Across cultures and centuries, history bears witness to collective weddings that celebrate the coming together of not just families but also the larger community. Among the Dawoodi Bohras, this tradition takes the form of Rasme Saifee, the community’s collective wedding ceremony that brings individuals together in a shared celebration.
Historic roots
Syedi Khawj bin Malak, an eminent 16th-century Dawoodi Bohra scholar, writes that in 995 AH (1586 AD), Syedna Dawood bin Ajabshah, the 27th Dai and leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community, hosted a wedding in his household that drew guests from nearly 140 towns.
The celebration brought together not only community members but also guests from the wider society. Syedna Dawood personally welcomed all who joined the occasion, offering each guest traditional gifts of goodwill. The wedding festivities coincided with Eid al-Adha, turning the marriage into a broader expression of unity and joy, and included a grand procession, which remains an age-old tradition to this day.
Three centuries later, in the nineteenth century, another grand celebration took place in Surat, Gujarat. During the time of the 47th Dai, Syedna Abdulqadir Najmuddin, thousands gathered along the banks of the Tapi River to witness a collective wedding, during which members of the community were also given the opportunity to celebrate their marriages with the Syedna’s family. A British regiment stationed nearby fired a nineteen-round salute from above—a testament to the event’s splendour and the esteem in which the community was held.
Rasme Saifee as a tradition
Rasme Saifee combines all of the cherished elements of Dawoodi Bohra weddings in one memorable ceremony, allowing couples to be part of a collective celebration while preserving the religious and cultural sanctity of nikah (solemnisation of marriage in the Islamic tradition). It also lightens the financial and logistical burdens that are necessitated by large weddings, ensuring that the joys of marriage celebrations remain accessible to all. At its heart lies the Fatimi philosophy of taiseer—to perform noble deeds with ease and grace. As Syedna Taher Saifuddin wrote:
"I consider this (Rasme Saifee) a good tradition, aimed at making the matter of nikah easier for all.”
Syedna Taher Saifuddin instituted the first such ceremony in Jamnagar in 1961, setting a precedent that his successors, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin and Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, have continued to follow. Today, Rasme Saifee takes place when Syedna visits community centres around the world, sustaining this legacy.
According to Huzefa Dholkawala of the International Taiseer Nikah Committee (ITNC) head office, the department that oversees marriage ceremonies within the community, the spirit behind Rasme Saifee dates back to a rich history. “I’ve travelled to many remote towns with His Holiness, where he recalls earlier Dais conducting mass marriages during their visits. It wasn’t called Rasme Saifee then, but the essence was the same—the community coming together to celebrate marriage with ease and dignity.”
The shared experience and collective joy of Rasme Saifee participants transform the event into a community-wide celebration.
Stories of shared joy
Adnan Hamid of Kolkata, who took part in Rasme Saifee in Mumbai in 2006, remembers the day with fondness—and a touch of humour. “I forgot my kalgi—the turban plume—and had to borrow one from another family who thankfully had an extra!” he laughs.
Besides that, he recounted that the event moved him in a much deeper way.
“As a young person, you have doubts—about your career, your responsibilities, how marriage will change your life. But when we learned about Rasme Saifee, everything became so easy.
“Not just in terms of the logistics and process, but also from knowing that we have His Holiness’ blessings to begin this chapter of our lives. His counsel and guidance on maintaining harmony in matrimony gave me the confidence to take that step. It has been 19 years since, and thankfully, our marriage is still going strong,” he said.
Abitamim Husamuddin, a member of His Holiness’ family and senior administrator at ITNC highlights the significance of the event within Syedna’s travels.
“Solemnising marriages is an important part of His Holiness’ schedule when he travels. Through Rasme Saifee, couples not only receive Syedna’s benedictions but also gain the ease of making an important life decision without prolonged preparation. It is a simple yet elegant start to married life,” he said.
For Juzer Furniturewala of Mumbai, who participated in Rasme Saifee in Surat last year, the ceremony brought back memories from childhood.
“Growing up in our mohalla (neighbourhood) in South Mumbai, Rasme Saifee was something we looked forward to watching. I never imagined I would one day stand beneath that canopy myself. It was overwhelming in the best way.”
He values the sense of connection it creates. “It’s a celebration of community as much as of marriage,” he said.
Drawing a unique perspective
Seven years ago, Husain Jawadwala, another Mumbai local, drew a unique meaning from the tradition. Inspired by His Holiness’s counsel to prioritise spending wealth on noble causes, he decided to channel his wedding funds toward helping others.
“I thought, instead of spending a fortune on my own wedding, why not support another couple’s?” he recalled.
Elated by his son’s noble intent, Husain’s father, Mustafa, expanded the idea. “Why stop at one couple? Let’s help ten.”
The father and son worked hard for five months to ensure a smooth wedding ceremony for all 10 couples.
“At first, I was worried because there was no playbook for this,” said Mustafa. However, once people heard about it, support began pouring in. Families and friends donated jewellery, bridal wear, and even lent cars and homes—entirely free of cost. Everyone would come to me asking how they could contribute. It was truly remarkable.
A wedding planner’s experience
For Juzer Aflatoon, a Surat-based wedding planner, Rasme Saifee has been both a creative and collaborative journey. For the past twenty-one years, he has designed and decorated Rasme Saifee venues across India, travelling to towns and cities such as Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Pune, Denmal, and Galiakot, among others.
“It is a great learning experience. Each location brings new inspiration. When we go to places like Chennai in the South, we adapt designs to suit local tastes, experimenting with fabrics and fresh ideas. The beauty of Rasme Saifee lies in its balance—tradition guiding innovation,” he said.
The organisational perspective
In an era when wedding costs soar and social expectations weigh heavily, traditions like Rasme Saifee offer a meaningful recourse. While rising wedding costs often place heavy financial strain on families, consolidating multiple weddings into a single ceremony reduces extravagant expenses and excesses, providing couples and families with a dignified alternative. It also reinforces the sense that marriage is not an isolated event but a shared blessing within a community.
“Before every Rasme Saifee, we conduct an orientation called The Dynamics of Marriage. In a world where divorce often comes easily and compromise becomes difficult, we make an attempt to help young couples understand the various facets of a marriage. We speak to them about patience, compromise, and understanding—values that sustain a marriage long after the wedding day. Challenges will inevitably come, but what matters is the understanding that they will not compromise the foundation of their bond,” said Huzefa Dholkawala.
A tradition that endures
Decades after its inception, Rasme Saifee continues to embody the Dawoodi Bohra values of faith, unity, and simplicity. It transforms the act of marriage as a private ceremony into a collective celebration and affirmation that strengthens community, honours heritage, and offers couples a rich foundation built on faith, guidance, and togetherness.
