It is the new year for Muslims in which Muharram marks ten days of sermons and the remembrance of Imam Husain’s martyrdom for the Dawoodi Bohra community. The Syedna (head of the community) has traditionally given sermons in Muharram in mosques in front of thousands of followers. This year owing to the Covid situation Syedna Taher Fakhruddin, the 54thSyedna, will deliver sermons in his California home and has instructed that all his sermons be made available live on YouTube via www.FatemiDawat.com, an unprecedented step in making his sermons open and accessible to all. A WhatsApp hotline has also been set up on +91-786-786-5354 to provide community information.
The Dawoodi Bohra community, under the guidance of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 52nd Syedna who passed away in 2014 has always been at the forefront of leveraging technology in both spiritual and temporal matters. Syedna Burhanuddin instructed that many of his ‘waaz’ sermons be made available to his community members far and wide, first by telephone and later by satellite and internet broadcasts. Syedna Fakhruddin continues on his path.