Questions Answered:

1. After Yemen, why India clinched the prime position for Da'wah activities?
2. How the Razaa of Da'i uz Zamaan enjoys a doctrinal value for mumineen?
3. Why there is no place for Bid'at or Fasaad (innovation, misconduct or mischief) in our Shari'at?

It is accounted by the Du'aat ul-Haqq in the books of ad-Da'wat ul-Haadiyah especially in Sitta Rasaa'il by Maulaai Khawj bin Malak (RA) (d. 1009 AH/1601 AD) that, "Baytullaah (the house of Allaah) belongs to Yemen and the His Da'wat also belongs to Yemen." This divinely mission of righteousness is Yemeni. The seeds of Da'wat were sown first in Yemen and then in the virtuous and fertile land of India, which got the suitable environment and the auspicious tree (Shajarat-e-Taiyebah) of Da'wat grew with its branches reaching far to the northern Africa i.e. Tunisia and Egypt. Under the shadow of this growing Da'wat, the Imaamat and Risaalat matured and it helped believers-mumineen in ascending the higher ranks of spiritual spheres. The purity of knowledge and sincerity in deeds satiated their hunger and they were contented with the fruits of Imaan-faith and Sabr-patience.

During the prophethood of Rasoolullaah SAWS in Madinah, Ameer ul-Mumineen (the Commander of the Faithful) Maulaana ‘Ali (AS) fostered the blossoming garden of Islaam in Yemen and the Du'aat ul-Mutlaqeen gained the favors of its fruits and fragrance in the beginning of 6th century AH. Yemen was the major foot-hold of Da'wat till the time of 19th Da'i ul-Mutlaq Saiyedna Idrees ‘Imaaduddin (AQ) (d. 472 AH/1468 AD). After that, till the time of Saiyedna Yusuf Najmuddin (AQ) (d. 974 AH/1567 AD), the virtuous jewels of Itaa'at (obedience) and Khidmat (service) began to fall off from the hearts of Hudood (representative) and the mumineen. The spiritual fragrance of Walaayat (love) and Imaan (faith) began to vanish away from their souls and this heralded the beginning of the transfer of Da'wat from Yemen to India. 

With the spiritual knowledge and intellect, 23rd Da'i ul-Mutlaq Saiyedna Mohammad ‘Izzuddin (AQ) (d. 946 AH/1539 AD) felt the weakness in the devotion of mumineen. He palpated the ailing vision and intuition of his subordinates and near companions. He saw the unseen inferiority in the honor of the ranks of Da'wat. There was disinterest, difference of opinion, pride, love for the wealth among the mumineen. The whole community was divided into groups with their own likings, opinion and thinking. There was a silent chaos and turmoil which was eating away the strength of the foundations of Da'wat. Reacting to the prevailing crisis, on the occasion of Eid-e-Ghadeer on 18th Zul Hijjah, Saiyedna ‘Izzuddin (AQ) took an unusual assessment of his Hudood to unleash the disbelief in the mumineen.

All the mumineen and hudood of Da'wat gathered in the mosque of Masaar city for the prayers of Eid-e-Ghadeer. Saiyedna ‘Izzuddin (AQ) sent his envoy, who was also a hudood, to the mosque and instructed him to convey an important message to all the people. He arrived at the mosque and as per the order of Saiyedna saheb (AQ), he told the people to offer prayers behind a man of following rank of Da'wat. On hearing the orders, all the mumineen expressed astonishment and started doubting the envoy and told him to go back and reaffirm the orders.

When the envoy returned to Saiyedna saheb (AQ) he was again pressed to repeat the same words in the mosque which he did before. Saiyedna saheb (AQ) told him that, "Do tell them, I have given this order in full consciousness and realization. Confused are the people of mosque who are disobeying me." The envoy repeated the words of Saiyedna saheb (AQ) in the mosque. But alas! All of them stuck to the disobedience and defiance. They started shouting and saying, "How can we offer prayers behind a man who is below our ranks?" Finally they decided to take the envoy along with them to Saiyedna saheb (AQ).

When some selected mumineen arrived at Saiyedna saheb (AQ), he asked to the envoy, ‘You are one of my Hudood – are you finding difficulty in executing my orders? Or you are lost in stubbornness? Or your persistent ego has captured you?' Hearing this, the envoy started trembling out of fear and said that, ‘O my Maulaa! I had conveyed your message word to word to these people in the mosque, but they were stuck to disrespect and disobedience and contended that only if Saiyedna saheb (AQ) appointed someone of higher rank than theirs for Imaamat (leading namaaz), then only they would obey him. They also exclaimed that how superior and privileged people like us can ever offer prayers behind ordinary and inferior person!'

When Saiyedna saheb heard about the disrespect of Hudood to his orders, he again instructed the envoy to go in the mosque and convey the message that, ‘He who disobeyed the orders of Saiyedna saheb has broken his Misaaq (covenant) and he is a Munkir (defiant). Whoever has followed the orders of Maulaa is a true believer and Mu'min. Saiyedna saheb is a final authority and efficient enough to judge who to ascend or who to descend in the status and rank.'

Lamentably, the envoy arrived in the mosque for the third time and addressed to the people present and did what he was supposed to do. But the adamant Hudood and mumineen continued to refute the message of Maulaa. In the final attempt to satisfy their ego, they arrived at the Daar ul 'Imaarat (Devdi Mubaarak) of Saiyedna saheb. To their surprise, same were the words of Maulaa as the envoy told them. Conclusively, all of them arrived in the mosque and offered the prayers behind the person (hadd) appointed by Maulaa.

After the completion of the prayers, Saiyedna saheb arrived in the mosque. Before proceeding with the Misaaq of mumineen, Maulaa recited the Hadees e Shareef of Ghadeer-e-Khumm and made its whole event alive. He addressed to the mumineen in which he lambasted and criticized the Hudood and mumineen on their disobedience and defiance. He expressed his disappointment and sorrow over the whole issue. 

He said, 'O Mumineen, Imaan has lost its meaning in your hearts – what has remained is just the name. Your hearts are covered with the false layer of Imaan and are empty of trust and love. Where has your intellect and vision lost? Are you satisfied with the ignorance and blindness? Being naked of obedience you have worn the garment of defiance? Are you happy that the place on which you are sitting is void of goodness and virtue? By Allaah's Promise and His Justice! I have put you all to a test and I have got the result what I expected from you. You have rejected my orders three times to obey a trivial thing.'

Maulaa further added, 'Surely, you will suffer of what you have done. The divine blessing of Da'wat e Shareefah will not remain safe among you and will be shifted among those who are obedient and whose hearts are filled with the light of love and devotion.  Those are the people of Hind and they are the Brothers of Rasoolullaah (SAWS).  Their devotion has reached its zenith by following each and every orders of Saheb e Haqq.  In every aspect, season or condition they have never wavered from the path of duty and truth.'

After this stern test, Saiyedna saheb expressed his intentions and said, 'Loyalty, love, devotion and submission in the people of Yemen has only remained skin deep and the people of India deserve this favor and blessing of divine Da'wat. The pure land of India has remained as the foundation of Da'wat from the time of Maulaana Aadam (AS). As the time passed, the Prophets and the Awliyaa migrated from one place to another because of the defiance and rebelliousness of the people. The same situation arose at the time of Rasoolullaah (SAWS) and he had to migrate from Makkah to Madeenah. After that because of the betrayal and infidelity of the people, the Da'wat ul-Haqq had to shift its centre from Kufa, Madinah, Salamiyah, Mahdiyah, Qaaherah (Cairo), Yemen and India. It is our Isma'ili and Taiyebi belief that the Da'wat ul-Haqq will continue and remain safe till Qeyaamat in this Islamic land of the Birth of Aadam (AS) i.e. India ( Hindustaan-the land of Maulaana Hunaid (AS)).

Da'wat e 'Alaviyah

In Yemen: 532-974 AH/1138-1567 AD (429 yrs) i.e. from 1st Da'i till 24th Da'i
In Ahmedabad: 974-1110 AH/1567-1699 AD  (132 yrs) i.e. from 25th Da'i till 31st Da'i
In Vadodara: 1110-1444 AH/1699-2023 AD  (324 yrs) i.e. from 32nd Da'i till 45th present Da'i
In Surat: 1158-1178 AH/1745-1764 AD  (20 yrs) i.e. 35th Da'i

Note: The years presented above is the tenure of the Du'aat of different places.  But the Da'wat e Haqq activities started much more earlier than the said years or ended much more later on the hands of Ashaab of Da'i ul Mutlaq of that time.  Keeping in mind the period of Da'wat of Du'aat e Mutlaqeen (AQ), the period of places has been simplified.