Noor Mohammad Nooruddin

Noor Mohammad Nooruddin (Arabic: نور محمد نور الدين‎) was the 37th Dai-al-Mutlaq (vicegerent) of the Dawoodi Bohra Community, a subsect of Shia Islam. His mausoleum is located at Mandvi, India and known as Mazar-e-Noorani. People of the Dawoodi Bohra Community come here in large numbers for Ziyarat (a kind of paying tribute).[1][2]

Mausoleum of Nooruddin, Mandvi (2007).

Early life

Noor Mohammad Nooruddin was born in Jamnagar in the era of his great-grandfather, the 34th Dai Syedna Ismail Badruddin I bin Mulla Raj. Syedna Zakiyuddin nurtured Syedna Nooruddin and brought him up. Syedna Nooruddin served his grandfather Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin II with devotion, especially in his last illness. Before Syedna Zakiyuddin died in 1110 AH/1699 AD, he bestowed Syedna Nooruddin his ring, “indicating his future accession to the rutba of Dai al-Mutlaq”.[3] Nooruddin served his father, Musa Kalimuddin, with devotion, and aided him in conducting the Dawat. Kalimuddin entrusted him with executing all the affairs of Dawat, appointed him in the rutba of Mazoon, and made him also his Mansoos. When Kalimuddin died in 1122 AH/1710 AD, Nooruddin became Da'i al-Mutlaq.[4]

Jamnagar

The ruler of Jamnagar, the ‘Jaam’ Laakha, was against him, wanting to forcefully collect money, and forced him to leave his home and town, secretly one midnight, with only three companions (among them the 39th Dai Syedna Ibrahim Wajiuddin). It was the monsoon season, and Syedna Nooruddin walked all night in the rain. He passed through Boodri, Daruda, Wankaner and finally to Morvi, where the king of Morvi, Raja Kayaji welcomed him. Meanwhile, when the Jaam found out that Syedna Nooruddin was in Morvi, he wrote to the Raja to have him sent back, but the Raja refused. Outraged, the Jaam looted Syedna Nooruddin’s home and possessions in Jamnagar.[5]

Six months after looting Syedna Nooruddin’s possessions, the ‘Jaam’ fell ill, and with his body infested with parasitic worms, he died a terrible, painful death. The ‘Jaam’ was succeeded by his son, the new Jaam Raj Singh, who was a devotee of Syedna Nooruddin. When Raj Singh was a youth, Syedna Nooruddin saved him from poison fed to him by his stepmother. Raj Singh invited Syedna Nooruddin to come back to Jamnagar. In Dhu-l-Hijja 1124 AH, Syedna Nooruddin was received by Jaam Raj Singh himself with pomp and ceremony in the presence of his full army and all communities. He returned all the possessions that his father had looted, in addition to the chit of credit for 330,000 gold Jaamis that his father had extorted.

Mandvi

Some time thereafter, Jaam Raj Singh was murdered by his step-brother, who took the throne. Syedna Nooruddin did not feel safe anymore in Jamnagar, and he migrated to Mandvi, a port on the Kachchh coast, where he set up his home, and lived there for the rest of his life. His period of Dawat was 1122-1130 AH/1710-1719 AD (he died on 4 Rajab 1130). He left behind three young children under the age of eight.

Succession

He was succeeded by the 38th Dai Ismail Badruddin II. Future Dais, including the 51st Dai Taher Saifuddin, 52nd Dai Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin and 53rd Dai Mufaddal Saifuddin are from his progeny.

References

Syedna Taher Saifuddin’s Risalat, 1374 H titled Nahr un Noor, p. 208
Syedna Taher Saifuddin’s Risalat, 1374 H titled Nahr un Noor ash Sha’sha’ani

(A Chronological List of Duatil Mutlaqin)
Daftary, Farhad, The Ismaili, Their History and Doctrine (Chapter -Mustalian Ismailism- p. 300-310)
Lathan, Young, Religion, Learning and Science
Bacharach, Joseph W. Meri, Medieval Islamic Civilisation