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30 Days of Prayer Int'l
Colorado Springs, CO
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Address
30 Days of Prayer Int'l
Colorado Springs, CO
USA
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Or Send a Message
Shabbir looked up from his coffee and explained his dilemma. His college exams were coming, but the Dai, the religious leader of the Daudi Bohra (aka Dawoodi Bohra), a sect within the Shi’a branch of Islam, was in town celebrating a major holiday. Thousands had come to receive the blessing associated with hearing him. Shabbir was expected to go even though it would mean skipping his exams and failing his courses.
“I think this is a test.” He told me. “What path am I going to follow? Am I going to do what the world says is important and take my exams or am I going to follow the Dai and take his exam?”
There are over a million Bohra worldwide. The majority live in India though there are significant populations in the US, Europe, and East Africa. They believe that after a series of Imams (descendants of Muhammad who could receive guidance from God) the Imam went into hiding. The Dai is in communication with this hidden Imam. For the Bohra, guidance and blessing from the Dai represent the path of success in this world and the next.
Shabbir’s dilemma represents two contrasting movements among the Bohra people. Increasingly, they are encountering opportunities outside their community and away from the traditions they have always known. Should Shabbir prioritize the demands of school and a career, or will he forsake the world and trust fully in the Dai and the Bohra community?
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