart Kitchen,” meals were prepared for both Bohra families and anyone in need. Vaccines and masks were distributed, enabling members to weather the crisis more comfortably.

Globally, the Bohras invest heavily in education, including through the Karimjee Jivanjee Foundation in Tanzania, which funds numerous projects and scholarships. The Karimjee family is among the earliest Bohra settlers in the country and remains one of its most prominent families.

Marriage and Identity

When it comes to marriage, the Dawoodi Bohras strongly prefer endogamy—marrying within their community. Intermarriage with Sunnis, other Shiite groups, or people of different religions is rare. This reflects both a desire to maintain cultural continuity from pre-Islamic caste traditions in India and theological differences between Sunni and Shiite groups.

As in other Shiite traditions, Bohras often distinguish themselves from Sunnis by referring to themselves as muʾmin (true believers) while calling Sunnis simply “Muslims.” Still, unlike more insular sects, the Bohras in Tanzania maintain generally positive relations with other Muslim and non-Muslim communities.

One Bohra member, who wished to remain anonymous, offered a critical perspective:

“The imam is a human being. Some people attribute divine qualities to him and love him as if he were infallible. I believe he is a blessed man, but he can make mistakes too. Another concern is the belief that only our community will enter paradise. I cannot agree with that. Above all, I consider myself a Muslim.”

 

 

 

Sources:

http://ijtihadnet.com/history-of-shia-muslims-in-dar-es-salaam-tanzania/

https://books.openedition.org/africae/1002?lang=en

https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/

https://www.islamtanzania.org/articles/ea_colo.htm

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1595105?searchText=&searchUri=&ab_segments=&searchKey=&refreqid=fastly-default%3A2b811190de803ece94d6b8c5a940cd5d

This article was originally published in Independent Turkish, on December 6,2023.