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Gujarat High Court Upholds Dawoodi Bohra Shrine Claim in Patan
A court in Gujarat had to decide who a historic shrine belonged to.
The Faruqui family said it was a shrine for Maulana Mehboob and that their family had managed it for many years.
The Dawoodi Bohra community said it was the shrine of Maulana Yaqub.
The Gujarat High Court studied old land records and an inscription at the shrine.
These records referred to Maulana Yaqub, although they also used the name Mehboob as a respectful name for him.
The court said the Faruqui family had not shown proof that the shrine was a Sunni-Hanafi-Barelvi site in 1947.
It also said being a caretaker, or Mujawar, did not automatically give the family permanent management rights.
The court therefore upheld the decision recognizing the shrine as associated with Maulana Yaqub and the Dawoodi Bohra community.
The Gujarat High Court upheld the identification of the Anavada shrine with Maulana Yaqub and the Dawoodi Bohra community.
The court rejected the Faruqui family’s claim that the site was a Sunni-Hanafi-Barelvi shrine dedicated to Maulana Mehboob.
Revenue records dating from 1916-17 and an ancient inscription referred to Maulana Yaqub, the court said.
The court ruled that long service as a Mujawar did not give the Faruqui family a hereditary right to become Mutawallis.
Justice J C Doshi found no reason to overturn the Waqf Tribunal’s February 2026 decision or the Gujarat Waqf Board’s 2025 resolution.
- Who
- The Gujarat High Court, Justice J C Doshi, the Gujarat Waqf Board, the Faruqui family, and members of the Dawoodi Bohra community.
- What
- The court upheld the identification of the Anavada site as Maulana Yaqub Saheb Dargah and Dawoodi Bohra Kabrastan, rejecting the Faruqui family’s competing claim.
- Where
- Survey No. 935 at Anavada village in Patan, Gujarat.
- When
- The judgment was delivered on Monday; it upheld a Waqf Tribunal decision from February 9, 2026, and a Waqf Board resolution dated April 24, 2025.
- Why
- The court found that historical revenue records and an ancient inscription referred to Maulana Yaqub, while the Faruqui family did not establish its claimed shrine identity or hereditary management right.
Faruqui Family’s Claim
Waqf Board and Dawoodi Bohra Position
Identity of the shrine
Faruqui Family’s Claim
The Faruqui family said the shrine was the burial place of Hazrat Maulana Mehboob, who they said died there in 1377 AD, and described it as Sunni-Hanafi-Barelvi.
Waqf Board and Dawoodi Bohra Position
The respondents said the shrine belonged to Maulana Yaqub, a saint revered by the Dawoodi Bohra community. The court accepted this position based on old records and the inscription.
Management rights
Faruqui Family’s Claim
The family relied on generations of service as Mujawars and later sought recognition as Mutawallis, or managers of the Waqf.
Waqf Board and Dawoodi Bohra Position
The court held that a Mujawar is a caretaker and does not gain a hereditary or proprietary interest merely through long service. It also found that the statutory procedure for appointing a Mutawalli had not been followed.
Revenue records
Faruqui Family’s Claim
The Faruqui side alleged that records referring to Maulana Yaqub had been interpolated.
Waqf Board and Dawoodi Bohra Position
The court rejected the allegation, noting that an earlier criminal inquiry and a later revision had both been dismissed.
Key facts
- Land involved
- About one acre and 21 gunthas at Survey No. 935, Anavada village.
- High Court judge
- Justice J C Doshi.
- Waqf Board resolution
- April 24, 2025.
- Waqf Tribunal decision
- February 9, 2026.
- Historical records
- Revenue records from 1916-17 onward referred to Maulana Yaqub Saheb Dargah and Dawoodi Bohra Kabrastan.
- Inscription
- An ancient inscription at the shrine referred to Maulana Yaqub and indicated that Mehboob and Mashuk were honorific names used for him.
- Earlier criminal inquiry
- A Judicial Magistrate dismissed the alleged record-manipulation case in March 2022; a Sessions Court dismissed a revision in May 2025.
Sources
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