His Holiness Syedna Taher Saifuddin was the 51st al-Dai al-Mutlaq and head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, predecessor and father of the 52nd Dai the late His Holiness Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin and grandfather of His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the present and 53rd incumbent of the office of al-Dai al-Mutlaq.

Heir to a heritage of spiritual thought and practice, scholarship, and administrative skills going back centuries, in 1915 His Holiness assumed charge of the office of al-Dai al-Mutlaq at the young age of 28. A charismatic leader as well as a prolific scholar, writer and teacher, he led the community through turbulent times, including unprecedented global change. He worked assiduously towards the unity and wellbeing of the community throughout his tenure of 53 years.

It was in 1920 that Syedna Taher Saifuddin transferred the community’s administrative headquarters from Surat to Mumbai, an important centre of activity for the Dawoodi Bohra community since the late 18th century. Syedna Taher Saifuddin reorganised the administrative setup of Dawat-e-Hadiyah, giving it a more formal administrative structure. With the spiritual, educational, and socio-economic advancement of the community in mind, he created departments and designated heads, defining objectives and outlining the scope of work for each department.