As we talk about community and culture, our focus veers to a less spoken yet strong community in the twin states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana that are immersed in Ramzan festivities. The Atba-e-Malak Badar community, popularly known as Mahdi Bagh Institution, is a sub-sect of the Bohras which broke away from its parent group in the 19th century. The group of progressive Muslims, was founded in 1891 by Maulana Malak and Maulana Badar. Though the 127-year-old community has only a few hundred members in the two states, it has managed to preserve its unique identity over the years.
The community is distinctly different from other Muslim sects in many ways. On the personal front, the style of taking the odhni in the traditional wear varies for this community. Also they do not follow the purdah system (practise of wearing burkha) as is commonly practised; they also hardly have the janana-mardana practice. “But we have a purdah of another kind; its purdaha of the eye which means limiting our view and this practise helps us not to cross limits,” says Zubeida Mehdi a member who resides in Nampally.
A“The guiding principles are simplicity, peace, love and brotherhood, respect for all faiths, emphasis on education and equal status to women. That is the reason for the absence of purdah . Our women go abroad to study and if they are more capable then men, then no one denies them the higher status,” Zubeida explains.
There is another significant way in which the community stands out — unlike other followers of Islam who depend on the appearance of the new moon for Eid, the Mahdi Bagh Bohras follow the ‘Chand ki Tareekh’ or the traditional Islamic calendar that matches the lunar cycle. As a result, Ramzan for them begins almost two days ahead of the rest and their religiously significant dates do not change.
The community stands out in the majlis and namaz as well. While talking about gender equality, Zubeida says, “Our women offer prayers in the mosque/prayer halls.”
A standing example of a successful experiment in community living, the group is at present led by the spiritual head, Maulana Amiruddin Malak Saheb. The community’s presence is strongest in Nagpur where the spiritual leaders as well as most of the followers live in a gated community called Mahdi Bagh Colony. “Our followers are also in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. In Vizag the number is big and most of us have a community where we all meet and greet on important occasions.
Our mosque is called Masjid-e-noorani and it is in Bagh-e-haq on the national highway 5,” says Sajjauddin H. Mehdi a member of the community.
So strong is the community bonding that picnics and get-togethers are common practise. “For Eid as a community activity we are all making kheema samosa at Masjid-e-noorani,” says a young member from Vizag. The number of members in Vizag are about 100 and about 35 in Hyderabad.
