Noor Mohammed Nooruddin
Syedna Noor Mohammed Nooruddin was the 37th al-Dai al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra Community, a subsect of Shia Islam.
Early life
Noor Mohammad Nooruddin was born in Jamnagar in the era of his great-grandfather, the 34th Dai Syedna Ismail Badruddin I bin Mulla Raj. Syedna Zakiuddin nurtured Syedna Nooruddin and brought him up. Syedna Nooruddin served his grandfather Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin II with devotion, especially in his last illness. Before Syedna Zakiuddin died in 1110 AH/1699 AD, he bestowed Syedna Nooruddin his ring, “indicating his future accession to the rutba of Dai al-Mutlaq”. Nooruddin served his father, Musa Kalimuddin, with devotion, and aided him in conducting the Dawat. Kalimuddin entrusted him with executing all the affairs of Dawat, appointed him in the rutba of Mazoon, and made him also his Mansoos. When Kalimuddin died in 1122 AH/1710 AD, Nooruddin became Da'i al-Mutlaq.Jamnagar
The ruler of Jamnagar, the ‘Jaam’ Laakha, was against him, wanting to forcefully collect money, and forced him to leave his home and town, secretly one midnight, with only three companions. It was the monsoon season, and Syedna Nooruddin walked all night in the rain. He passed through Boodri, Daruda, Wankaner and finally to Morvi, where the king of Morvi, Raja Kayaji welcomed him. Meanwhile, when the Jaam found out that Syedna Nooruddin was in Morvi, he wrote to the Raja to have him sent back, but the Raja refused. Outraged, the Jaam looted Syedna Nooruddin's home and possessions in Jamnagar.Six months after looting Syedna Nooruddin's possessions, the ‘Jaam’ fell ill, and with his body infested with parasitic worms, he died a terrible, painful death. The ‘Jaam’ was succeeded by his son, the new Jaam Raj Singh, who was a devotee of Syedna Nooruddin. When Raj Singh was a youth, Syedna Nooruddin saved him from poison fed to him by his stepmother. Raj Singh invited Syedna Nooruddin to come back to Jamnagar. In Dhu-l-Hijja 1124 AH, Syedna Nooruddin was received by Jaam Raj Singh himself with pomp and ceremony in the presence of his full army and all communities. He returned all the possessions that his father had looted, in addition to the chit of credit for 330,000 gold Jaamis that his father had extorted.