The Vision of Dawat - from the 1437H Annual Report

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

ليس الدين صوما وصلوة فقط بل الدين عمارة الدنيا والآخرة

'Religion is not just fasting and prayer, rather religion is the construction of the edifice of this World (Dunya) and theHereafter (Aakherat).'

(Imam Ja’farus Sadiq SA)

This article was written by Ra'sul Hududil Mayameen Janab Syedi Aziz Bhaisaheb Qutbuddin in 2016.

The Annual Report published this week in Sijill showcases the endurance and perseverance of Dawat in the most difficult of circumstances. It is a manifestation of the resolve of 53^rd Dai al-Mutlaq Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA and his successor the 54^th Dai al-Mutlaq Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS. The report highlights the major activities and milestones in Dawat. By learning of these details, insha’allah each Mumin will be encouraged to get personally involved in Dawat khidmat and activities by contributing their skills and offering their counsel. This week’s Sijill Article quotes from the Philosophy and Vision section of the Annual report (pg 05).

Imam Sadiq SA said: Religion is not just fasting and prayer, rather religion is the construction of the edifice of Dunya (this World) and Aakherat (the Hereafter). The mission of the Dawat is to call Mumineen to the true path of Allah, the sirat-e-mustaqeem, which leads to spiritual, personal, social and material prosperity in this world, and ultimately to Jannat in the Hereafter. To fulfill its purpose, Dawat’s philosophy is to promote and establish a material and physical infrastructure and organization in service of its mission.

The vision of Dawat, especially of Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA and Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA, was always to achieve the pinnacle of excellence in establishing such an organization. This vision was achieved. However, there were elements within the administration, especially in the latter part of Syedna Burhanuddin’s RA time, who took advantage of their administrative positions and pushed their own agenda, to the detriment of Dawat. Today those same people have completely taken over the Dawat infrastructure and are using it only for their own ends and benefit. But in opposing Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA, the Mansoos of Syedna Burhanuddin RA, they have fully exposed themselves to be self-serving and fraudulent.

Dawat-e-Hadiya is an institution which has withstood the test of time – it has withstood usurpers, persecution, migration, perilous mortal attacks, pogroms, and confusion in faith. All of these attempts to destroy or exploit Dawat were conducted chiefly by people from “within” the community. They attempted to undermine the faith and the spiritual and temporal well-being of the community for their self-interests and gain. Such is the challenge that we face today in Dawat, and such is the storm which Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA, previously, and Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS, presently, are guiding the ship of Dawat through.

The community has always risen again stronger from these challenges. A 100 years ago, Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA took the community from dissidence and turmoil to unprecedented heights of spiritual and material success, and a position of recognition and respect in the wider world. The challenges Dawat faces today are unprecedented. However, with these challenges there are also unprecedented opportunities.

Today, the vision and mission of Dawat endures and perseveres.

1. Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS continues to guide the community through his spiritual and temporal leadership, he continues the mission of the 53rd Dai-l-Mutlaq and all the Du’aat Kiraam before him.
2. Syedna TUS continues to articulate and implement the values espoused by our faith in today’s context: justice, equity, compassion, unity.
3. Syedna TUS continues to establish and develop systems and processes which will ensure the professional, efficient, transparent, accountability-based working of the system.

The mission, the philosophy and the vision ensures the flourishing and ever-increasing prosperity and perpetuity of Dawat, so that our children, and their children, and the generations to follow, are guided on the true path, the Sirat-e-Mustaqeem to goodness and prosperity in this world, and success in the Hereafter.

We are pleased to present with the raza mubarak of Maulana Taher Fakhruddin TUS, the second Fatemi Dawat Annual Report.