Throughout history Ismaili pilgrims travelled far and wide to see the Imam of the Time. During the reign of Imam Gharib Mirza, one such Ismaili pilgrim tracked his way to Anjudan to see the Imam on behalf of the Jamats in Khurasan. The identity of the pilgrim is not very clear due to the poor quality of the manuscript but the ...
There is an ode of Imam 'Abd al-Salam in which he says that the talisman (anything that has magical powers) that can open the treasure trove of spiritual meaning of the Holy Quran is the Imam. This ode is lucidly explained by Dr. Shafique Virani in his book "The Ismailis in the Middle Ages". In the ode the Imam observes that ...
In "History in Quotations", which reflects five thousand years of World History, the authors M. J. Cohen and John Major write as follows: "Muhammad said: 'He of whom I am the Mawla (patron), Ali is his Mawla. O God, be the friend of him who is his friend and be the enemy of his enemy.' This became the proof text for ...
In the intellectual life of the Fatimid Period, the contributions of Qadi No'man are regarded as extremely significant. He played a great part in enriching the Fatimid period with his intellectual wealth and exerted enormous influence on his contemporaries and later writers. Qadi No'man wrote extensively on Fatimid Doctrines and Jurisprudence. In 952 CE when the Fatimid Caliph-Imam Al-Moiz ascended the ...
Said Imam Mustansir bi'llah in Pandiyat Jawan Mardi (Counsels of Chivalry): "O, believers, O, pious ones! Now is the time when you should strengthen religion (din), by helping each other, by trying to gain knowledge, by advancing the religious cause, and striving to make your faith complete. Gain safety by obeying the Imam of the time, and become completely obedient to ...
In 910 CE, the 11th Ismaili Imam, Muhammmad din Mahdi established and became the first Fatimid Caliph in Tunisia. His capital was called Al-Mahdiyya. A North African Poet composed the following poem to commemorate the Imam's arrival in the capital: "My congratulations, O generous prince, for your arrival upon which our epoch smiles You have established your camp in a noble ...
Poet: Nasir Khushraw Run to the sanctuary of the safe house, which is surrounded by bliss and prosperity; "I have composed this poem like a necklace of pearls" - Khushraw He brings souls out of their darkness and draws out fruit from their outer skin You see him as the rising sun of clarity and as the river of abundant bounty. ...
The Seal of Aga Khan University is a visual representation of the principles which underlie the founding of the University. The circular form of the Seal, with its different levels of imagery contained in concentric circles, has its visual roots in the rosettes of early Islamic periods. The circle also symbolises the world and reflects the internationality of the University. At ...
Diagram of a lunar eclipse. Source: space.com A total lunar eclipse occurs when a full moon passes through the earth's shadow during its orbit. When the sun, Earth and moon are perfectly aligned, the Earth blocks the sun's light. But the most spectacular view of the night is the moon's eerie red and orange glow -- caused by the sun's indirect ...
The notion of the Imam of the time (Hazar Imam) as the source of human salvation was underscored by Nizar Quhistani, in the following verse: "Salvation is to be found in the Imam of the Time. I found the essence of faith in obedience to the command of his representative. I have given up everything except that contained in the Quranic ...
After al-Mu'ayyad-din Shirazi long and patient ordeal of not having access to see the Fatimid Imam-Caliph Imam Mustansir-bi Allah ended after several years, the Imam graciously granted him the position of the Chief Dai of the Fatimid Caliphate. He was also known as the Hujjat or "Proof the Imam". It may be noted that Shirazi was also the mentor of another ...
Nasir Khusraw lived a carefree life in his younger days without due regard to his religious obligations. But at the age of forty he had a vision that was to transform his life forever. The vision was as follows: "One night I was approached in a dream by someone who chided me, 'how long will you drink this brew that destroys ...
Composer of Ginan: Pir Sadardin Verse 1 Eji Shah Islamshah amne maliya Ane didha te din-na raaj-ji, Alakh rupe orakhiya, Tene sariya amara kaaj Explanation: Listen to me, 0 brother! I have recognised Imam Islamshah (as the Imam of the Age) who has blessed me with religious wisdom. I have recognised him as my Spiritual Master who bears the Noor (the ...
A Very Brief Introdution In their essay entitled "The Ismailis in History" scholars Aziz Esmail and Azim Nanji note that Ismaili Pirs (representatives sent by Ismaili Imams to propagate the faith) from Iran arrived in Northern India in the 13th/14th century, and started preaching on a substantial scale. The Pirs started their work in Punjab, Sindh and Kashmir and spread southwards. ...
In this heart warming and inspiring interview, Bilaal Rajan of Toronto, Canada, discusses his vision for change that he set out to accomplish when he was only four, and explains how he balances his activities to help humanity with his busy school schedule. He also shares his personal interest in sports, food, movies and books. In his trips abroad, he has ...
Prince Amir Tamim al-Fatimi was the eldest son of Imam al-Mu'izz. He was born in 948 CE in Mahdiyya, the first Fatimid capital in North Africa. He was amongst those who accompanied Imam al-Mu'izz on the historic journey to Egypt when the seat of the Fatimid government was transferred to Cairo. He was then twenty five years old. The Prince dedicated ...
Nasir-i Khushraw writes: "One day and eagle rose form the to of a hill, opened its wings with pride and soared into the sky. It looked at its straight feathers with admiration and said: Today the face if the earth lies under my wing. If I fly upwards, I can go beyond the sun; if I look downwards, I can spot ...
Abdulmalik Merchant of Simerg Introduction: I launched Simerg during the spring of 2009. Many of the earliest readings were produced from a literary night program that the Ottawa Library Committee organized in Ottawa at the beginning of 2008 to celebrate Mawlana Hazar Imam's Golden Jubilee. More than sixty children and youth of all ages participated in this event held over 2 ...
The beatific vision is of two kinds: one a physical meeting with the Imam and the other a spiritual recognition of his essence, through which God is recognized. Speaking of the second of these, Pir Sadr al-Din, in his ginan "Sakhi māhā pad keri vāt koek jānere", writes: "Friend! None but a few know of the exalted station. Indeed, they alone ...
In 969 CE, Imam al-Mu'izz, "an excellent planner, an efficient organiser and a statesman amply talented in diplomacy," with the help of his general Jawhar Siqilli, acquired Egypt peacefully. During this time the building of the new city of Cairo began and in 970 CE the foundation for the al-Azhar mosque was laid. Around the same time the two holy cities ...
Pandiyat-i- Jawanmardi or Counsels of Chivalry is a compilation of the guidance of the 32nd Ismaili Imam, Mustansir bi'llah, who lived in the 15th century. This book contains exhortations to the faithful on the necessity of recognising and obeying the current Imam and on how to live a truly ethical life. The circumstances that led to the compilation of the work ...
Note: For a context to this reading, please first read Literary Reading: The "Light" that will keep on burningand Sideline: Work Portraying the Struggles of the Ismailis in the Middle Ages Receives International Honours Those Ismailis who escaped the Mongol onslaught, were able to keep and maintain the basic infrastructure of the religious organization (Dawa) of the Ismaili community (Jamat). Among ...
Ismaili Survival After the Mongol Conquest During the 13th century, the Persian speaking lands, extending from Central Asia to Iraq were devastated by a series of Mongol invasions. The massive movement of these nomadic warriors from the inner steppes of Asia resulted in the massacre and displacement of many communities, including the Ismailis. Genghis Khan, the Mongol Emperor, decreed that the ...
In his Book of Assemblies and Travels, the tenth-century Fatimid jurist, al-Qadi al-Nu'man, recounts an illuminating episode from the life of the Fatimid Imam- al-Mu'izz. One day, the Imam was searching for a book in the palace library. In its time, this was possibly the largest trove of literature anywhere on earth. The Twelver Shi'i chronicler Ibn Abi Tayyi' had described ...
The Imam's Grace, Bounty and Mercy towards his Murids is recognized by a great Ismaili scholar and jurist, Qadi Numan, who served in the Fatimid Empire under the Imamate of Al-Muiz. He writes: "Let us make a short survey of their favours on us. We were ignorant of everything and were spiritually dead. They brought us back to life and showed ...
by Abdulmalik Merchant Editor and Publisher, Simerg.com I was born in Mumbai, India and moved with my parents to East Africa, first to Mozambique, and then to Tanzania. Subsequently, I spent a number of years in London, England and in Salt Lake City, United States. After that I lived in Edmonton, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Burlington and Vancouver. I currently reside in Ottawa. ...
When al-Mu'ayyad-din Shirazi had left Shiraz in Persia for Fatimid Egypt, he was very hopeful that he would get the opportunity to see the Imam-Caliph Mustansir-bi-Allah, but at the same time he had also feared the intrigues of the ministers who did not permit any man of learning to see the Imam personally, unless he complied with their dictates and acknowledged ...
In the Shia tradition, the teaching of the Imam (also referred to as the Ta'lim of the Imam) lights a Murid's (an individual who has pledged his allegiance to the Imam of the Time) path to spiritual enlightenment and vision. The spiritual enlightenment or the elevation of the soul gained by following the Imam's Ta'lim is described in many works by ...
Where is Mount Nasir Khushraw? Here is an anecdote that Alice Hunsberger gave at the start of a lecture on Nasir Khushraw to the Iranian Society on January 24th 2001: Last May (that is, May 2000), when I was in Tajikistan to give a paper on Nasir Khusraw, I came away with a story. Nasir Khusraw holds a special place in ...
Editor's note: Rachael Kohn, a broadcaster, author, and speaker on religion and spirituality, conducted an interview with Alice Hunsberger on her former program, "The Ark", on the occasion of the millennium birth anniversary of Nasir Khusraw. A shorter version of the interview was prepared and presented by Mashal Ali and Nurin Merchant at a literary night event hosted in Ottawa to ...
John Nuraney (October 31, 1937 - November 21, 2016) by the Centennial Flame at the Lawn of the Parliament Building in Ottawa. Photo: Facebook page. We are very sad to report that Mr. John Nuraney passed away on November 21, 2016 at the age of 79. We convey our deepest condolences to his family and pray for the eternal rest of ...
"I asked him (His Highness) how he kept his focus and energy. He replied that he surrounded himself with people who were very good at what they do and also many dedicated volunteers. He said he was inspired every day by their efforts and devotion to excellence." Maria Cook speaking to Simerg (see full interview below). Maria Cook has researched and ...
