By MALIK MERCHANT
(Publisher-Editor Simerg, Barakah, and Simergphotos)

For the first time in more than 19 months, I accepted an invitation to visit friends who were hosting a BBQ for their family. They regard me as one of their family members. I am fully vaccinated against Covid-19. I have known Salim and Nevin Kanji for decades. Salim’s older brother, Mohamed Amersi, was one of Tanzania’s top table tennis players, and he spent time with me and improved my game at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Dar es Salaam in the late 1960’s. Mohamed passed away at the age of 51! It was shocking when I got the news some 20-25 years ago. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Salim’s grandfather was the well known Late Count Amersi Kanji of Zanzibar, who served the Ismaili Imamat for decades. A couple of stories that Sikandar, Salim’s younger brother, told everyone yesterday about their grandfather, deserve a special post. Hopefully, we can prepare a special piece about Count Amersi’s contribution to the Jamat and the Imamat, often in extremely dangerous circumstances. The photos of the late count that are featured in this post are in Salim and Nevin’s home.

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The BBQ was absolutely delicious and Nevin kindly filled up containers for me to take home. I left their place after about 4 hours, planning to return home and retire early. It was exactly 6:25 PM as I turned left onto Wynford Drive from Don Mills Road. The Ismaili Centre/Headquarters Jamatkhana was 300 metres away. On weekends, the Headquarters Jamatkhana Dua time is 6:30 PM. It was not my scheduled day to attend but deep down something told me to try my luck as a walk-in. I followed my instincts and luckily got a space. I saw the Ab-e-Shifa table set up, and wondered why. Was I wrong about the Milad-un-Nabi date? The mystery was solved when the President of the Aga Khan Council stood up and read the Talika from our beloved Mawlana Hazar Imam, which was followed by the recitation of the Talika Ginan. Everyone’s heart was touched, and there was unbounded joy and happiness on everyone’s face.

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Thanksgiving is an expression of gratitude, and families get together for meals. It was a great afternoon being with a loving family, and I made new friends at Salim’s home with other members of his family that I had never met before. The invitation was a blessing indeed, and the kindness shown to me by Salim, Nevin, their son Hafez (a die-hard Liverpool fan, yes Salah is the best in the world) and all those who were present led me to the Jamatkhana. For me, this Thanksgiving was the happiest one in my 40 years in North America (the USA Thanksgiving comes later in November).

Barakah wishes Ismailis around the world Mubaraki on the auspicious occasion of the Talika. Let us earnestly continue to follow Mawlana Hazar Imam’s guidance, and always keep his blessings in our hearts.

Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Mubarak Talika

7th October 2021

My dear spiritual children,

On the occasion of a recent mulaqat with my senior Jamati leaders to review their reports on current Jamati work and activities, I send my warmest and most affectionate paternal maternal loving blessings to all my beloved spiritual children throughout the world.

I send my best loving blessings for the souls of all my ruhani spiritual children, and I pray that their souls may rest in eternal peace.

I am happy that, in the face of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, my Jamat is continuing to undertake the measures recommended by the health authorities to mitigate the risks, particularly by accepting to be vaccinated as soon as the opportunity becomes available. I wish all my spiritual children to remain constantly mindful of the importance of maintaining good health in all aspects of human life.   

At this time my Jamat in some parts of the world is witnessing political transformation. I remind my spiritual children of our tradition to contribute positively for the growth of a healthy civil society, which I believe will enable the improvement of the quality of life of all peoples and will therefore underpin the restoration of peace and stability.

I send my most affectionate loving blessings for your spiritual wellbeing, worldly success, good health, happiness and progress, with best blessings for my Jamat’s strength of faith and unity. 

I send my special loving blessings for mushkil-asan, and for the safety and security of all my Jamat. You are all particularly in my heart, in my thoughts and in my prayers.

Yours affectionately,

Aga Khan

Date posted: October 11, 2021.

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TALIKA TRANSLATIONS: Please click on the following links for translations of the above Talika in French; Portuguese; Farsi; Arabic; Gujarati; Russian; Urdu; Tajik; and Spanish.

Please visit our sister website Barakah’s Talika page for links to all the Talikas that Mawlana Hazar Imam has sent to the Jamats since the beginning of Covid-19.

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The above post is also published in Barakah, a website dedicated to Mawlana Hazar Imam, members of his family and the Ismaili Imamat. Please visit www.barakah.com.