Doctor Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin ( Abul-Qaid Johar Mohammed Burhanuddin ) (born March 6, 1915) is the 52nd Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq

Da'i al-Mutlaq

The term Dāʻī al-Mutlaq literally means "the absolute or unrestricted missionary". In Ismā'īlī Islām, the term dāʻī has been used to refer to important religious leaders other than the hereditary Imāms, and the Daʻwa or "Mission" is a clerical-style organisation. "The Daʻwa" was a term for the...

 (Dai, or Unrestricted Missionary) of the Dawoodi Bohras. The Dawoodi Bohras are a sub group within the Mustaali

Mustaali

The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...

, Ismaili

Ismaili

' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...

 Shia branch of Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

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Burhanuddin was born in Surat

Surat

Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...

, Gujarat, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. He was appointed to be the future Dā‘ī at the age of 19 by his father, the previous Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq, Taher Saifuddin

Taher Saifuddin

Syedna Taher Saifuddin was the 51st Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq and led the Dawoodi Bohras community from 1915 to 1965...

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Burhanuddin succeeded his father, upon the latter's death, when he was 53 years of age.