By FARAH TEJANI
Ya Mawlana Shah Rahim Al Hussaini,
Please accept my devoted allegiance,
You possess the Nur, the light of Ali,
For this there could be no greater credence.
And so it is with my greatest respect,
My sincere trust, my genuine need,
For your Blessed Sacred Guidance,
I remain your loyal Murid.
I am moved by the powerful words,
You embraced us with in your very first Farman,
We were saddened by the loss of your father;
It was dark, but you became the Dawn.
Your Light continues to guide us,
Through your Love, Experience and Wisdom,
This is the beauty of our faith as Ismailis,
For we all know the origin where it is from.
I was in awe while watching the entire Takht-nishini,
How seamlessly the ceremony took place.
All the formalities were completed with insignia presented,
And Behold there was your serene and loving face.
Ya Mawla, you have worked alongside your father
For years and your wealth of experience is vast;
The very moment you spoke your chosen words,
Your Light and Truth was amassed.
When Mawlana Shah Karim passed away,
All I could feel was tragic regret,
And then Hazar Imam, you stepped in,
And the stage for the world was set.
Salwaats will wash to you like waves from the shore,
As you bless us with your Holy Noorani Deedar,
I can barely contain my excitement and heart-filled joy,
As I am certain you will travel near and far;
You will follow your father’s footsteps with pride,
But with a vision and certainty that is all your own,
For now you are Our Present Living Imam,
And your unbroken Imamat is world known.
I take your guidance seriously,
with all the specific areas you addressed,
For it is with over 1400 years of such unbroken guidance
From our Imams that we have all come to be our best.
I would not be in Canada if not by the vision of your father,
And the love and wisdom he has shown,
With the help of Pierre Trudeau, many Ismailis from East Africa,
In the time of exodus came to know Canada as their home.
Millions and millions of Ismailis everywhere,
Owe our lives to the Imams-of-the-Time who have passed,
Their steadfast diligent service to us all,
Are incredulous legacies that will surely last.
We offer our loyalty and commitment to you,
Ya Hazar Imam, May Allah shower you with His Holy Grace,
May you and the entire family be blessed
With Good Health and may you never have setbacks to face.
The Nur shines through your eyes, Hazar Imam,
You are a chosen fortress and blessing; GodSpeed,
Nothing touches me more than how you said in your Farman
To “come to you” in our time of need.
The global jamat will be begging for your time,
I marvel at your glory,
Spring is here, it is time for rebirth,
So I bless your journey as you write our new story.
Ameen.
Date posted: March 21, 2025.
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About the author: Farah Tejani is a creative writer based in Vancouver. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English Literature and Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia in May of 1997. She earned top Honors for her Thesis on Short Fiction. Farah then published a collection of short stories by Trafford called “Make Your Own Chai, Mama’s Boy!” — ten short stories dealing with different dilemmas South Asians face. Her works, characterized by humour and poignancy, often explore cultural identity, family dynamics, and the immigrant experience. Farah also wrote and co-directed her stage play, “Safeway Samosas,” which won “The Best of Brave New Playwrights Award” in July 1995. Her short story “Too Hot” won third place in the “Canada-Wide Best Short Fiction Award” and was read at The Vancouver Writers Festival. She has contributed poems and stories for Simerg and its sister website, Barakah, since 2020. We invite our readers to read some of Farah’s poems by clicking on Elastic Embrace; The Fragrance of Spring, “In Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Eyes,” and her story Mr. Sneaky Peeky and the Two Red-Tailed Monkeys.
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