Simerg is an independent initiative dedicated to Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan — their Hereditary Imam — and the Ismaili Imamat, and Islam in general through literary readings, photo essays and artistic expressions
Much of the inspiration for my paintings comes from Mawlana Hazar Imam His Highness the Aga Khan’s guidance to the Ismaili community on the importance of brotherhood, pluralism, and living a life where we “do not forsake the soul for the material world.” Indeed, I draw continued encouragement from the Imam’s guidance as an artist and in my daily life.
Take Me Away by Shafina Jaffer. Medium: Oil on canvas. Size: 200 x 80 cm (78.7 x 31.5 in). This painting was projected on the facade of Windsor Castle during the Coronation Concert honouring the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, on May 7, 2023. Shafina presented the original painting to Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, for the auspicious occasion of Navroz, March 21, 2024. Photograph: Shafina Jaffer collection.
Last year, I curated a painting for King Charles’s coronation, and on the occasion of Navroz — the Persian New Year — on March 21, 2024, the same painting, “Take Me Away,” was gifted to Mawlana Hazar Imam, who graciously accepted it and encouraged me to pursue my talents. His message moved me, and as a show of gratitude to celebrate his 67th Imamat Day on July 11, 2024, I have embarked on a series of Mawlana Hazar Imam portrait paintings that will be presented in the coming months on this website.
Simerg and its sister website, Barakah, share the first painting in this series that captures a very youthful Hazar Imam. When asked about my choice to depict Mawlana Hazar Imam at this age, I explain that it’s the image that has been etched in my mind growing up: a sympathetic, youthful figure radiating with light. This personal connection with the Imam drives my artistic expression and deepens my sense of gratitude.
Delving into mixed-media mediums, I use my heritage and strong affiliation with spirituality to sow the seeds of my creativity. Since completing my Graduate Diploma (Art & Design) and Master’s Degree (Painting) from the Royal College of Art, I have explored the intricacies of nature, human relationships, and spirituality within the field of art and their interrelationship.
Religion and spirituality are not just important themes in my art; they are the essence of my work, reflecting my deep exploration of faith and the human connection to the divine. My canvases are vibrant and alive, filled with a playful mix of colour, form, and texture, with natural mediums playing a pivotal role. Faith pushes me to transcend the physical and visible, uncovering what resides at the core and infusing the outer edges with life. Indeed, with such portraiture of the Imam, the lines between literal and divine interpretation are moving and profound.
Please click on image for enlargement
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, by Shafina Jaffer. Medium: Oil, Gold and Charcoal; Size: 42 x 32 cm. Original photograph for painting: Gary Otte (cover page and page 121 of Depth of Field: The Aga Khan Beyond the Lens).
This portrait of the Aga Khan, painted with meticulous care and deep gratitude, captures his serene and compassionate essence. I have highlighted his gentle smile and thoughtfully intelligent eyes, conveying wisdom and kindness. The subtle use of colours and shading brings out the depth of his character and position in humanity, reflecting his profound impact as a spiritual leader and guide. One can easily see an overarching glow settled upon the canvas — reflecting his holy and elevated demeanour.
The border, crafted in real gold and liquid charcoal, symbolizes his love for nature and adds a unique, elegant touch to the piece. This artwork is a heartfelt tribute, expressing deep appreciation for the Aga Khan’s guidance and positive influence on my life and practice. It stands as a testament to the enduring respect and admiration he commands.
Upon gazing at this painting, one can forget that it is not a photograph. My brush has sought to create a three-dimensional profound effect which makes it appear that the face is emerging from the confines of the page to look into the viewer’s eyes, saying:
“Everybody makes mistakes. Never regret them; correct them. There’s no such thing as a perfect world or perfect life” — His Highness the Aga Khan.
Date posted: July 9, 2024.
_________________
Work in progress, as Ismaili artist Shafina Jaffer paints a portrait of His Highness the Aga Khan in her studio in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The iconic artist was invited to the residence of the US Ambassador to Tanzania on US Independence Day, July 4, 2024, to exhibit her paintings featuring African women.
“The Spiritual Adam is to be identified with the divine Nur (Light) of Imamat, which is symbolised in the poem by the ‘glittering star of glory wrought and beauty spun’. The Mazhar par-excellence is the Imam who bears this Light in the terrestrial world. He is the most perfect expression of the divine hypostasis because in him the theomorphosis is fully realised and the Absolute becomes manifest to mortal eyes.”
Before and after the notion and the conception, after and before the ascent and the descent, before the exhalation and after the inhalation, in the mirror of infinity appears reflected without being effected, an oblique plane of occultation, a formless square of un-differentiated, impalpable darkness, without sense perceived nor by cognition conceived, in dreamless sleep concealed.
II
The darkness radiates a boundless halo of purest light that radiates no colour nor projects a shadow, seeming by degrees luminous and transparent, then radiant and fiery, manifesting to itself its mirrored face, dazzling bright in its own essence, observed by itself, to itself only known the conditioned fullness of the unconditioned abeyance, the circle locked with the square, the curve straining against the tangent.
III
One timeless momentum the bow arched, the string quivered; being by compulsion caught and volition seized, at once is released a speeding shaft of thought, through seven permutations whirling, thrilling the passive womb at the point of impact, irradiating around it instantaneously, an immaculate field of unity, between the centre and the circumference vibrating, from the zenith to the nadir gyrrating.
IV
In the third heavenly circuit, the primordial point generated a continuous horizontal line; crossed vertically from within without, at the intersection of possibility and necessity, there crystallised in the firmament a glittering star of glory wrought and beauty spun, unbegotten born, non-existent known, directionlike converging and dispersing effulgent beams of nine and forty prismatic rays, which hang from it by the finest threads.
~~~~~~~~
An Introduction to Mazhar
From a stylistic point of view, the poem may be regarded as an experiment in symbolic poetry. A symbol is an image or an idea with multiple levels of significance. The language of symbolism is an essential feature of Ismaili literature, where the principles of tanzil (literal interpretation) and tawil (allegorical interpretation) correspond to the zahir (exoteric) and batin (esoteric) dimensions of meaning respectively. This poem too employs a variety of symbols, ranging from the purely poetic to the geometrical and mathematical, which may be interpreted upon several planes of exoteric and esoteric significance. No single perspective, however, can possibly exhaust the totality of explicit and implicit meaning of the poem.
The title of the poem, Mazhar, which embodies the fundamental idea of the poem, may be translated into English as Epiphany or more accurately as Theophany, that is to say a manifestation of God. The poem describes such a theophanic process in the form of a symbolic cosmology or creation of the universe. This cosmic transformation, which is basically cyclic in execution, is effected through a series of trinary and septenary emanations without upsetting the primordial Unity of Being. It is by means of the dialectical tension generated between the symbols one, three and seven that the poem attempts to capture the sense of dynamic motion inherent in the Cosmogenesis.
It is impossible in this introductory note to explore the multiple levels of symbolic complexity to be discovered in the poem. It may be possible, however, to delineate the conceptual framework within which the poem may be appreciated or criticised. This framework is basically that formulated by Ismaili philosophers such as Abu Hatim ar-Razi, Abu Ya’qub al-Sijistani and Harnid’ud-din al-Kirmani centuries ago, though not entirely conforming to their cosmological schemes, for a certain degree of poetic license has been used to adapt them to the poet’s purpose. Moreover, a number of original symbols employed here have no counterparts in traditional Ismaili cosmological literature.
Part I of the poem conceives of the Absolute in its original, indivisible, undifferentiated and transcendent state of Unity, which is unknowable, ineffable, above all qualities and attributes. The Absolute has not yet initiated the Dawr al-Saar (Cycle of Epiphany), but remains concealed in the Dawral-Kashf (Cycle of Occultation). It is in Part II that the first plane of differentiation is effected with the primordial divine epiphany, the Aql-i-Kull (First Intellect), which is the cosmic rational principle. Unlike the Absolute, the Intellect can be predicated with primary attributes and a potentiality for action. It is the mirror in which the Absolute can behold its own qualities of oneness, knowledge, perfection, etc.
The Intellect is not to be regarded as inbi-‘ath (act of emanation). The identity of the Absolute and the Intellect is aptly summarised in the negative and affirmative poles of the declaration: La Ilaha illa’l-Lah. The theophanic process becomes dynamic in Part III with the imperative Amr (Word) of God: Kun (Be! ). The word is the Logos, the first creative principle, the kinetic agent of the Intellect. Its epiphanic field of activity is the passive Nafs-i-Kull (Universal Soul). Their relationship is symbolically expressed in Ismaili literature by the Quranic designations Qalam (Pen) for the Intellect and Lawh (Tablet) for the Soul. The Intellect is the Sabiq (Precursor) and the Soul its Tali (Successor).
Part IV of the poem completes the theophanic cycle in so far as the meta-cosmic plane of reality is concerned. It is in this phase that the celestial archetype of the universe and mankind is manifested which, in Ismaili terminology, bears the name of Adam Ruhani (Spiritual Adam). Though ranking third in the hierarchy of divine epiphanies, he occupies a unique position in the theophanic order, combining within himself the virtues of the Intellect and the Soul that preceded him, as well as the entire spectrum of hierocosmic epiphanies that is to follow him, corresponding to every plane of existence and order of being in the spiritual and material worlds.
Now the Spiritual Adam is to be identified with the divine Nur (Light) of Imamat, which is symbolised in the poem by the ‘glittering star of glory wrought and beauty spun’. And therefore, the Mazhar par-excellence is the Imam who bears this Light in the terrestrial world. He is the most perfect expression of the divine hypostasis because in him the theomorphosis is fully realised and the Absolute becomes manifest to mortal eyes. It then becomes clear in what manner the Imam represents the macrocosms as al-Isan al-Kabir The Great Man), the microcosmos as al-Insan al-Kamil (The Perfect Man), as well as the Qutb (axis) of the universe, without whom the world would not survive even for an instant.
Although the phases of creation, as narrated in the poem, are basically confined to the world of primal spiritual realities, by implication the theophanic process incorporates in one spontaneous sweep the material world also, right down to the contemporary historical period. This is specified in the conclusion of the poem by reference to the ‘nine and forty prismatic rays’, which identifies the Imam of the Age, Mawlana Shah Karim al-Hussaini, His Highness the Aga Khan, the forty-ninth direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad, the spiritual guide and leader of Ismailis, as the master hierophant of the divine mystery and the Mazhar of our times.
Date posted: July 8, 2024.
________________
Kutub Kassam
The poem Mazhar and its introduction have been adapted from Kutub Kassam’s original piece, which appeared in Ilm magazine, Imamat Day Issue (July 1977, pages 38-41), published by His Highness the Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismailia Association for the UK (now known as the Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board or ITREB). Kutub Kassam passed away in 2019 after 40 years of dedicated service to Ismaili Institutions in Africa and the UK as a curriculum developer, editor, writer and researcher. Simerg paid a respectful tribute to Kutub Kassam and his enduring legacy in a special piece published on March 25, 2019.
The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) in London, England, was established by Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, on December 13, 1977. For more than 45 years, the IIS has sought to promote scholarship and learning on Islam in historical and contemporary contexts and contributed to a better understanding of Islam’s relationship with other societies and faiths.
The Institute has also dedicated a significant amount of time and resources to studying the history of the Ismaili branch of Islam in all its aspects, including its intellectual, scientific, artistic and commercial activities. The Ismaili Imams ruled over vast territories such as the Fatimid Empire in North Africa and Egypt and the Nizari Ismaili state of Iran and Syria during the Alamut period. Under the Fatimid rule, the Ismailis created one of the world’s oldest learning seats, the Al-Azhar University in Cairo; today, the university is a major Sunni institution.
The IIS’s research and publications, led by both Ismaili and non-Ismaili scholars, have had a profound impact over the past 30 years. They have fundamentally reshaped the perception of Ismailis, who, for centuries, were primarily understood through the lens of works by medieval heresiographers and polemicists, who were generally hostile towards Shias and particularly the Ismailis.
Story continues below
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, met with leaders of the Ismailia Association and Ismaili scholars in April 1975 in Paris. A decision was taken at the world conference to establish the Institute of Ismaili Studies. Photo: Ilm magazine, October 1975.
Aside from research papers, scholarly publications and participation in essential conferences worldwide, the IIS has conducted significant programmes such as the Waezeen and Teacher Education Programme (WTEP), the advanced curriculum-planning programme with the University of London’s Institute of Education, the joint IIS-McGill University programme, the Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Islamic Humanities (GPISH), and the Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP). Some eight hundred individuals have graduated from IIS’s educational programmes since the Institute began receiving postgraduate students in 1980.
Story continues below
Professor Zayn Kassam, the current director of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, presents the inaugural IIS Alumni Recognition Award to Professor Karim H. Karim during the IIS’s 2024 graduation ceremony, March 23, 2024, at the Ismaili Centre in London. Photograph: Farid Daya.
Several IIS alumni have made remarkable achievements in different parts of the world. On March 23, 2024, the IIS had its first ever Alumni Recognition Award at the Ismaili Centre in London, UK, during its 2024 graduation ceremony.
The Award celebrates those who have demonstrated a career of exceptional service and leadership. A panel of senior management and academics from the AKDN and IIS reviewed the nominations for the Award and selected Professsor Karim H. Karim as the recipient of the First Award based on the following primary criteria:
Professional or Academic Accomplishment: Achieved a high degree of prominence and leadership in their respective field, which may or may not be directly relevant to the work of the IIS.
Contributions to Community Service: Distinguished service to their professional or faith community.
Professor Zayn Kassam, the Institute’s current director, presented the inaugural Award to Professor Karim.
~~~~~~~~
Citation Honouring Karim H. Karim on Being the First Recipient of the IIS’s Alumni Recognition Award
Professor Karim H. Karim holding the first Alumni Recognition Award that was presented to him by the Institute of Ismaili Studies on March 23, 2024, at the Ismaili Centre London. The sculpture was designed by Mohammed Adra (AKDN Geneva) and is inspired by (Late) Karl Schlamminger’s Hepta Globe sculpture, which is placed at the entrance of the Aga Khan Centre in London. Photograph: The Institute of Ismaili Studies via Karim H. Karim.
The citation for the award read as follows:
“Professor Karim has an extensive record of over three decades of scholarship, service, and leadership. His designation as Chancellor’s Professor is the highest honour given by Carleton University for scholarship of outstanding merit with substantial international impact, research leadership and continued active participation in the development of research excellence. Professor Karim has a worldwide reputation as a leading scholar of media representations of Muslims and diasporic communications. He has had visiting appointments at Harvard, Aga Khan, and Simon Fraser universities. Professor Karim has delivered keynote addresses in several countries and his critically acclaimed publications are cited widely. He was the inaugural winner of the Robinson Book Prize and has received media coverage in six continents.
“Dr. Karim has served as Director of Carleton’s renowned School of Journalism and Communication and its Centre for the Study of Islam, respectively. He was also the Institute of Ismaili Studies’ first alumnus to lead it in a directorial capacity. He spearheaded founding initiatives on Accessibility to Digitized Collections and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation as a Senior Policy Officer in the Canadian Government, which endowed him with awards for exceptional public service and for fostering collaboration between ethno-religious communities.
“Karim has an extensive record of international service to academic, community, government, and civil society institutions, including Aga Khan University (Kenya) and Central Asian University; AKDN Higher Education Forum; Canadian Parliamentary Committees and government boards; and Ismaili community organizations (Kenya, USA, and Canada). He has also held an International Ismaili Studies Conference at Carleton University; founded a prize for research in Ismaili Studies’ understudied aspects; and has been a mentor and external Ph.D. examiner for IIS alumni.”
We take this opportunity to congratulate Professor Karim on his accomplishments over the past several decades and on receiving the First Alumni Recognition Award from the Institute of Ismaili Studies. We are proud to have published several of his pieces on our websites (follow the links below).
Below are excerpts from his acceptance speech upon receiving the IIS’s inaugural Alumni Recognition Award.
“Let the Truth Infuse Your Words”
Professor Karim H Karim delivering his remarks on March 23, 2024, at the Ismaili Centre in London upon being presented Inaugural Alumni Recognition from the Institute of Ismaili Studies. Photograph: Institute of Ismaili Studies via Karim H. Karim.
By KARIM H. HARIM March 23, 2024, Ismaili Centre, London
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim.
I would like to thank the Institute of Ismaili Studies for selecting me as the recipient of its inaugural Alumni Recognition Award. This is a profound honour, which takes me back 40 years when I was a student at the IIS. This beautiful building, the Ismaili Centre London, was under construction at that time.
Congratulations to all the GPISH and STEP students who have graduated today. You carry enormous potential and promise. Allow me to speak about an event in my life that underlined the long-term impact that an individual can have. I attended the funeral of Professor Amin Amershi, a mathematician, two weeks ago in Vancouver. He taught me one class as a guest lecturer in a religious class in Nairobi, when I was 12 years old. It was a singular experience that opened my mind and sparked my imagination because his explanations had the ring of truth. I have found it remarkable that I continue to think about his ideas some 55 years later. You, too, have the potential of a long-lasting impact that will span decades and range as far into the future as the 22nd century. Let the truth infuse your words.
As you may know, our tradition adopted the name “Ismaili” in the early 20th century. Prior to that it was called Da’wat al-Haqq — which means Invitation to Truth, Summons to Truth, or Mission of Truth. In India, the Pirs named it Satpanth — Path of Truth or the True Path. Our aspiration is to have truth manifest our worldview and actions. It underpins our ethical outlook.
We are thrown many challenges throughout our lives. We face success, failure, joy, and frustration. The organizations that we work for pressure us to get the job done and we are often tempted to take shortcuts in order to fulfill expectations. But this is where critical thinking, which you have discussed extensively in your studies, becomes pertinent. How does one balance the imperative to get the job done, on the one hand, and remain ethical, on the other? His Highness the Aga Khan, Mowlana Hazar Imam, instructed the community’s leaders at a gathering in the United States in 1986, that “we will ask the hard questions.” Fulfilling your tasks ethically is one of the hard issues that you will face constantly in your careers.
Let the truth infuse your words, your music, your art, and your actions as you go ahead to fulfill your potential and promise.
Date posted: April 17, 2024.
______________
Featured image at top of post: Professor Zayn Kassam, the current director of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, presents the inauguralIISAlumni Recognition Award to Professor Karim H. Karim during the IIS’s 2024 graduation ceremony, March 23, 2024, at the Ismaili Centre in London. Photograph: Farid Daya.
The following are links to articles by Karim H. Karim published in Simerg and its sister websites:
There were many cherishable and memorable moments on Wednesday, September 21, 2016, at Koerner Hall in Toronto when the inaugural Adrienne Clarkson Prize for Global Citizenship was presented to Mawlana Hazar Imam, Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims and the direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him and his progeny).
World-renowned vocalist and songwriter Rufus Wainwright welcomed the audience with a beautiful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s song Hallelujah. Rufus reminded us that September 21 also marked Cohen’s birthday — his 82nd (Cohen passed away 6 weeks later, on November 7). A video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s congratulatory message to His Highness Aga Khan received big applause from the packed auditorium hall, as did the presentation of the unique award to His Highness by Madame Clarkson. This was followed by her welcome speech and the 49th Ismaili Imam’s words of wisdom.
But of all the absorbing moments that the event offered, there was one defining moment at the end of the Aga Khan’s speech that I took to heart. What strengths should we have to be a good global citizen? The Aga Khan shortlisted the following:
A vital sense of balance;
An abundant capacity for compromise;
More than a little sense of patience;
An appropriate degree of humility;
A good measure of forgiveness; and
A genuine welcoming of human difference
Article continues below
Photograph: Lisa Sakulensky/The Ismaili. Note: The superimposition of text on the photo is by Simerg.
More than 300 million people worldwide celebrated the significant occasion of Navroz — a New Day, a New Year — on March 21st, symbolizing a fresh start in their lives. Concurrently, a much larger number of Muslims — almost 2 billion — are observing the month of Ramadhan, with the Laylat al-Qadr, the night of the revelation of the Qur’an, considered the holiest night in the month or year, to be observed from 3rd week of the month (on odd days). Ismaili Muslims will mark it on the 21st (April 1 in 2024). Eid ul-Fitr will follow that at the end of the month of Ramadhan (April 10). More than 2 billion Christians will celebrate Easter between March 29 and April 1.
These are not just mere dates on the calendar but opportunities for us to reflect on ourselves and strive for self-improvement in every aspect of our lives, bettering our minds and hearts and lifting our spirits. Let’s embrace His Highness and Aga Khan’s six pieces of advice mentioned during his speech when he was honoured with the Global Citizenship Award. They will serve us well and make our lives more meaningful.
Date posted: March 20, 2024. Last updated: March 23, 2024.
___________________
Note: A version of this post appears on our sister website, Barakah, which is dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan.
The author has adapted this article from the March 1982 issue of Al-Misbah Magazine, published by the Ismailia Association for the UK. The original article, which was under the title Navroz, has been edited and improved for clarity and includes additional material.
Navroz, meaning New Day or New Year, marks the start of the Persian spring festival. It occurs on or around March 21 of the March equinox. The United Nations has designated March 21 as the International Day of Nowruz annually (the Secretary General’s 2024 message can be read HERE.)
It is an occasion of great rejoicing among people in Iran, many parts of the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and the Shi’a communities worldwide. Besides being New Year’s Day, it is also celebrated as the Festival of Spring because it is at this period that winter makes its exit for the colourful spring season.
Navroz holds a significant place in history, dating back some 2,500 years to the reign of King Jamshed. Despite a temporary halt after the rise of Islam in Iran, it was reintroduced by the Abbasid Caliph Mansoor in 770 AC (153 AH, or Hijri). Since then, Navroz has been a cherished national occasion and custom, celebrated with zeal by more than 300 million people worldwide.
In Fatimid Egypt, the state ruled by Ismaili Imams, the Spring Festival was a national celebration during the reign of the first eight Fatimid Imams/Caliphs from 969 to 1094 AC (358 to 487 AH). Although the Fatimid Imams ruled over Egypt, this festival was not exclusively Ismaili because the Ismailis, even at that time, were a minority group in the Caliphate.
The actual celebration of Navroz among the Ismailis could be said to have started in Iran during the Alamut Period of Ismaili history. Ismailis living in Alamut were farmers; hence, in the spring season, they would look forward to preparing their farms for a good harvest.
The glorious transformation of nature at the time of Navroz, the start of the spring season, reminds us of Allah’s creative power and the bounties He continually showers on us. The arrival of spring, with its sprouting seedlings, blossoming buds, vibrant colours, and rushing waters, is a vivid reminder of our true inner essence.
Like these elements of nature, we, too, have the potential to bloom and grow under the nurturing care and warmth of Imam-of-the-Time. The Preamble of the Ismaili Constitution proclaims that the Imam’s ta‘lim (guidance/teaching) lights the each follower’s path to spiritual enlightenment and vision.
Born as Ismailis, with the recognition of the Imam, this life is the spring season of our souls. The Divine Noor shines brightly over our souls. We must cleanse ourselves of unrighteousness and cultivate an original, spontaneous, and permanent relationship with the Noor (Light) of Imamat so that every breath and activity of our life becomes the worship of the Merciful. The festival of Navroz should result in a spiritual rebirth for each of us and inspire greater love for our Imam.
Article continues below
This is a signed photograph, dated March 24, 1960, of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th Imam of the Shia Imami Ismailis, pictured in a Burmese traditional dress during his visit to Burma in March 1960 when he celebrated the Persian New Year, Navroz, which falls on March 21st, with his Ismaili followers. The signed photograph contains his blessings. Photo: Anwar Virani Archives, Ottawa.
Navroz is an auspicious time to initiate self-improvement because nature, so to speak, is turning a new page in the book of life. It is a time to review our lives and determine necessary improvements. In a detached, objective way, we should analyze our positive and negative traits and then resolve to change bad habits into good ones.
Our covenant with Mawlana Hazar Imam is a promise we have given him to endeavour to achieve a proper balance between our material and spiritual lives. When choosing our resolution, one idea should always loom before the rest: ask ourselves, “What do we want from life, and what will earn Mawlana Hazar Imam’s divine pleasure?” A straightforward answer to this question should be: “To govern our lives by his deep desire for us to live within the Islamic concepts of unity, justice, tolerance, goodwill, generosity and the regularity by which we practice our faith.”
Mowlana Hazar Imam’s message spells out the meaning and significance of this auspicious day for us. He says: “I say to you all on Navroz, ‘Navroz Mubarak,’ and I want you, at the beginning of this New Year, to try to think a bit ahead in your future. Each Navroz, say to yourselves, ‘Have we done our work?’ If you have, then I will be very happy indeed. I say Idd Mubarak to all of you and give you most affectionate blessings.” — Rangoon, Burma, March 21, 1960.
By steeping our consciousness in love for the Imam-of-the-Time and wisely directing our activities, we shall make our lives one unending act of worship. Therefore, let this Navroz be a New Day on the path of spiritual glory, material well-being, and progress. Let each New Day be a Navroz to strengthen our spiritual bonds with Imam-e-Zaman, reminding us that his blessings are always with us.
We conclude with our beloved Imam’s final words spoken in Rangoon: “On this day of Navroz, I say to each and every one of you, Idd Mubarak, and I pray that in this New Year, your worldly and spiritual happiness should progress tenfold and that this will be the case every year.” — Rangoon, Burma, March 21, 1960.
Date posted: March 18, 2024. Last updated: March 20, 2024 (inserted link to UN Secretary General’s 2024 Nowruz message in 1st paragraph).
The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, who passed away on February 29, 2024, served as Canada’s 18th Prime Minister from September 18, 1984 until June 25, 1993. Expressing sadness at his passing, the current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “Mr. Mulroney loved Canada….and made significant progress on important issues here at home and around the world. He negotiated the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement and, later, the expanded North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Mexico. He worked hard to build bridges between French and English Canada. He was at the forefront of environmental issues, helping secure an air quality agreement with the United States to reduce acid rain, championing the first Canadian Environmental Protection Act, and creating several new national parks. And he exemplified Canadian values, standing up against apartheid in South Africa.”
Mr. Mulroney’s accomplishments will be etched into Canadian history books forever.
But how will a religious community such as the worldwide Ismaili Muslim community remember Mr. Mulroney for generations or centuries to come when it tells its story?
Story continues below
A beautiful photograph of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his family that was released by the Prime Minister’s office in Ottawa on December 5, 1991 for the 1991 official Christmas card. From left, top row: Mark, then aged 12, Benedict, 15; Middle row: Caroline, 17, Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney, Nicolas, age 6, Mrs. Mila Mulroney; Bottom row: Clover the dog. Photograph: The Office of the Prime Minister (Brian Mulroney).
The answer lies in Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s opening of the community’s first purpose-built Jamatkhana and Ismaili Centre in North America in Vancouver. The historic event took place on August 23, 1985, in the presence of His Highness the Aga Khan, who is fondly and respectfully addressed by his Ismaili Muslim followers as Mawlana Hazar Imam (Our Lord, the Present Living Imam). The Aga Khan is the 49th Imam in direct succession of Hereditary Imams beginning with Imam Ali, who was designated by the Prophet Muhammad to succeed him to continue his teachings within the Muslim community.
Story continues below
His Highness the Aga Khan and the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney shake hands after the unveiling of the plaque commemorating the opening of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre Vancouver on August 23, 1985. Looking on is the President of the Aga Khan Council for Canada, Farouk Verjee. Photograph: The Ismaili. Please click on photo for story and photographs.
At the end of his speech on the inauguration of the landmark Jamatkhana the Aga Khan declared, “Mr Prime Minister, it is my privilege to ask you to declare open this building, which symbolises the Ismaili Community’s confidence in its future as an integral part of the nation you lead.”
The Prime Minister unveiled the opening plaque, making it a truly proud and historic moment for Ismailis around the world, and especially those who have made Canada their home.
We have the Ismaili Centre opening day story, including Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s speech, HERE, along with rare photographs of the Aga Khan with Mr. Mulroney taken at Harrington Lake in 1992.
The month of Rajab, 7th in the Islamic calendar, marks two important anniversaries — the birth of the first Shia Imam and Islam’s 4th Caliph, Hazrat Ali (may peace be upon him), on the 13th of Rajab (which was observed on January 24, 2024), and the Shab-i-Miʿrāj on the 26th of Rajab commemorating the blessed night when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) ascended to the heavens. The Mi’raj of the Prophet Muhammad will be observed by Ismaili Muslims in Canada and several other countries around the world on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
Mi’raj is an Arabic word which literally means a ‘ladder’ and refers to an experience in the life of Prophet Muhammad which took place during the night. Thus, sometimes it is referred to as the ‘night journey’ of the Prophet. The first verse of Surah al-Isra (The Night Journey) in the Holy Qur’an says:
“Glory be to Him, who carried His servant by night from the Holy Mosque to the Further Mosque the precincts of which We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our signs. He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing.” — 17:1, translated by A.J. Arberry, see Corpus Qur’an for multiple translations.
Article continues below
Six images from a total of 408 from an unidentified Persian treatise on the Miʻrāj and several other topics from the Hadith (traditions) of the Prophet Muhammad. Image: US Library of Congress. For more details please click https://www.loc.gov/item/2016397783/
~~~~~~
Fragment from page 7 of the Bustan of Sadi. The last two lines of poetry on this page extol the Prophet’s miraculous ascension to the heavens (mi’raj): One night he sat (on his flying steed Buraq) and passed through the heavens. / In majesty and grandeur, he exceeded the angels. / So impulsive, he urged (his steed) into the plain of closeness (to God) / While Gabriel remained behind him at the Lote Tree (of the Limit). Image: Wikipedia.
Among Sufis and other Islamic esoteric traditions, such as those practiced by Ismaili Muslims, Mi’raj is considered the highest point of spiritual perfection an individual can attain through religion and the practice of faith. Believers long to experience a Mi’raj, just as the Prophet experienced it. The Shia Ismailis seek out this spiritual elevation under the guidance of the Imam-of-the-Time, presently Mawlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, who leads his followers to self-awareness, spiritual insight and elevation. This is clearly noted in the Preamble of the Ismaili Constitutionin paragraph (F), which reads:
“Historically and in accordance with Ismaili tradition, the Imam of the time is concerned with spiritual advancement as well as improvement of the quality of life of his murids. The Imam’s ta‘lim lights the murid’s path to spiritual enlightenment and vision. In temporal matters, the Imam guides the murids, and motivates them to develop their potential.”
His Highness the Aga Khan is the 49th Hereditary Imam, directly descended from Hazrat Ali, whose remarkable teachings have come down to us through the preservation of his sermons and teachings which are recorded in works such as Nahj al-Balaghah. Close to the heart of the Ismaili Muslims are poems of the Imam Ali known as Kalam-i Mawla that have been rendered into Hindi. The verses speak about the conduct, behaviour and action of man during his sojourn on earth (please read Farouk Topan’s excellent piece Kalam-i-Mawla)
We are pleased to provide a recitation of verses from the Kalam of Hazrat Ali that focus on ethics, spirituality and the Mi’raj of the Prophet Muhammad. The verses are recited by Alnoor Saleh and have been downloaded from the MUST VISIT website Ginans Central, which is maintained by Karim Tharani of the University of Saskatchewan.
Nazar Kasamali Momin of Houston, Texas, went through his family archives, and came across a very rare collection of photos of His Highness the Aga Khan’s visit to the small village of Methan, in Sidhpur, India. It appears that the 1978 visit did not receive much media coverage, and even the Ismaili world is unaware about the historical visit. We are pleased to present a selection of photographs from Momin’s collection, along with his report of the visit. His piece appears on our sister website, Barakah, which is dedicated to the Aga Khan, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims. Please click The Aga Khan in Methan.
The Aga Khan at the foundation for a new Jamatkhana for the Ismaili Muslim community in Methan, India. Please click on photograph for full story and more photos.
As Shia Ismaili Muslims in Canada and around the world commemorate the birth anniversary of their first Imam, Hazrat Ali, our sister website, Barakah, presents a a special post about a Mughal panel that was presented to His Highness the Aga Khan on the auspicious occasion of his 87th birthday, December 13, 2023. The panel bears an invocation to Imam Ali, from whom the Aga Khan is directly descended. Please click NAD-E ‘ALI to read more about the significance of this “wonderful” and “special” artistic work from the 16/17th century.
“As you build your lives, for yourselves and others, you will come to rest upon certain principles. Central to my life has been a verse in the Holy Quran which addresses itself to the whole of humanity. It says: ‘Oh Mankind, fear your Lord, who created you of a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them scattered abroad many men and women. I know of no more beautiful expression about the unity of our human race — born indeed from a single soul.” — The Aga Khan, excerpt from an address to both the Houses of the Canadian Parliament, February 27, 2014, see featured photo at top of post.
A calligraphy by Toronto’s Karim Ismail depicting the 87th birthday of His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims. Please clik on image for special post.
On December 13, 2023, Ismaili Muslims around the world mark the 87th birthday of their Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan. Simerg’s sister website Barakah presents a special post for the birthday. Please click The Benevolent Imam.
At the age of 87, the current Aga Khan is the oldest living Imam in Ismaili history. On July 11, 2023, he celebrated his 66th Imamat Day, still 5 years away from the record breaking 71 years of his predecessor, Aga Khan III (d. July 11, 1957), who began his reign at the age of seven in August 1885. Canada is home to more than 100,000 Ismailis and the Aga Khan’s projects include the beautiful Aga Khan Garden in Edmonton — part of the University of Alberta’s Botanic Garden — and the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, two iconic Ismaili Centres in Toronto and Vancouver, and the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa. In Calgary, the Ismailis host the annual stampede breakfast which is open to the entire public. Thousands attend and enjoy this annual event.
Simerg - Insights from Around the World 