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
Mawlana Shah Rahim Al Hussaini, His Highness the Aga Khan, commenced his visit to Kenya on Monday, October 25, 2025, at the invitation of Kenya’s President, William Ruto. On Tuesday, August 26, the Aga Khan was honoured with Kenya’s highest accolades at the State House, with the investiture by President Ruto of the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart. Two significant agreements were signed at the State House: one to reaffirm the deep-rooted partnership between the Ismaili Imamat and the Government of Kenya; and another, a Memorandum of Understanding, to deepen cooperation on critical issues such as environmental conservation, climate change, urban rehabilitation and cultural heritage.
President William Ruto decorates His Highness the Aga Khan with the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart at the State House in Nairobi, August 26, 2025. Photograph: AKDN / Akbar Hakim.
The moment that Ismailis had been eagerly anticipating finally arrived on Wednesday, August 27, as their beloved Imam, the bearer of the Noor (Light) of Imamat, blessed them with a Didar (lit. glimpse). This unique moment was filled with overwhelming joy and happiness as the Imam’s blessings and guidance for their well-being and progress were bestowed upon them. Our sister website, Barakah, diligently followed this historic visit, providing regular updates on all the events that unfolded. Please click Barakah – His Highness the Aga Khan in Kenya.
Date posted: August 26, 2025. Last updated: August 28, 2025.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, addresses his spiritual children worldwide in the presence of his leaders on the occasion of his Takht-nishini at the Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat. The ceremony was relayed live to Ismailis gathered in Jamatkhanas around the world on February 11, 2025. Photograph: Akbar Hakim / The Ismaili.
On the occasion of the Takht-nishini ceremony, a gift was presented to our beloved Mawlana Hazar Imam Shah Rahim al Hussaini Aga Khan by the global Ismaili jamat. This gift was a manuscript titled Munajat Hazrat ‘Ali amir al-mu’minin. The Arabic text, accompanied by the Persian translation, comprises a selection of silent or whispered prayers of our first Imam, Hazrat Mawlana ‘Ali (peace be upon him), in supplication to Allah.
The six leaves of the manuscript are calligraphed in elegant nasta‘liq with 12 lines of text per page. The text is surrounded by margins beautifully decorated in gold with floral, plant and animal motifs.
PHOTOS AND DETAILS OF THE MANUSCRIPT PRESENTED TO PRINCE RAHIM AGA KHAN
The opening folio of the manuscript of the Munajat of Hazrat Ali Amir al-mu’minin (Commander of the faithful) gifted to Mawlana Shah Rahim, His Highness the Aga Khan, on the occasion of his enthronement as the 50th Ismaili Imam in Lisbon on February 11, 2025. The illuminated rectangular headpiece provides the title of the manuscript. Below the Arabic text, the Persian translation is written in pink script.
The final folio provides the name of the calligrapher and date of copying: it was copied by the outstanding Safavid calligrapher, Rustam ‘Ali Shahi, and is dated AH 966 (equivalent to 1558-59 of the Common Era). Rustam ‘Ali Shahi worked under the patronage of the Safavid princes, Bahram Mirza and his son Ibrahim Mirza, both of whom are remembered for their involvement with cultural and artistic activities, and the commissioning of deluxe manuscripts.
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The final folio of the manuscript of the Munajat of Hazrat Ali Amir al-mu’minin (commander of the faithful) gifted to Mawlana Shah Rahim, His Highness the Aga Khan, on the occasion of his enthronement as the 50th Imam of the Ismailis in Lisbon on February 11, 2025. This page includes the name of the calligrapher, Rustam Ali Shahi, and the date of the manuscript (AH 966).
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A detail of the the final folio of the manuscript of the Munajat of Hazrat Ali Amir al-mu’minin (Commander of the faithful) gifted to Mawlana Shah Rahim, His Highness the Aga Khan, on the occasion of his enthronement as the 50th Imam of the Ismailis in Lisbon on February 11, 2025. As noted in the previous image, the folio provides the name of the calligrapher and the date of copy; note the cockerel in the border below the text.
The Munajat reflects the profound significance of prayer and supplication at the heart of the ‘Alid tradition. The supplications, finely calligraphed on the folios, present the direct link that exists between the Imam and the Divine Lord, with the Imams as the bearers of the Divine Light (Nur), and those who receive Divine help and inspiration.
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A folio of the manuscript of the Munajat of Hazrat Ali Amir al-mu’minin (Commander of the faithful) gifted to Mawlana Shah Rahim, His Highness the Aga Khan, on the occasion of his enthronement as the 50th Imam of the Ismailis in Lisbon on February 11, 2025. The text contained within an illuminated rectangular border is surrounded by margins decorated in gold with floral, plant, animal and bird motifs.
This manuscript highlights the unbroken link that connects our beloved fiftieth Imam Shah Rahim al Hussaini to our first Imam, Hazrat ‘Ali: a unique historical and spiritual continuum, the Nur-i Imamat, that goes back over 1,400 years, generation upon generation, ‘Light upon Light’. Our tradition is the tradition of Hazrat ‘Ali; in the words of our 49th Imam Shah Karim Shah: “…the tradition of our tariqah…is the tradition of Hazrat ‘Ali: a thinking Islam and a spiritual Islam.” (May 14, 1992).
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Folios of the manuscript of the Munajat of Hazrat Ali Amir al-mu’minin (Commander of the faithful) gifted to Mawlana Shah Rahim, His Highness the Aga Khan, on the occasion of his enthronement as the 50th Imam of the Ismailis in Lisbon on February 11, 2025. On the bottom right of the left page (green borders), the outline of a lion about to pounce on a deer can be seen. The borders on these two pages depict a rabbit and deer amongst the flowers and vegetation.
This manuscript also illustrates a further significant concept: that of stewardship of the earth. Surrounding the textual supplications are exquisite borders and margins filled with floral and animal motifs: there are trees, flowers, storks, deer, gazelles, lions and rabbits. All these motifs illustrate the direct link between humankind and the natural world around us. As custodians of Allah’s creation, this manuscript, sublimely reflects the notion of humankind’s need to live in harmony with, and responsibility for, the environment and the natural world.
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A folio of the manuscript of the Munajat of Hazrat Ali Amir al-mu’minin (Commander of the faithful) gifted to Mawlana Shah Rahim, His Highness the Aga Khan, on the occasion of his enthronement as the 50th Imam of the Ismailis in Lisbon on February 11, 2025. The borders on this page of the manuscript show a rabbit and deer among the vegetation.
Mawlana Hazar Imam Shah Rahim al Hussaini is our spiritual mother and father and the global Jamat are the Imam’s spiritual children. And it is this spiritual bond that allows us to have the strength, confidence, and courage to face the problems of everyday life, and which ties each one of us to the Imam-of-the-time, and to each other. This gift expresses our love, devotion, humility and shukrana to our beloved Mawlana Hazar Imam, as he assumes the mantle of Imamat, continuing the guidance, love, care, and effort to protect and uplift the Jamat that has been the responsibility of the Imams since the time of Hazrat ‘Ali.
Date posted: February 18, 2025.
Note: A version of this post appears on our sister website, Barakah, which is dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan.
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WATCH A VIDEO OF THE GIFT
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Simerg welcomes your messages of congratulations to the 50th Ismaili Imam, Mawlana Shah Rahim Al Hussaini, His Highness the Aga Khan. Please click Leave a comment. If you encounter problems, email the comments to mmerchant@simerg.com. Kindly note that we never publish your email address.
In his Talika (written message) to his Ismaili Muslim followers, His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him and his family), mentioned that his family members at his request had assumed additional responsibilities to assist him in important areas of his work. The Aga Khan’s younger brother, Prince Amyn, his eldest child, Princess Zahra, and his three sons, Prince Rahim, Prince Hussain and Prince Aly Muhammad, have responded magnificently to the Imam’s call, showing a united front in their efforts.
Pope Francis warmly greeted Prince Rahim Aga Khan during their private audience in Lisbon, Portugal, on August 4, 2023. The Pope was visiting Lisbon for World Youth Day. Photograph: Vatican News. Please click on the image for Prince Rahim’s articles.
They have travelled worldwide to review the work of the Ismaili Imamat and attended significant events related to the expansion and development of ongoing and new projects. Prince Rahim, a graduate of Brown University, celebrated his 53rd birthday on October 12, 2024, and he is arguably perhaps the busiest among all family members. Our sister website highlights 53 years of his life through a two-part series. Please read Prince Rahim Aga Khan (1971-2021) and Prince Rahim Aga Khan (2022-2024).
Featured photo at the top of post: Prince Rahim, in the company of his father, His Highness the Aga Khan, visited an Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) project in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in 2008.
Date posted: October 12, 2024. Last updated: October 22, 2024.
Shia Ismaili Muslims all over the world will commemorate the 64th Imamat Day anniversary of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, on Sunday July 11, 2021.
From the day our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S.A.S.) passed away on June 8, 632, and Hazrat Ali (A.S.) became the first Imam on the Divine Commandment that the Prophet had received at Ghadir Khumm, there have been forty-nine Ismaili Imams in continuous Hereditary Succession, spanning a period of 1389 years in Islamic history.
Upper row: Imam Shah Hassanali Shah (Aga Khan I) and Imam Shah Ali Shah (Aga Khan II). Lower row: Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah (Aga Khan III) and Mawlana Shah Karim Al Hussaini (Aga Khan IV). Total reign of the four Imams 203 years from 1817 to current year (2021). Longest reign Aga Khan III, 71 years; followed by Aga Khan I and Aga Khan IV, each 64 years.
Mawlana Hazar Imam and his immediate three predecessors have reigned the Jamat for a total of 203 years or 14.6 % of the entire span as follows:
1. Mawlana Shah Karim Al Hussaini Hazar Imam (His Highness the Aga Khan IV, Imam from 1957 – Current, 64 years, he became the 49th Imam at the age of 20); 2. Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah (His Highness the Aga Khan III, Imam from 1885 – 1957, Imam for 71 years, he became the 48th Imam at the age of 7 years); 3. Imam Shah Ali Shah (Aga Khan II, 1881 – 1885, Imam for 4 years, he became the 47th Imam at the age of 51 years); and 4. Imam Shah Hassanali Shah (Aga Khan I, 1817 – 1881, Imam for 64 years, he became the 46th Imam at the age of 13 years).
This 203 year period of the reign of 4 successive Ismaili Imams accounts for more time than does the entire Fatimid period, reigned by 8 Imams from Imam Mehdi (11th Imam, North Africa) to Imam Mustansir bi Allah (18th Imam, Cairo)!
On that historical and interesting statistical fact, we convey to Ismaili Jamats around the world as well as friends and supporters of the community Imamat Day Mubarak through a beautifully designed card by Toronto’s Karim Ismail.
The design carries a rich and significant meaning for all Shia Ismaili Muslims as explained in Ismail’s brief note below. We sincerely thank him for sharing this very special and extraordinary work with us and our readers around the world.
We would be remiss if we did not mention the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on humanity at large. Many of us have lost four beloved friends and family members to Covid-19 or other illnesses and causes, and social distancing, travelling and restrictive gathering rules have prevented us from fully participating in funerals. We pray that the souls of the deceased may rest in eternal peace and that their family members may find strength and courage to overcome the grief over the loss.
On this 64th Imamat Day of Mawlana Hazar Imam, we also pray for the fulfillment of our readers’ wishes and that everyone’s lives are filled with barakah (happiness) and success. We particularly wish families with young children and youth success in their studies.
2021 Imamat Day Card
Click on image for enlargement
Explanatory Note of the 2021 Imamat Day Card
By KARIM ISMAIL
In Shi’i tradition, “The Rope of Allah” (Qur’an 3:103) refers to the “Ahl al Bayt” — the Imams from the House of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.S).
This important tradition appears in the card within heptagonal geometry (seven-sided polygon) about which the (Late) Karl Schlamminger, creator of extraordinary designs and distinctive calligraphies for the Ismaili Centres in London, Lisbon and Toronto, observed as follows in an essay for Arts & The Islamic World (volume 3, number 3, page 25-26):
“The floor of the outer entrance hall [of the Ismaili Centre London] has an open ended pattern in heptagonal form which rises at the focus of the room to create a fountain: such a pattern in such space is of course a completely classical Islamic response — but I have never heard of a heptagonal pattern anywhere in Islamic architecture.
“The number seven symbolizes for Ismailis the values of its essential philosophy — but has never been used in an architectural context. Here the sevenness of the design is no superficial effigy or naturalistic picture of an idea, but — as always in Islam — is expressed in geometry (literally: measurement of the earth).”
Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few. Also visit Simerg’s sister websites Barakah, dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, and Simergphotos.
Karim Ismail
Originally from Uganda, Karim Ismail lived in England before settling in Canada. By profession, he is a Pharmacist (retired). It was in England, in 1986, that he came across the artwork of a German Muslim, Karl Schlamminger (1935-2017), at the Ismaili Centre London. Karl’s artwork on calligraphy and geometrics, had a profound effect on Karim. He is frequently seen conducting calligraphy workshops for children at Toronto’s Aga Khan Museum, which is currently closed due to Covid-19. Karim was also active on the literature counter at the Ismaili Centre Toronto, before the closure of Jamatkhanas due to Covid-19.
In the 11th century, Nasir Khushraw came to the Pamirs, and brought the Shiite Ismaili branch of Islam to the region. Today, two religious traditions 2000-3000 years apart, continue to co-exist in a remote corner of the earth. Watch the short cultural video in RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty by clicking HERE or on image below. Next, watch a video of two Canadians, Christian Meier and Peter Gaskill, taking on the remote Pamir landscape on their bicycles.
Video: Ismailis Keep Unique Culture Alive
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Video: Canadians Christian Meier and Peter Gaskill Ride Through the Pamirs
Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few.
Social media portrait of Aniza Meghani, author of this post.
[A TRULY SHOCKING FORWARD:On Monday May 5, 2020, Simerg received numerous WhatsApp and email messages that stated “MHI has donated 250 million Euros towards the vaccine for COVID-19.” That misleading note was based on the wrong reading of a headline in the Portuguese newspaper noticiasaominuto which said, “Imamat Ismaili dá 250 mil euros para o combate à Covid-19, and spread like fire around the world. Without even considering to do a (FREE!) google translate, the person(s) forwarding the note assumed that 250 mil euros in the headline represented 250 million euros! Utilizing Google translate would have informed the first sender(s) of the message that the amount is actually 250 thousand and not 250 million — mil denotes a thousand in Portuguese. Aniza Meghani in the following piece asks us to verify facts properly before rushing to accept and like everything that appears to look good on social media. The same care should be exercised with messaging applications. It becomes the duty of the recipient to conduct preliminary fact checking, through translations if necessary, before forwarding messages to their friends and group members. Once forwarded, the rippling effects are enormous, and almost impossible to reverse in a timely manner! A lot of time of precious time was lost in responding to individuals who sent out that error filled message. — Ed.]
By ANIZA MEGHANI
Social media is the most powerful tool in the world, one that can make you or break you! Gone are the days of hearing genuine news by physically buying the newspaper or researching material by visiting the good old fashion library. No more writing a letter and posting it before you patiently wait for a reply. THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER AT A TOUCH OF A BUTTON. That is the most dangerous part of it all. We simply access, copy, paste and distort leaving a trail of one’s data history. Data that others can still access. That is more worrying because if you are not careful, it will come back and haunt you when you least expect it. This is critical for students of today when applying for university places or jobs.
Be warned, in certain places as soon as you enter a building, your mobile will give them your history without you even knowing. Now that’s scary! So today, we have within our community, weblinks that allow us to access our Jamati activity and keep us informed. However, with so much misleading information and sites, let us protect ourselves and safeguard our community. To do so, I thought why not show examples of misleading sites that are harmful and painful.
Almost all Ismailis today, traversing through all age groups, from old to young, from those who are fully conversant in the English language to those who do not understand even basic words of English, everybody is on or wants to be on social media.
As Ismailis we are particularly drawn to those pages or sites which display beautiful photographs of our beloved Imam and members of his family, whom we respectfully refer as the Noorani family. Many of us immediately post a ‘like’ or reply with “Yam” wherever we see a photograph of Hazar Imam or his name.
Many of us even join these groups or sites or pages just because the name of Hazar Imam and his photograph are in the title.
I am writing this article because having just concluded reading the recently released Farman book containing the Jamati work Farmans from 2011-2013, it struck me as a matter of curiosity that Mawlana Hazar Imam, in these Farmans — as well as in the Lisbon Diamond Jubilee Darbar Farman — repeatedly stresses to us, his beloved children, to learn and understand English. My cocooned world is all about English, so it felt strange reading about the imperativeness of learning the global language of English.
It wasn’t until recently that I came across the danger of not knowing English well. Or perhaps even the dangers of not reading properly.
Social media is greatly to blame for this growing culture of posting likes to images and skimming through texts. Not really reading, not really absorbing the context of a post, just hitting the like or follow button on whatever pops up on the screen that catches your fancy, in this case, a photograph of Hazar Imam or his name.
It’s sad really. But something still needs to be done. Hence the purpose of this post.
There is a group, or maybe several groups, on social media that tend to post lovely photos of Mawlana Hazar Imam and the Noorani family. It’s heartening, I am sure, to see the glittering countenances of our Imam and the Noorani family, is it not? So, we click the like button and we follow that page or join that group – however, we are absolutely, intolerably clueless about the actual purpose of it. And then, bam! Out of the blue, the very same page posts a sacrilegious article about Hazar Imam, albeit coupled with a beatific photo of him.
Now, if you are a reader by nature, you would be highly scandalized. But if you’re a skimmer, or if you don’t understand English, or if you don’t bother to read the text and are just mesmerized by Mawla’s resplendent smile (I don’t blame you, but I do), you are treading on dangerous ground because you may inadvertently be joining a group that is anti-Imam, anti-Noorani family and anti-Ismaili.
My advice: whenever you see a photograph or name of Hazar Imam, refrain from putting a like or leaving a YAM reply or joining the group blindly. READ all the posts on that page — present and past — as well as read the website where the social media link takes you. And join or reply or like only if the page is in legitimate praise of Hazar Imam. Do the same for each quote, message and link that you receive, and don’t blindly re-forward a message that has been forwarded to you simply because it has come from a trustworthy or reliable source.
Because, as a murid of Hazar Imam, how can you — how can you approve of anything that mocks him, that belittles him, that spreads falsities and terrible lies about him and our faith? How can you be a part of that?
And do not forget that the administrators of these sites are very clever — they will post three very beautiful articles or photographs in praise of Hazar Imam, but then will slip in an article of hate speech against the Imam, the Noorani family and/or the Ismaili Community. STOP THE ZOMBIE-LIKING BECAUSE IT HELPS SPUR THESE NEFARIOUS PEOPLE ON AND SUCH PAGES AND SITES TO FLOURISH! And please explain this to all of your friends and relatives who are on social media but who do not understand English. You have a duty to do this.
Date posted: May 4, 2020. Last updated: July 15, 2023 (formatting)
Originally from Uganda, Aniza Meghani lives in London, England, and is an entrepreneur of textiles and couture fabrics.
We welcome feedback/letters from our readers. Please use the feedback box which appears below. If you don’t see the box please click Leave a comment. Your comment may be edited for length and brevity, and is subject to moderation. We are unable to acknowledge unpublished letters.
We welcome feedback/letters from our readers. Please use the feedback box which appears below. If you don’t see the box please click Leave a comment. Your comment may be edited for length and brevity, and is subject to moderation. We are unable to acknowledge unpublished letters.
Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few.
The recent CNN photo piece On the trail of Iran’s ‘Assassins’ in the Alborz Mountains has stirred an immense amount of interest on the subject of Alamut and the Ismaili community that for more than 150 years protected itself from its enemies by securing fortresses like Alamut in Iran and Syria.
In a high powered and moving poem penned originally for Simerg’s highly acclaimed series I Wish I’d Been There, Shariffa Keshavjee reminds all our readers about the tragedy that took place in Alamut nearly 800 years ago when the Mongol warlord Genghis Khan had declared his intention to destroy the Ismailis with the following chilling words, “None of that people should be spared, not even the babe in its cradle.”
The context of Shariffa’s poem can further be appreciated through the following 2 excerpts taken from recent non-Ismaili sources.
1. In his extraordinary historical fictional book Samarkand relating to the turbulent history of Iran from the 11th to the 20th century, which was partially inspired by Omar Khayyam’s Rubayat, the award winning French-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf writes:
“He [the Mongol officer] was carrying a torch in his hand and to show [the historian – Juvayni] just how much in a hurry he was, he placed it next to a pile of dusty scrolls. The historian gave in and gathered into his hands and upto his armpits as many [manuscripts] as he could grab and when a manuscript entitled Eternal Secrets of Stars and Numbers fell to the ground, he did not bend over to pick it up again.
“Thus it was that the Assassins’ library burnt for seven days and seven nights causing the loss of innumerable works, of which there was no copy remaining, and which are supposed to contain the best guarded secrets of the universe.”
2. The online website Iran.com offers the following description:
“The Mongol leader [Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan] journeyed himself to the citadel in 1256 and ordered everything to be destroyed, including the famous library. Among the precious writings that disappeared were the works of Hasan himself and the complete history of the Assassins and their doctrines. But just before the burning he allowed his historian Juvainy (who was writing a biography of the Mongol prince) to enter the library and bring out a few of the books, enough as would fit into a small wheelbarrow. No time was allowed to consider the matter.
“Juvainy hurriedly saved a few Qurans, a chronicle of Alamut and a biography of Hasan Sabbah. Everything else perished in the flames. The vast library filled with….hundreds of thousands of manuscripts burned for seven days and seven nights bringing to an end the history of the Ismailis of Alamut. Over the years, knowledge of the Ismailis degenerated into misunderstandings, romances and other fanciful nonsenses such as those popularised by the explorer Marco Polo.”
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Inferno of Alamut
By SHARIFFA KESHAVJEE
I often go back in my mind To a time when giant forts dwarfed Our human form But great minds soared Soared about the forts of Alamut Where great minds thought The scribes told wonders Of the worlds of new continent New passages in the oceans Of search for truth.
I often go back in my mind To the pain of persecution The fear of the self Above all the anguish The anguish of lost knowledge Beautifully bound skillfully crafted Books of great knowledge Of mathematics and cartography Of mystical passion for the divine The deep yearning
I often go back in my mind to the Night the books were burnt The pages curled in fires of doom The ink evaporates Loving thoughts of seers up in smoke Parchments and tomes flung into Feeding the bonfire of lost knowledge What the mind perceived What the pen had scribed Was gone for ever
The smoke rises over Over the fort The charred air rises The effort to stop in vain The scream of anguish Stuck in the throat As the gaze falls upon The lost knowledge of Alamut The human form dwarfed Dwarfed
Gagged In its inability to act.
This however is renaissance Where time and knowledge Laid at the feet of the Master Not sepulchered in the fort But given birth by the vision No longer subjugated Free to search into cyberspace Following vision without boundaries Reaching over mountains across seas Reaching heights
Unthought of in the sojourn in Alamut.
Date posted: February 8, 2019.
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Shariffa Keshavjee is a philanthropist and an entrepreneur with an objective to help women empower themselves. Raised in Kisumu, she considers herself a “pakaa” Kenyan. She is now based in the nation’s capital, Nairobi. She is the founding member and director of the Hawkers Market School and the Kigera Girl Guides Centre which provide educational opportunities for destitute girls in the country’s slums. Her Hawkers Market Girls Centre has been the recipient of the World Bank Development Marketplace Award in 2004 in which the centre was given $85,000. In addition, she is also the founding member of FONA (Friends of the Nairobi Arboretum) which is dedicated to preserving Kenya’s forest and preserved arboreta. Her other interest is in visual arts where she delights in painting on wood, silk and porcelain using water colours, oils and acrylics. She also likes writing, especially for children, and bird watching.
The excitement for the didar has spilled into every corner of Hunza. There will be more Jamati members participating in this Darbar than ever before. The entire registration process began some months ago and this has proceeded very well. The spirit of the Jamat and volunteers particularly in central Hunza is extremely high. The darbar task force members are active at each of the villages. Transportation, crowd control, accommodation and lodging have become major challenges. Jamats living in remoter areas will start moving to Aliabad at least 4 days before darbar…..MORE
Mubaraki to the Ontario jamat, mubaraki to the volunteers and mubaraki to the leadership; and Mawlana Hazar Imam “Amen” for your immense love, care and blessings, as well as for assuring us that you are always with us!
By ABDULMALIK J. MERCHANT
Qur’anic ayat inside front page of Mulaqat Canada 2017 information booklet.
I have arrived in Montreal! It’s Sunday evening. I can see the Palais des congrès de Montréal from the 10th floor of the apartment I have rented. The Palais des congrès, or the Convention Centre as it is also known, is in the north end of Old Montreal. This is a gigantic place and is capable of holding multiple events simultaneously. It is where the Ottawa jamat will be joining with the jamat of the Quebec and Maritime Provinces to undergo an experience of the kind the Ontario jamats have gone through in the last 72 hours or so. A total of approximately 12,000 murids, divided into 2 equal seatings, will be meeting with their beloved Imam on Tuesday, November 21st. The Quebec jamat is overwhelmingly of Afghan origin. I will be huddled with them and I am looking forward to that. I am confident their spirit, their kindness, their discipline and their voices of devotion will uplift me immensely.
My spirit is growing with each minute that passes by. Text messages and emails are coming from everywhere describing the joyful didars in Toronto. Murids of all ages are overwhelmed. A friend wrote to me: “It was very special; everyone is very happy and feeling blessed, it has been amazing; it has been amazing because of the superb organization and also the Jamat was very disciplined!”
Another family friend of Portuguese origin wrote to me and others: “You were in our thoughts and prayers. You were remembered individually and (we) submitted prayers for all deceased members, your families and relatives, the world Jamat as well as the entire humanity!”
There are other inspiring narratives that I keep on receiving, and they all share the same sentiments, including the great discipline of the jamat; the active participation in the intezari program because of the wonderful items that were selected for recitation and the high calibre of reciters. Their messages mention the intense interaction of the Jamat with the Imam as he walked around to shower his Noorani rain and blessings on the jamat.
The messages circulating the earth carry with them the blessings that Hazar Imam asked the jamats in Toronto to convey to their families (Amen, I respond most joyously and happily); his blessings on the volunteers for their superb work (they would get to their duty positions well before the halls opened, as early as 4:30 or 5 am); the blessings for the deceased souls of our family members; the Imam’s hopes for brotherhood and a spirit of unity around the world; his guidance to the youth on the importance of education, prayers for the Jamats facing unrest and for mushkil aasan; his advice to us asking us to adopt best practices in our lives; his desire to end poverty in the jamat. And of course there were instances of humour and laughter.
Table of contents in Mulaqat Canada 2017 information booklet produced by Ismaili institutions, one each for Montreal and Toronto mulaqats. Shown is the bilingual Montreal edition.
Taufiq Karmaili (right) with a team of local Ismaili singers performing at a devotional evening in Montreal. Photo: Copyright Muslim Harji.
Mulaqat Canada 2017 information booklet produced by Ismaili institutions, one each for Montreal and Toronto mulaqats.
In Ottawa, I witnessed how well coordinated the leadership and the volunteers are with their Quebec counterparts. I attended on Friday an overview of preparations that are underway in Montreal. I was stunned! Everything has been thought of! Now imagine, the Toronto mulaqat hosted more than twice as many! The preparations leading to the mulaqat have been intense in all ways one can imagine. The registration process that got underway as soon as the visit was announced on October 27, was efficient, as was the delivery of the entrance cards this week; devotional evenings with the singing of qasidas, ginans and songs have set the tone for one of a kind spiritual experience; waezes have illuminated us on matters concerning discipline and importance of didar. Nothing has been overlooked or left out including regular notifications through jamati announcements and special Al-Akhbar newsletters as well as updates on the downloadable iiCanada app – and all this in a matter of weeks. This is awesome, an unbelievable accomplishment, and I await my chance in about 40 hours! I will remember everyone just as I was remembered by others during their mulaqats in Toronto!
Earlier today, I trusted the snow ploughs and salt trucks to make my trip to Montrael a safe one after last night’s freezing rain. I may get lost entering through one of the many entry points at the Palais des congrès. I may be a few hundred meters from the main mulaqat meeting point. But I know the volunteers will be there to guide me and thousands like me to our intended destination. Therefore I will go worry free and stress free!
I have an abundance of faith in the Jamat, in the volunteers and in the leadership at all levels to make this holy encounter potentially the most memorable one for me in my life. I say potentially because they have done their work, the remaining preparations are on my – and our – part. My preparations with prayers, supplications and a few hundred salwaats in the time that is remaining will assist me for that joyful experience that everyone in Toronto had in the holy presence of Mawlana Hazar Imam, inshallah.
We congratulate the Ontario Jamat, and ask for your prayers that the 12,000 strong souls that will be gathered in Montreal will have as beautiful a didar as you experienced. MUBARAKI. And thank you for uplifting and inspiring us through everything you have done.
(Two poems and a beautifully composed new song for mulaqat with Mawlana Shah Karim Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan)
Tears of Joy: The Mulaqat at Montreal
A Tribute to the Imagery of Ibn Farid
By KARIM H. KARIM
As I turned to gaze These orbs turned translucent; Although sight betrayed me In concealing your form, Every atom spoke of your presence.
Whenever I stole a glance, Your sublime vision shattered this frail being: Racking my frame and soothing my soul – All in a searing instant.
Senseless with the spirit Of your sacred presence, I am sans reason I am sans speech: I only gaze in a glassy-eyed stupor.
This poem was written by Professor Karim H. Karim of Carleton University following Mawlana Hazar Imam’s first visit to the Canadian Jamat in November 1978. He was at that time majoring in Islamic Studies at Columbia University and had travelled to Montreal from New York for the mulaqat.
The poem is a tribute to the 12th century sufi mystic, Ibn al-Farid, who was famous for his composition of mystical qasidas depicting the torment and joys of the mystic lover. Farid’s imagery consists of hyperbolic treatment of the limbs and organs of the body, of tears that turn into overwhelming floods and the wine of spiritual ecstasy. The Divine Beloved of Ibn al-Farid is portrayed as treating him with disdain, whose mere sight inflicts severe wounds to the mystic; yet he only lives for the moment when the Beloved may deign lo look at him. The piece was originally published in Hikmat magazine.
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Le Pluie
Drenched in Light
By NAVYN NARAN
Autour de moi, Tout autour de moi Around me, all around me, In me and through me, As if I do not exist, but IT does.
La lumière. Les couleurs Alit je suis mouillée, je suis trempée dans sa présence
I am soaked, drenched in my tears and in His Light He Arrives Allahumm-a Sall-i ‘Ala Muhammad-in Wa Al-i Muhammad Shah Jo Didar, Shah Jo didar Beneficent, and Merciful Blessings are showered
All around Him, all around Him Our longing and salwaats for You.
In these hearts and in these eyes, Noor Autour de moi Around and through Bathed in light We sit, we think, we quieten, we search.
We await. C’est la Noor, from Time im-memorial
Nous ne sommes pas We are not. YOU ARE. Allahu, Allahu Ya Rahim, Ya Karim Toward you, is pulled my heart.
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Hamaare Mawla Jo Araye…
Our Mawla who is coming
By RASHIDA DAMANI
The news of our beloved Mawla Hazar Imam’s visit for jamati work in Eastern Canada ignited a spark in Rashida Damani of Toronto which expressed itself into this devotional piece to convey our souls’ deep yearning for his Didar and its continuing ecstatic jubilations. The Ismailis of Eatern Canada who will gather in the cities of Toronto and Montreal over a 5 day period are jubilant at this time and every heart is rejoicing and dancing with joy. Our ailing hearts are craving an extension of their lives to witness the didar. The wind is ushering the news of his arrival touching the depths of my heart. All hearts are singing that its prayers will reach him at last and he will bless us with his glance that will enlighten our souls.
Shariffa Keshavjee is a philanthropist and an entrepreneur with an objective to help women empower themselves. Raised in Kisumu, she considers herself a “pakaa” Kenyan. She is now based in the nation’s capital, Nairobi. She is the founding member and director of the Hawkers Market School and the Kigera Girl Guides Centre which provide educational opportunities for destitute girls in the country’s slums. Her Hawkers Market Girls Centre has been the recipient of the World Bank Development Marketplace Award in 2004 in which the centre was given $85,000. In addition, she is also the founding member of FONA (Friends of the Nairobi Arboretum) which is dedicated to preserving Kenya’s forest and preserved arboreta. Her other interest is in visual arts where she delights in painting on wood, silk and porcelain using water colours, oils and acrylics. She also likes writing, especially for children, and bird watching.
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