Earlier in August, His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Imam of Ismaili Muslims announced that the Nikah of his eldest son, Prince Rahim Aga Khan, to Ms. Kendra Salwa Spears would take place in Geneva on August 31, 2013.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Prince Rahim, Princess Salwa and members of the Imam’s family pose for a photograph with the members of the Ismaili Leaders’ International Forum after the nikah ceremony. Photo: TheIsmaili / Gary Otte
The day finally arrived with the Nikah taking place as announced in Geneva, Switzerland, in a private ceremony attended by members and friends of both families. At the request of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, the Chairman and Members of the Ismaili Leaders’ International Forum (LIF), see photo above, represented the global Ismaili community at the event held on the shores of Lake Geneva, on the grounds of the Château de Bellerive — the residence of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s uncle, the late Prince Sadruddin and his wife Princess Aliya.
Ismailis around the world rejoice with their beloved Imam and his family as well as the family of the bride, and wish Prince Rahim Aga Khan and his beloved bride, Princess Salwa peace and happiness in their life together.
Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa on their wedding day on August 31, 2013. Photo: TheIsmaili / Gary Otte.
In Islam, the Nikah is a solemn and sacred social contract between the bride and the groom; each has the “liberty to define various terms and conditions of their liking and make them a part of this marriage contract.” [1]
We convey our heartiest felicitations to all our readers on this happy occasion and encourage readers to express their wishes and thoughts by clicking on Leave a Comment. What follows is one such piece, in the form of a poem.
~~~~~~~~~~
NIKAH
Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa during their nikah ceremony. Photo: TheIsmaili / Gary Otte
By Navyn Naran
And the symphony of great angels
gathered between stars of pure light
as if brass, woodwind or strings of meticulous clarity
spiritual music, sparkling in this Blessed light….[2]
~~~~~~~
It is the dawn of a glorious day
as petals are unfurling
the Jamat is delighted to welcome a Prince’s Bride.
Khushamadeed!
how Joyous our Imam and His Family.
Mubarak!
Mubarak, Salwa, Mubarak kareem!
Mubarak Rahim, Mubarak kareem!
In Geneva, dawn has risen, lilies awaken from rest
It is day of jubilance, solemn promise and grace
The bee readies her honey for this very special occasion
Dew evaporates from tall grasses,
while in Aiglemont, majestic trees await grandly at their station.
Around the world it is a day like Eid
Remembering our history, Khadijah and Muhammad Nabi,
Our first Imam Ali and Bibi Fatima by his side
A bond nourished and unbreakable, as beam of light
Walkways strewn with rose petals, fresh for this day
Canopies of wisteria frame entrances of gates
Saffron and nutmeg are prepared for the sweets
Badam and pista for nut-filled date treats.
Love is an expression of personal dimension,
‘Tis a light in the eye that harkens the soul
A delight and understanding without apprehension
A precious connection as each partner stays whole
A civil contract, then Nikah, the marriage contract and true
No dowry but a mahr, and an acknowledgement between two
The husband will care and provide for his wife
The wife whole internally, softens (and strengthens) his life.
Our Mawla, we affirm our love and devotion,
On this grand occasion, the Jamat prepares a delicate sherbet potion
Our elders rejoicing, ambrosial sherbet and cake we share
Our Beloved Noorani family, your Jamat is with you there.
Many mornings have accompanied their journeys and now
A Nikah, a prayer, a ring and a vow
And around the world, salwaats are being prayed
Murids’ wishes for happiness for the Noorani couple this day
Softly, gently in tempo as breeze flows with grace
She walks by his side, radiant is her face
May joy, trust and respect Bless their joint life
As Prince takes Princess for his beloved wife.
Sun blushing in laughter, fountains dancing in flow
This bond is hope rooted, and dreams will grow…
Hafiz Loves the spaces eyesight cannot see
Love is a truth stronger, it sees the unseen.
~~~~
The newly married couple enjoy a moment together on their wedding day. Photo: TheIsmaili / Gary Otte
Date posted: Saturday, August 31, 2013.
Date updated: Saturday, August 31, 2013 (new photo)
Copyright: Navyn Naran/Simerg. August 2013.
________________
[1] See Marriage in Islam: Nikah – Sound Vision
[2] The first lines set the stage; indeed, angels have arrived in the celestial sky and because of them even the starlight is brighter; and with this dawn breaks, and it is time for a wedding. In the unseen, the orchestra of angels and starlight are showering special blessings, akin to an unseen or hidden orchestra playing its resounding symphony. Metaphorically, the occasion is set…i.e. Allah has set the stage.
To express your wishes and thoughts on Prince Rahim’s marriage to Ms. Spears, please click on Leave a Comment. The link also appears at the top left of this post.
Please also visit the official website of the Ismaili community, www.theismaili.org.
______
Dr. Navyn Naran was born in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, to Anaar and Badrudin Naran. After beginning her high school in the UK, her family immigrated to the USA where she has lived since. Dr. Naran went to medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA. She currently works in Paediatric Critical Care.
We encourage readers to express their wishes and thoughts. Please click on “Leave a Comment” at the top left of this page or Leave a Comment.
Simerg - Insights from Around the World 
Best wishes!
Congratulations.
Congratulation to Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Ms Kenda Spears and our beloved Hazar Imam on his son’s marriage.
Amir Ali Somani & Family
Our Heartfelt Mubaraki to Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa. May Allah shower them with a Blissful Life. Ameen.May they live happily and have a prosperous life together.
Cheers
Aladdin, Shamim, & Ali Hussen
May Allah give this couple unity in their life. Mubarak Noorani Family and Ismailis with whole Ummah
Congratulations – I pray that both love, respect and understand each other and may your love be as true & pure as your great grandfather and Mata Salaamat right till the end and lots of joy and happiness together.
Our Heartiest Mubarak badi to the entire Noorani Family on the wedding of Prince Rahim. May Allah shower His choicest Blessings to the newly wed Prince Rahim & Princess Salwa. She is a very lucky person to have joined the Noorani Family.
Lots of blessings and love to the couple. May they live happily and have a prosperous life.
Congratulations Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa on this happy occasion – we were so happy to celebrate this happy union with our Jamat. Mubaraki to Hazar Imam on this joyous occasion.
Bapa, Amin, Gulnar, Alnoor, Zahida, Al-karim, Taslim
God bless you and mubarak to Ismaili Muslims all over the world
Hearty congratulations to the whole Noorani Family, as well to all the Ismailis around the world.
Rahim Parmar & Family
Our Heartfelt Mubaraki to Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa. May Allah shower them
with a Blissful Life. Ameen.
Navaz, Semina, Shamya and Alimohamed.
Mubaraki, Mubaraki, Mubaraki to the Ismaili world wide jamat. We wish Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa all the best! Ameen.
Naz, Sadru, Nooreen and Jamil Kanji
Our heartfelt congratulations to Prince Rahim and Princess Kendra Salwa – May Allah shower His choicest blessings on your lives! Praying for immense happiness, peace and joy forever!! We are indeed blessed to witness such a historical event during our lives!
May Allah bless this beautiful marriage. May He protect them, both, forever. Mawlana Ali madad.
We truly are proud of our Noorani family.Such a beautiful ceremony and they both look so divine. We pray that Allah’s blessings are upon them always and May their lives be blessed with protection, good health and happiness for endless years together, Inshallah.
Jamilla, Amir, Farzana, Ali and Zahra.
Our most beloved Mowla has waited a long time for this day to arrive for his crown prince and finally it is here. If you are a parent, you know how many of your thoughts are taken by wishes, desires, for your child and here, my Mowla would be the same. O Mowla, today, I very humbly pray for everything favourable for your child and his bride. May the royal couple have strong love, loyalty, patience, understanding, and support between them. May every day be filled with joy and laughter and may all their challenges in life be surmounted with courage and strength and unity and may their difficulties be diminished. We pray the gurgle of babies to follow soon.
We love you and yours till the end of time. Help our love to get purer every day.
Mubarak to the Noorani Family and all Ismaili Muslims across the world
Ta Sorat payvande jahan bod ali bod, ali bod
Ta naghshe zamin bodo zaman bod ali bod, ali bod
Mobarak mobarak mobarak.
Nouraddin from Iran (Mashhad)
Mubaraki to all the members of Noorani family & to all Ismailis around the world & specially to the newly wedd couple
Mubarak!! mubarak ahlulbait May Mawla keep noorani children safe in his love/grace & mercy as per our nikkah….mubarak to SIMERG & the Jamat world-wide on this joyous happy day. Ameen.
Mansoor Chrania,
Kaliro, Uganda/Ottawa, Canada
aka Brian Charania, Queensway Guardian Angel.
Very especial “DUAA” for a long term fulfill of the Dreams of today and the prosperity of Coming Days, Months, Years decades & centuries ahead. This is in accordance to the ADAM WA HAWA and as according to the all selected People of God till to the last Imam of the Time.
Very very especial congratulations to Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa on this auspicious occasion and the whole Noorani family
Mubaraki to all Ismailis around the world.
Congratulations and best wishes to Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa and all Ismailis around the world. It may be noted here that Prince Rahim has an excellent resemblance with Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan.
Congratulations to all the ismailis around the world!!! May Allah showers His warmest and loving blessing on this beautiful couple:)
Happy Marriage Congratulations Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa
The whole world smiles to you!
cherished desire
Today marks!
You are a couple – a lovely sight!
Live together happily!
Let every moment
The fate will be affectionate to you!
We wish you the brightest love, heart,
So that was your union the most durable and eternal,
Let every day be feeling more beautiful,
And your home will always be a full cup. Congratulations Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa
Congratulations to all Noorani Family.
No comments. Only tears of Joy.
Khushamadid, Mashaallah beautiful couple. Congratulations to both of you and wish you both a very happy life ahead.
May ALLAH Shower HIS Choices Blessings on the Royal Couple For all their life! Prince Rahim is a part of our Imam and our beloved spiritual father is Alla’s chosen one to guide us on the straight path. May HIS ‘Nasel’ [Legacy] Continue Till Eternity…Aameeen.
Congratulation to Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Ms Kenda Spears and our beloved Hazar Imam on his son’s marriage.
Anwar Somani & Family
Loads of mubaraki to the entire Ismaili jamat. May Mawla bless this couple with unlimited happiness. Ameen
Great joy…..for the greater then the greatest…the king without crown Mubarak to worldwide jamat.
My prayers are for Prince Ali Muhammad that his marriage if Hazar Imam so wishes, should be performed in presence of Hazar Imam.
Hassan Ali Wadiwala
Mubarak to my Ismaili brothers and sisters on this very happy occasion of the wedding of our Prince Rahim to princess Salwa. I am proud to be a witness to this day. Our Norrani family is growing.
Mashallah 🙂 Mubarak to all Ismaili Community. May Mawlana Hazir Imam bless us with His Blessings. Ameen
With Gods grace and blessings,
May your lives be filled with honor, respect and responsibility and commitment to each other and your new family.
May the Almighty bless you both with love that is strong.
Be committed to a love that can grow stronger and deeper as life’s challenges “happen”.
You are able to ride the journey of love, life and responsibility jointly.
Know that we all look to our Imam and his Noorani family to be an example to our future jamat’s youth in numerous ways .
We as a Jamat pray that you both can have a solid family and loving relationship.
May you fulfill our beloved Imams dreams and expectations.
Congratulations Prince Rahim and your beautiful, angelic Princess Selwa.
Be gentle with her, understand her, lead her with love
For the ways of her life are to change in ways she can’t envision .
Allah bless the Noorani Family
.
Mubarak. Auspicious occasion Prince Rahim wedding. May the couple enjoy a very sweet life together.
Congrats and best wishes to Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa and all Ismailis around the world
May Almighty Allah bless the new couple, it is really a great moment of joy and happiness for the Ismaili Muslims around the world, Congratulations!
Atta Ul Karim,
Kamria Dolomuch Jamatkhana
Chitral, Pakistan
Mubarak to all Ismailis around the world. May Allah bless Prince Rahim and Princess salwa happiness in their lives.
Mubaraki to all Ismailis around the world.
Mubarak ho, Mubarak ho, Ismailis world wide, shadi khana-abadi, of prince Rahim and Princess Salwa, mubaraki to our beloved hazar imam and noorani family, pray that Hazar Imam Shah Karim becomes a grandfather once again very soon, or a DADAJAN for the first time.
Noorally Rai Moosa,
Dallas,
Texas, USA
Congratulations to Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa on this auspicious occasion and the whole Noorali family! Mubaraki to all Ismailis all over the world.
Razia
Mubaraki to all Ismailis around the world.
Congratulations. May Allah bless the royal couple and all Ismailis.
Mubarak to all ismailis of the world on this auspicious and jubilant day 🙂
Mubarak to all Ismailis all around the world!
Mubarakbad to the couple and the entire community on the occasion of auspicious day of the wedding of our Prince Rahim to Princess Salwa.
The Prince and the Princess
Now Husband and wife together as one Under the Nikah
a velvet blanket furled though the beams of light
Like wind to cheek with softness of promises made now awaking in the morning light on the shores of a lake
Geneva they say ….water a rippled, nestled in the alps sculpted by HE ….
Who brings together as one
..this Rahim And Salwa in an eternal bond to the words of Naran penciled in silk and love as a million eyes watch to witness as one the joy and glory of it all
May their life together be as as blessed and glorious and fruitful as the progeny of Allahs love and sign on earth.
Zaher Ahamed
Al-Salwa is a bird that resembles the quail or it is the quail itself. It is also said that it is honey. The above is a response to the two questions, “Where it grows and if there is any of it in today’s world”. Allah knows best.
I found this on google – IT also means solace, comfort. Shukr, and they both seem so.
Lots of Mubaraki to the couple and all Ismailis around the world.
Navyn, What a beautiful collection of thoughts and good wishes expressed!
Congratulations, we wish for happiness for noorani couple this day, trust and respect bless their joint life. Mubarak, Princess Salwa and Prince Rahim and Imam Kareem; all men kind & angel, God bless.
Mubarak, congratulations to our beloved Mawlana Hazar Imam and his Noorani family members and to all worldwide jamat on this joyous occasion of marriage of Prince Rahim and Ms. Kendra Salwa Spears. Its a blessed and happy day for all Ismaili jamats. May Mawlana Hazar Imam bless both couples long life, happiness and prosperity and May Mawla Ali bless all of us with his Zahiri and Batuni deedar. Ameen.
Mashallah Prince Rahim looking so dashing and handsome & Princess Salwa very beautiful AlhamduLlilah. Mubarak to all.
Mubarak to all Ismailis.
Mubarak to the Noorani Family and all Ismaili Muslims across the world!
Mubarak to Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa and the entire Noorani family. May Allah shower His blessings on Muhammad and his progeny.
Аллоху Акбар (Allahu Akbar).
Mubarak ho mubarak ho aaj ka din sab ko mubarak ho – to Ismaili jamats in the world.
Congratulations!
My heartfelt, sincere, and warm wishes to the wedded couple. May they be blessed with many years of happy married bliss, and May God’s showered, and choicest blessings be with the couple, and we pray, that they be blessed with Eternal Happiness, Peace, Longevity and Good Health and Muskil Asan, always.
Congratulations on this joyous day from Bhola Family, Toronto, Ontario
Mubarak to the Noorani family and all our Ismaili brothers and sisters. We pray that Mawla bless them with a happy married life.
Heartiest congratulations to the Noorani Family and all the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims around the globe. May Allah continue to bless us all.
Congratulations and best wishes to the newly wedded couple.
We convey our mubaraki to all the Ismailis around the world today, being the most auspicious day of the wedding of our Prince Rahim to Princess Salwa, May our Mowla Bapa bless them all the happiness. We Ismailis from USA/Tanzania extend an invitation to the couple to come to USA or Tanzania for their honeymoon. We all pray for your happiness. – Almas Kssam from Zanzibar
Lot of good wishes as well Mubaraki to the couple and Ismaili Community world over.
Congratulations to Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa on this auspicious occasion and the whole noorani family! Mubaraki to all ismailis around the world.
Indeed this is a day for the Ismailies to rejoice. May Allah bless the happy couple with a long healthy happy life, Ameen.
Mubaraki
We pray Ya Alaah bless Prince Rahim and Princess Salwa happiness in their lives and fullfill all their wishes. Ya Aly Keep them in your tender loving care and protection 24 x 7.
Ikbal
Mubaraki to all Ismailis around the world.