University of Kufa honours Dawoodi Bohra leader Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin

SURAT : In a recognition linking scholarship with social service, the University of Kufa has conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq and leader of the worldwide Dawoodi Bohra community.

A high-level Iraqi delegation led by Prof. Dr Hayder Abed Dhahad, Senior Undersecretary of Iraq’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Prof. Dr Alaa Naji Almawla, President of the University of Kufa, presented the honour at a ceremony in Surat.

Prof. Dr Dhahad said Surat was a fitting venue because of its association with Syedna’s ancestral heritage and Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah, the Dawoodi Bohra community’s educational institution.

“Surat embodies a rich legacy of scholarly excellence,” he said, adding that the honour reflected a shared commitment to “knowledge, culture, and humanitarian values.”

Prof. Dr Almawla said Syedna had demonstrated a sustained commitment to education, heritage preservation and social upliftment.

The University of Kufa said the doctorate recognised his efforts to connect higher education with social service and humanitarian initiatives.

Syedna has emphasised education as a foundation for social development and serves as Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia and patron of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah. His initiatives also include environmental, healthcare and community-development efforts.

The University of Kufa, located in Iraq’s Najaf Governorate, operates under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and has around 40,000 students.