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Husayn Nazar Ali
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Firman Mubarak
Message from The Chairman
Acknowledgements
Preface
Chapter I - Arabia and imamat 1
Chapter II - Syria and imamat 14
Chapter III - N.W. Africa and imamat 21
Chapter IV - Egypt and Imamat 26
Chapter V - Alamut and Imamat 67
Chapter VI - Persia and lmamat 67
Chapter VII - Indo-Pak and lmamat 74
Chapter VIII - Mowlana Shah Karim 86
FIRMAN MUBARAK
"I hope more and more useful study will be made of the history of Islam and the history of Ismaili
Caliphate in Egypt and the Caliphate of our cousins in Spain."
- Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah - (Message to Garden Library, Karachi, 1951)
"You must tell missionaries the essence of history, They must preach in Jamat Khana the history
of
Imam Jafar-as-Sadiq and the Prophet"
- Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah (Ismailia Association Conference, Karachi,1952)
Edmonton Regional Committee
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN:
The Edmonton Regional Committee of Ismailia Association for Canada takes great pleasure in
publishing this book on Brief History of our Imams, compiled by our Religious Education
Co-ordinator, Al-Wa'ez Hasan Nazarali. I hope this volume will prove rewarding for both
teachers and
students of Ismaili History.
For his unconditional devotion to the betterment of religious education in our Jamat, my
Committee
and I fervently pray for Al-Wa'ez Hasan Nazarali's good health, happiness and prosperity and
hope that
he will continue to inspire the young teachers in our Jamat.
Shiraz Jiwani
CHAIRMAN
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to Abbas Al-Hamdani. B.A., LI.B. Ph-O.. London, Professor of Islamic History,
islamia
College, Karachi, Pakistan, Research Assistant, Ismailia Association of Pakistan, who has gone a
long
way in building up my Academic carper. I have been given to understand that presently he is a
resident
Professor at the Institute of Ismailis Studies, London. In most of my work, I have used his notes,
as
well as the material from the "Shia of India," by John Norman Hollister B.Sc., M.A., Ph.D., and
"History of the Ismailia" by A.S. Picklay.
My gratitude also goes to our Chairman, Shiraz Jiwani and Honorary Secretary Shiraz Kanji for
their
encourgement which has been a great source of inspiration for me to revise the work on the
History
of the Imams.
Lastly, I wish to thank Mr. Ramzan Surani and Mr. Zul Ahmed for having very kindly provided
photographs for this publication, and lqbal Mawji without whose assistance and co-operation it
would
have been impossible to publish this book.
Edmonton, Alberta
July 1 1, 1983
Al-Wa'ez Hasan Nazar Ali
PREFACE
One of the fundamentals of Ismaili Faith, after the demise of the last and final Prophet, has been
the
doctrine of the presence of the Living Imam to substitute the Rrophet in every period of Islamic
History
in order that the unity of the faithful be maintained throughout as in the time of the Prophet. It
has,
therefore, been of great importance for the faithful to have a vital knowledge of the History of the
Imam, their regular and unbroken succession from generation to generation and their periodical
guidance to the faithful according to the need of the times. With this end in view I have decided
to
issue these brief notes on the lives and works of each Imam. These notes will prove to be very
useful
and informative by our Religious Education Teachers. The contents of these notes are based on
bare
historical facts whose veracity has been vouchsafed from original and reliable sources.
This sort of work on the history of the Imams is not something new and I have not intended to
launch
on a new scheme of work or to claim that I am pioneer in writing the history of the Imams. In
fact a
considerable information is forthcoming about the Imams in various books on History written by
various Muslim and non-Muslim authors. But these voluminous books are practically of little
benefit
to a layman and average reader who can neither spare time nor money to avail himself of these
books.
Again these volumes do not contain such exclusive chapters and parts as a faithful would like to
read
and remember easily and conveniently about a particular Imam. Such volumes contain so long
and
elaborate narrations of various historical facts here and there that they require very careful and
patient
study, long time, hard labour and in addition to all this, a very high price.
Another point to be borne in mind is that whatever has been written about the Imams in these
works
is not free from prejudice that was brought about as a natural result of the bitter political rivalry
that
existed between various political parties such as the Ummayyads, the Abbasids and the Fatimids
during
those remote periods of history. You cannot find, therefore, a clear and impartial account of any
Imam
in most of the so called historic books.
Under the above mentioned facts, it would not be an easy task for the average Ismaili to draw true
information about his Imams from the extant books on history. The vast Ismaili literature which
otherwise would have given true account of the Ismaili Imams' history, was almost totally
destroyed
through begot fanaticism of Saljuks and Mongols. It is only through hard labour of scientific
research
on the history of Islam that one can come across an impartial account of the Ismaili Imams. 1,
therefore, hope that the Religious Education Teachers will avail themselves of the beneficial
services
that I am offering to them in these valuable lines.
Al - Wa'ez Hasan Nazar Aly
*** 1
lst Imam Mowlana Aly
2nd Imam Mowlana Husayn
3rd Imam Mowlana Zain al-Abidin
4th Imam Mowlana Muhammad al-Baqir
5th Imam Mowlana Ja'far as-Sadiq
MOWLANA MURTAZA ALY
1st Imam of the Shia and the 4th Caliph of the Muslims (10
A.H. - 40 A.H.)
Early Life:
Hazrat Aly was born in Mecca in 599 A.D. in the Hashimid family of the Arabs. His father was
Abu
Talib and mother was Fatima bint Asad. Hazrat Aly remained in the care of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad. He married the Prophet's daughter Fatima by whom were born Hazrat Hasan and
Hazrat
Husayn.
The Prophet's flight (Hijrah) to Medina:
At the time of Hijrah, Hazrat Aly helped the Prophet by remaining behind in Mecca in his place.
In
Medina, he was made the Prophet's partner and brother in the new Muslim fraternity
(brotherhood).
Hazrat Aly was a brave young warrior, standard bearer of the Muslim army. He fought in almost
all
the battles of the Prophet.
Ghadeer al-Khumm:
The Prophet made his last pilgrimage (Hijjatul-Widdal in 10,A.H. After making his last Hajj, on
his way
back to Medina, the Prophet received the Message of God regarding the declaration of Hazrat
Aly as
his successor and Imam-e-Mubin. The Prophet at once gathered all his followers at a place called
Ghadeer al-Khumm. Then he declared Hazrat Aly as his successor at the same place on 18th of
Zul
Hijjah, which is celebrated by the Shia as the Idd Ghadeer al-Khumm.
*** 2
Sagifa bani Saida:
At the time of the Prophet's death in 11th Hijrah, Hazrat Aly performed all his funeral ceremonies,
while Hazrat Abu Bakr was chosen Caliph at a place called Saqifa bani, Saida. It is said that
before
the Prophet died, he wanted to make a will but was prevented from doing so by Hazrat Umar.
The Caliphate:
Hazrat Abu Bakr always consulted Hazrat Aly and received his advice regarding the wars. At the
time
of his death, Hazrat Abu Bakr appointed Hazrat Umar as his successor. Hazrat Umar continued
to
consult Hazrat Aly and paid him due respect. Hazrat Aly was one of the six members of the
'Shural
(council) appointed by Hazrat Umar at the time of his death. However, he was not selected and
the
Caliphate went to Hazrat Uthman. Hazrat Uthman proved to be a very weak ruler, partial to his
family
- the Umayyads, and was killed. Hazrat Aly was now recognized as Caliph in Medina in Hijrah
35.
The Battle of Jamel:
On being recognized as Caliph, Hazrat Aly had to face the opposition of Talha, Zubair and
Aayesha
(the Prophet's wife). There was a battle near Basra called the battle of Jamel (camel). In this
battle,
Hazrat Aly won; Talha and Zubair were killed and Aayesha was sent back to Mecca in
retirement.
The Battle of Siffin:
Muawia was the governor of Syria and Hazrat Aly wanted to depose him from his position.
Muawia
now raised the banner of revenge for Hazrat Uthman. A battle was foughtbetween them at Siffin.
When Muawia saw that HazratAly's army was about to win, he ordered the raisingof Qurans on
the
spears and appealing for arbitration (peace). Hazrat Aly was opposed to this but had to accept it
on
the insistence of a section of his army. These very same people, later on, opposed Hazrat Aly for
accepting the arbitration. They withdrew from his camp and were known as the 'Khawarij' for
that
reason.
*** 3
The Battle of Naherwan:
The arbitration was later held at a place called 'Adhruh'. This led to confusion and the arbitration
court
withdrew without any decision. In the meantime, the Khawarij became so troublesome to Hazrat
Aly
that he had to proceed against them and defeat them at the battle of Naherwan.
Death of Hazrat Aly:
Now Muawia and Hazrat Aly were face to face preparing for a final showdown. Muawia was
stronger
because he had the support of his strong Syrian army. They were all well paid and fresh for battle
as
they had done very little fighting in the past. Muawia had almost a year of peace to prepare
himself.
On the other hand, Hazrat Aly's army was weak because it consisted of different groups. They
were
opposed to each other and all of them tired after the battles of Jamel, Siffin and Naherwan. In
spite
of this, Hazrat Aly succeeded in gathering an army of 40,000 men; but before he could proceed
against
Muawia, who had now declared himself as Caliph, he was killed in the mosque of Kufa on 15th of
Ramadhan, 40 A.H. (661 A.D.), by a Kharajide called Ibn Muljim.
Imamat:
Hazrat Aly is regarded as the 1st Imam by all the Shias and as the 4th Caliph by all Muslims.
Imamat
has come down from the line of Hazrat Aly as Spiritual Leadership as opposed to the temporal
leadership of the Caliphate, although certain Imams like Hazrat Aly and the Fatimids have been
Imams
as well as Caliphs at the same time.
Character:
Hazrat Aly was not only known for his bravery and courage and for his close relationship with the
Prophet, but also for his vast learning and knowledge, and for his strength of character.
*** 4
ISMAILIS - The Shia of Aly
"Originally, after the death of the Prophet, the Muslims were united and there was no question of
Shia
and Sunni until after the murder of Khalifa Uthman. Then the world of Islam was divided into
two
branches which in Arabic means two Shias, namely two sections, one was known as the Shia of
Hazrat
Aly, the other as the Shia of Muawia. These two remained until such time as Imam Hasan made
his
peace with Muawia when Muawia became the undisputed Caliph and the Shias of Muawia
became the
great central stream of Islam and the Majority (Sunnis). While the Shias of Hazrat Aly remained
as the
other section (Shias). To that section of Hazrat Aly the Ismailis belong.
They take the view that as Hazrat Aly having himself cooperated with the first three Khaliphs, it is
not
now for us to judge the first three Khaliphs, but to respect their memory as Hazrat Aly himself did
all
his life according to historians even in Persia.
We believe that the Imamat belongs to the House of Prophet, but that for reasons best known to
himself, Hazrat Aly did not raise the question during the lifetime of the first three Khaliphs and
that is
good enough for us not to raise the question which he did not raise himself.
In this way, though Shias of Aly, we can sincerely join in the prayer that Allah may in His great
mercy
forgive the sins of all Muslims."
(Message from Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah - 1950)
*** 5
Early Life
Hazrat Hasan was born in Medina on 15th Ramadhan, 3 Hijra. He was a great favourite of his
grandfather, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, whom he resembled very much. He was a handsome
man
with artistic tastes and a quiet temperament. He had eight sons and seven daughters. He was
kind,
generous and hospitable.
The Caliphate:
Hazrat Hasan succeeded to the Caliphate on his father, Hazrat Aly's death on 17th
Ramadhan, 40 A.H.
(661 A.D.), at the age of 36. On his succession to Caliphate, Muawia challenged him and led an
army
against him. The main part of Hazrat Hasan's 40,000 troops under his personal command, was
stationed in Medina, where a part of Muawia's army met him. Hazrat Hasan's commander Qays
bin
Saad and his uncle Ibne Abbas led an army of 12,000 men against Muawia's main forces at
Maskin.
Muawia bribed lbne Abbas and won him over but failed to attempt Qays bin Saad. Mughira bin
Shaba
was sent by Muawia tohazrat Hasan for negotiations. He spread the rumour that Hazrat Hasan
had
agreed to surrender. Some of Hazrat Hasan's men got excited by this rumour and attempted to
kill
him.
Hazrat Hasan being betrayed by his uncle and disgusted with the attitude and the disunity among
his
own -nen, decided to surrender. An agreement was confirmed between Muawia and Hazrat
Hasan on
the condition that Muawia should not be succeeded by his son Yazid.
Death of Hazrat Hasan:
For nine years more, Hazrat Hasan lived a quiet life of retirement at Medina. After repeated
attempts
of Muawia to get Hazrat Hasan poisoned, he finally succeeded. Hazrat Hasan was poisoned by
his
wife Asama who was offered marriage to Yazid by Muawia, but when the deed was done,
Muawia did
not fulfil his promise.
*** 6
Aayesha refused Hazrat Hasan to be buried near the tomb of the Prophet; therefore, he was buried
near
the tomb of his mother, Hazrat Fatima. Hazrat Hasan died in Medina in 50 A.H., at the age of
47.
Early Life:
Hazrat Imam Husayn was born at Medina in 4 A.H. He was born one year after the birth of
Hazrat
Hasan, though it is also maintained that he was born together with Hazrat Hasan. He was born
pre-mature. When Hazrat Aly died, he was about 35 years old and he was 45 years old when
Hazrat Hasan
died.
Opposition to Muawia:
Imam usayn kept his peace with Muawia and did not claim Caliphate according to the agreement
between Muawia and Hazrat Hasan. Only in the last year of his life, when Muawia began to
prepare
for the succession of his son Yazid, that Imam Husayn showed opposition to Muawia. One fact
remains clear and certain that on the death of Muawia, in 60 A.H., Imam Husayn did not pay his
allegiance to Yazid and began preparing for a showdown with him, particularly because of the
insistence and support of the provinces. Opposition to Yazid was due to the fact that Yazid was
not
considered capable of bearing the responsibility of the Muslim Empire due to his bad
character.
Invitation from Kufa:
The most insistent invitation to Imam Husayn came from Kufa and he decided to go there. Imam
Husayn was very keen on going to Kufa, although it was an open country, whose people were
divided
in their support, and where a very able and cruel governor of Yazid, namely Ibne Ziyad was in
charge.
However, it was the shortest cut to success, or failure, and Imam Husayn courageously decided
to
risk it.
*** 7
Muslim bin Aqil:
Imam Husayn first sent his cousin, Muslim bin Aqil, to prospect the situation there and to report
to him
whether he should go to Kufa or not. It is also mentioned that certain agents of Kufa's governor
had
pretended to be followers of Imam Husayn and had insisted on inviting him to Kufa. Therefore,
as a
cautious step, Muslim bin Aqil's visit was the most proper thing. Muslim bin Aqil gathered many
supporters and remained in hiding, moving from place to place. The governor knew of this but
did not
touch him purposely, because he wanted Imam Husayn to come to Kufa where he could trap him.
As
soon as Muslim bin Aqil wrote to Imam Husayn to come immediately, the governor took action
against
him. He got him arrested and tortured him to death.
Journey to Kufa:
Relying on the report sent to him, Imam Husayn started his journey to Kufa. As he expected his
army
to be recruited in Kufa, he took with him only his family members and friends who volunteered to
go
with him. On his way, he met a few messengers of the governor of Kufa, who pretended to be the
followers of Muslim bin Aqil, and they urged him to proceed to Kuf a.
The Tragedy of Karbala:
Imam Husayn reached the plain of Karbala, a little distance away from the River Euphrates, on the
other side of which lay Kufa. There he saw the army of Yazid under Umar bin Saad, who
prevented
Imam Husayn's men from approaching water, as well as from going back to Medina. Imam
Husayn's
camp remained under seige for a long period of time, therefore, many of his men died of thirst.
Even
the sons of Imam Husayn, whom he tried to take to the river for drinking water, were wounded
by
arrows from the enemy, and died in Imam Husayn's arms.
Many of Imam Husayn's relatives died in actual fighting. During this battle, the standard bearer of
the
Imam, his half brother, Hazrat Abbas, showed such heroism before he died, that to this day, he is
the
inspiring hero of all Shia soldiers. His tomb in Karbala is next to that of Imam Husayn, an
important
shrine for the pilgrimage.
*** 8
Imam Husayn died on the 10th Muharram 61 A.H. 87 people died with him; among them were his
eldest son and sons of Hazrat Hasan. The brothers of Imam Husayn who were killed in this battle
were
all sons of Hazrat Aly, but not of Fatima. There were 33 strokes of the lance and 34 blows of the
sword on his body. Umar bin Saad ordered his horsemen to trample Imam Husayn's body
underneath
their horses' feet because he had lost 88 men in the conflict.
The man who gave Imam Husayn the fatal blow was an Arab, known as Shimar. It was this man
who
cut off Imam's head and took it to the governor of Kufa. The body of Imam Husayn was buried
in
Karbala where today there is an important shrine, and it is the centre of pilgrimage for all Shias.
After
Mecca and Medina, Najaf and Karbala are considered to be the most sacred places by the
Muslims.
As for Imam Husayn's head, it was taken to the governor, who sent it to Yazid at Damascus.
Yazid
struck it on the mouth and said, "We have taken the lives of those who were dear to us but who
became rebellious and unjust." Abu Barza al Aslami, who was sitting near Yazid, protested by
saying,
"Withdraw your hand, for have I not seen the mouth of the Prophet on this mouth in a kiss?"
The survivors of Imam Husayn's family were brought before Yazid. Yazid had already become
unpopular for the brutal killing of Imam Husayn. Therefore, he did not want to anger the people
more
by killing these survivors, so he sent them back to Medina.
Thus ended the life and career of Imam Husayn, the Martyr (Shaheed) of Karbala. He died and
sacrificed his family so that his followers and the Muslim nation may be saved from the
Ummayyad
rulers. Imam Husayn was 55 years old when he died.
*** 9
MOWLANA ZAIN AL - ABIDIN
3rd Imam - (61 A.H. - 96 A.H.)
The Battle of Karbala:
In the battle of Karbala, most of Hazrat Aly's family was killed. Only a few survived; among them
were
two daughters, two sons and an aunt. The daughters were Zainub and Sakina; the sons were Aly
Asghar (Zain alabidin) and Umar; the aunt was Fatima. Zain al-Abidin was very ill and for this
reason
had not participated in the battle. At the earnest request of his sisters, he was spared from death
by
the general Umar bin Saad, who, however, sent all the survivors to Yazid at Damascus. Yazid
sent
them safely back to Medina.
Early Life:
Imam Zain al-Abidin was born in Medina in 39 A.H., a year before Hazrat Aly's death. His
mother was
Sherbanu, the Persian princess, the daughter of Emperor Yazdegird. She had been brought to the
court
of second Caliph Hazrat Umar from the Persian war of conquest. She was bought by Hazrat Aly
and
was given in marriage to his son Imam Husayn.
Imamat:
After Imam Husayn's death in 61 A.H. in Karbala, Zain al Abidin became the next Imam at the age
of
22. He lived a long life during which he saw many changes in the Ummayyad dynasty and many
events
in the Muslim Empire. Through all these fast moving events and changes, Imam Zain al-Abidin
remained, on purpose, in retirement at Medina.
Imam Zain al-Abidin devoted himself to prayers, so much so that a whole book of his Du'a has
come
down to us as a mark of his piety.
He also devoted himself to the quiet organization of the Shia. After the tragedy of Karbala,
what was
needed mostfor the Shia was not a further conflict with the Ummayyads, but a long enough period
of
time to recover from the past wounds. This attitude proved the accuracy of Imam Zain
al-Abidin's
policy.
*** 10
Death of Imam Zain al-Abidin:
Imam Zain al-Abidin died in 96 A. H. at the age of 57. He was buried in the"Baqia" cemetery,
where
Hazrat Fatima and Hazrat Hasan were also buried. He was followed to the throne of Imamat by
his
son Muhammad, who was also caller "Al Baqir".
4th Imam - (96 A.H. - 125 A.H.)
Early Life:
Mowlana Muhammad al-Baqir was born at Medina on Tuesday, 3rd Safar, 57 A.H. He is said to
have
been 3 or 4 years old on the day his grandfather Imam Husayn was killed. His mother was known
as
Umme Abdullah and was the daughter of Hazrat Hasan. Thus Imam Muhammad al-Baqir
combined
in himself the families of Hazrat Hasan and Imam Husayn.
Imamat:
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir succeeded to the throne of Imamat in 96 A.H., at the age of 39. He
lived
during the period of Ummayyad rule. He continued his father's policy of quiet organization of the
Shia
without listening to the voices of dissatisfied non-Arab population of the new Empire of the
Ummayyad
rulers. The state had taken measures to suppress the opposition but in spite of this, it continued
to
impress the minds of people and found expression in certain Shiite movements like that of
Zayd.
The Zaydi Movement:
Zayd, the brother of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir rose in revolt in the time of the Ummayyad
Caliph
Hisham. He united many South Iraqi and Persian followers with his Arab followers. He claimed
Imamat as well as Caliphate. He said that under his Imamat, everyone would have an easy life,
the
taxes would be lessened, the rule of justice, as laid down in the Quran and in the practices of the
Imams
and the Prophet, would be established and so on. His party was becoming very popular, but it
was
cruelly crushed by the Ummayyads and Zayd himself was killed, although his descendants
survived.
Some of Zayd's followers later joined the Ismaili movement when it was organized.
*** 11
The System of Da'wa (Mission):
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir in refusing to join these anti-Ummayyad violent movements was not
thereby
supporting the Ummayyad rulers; in fact, he was much opposed to them, but his methods differed.
He
concentrated on peaceful organization until such time when the right opportunity came to
overthrow
the Ummayyad government.
Secondly, Imam al-Baqir wanted to inspire and keep the Shia united. For this noble task, he
found two
great supporters, Abdul Khattab and Maymun al-Qaddah. They lived up to the time of Mowlana
Ismail
and were the founders and architects of the developed Ismaili philosophy. Although previously
the
Isinailis had their great individual missionaries like Abuzer al-Ghaffari, the whole system of Dalwa
was
instituted. The theory of the Divine Light was also introduced, which later on gave rise to the
related
doctrines of the infallible Imams and their right as Quran Natik (speaking) to keep on interpreting
from
time to time the Quran Samit (silent), from its outward (Zaheri) meaning into its inward (Batuni)
meaning.
Death of Imam al-Baqir:
The real cause of Imam al-Baqir's death is not known with certainty. He died in the year 125
A.H., at
the age of 68 years. He was succeeded to the throne of Imamat by his son Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq.
Imam
al-Baqir is said to have been very learned, and many of his sayings are reported. Because of his
vast
knowledge, he was given the title of al-Baqir, which means "Ample".
5th Imam - (125 A.H. -148 A.H.)
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq, the son of Imam Muhammad alBaqir, was born in Medina in 83 A.H.,
during the
Caliphate of the Ummayyad Caliph, Abdul Malik. His mother was known as Umme Farwa; she
was
the grand daughter of the first Caliph Abu Bakr. Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq succeeded to the throne of
Imamat in 125 A.H., during the time of the 11th Ummayyad Caliph, Walid the Second.
*** 12
The Abbasid Caliphate:
During his lifetime, Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq saw many important events happen. He saw the revolts
of
Zayd and Abu Mansur; he watched the development of Abbasid propaganda. It was during his
lifetime
that the Ummayyad government was overthrown by the Abbasids.
A Learned Imam:
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq was a learned Imam. He was a master of Hadith (sayings of the Prophet)
and
Quranic interpretation. He was supposed to be the real founder of Shiism; even the Sunni
scholars and
learned men held him in regard. Abu Hanifa and Malik ibn Anas, the two famous Imams of Sunni
laws,
were counted among his pupils. They used Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq's teachings and traditions in their
works and respected the Imam. The famous scientist Jabir bin Hayyan was also the Imam's pupil.
His
many volumes are supposed to be based on thousands of pages written by the Imam himself,
which
unfortunately, have not been preserved to this day.
Ikhwan as-Safa (The Brethern of Purity):
A society called Ikhwan as-Safa was formed in the time of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq. It began its
political
and intellectual activities during his lifetime. The society was influenced by Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq
and
in turn, influenced his own teachings.
NOTE: It is not certain that the society of Ikhwan as-.Safa was formed during the time
of Imam
Ja'far as-Sadiq.
Shia Doctrine:
The process of development of Shia doctrine, which began in the time of Imam al-Baqir, was
continued by Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq. He received the support of able Dais like Abdul Khattab and
Maymun al-Qaddah.
Hazrat Fatima:.
So long Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq's first wife was called as she lived, he followed the example of
Prophet
Muhammad with Hazrat Khadija and married no other. For 20 years, he had no sons except
Hazrat
Ismail and Hazrat Abdullah. After Fatima's death he married again and had other children - 7 in
all.
*** 13
Death of the Imam:
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq died in 148 A.H., during the reign of the second Abbasid Caliph Mansur and
was
buried in the "Baqia" cemetery. He lived for 65 years and was Imam for 23 years.
The Ithna Asharis:
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq was followed by his son Imam Ismail to the throne of Imamat; although,
after the
death of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq, a section of the Shia, following the Imamat of Hazrat Musa
al-Kazim,
separated. They are known as the Ithna Asharis (Twelvers). They are so called because the line
of
their Imams came to an end with their 12th Imam Mehdi, who they say went into Ghaib (hiding)
in a
cave and will return to them in due time.
***14
SYRIA AND IMAMAT
6th IMAM MOWLANA ISMAIL
7th IMAM MOWLANA MUHAMMAD BIN ISMAIL
8th IMAM WAFI AHMAD
9th IMAM TAQI MUHAMMAD
10th IMAM RAZIYID DIN ABDULLAH
MOWLANA ISMAIL
6th Imam
It is not certain when Imam Ismail was born. He succeeded to the
throne of Imamat in 148 A.H.,
during the reign of the 2nd Abbasid Caliph Mansur. He was
closely associated with Dai Abul
Khattab
and his activities during the lifetime of his father Imam Ja'far
as-Sadiq. After Abul Khattab's
death,
some people began to form a separate Khattabi sect but were later
brought back into his following
by
Imam Ismail.
Ithna Ashari writers relate many stories about the differences of
opinion and even quarrels
between
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq and his son Imam Ismail. They go as far as
giving qualities of drunkenness
to
Imam Ismail. But this can be rejected as a prejudiced (jealousy)
viewpoint. It may be true that
due to
the Abbasis Caliph Mansur's constant watch on Imam Ismail's
activities, Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq may
have
been forced to show a fake indifference.
It is accepted by all that Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq had given the
Imamat to Imam Ismail, but it is
uncertain
when I mam Ismail died. Most of the Sunni and Ithna Ashari
writers hold that Imam Ismail died
in 145
A.H., i.e., 3 years before his father's death, and therefore,
Imamat was publicly changed from
Imam
Ismail to his brother Musa al-Kazim. Some of these writers
narrate that when Imam Ismail died,
Imam
Ja'far Sadiq took the signatures of all the people of Medina who
had assembled in his house for
the
funeral. They write that a document about the death of Imam
Ismail was also shown to the
Abbasid
Caliph for his satisfaction. This story to be false.
*** 15
Ismailis, on the other hand, strongly believe that Imam Ismail
outlived his father and no change of
Imamat was ever made. It is not certain when Imam Ismail died,
he may have died shortly after
Imam
Ja'far as-Sadiq's death, or according to some reports, after 153
A.H. As long as 5 years after
Imam
Ja'far as-Sadiq's death, Imam Ismail is said to have been seen in
Basra, where he cured a paralytic
in
the market.
Some later Ismaili writers hold that even if Imam Ismail died in
145 A.H., as it is believed by the
Ithna
Asharis and Sunni writers, it does not prove that the Imamat was
changed to Musa al-Kazim; the
Imamat, in fact, was passed on to Imam Ismail's eldest son,
Muhammad bin Ismail.
7th Imam
Early Life:
Mowlana Muhammad bin Ismail was born in Medina in 131 A.H.,
during the lifetime of his
grandfather
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq. At the time of his father Imam Ismail's
death, he was about 22 years of age.
He
became the next Ismaili Imam and with him, the period of Satr
(concealment) begins.
The Da'wa (The Mission):
Imam Muhammad bin Ismail's Imamat falls in the period of the
Abbasid Caliphs al-Mehdi, Hadi
and
a part of Haroon al-Rashid's reign. The Imam was supported by
the dais, who worked in secret
for him
in all parts of the Empire. They established the Da'wa in his
name wherever they went and thus
the
mission spread. The dais considered their alloted quarters their
new homes. At the Centre
(Medina),
the Imam was supported by dais like Mubarak and Abdullah bin
Maymun al-Qaddah.
*** 16
Journey to the East:
All the sources of our information agree that Imam Muhammad bin
Ismail left Medina for the
East.
Some say he went to Farghana in Central Asia and stayed there;
others say that he passed the last
days
of his life in Nishapur in Persia, where he married and where his
son and next Imam, Wafi Ahmad,
was
born.
The famous author, Rashid-ud Din, says in his record, that after
leaving Medina, the Imam went
to
Iraq, then to Rayy, where the Imam stayed for some time. After
Rayy, he went to Dumand, a
mountain
resort near Rayy where he stayed for a while. Then he arrived in
Samla in Iran, which was later
named
Muhammadabad, after him.
Some authors say that the Imam had to escape from Medina due to
usurpation of Imamat by
Musa al-Kazim, but the real reason was Imam's desire to spread,
as well as make his Dalwa firm
in the East.
Dais were sent to all parts of the world by the Imam and
Ismailism spread throughout the length
and
breadth of the civilized world of that time. Large amounts of
money were received as gifts and
offerings to the Imam; the money was used for the Da'wa and the
Faith.
Death of the Imam:
Imam Muhammad bin Ismail died in Nishapur, leaving many sons. He
was succeeded to the
Imamat
by his son Wafi Ahmad. The date of Imam Muhammad bin Ismail's
death is not known.
8th Imam
Early Life:
A son of Imam Muhammad bin Ismail, by the name of Ahmad, was
residing in Persia. He became
the
successor to the Imamat. He was born in Nishapur in the reign of
the Abbasid Caliph Haroon
al-Rashid
and was later known by the title of Wafi. During his lifetime,
his father, Imam Muhammad bin
Ismail,
had asked his Dais to adopt Imam's name as a cover and
protection for the Imam.
*** 17
Abdullah bin Maymun al Qaddah:
Abdullah, the son of Maymun al-Qaddah, had served Imam Muhammad
bin Ismail as his chief
advisor
and Dai throughout his life. After the death of Imam Muhammad
bin Ismail, he continued to be
the
advisor of Imam Wafi Ahmad. He became Imam's "Hujja" (chief
Dai), as well as his"Hidjab"
(cover).
Headquaters of the Da'wa:
Salamiya, in Central Syria, had been adopted by Imam Muhammad bin
Ismail and Dai Abdullah
bin
Maymun as their headquarters. However, in his last days, Imam
Muhammad bin Ismail had to go
to
the East. During this journey, Imam Wafi Ahmad was born in
Nishapur.
Imam Wafi Ahmad came to Salamiya, to the headquarters of the
Da'wa. But the persecution and
manhunt conducted by the Abbasid agents did not allow him to live
in peace in Salamiya.
Therefore,
he had to travel to Daylam (Mazanderan), then to Ahwaz and
onwards to Mesopotamia and
Sammara.
Ultimately, he came back to Salamiya where he died.
The Da'wa:
The Da'wa was conducted in full force during Imam Wafi Ahmad's
time. Even when he was in
Daylam,
he had a group of thirty-two Dais with him to look after the
Da'wa affairs. The Da'wa work went
on
smoothly without any serious disruption.
The Successor Imam:
Imam Wafi Ahmad had three sons; Ebrahim, Aly and Muhammad, and
one daughter named
Fatima.
We do not know much about Ebrahim and Aly. Muhammad was born in
Daylam and was
appointed
by Imam Wafi Ahmad as his successor to Imamat.
*** 18
9th Imam
Early Life:
Imam Taqi Muhammad succeeded to the throne of Imamat at Salamiya
during the Caliphate of
the
Abbasid Caliph Mamun. Abdullah bin Maymun al Qaddah continued to
be the Hujja or the Chief
Dai
of the Imam. The Imamat of Imam Taqi Muhammad was a
distinguished one because of its
literary
and political activities. Dais had spread all over the Abbasid
Empire.
Rasail Ikhwan as-Safa
(Encyclopedia of the " Brethern of Purity"):
A society called Ikhwan as-Safa or the Brethern of Purity, which
was formed during the Imamat
of
Imam Ja'far as Sadiq, spread among all classes of people and in
all counties during the time of
Imam
Taqi Muhammad. The Ismaili dais and other scholars began to
compile a new encyclopaedic
work
called Rasail Ikhwan as-Safa under the direct supervision of Imam
Taqi Muhammad. They
summed
up the Greek philosophical ideas and reconciled them with Ismaili
Religious doctrines. They met
secretly in a cave because of the unfavourable state of affairs
and were scattered over various
countries
until the opportune time came. (See Note on page 12)
Dai Tirmidhi:
When the Rasail Ikhwan as-Safa was completed, Imam Taqi Muhammad
gave orders to
distribute
copies of it in various mosques of the country. This was
reported to the- Abbasid Caliph
Mamun,
who began to look for the source of this new form of mission. He
invited many scholars to
discuss
certain philosophical matters in his court.
Among the many who went there was the Ismaili Dai Tirmidhi. He
participated in the discussion
with
the scholars of different religions so brilliantly, that the
Caliph pretended to have converted
himself to
Ismailism. He asked the Dai to reveal the name of the Imam to
whom he promised to hand over
the
kingdom. As a precaution, the Dai revealed himself to be the
Imam, upon which he was
immediately
beheaded. This saved the life of Imam Taqi Muhammad and exposed
the enmity of Caliph
Mamun
towards the Imam and Ismailism.
*** 19
Death of the Imam:
Imam Taqi Muhammad died in Salamiya in the early decades of 3rd
century after Hijra. He had
two
sons; Abdullah, who was appointed his successor, and Muhammad
Said Khayr, who later became
the
guardian of his nephew, Imam al-Mahdi.
10th Imam
Early Life:
On his father's death, Imam Abdullah succeeded to the
Imamat at Salamiya. The aged Dai Abdullah bin Maymun died and
the charge of the Da'wa was
taken
over by Imam's brother Said al-Khayr, who also officiated as
Imam, as a Hidjab (coverman).
Imam
Abdullah is known as Raziyid-din Abdullah. He is said to have
written the summary of the Rasail
Ikhwan as-Safa, titled Risalat al-Jamia. The Jamia is usually
added as the last chapter to the
encyclopedia. Risalat al-Jamia is more Ismaili in character than
the rest of Rasail Ikhwan
as-Safa.
The Da'wa:
The mission on behalf of Imam Raziyid-din Abdullah became
widespread; his Dais carried on his
dalwa
in distant lands too. Many people were converted to the Ismaili
sect, and its organization became
firm
and well established. The Abbasids became alarmed by this and
began their search for the Imam,
but
the dais kept his name a secret.
Imam Raziyid-din Abdullah lived in Salamiya, disguised as a
Hashmid merchant. He held a great
influence over the governor of Salamiya. Nobody suspected Imam's
identity and this enabled him
to
direct the Ismaili movement well. Dais came to him from faraway
centres. They brought with
them
great wealth which was placed in Imam's central treasury.
*** 20
The Time for Action:
About 260 A.H., it became clear to Imam Raziyid-din Abdullah that
the time of action had come.
In
southern Iraq and Persia the Ismaili movement was so advanced
that the dais were waiting for a
word
to start the revolt. Imam had to travel to the East to
investigate the situation.
In Kufa, one of the most important Dais, Firuz, introduced to the
Imam a person called Ibne
Hawshab
known as Mansur al-Yemen. It was decided that the first Ismaili
state was to be established in
Yemen,
where Ibne Hawshab would prepare the ground in advance. This
became a common
understanding
among all dais. Ibne Hawshab set out for Yemen that very year,
260 A.H., and reached there in
268
A.H.
The Future Imam:
From Kufa, Imam Raziyid-Din Abdullah proceeded to Askar Mukram
and arrived there at the end
of
the same year, 260 A.H. Imam had married a lady from Basra and by
her a son was born to him
on 12th
Shawwal, 260 A.H. He became the future Imam, Imam al-Mahdi.
After 8 years, i.e. in 268 A.H.' Imam Raziyid-Din died at Askar
Mukram, leaving his son and
Imam,
8 year old Mahdi, in charge of his brother Said al-Khair.
Said al-Khair:
Said al-Khair was officiating as Imam in Salamiya during the
absence of Imam Raziyid-Din
Abdullah.
There he tried to usurp the Imamat for his own sons, but they all
died. Thus Imam al-Mahdi's
right
remained intact. On becoming of age, Imam al-Mahdi married the
daughter of Said al-Khair. She
became the mother of the future Imam, al-Qaim. Soon after the
wedding, Said al-Khair died at
Salamiya. Imam al-Mahdi then took over the full charge of the
Imamat and the Ismaili Dawa in
his
own hands.
*** 21
CHAPTER III
NORTH WEST AFRICA
AND IMAMAT
11th Imam Mowlana Muhammadinil Mahdi
12th Imam Mowlana al-Qaim
13th Imam Mowlana al-Mansoor
MOWLANA MUHAMMADINIL
MAHDI
11th Imam
1st Fatimid Caliph - ( 268
A. H. - 322 A.H.)
Early Life:
Mowlana Muhammadinil Mahdi was born at , Askar Mukram on 12th
Shawwal, 260 A.H. On his
father's death, in 268 A.H., he took over the charge of Imamat at
Salamiya, at the age of eight
years
Imam al-Mahdi married his uncle Said al-Khair's daughter,
who became the mother of the future Imam, al-Qaim.
From Salamiya to Egypt:
Imam al-Mahdi continued his ancestors' policy of keeping on good
terms with the local governor
of
Salamiya. He remained there in the guise of a Hashimid merchant,
but as his presence there was
getting exposed, he prepared to leave Salamiya. Moreover, the
time for the establishment of the
Fatimid Caliphate had also come. Imam had decided to go to Yemen
as planned, but on reaching
Egypt, changed his mind and made preparations to proceed to North
Africa.
From Egypt to North Africa:
The governor of Egypt received orders from the Abbasid Caliph to
arrest the Imam, but a highly
placed
Ismaili in the Egyptian government gave this information to Imam
al-Mahdi, which made it
possible
for the Imam to leave the country in time. Imam al-Mahdi then
went to Tripoli, but he was forced
to
leave the town by local governor. Therefore, the Imam proceeded
to Sijilmasa; there he was
arrested
along with his followers, until he was rescued by his Dai Abu
Abdullah al-Shii.
*** 22
Dai Abdullah al-Shii:
Dai Abu Abdullah al-Shii was sent by the Imam to Yemen, but when
the idea of establishing the
Fatimid Caliphate in Yemen was given up, he was asked to go to
North Africa. On the way, he
met
some Kutama tribesmen in Mecca. They were impressed by his piety
and invited him to go with
them
to their home in North Africa. Dai Abu Abdullah accepted their
invitation.
During the time of the fifth Imam, Mowlana Ja'far as-sadiq, the
Kutama tribesmen had been
visited by
Dais Halwani and Sufiyani, and these Dais had died there. Other
Ismaili Dais had also visited the
place.
Therefore when Dai Abu Abdullah came there in 280 A.H., he found
no difficulty in gaining the
support of the local population for Imam al-Mahdi. The whole of
North Africa, including its
capital,
Qairawan, was now conquered by the Kutama soldiers under the
leadership of Dai Abu Abdullah,
who
then prepared to invade Sijilmasa and release the Imam from
captivity.
The governor of Sijilmasa, on hearing about Dai Abu Abdullah's
arrival, fled from there. The Dai
entered the town, released all the prisoners, including the Imam
whom he greeted with tears in his
eyes.
He took the Imam to his army and told them to pay their respects
to the Imam, for he was their
Lord.
The Fatimid Caliphate:
The Imam and the Dai, along with their men, travelled to Raqqada,
where in 297 A.H., the
Fatimid
Caliphate was established and Imam al-Mahdi was proclaimed as the
first Fatimid Caliph. Here,
all his
family and treasures were brought to the Imam.
After having established the Fatimid Caliphate at Raqqada, Imam
al-Mahdi began to build his
Empire.
He brought the Island of Sicily under his control and founded new
towns Mehdiya and
Muhammadiya.
All this was in preparation for his final move, the invasion of
Egypt.
*** 23
Imam al-Mahdi and Dai Abu Abdullah:
The relationship between the Imam and Dai Abu Abdullah was very
good, but it began to
deteriorate.
The Dai's two brothers were unhappy because Abu Abdullah had
surrendered his hard-won
victory and
authority to the Imam. The two brothers conspired against the
Imam. At first, Dai Abu Abdullah
did
not join in, but he soon began to whisper doubts about the
position of the Imam. This
automatically
led him to join his brothers in a conspiracy against the Imam.
As soon as Imam al-Mahdi came to know of this, he had Dai Abu
Abdullah and his brothers killed
in
298 A.H. Imam knew that although in the later part of his career,
Dai Abu Abdullah got misled, in
his
earlier days, he had served the Imam well with love and loyalty.
Therefore, the Imam decided to
give
the Dai a public burial, thus honouring him with gratitude.
Imam al-Mahdi's Death:
Imam al-Mahdi died on 15th Rabbi-ul-Awwal, 322 A.H. He had six
sons, of whom al-Qaim was
appointed as the next Imam. The news of Imam's death was
publicised for more than three
months so
that imposters might not claim to flourish as Imam al-Mahdi.
12th Imam
2nd Fatimid C aliph (322 A.H. - 334 A.H.)
Early Life:
Mowlana Abu al-Qasim Muhammad al-Qaim bi-Amrillah was born in 275
A.H., in Salamiya,
where
his father, Imam Muhhamadinil Mahdi was in hiding. In 303 A.H.,
Imam al-Mahdi proclaimed
Imam
al-Qaim as his successor, and upon Imam al-Mahdi's death in 322
A.H., Imam al-Qaim became
our
12th Imam and the second Fatimid Caliph.
During his father's life time, Imam al-Qaim subdued various
Berber and Kharajide uprisings. He
carried out two invasions on Egypt, which unfortunately had to be
withdrawn.
*** 24
Imam al-Qaim as Caliph:
During his own Caliphate, Imam al-Qaim sent his slave Raydan with
an army for another invasion
in
Egypt. Raydan was unable to proceed against Fustat and had to
withdraw from Egypt.
Some of the Moroccan Berber tribes tried to revolt against the
Imam, but they were subdued by
another slave of the Imam, called Maysur.
A man called Ibne Talut revolted, claiming to be Imam al-Mahdi's
son; he was soon brought under
control by Imam al-Qaim with the help of his own Berber
following.
In 323 A.H., Imam al-Qaim's fleet carried out a raid on some
Mediterranean ports, such as
Sardinia, Genoa and Circassia (Turkey), and brought back much
booty.
The Revolt of Abu Yazid:
Half of Abu Yazid's career falls in Imam Qaim's lifetime, but as
the rest continues in Imam
al-Mansoor's time, we will discuss it in the next chapter.
Imam al-Qaim's Death:
Imam al-Qaim died during Abu Yazid's siege of Mehdiya. He died
on 13th Shawwal, 334 A.H.,
at the
age of 59, having ruled for 12 years. He was buried in Mehdiya.
The news of Imam's death was
kept
secret until Abu Yazid's revolt was over, although Imam
al-Mansoor had succeeded as the next
Imam
upon Imam al-Qaim's death.
13th Imam
3rd Fatimid Caliph - 334 A.H. - 341 A.H.)
Early Life:
Mowlana Abu Tahir Ismail al-Mansoor bi-Allah was born at Qairawan
in 302 A.H. His entire
upbringing was in North Africa, amid an atmosphere of battle and
revolts, which helped him to
develop
a military spirit and discipline. He succeeded to the Fatimid
throne at Mehdiya in 334 A.H., at the
age
of 32. Abu Yazid's revolt, one of the most dangerous the Fatimid
Caliphs had faced, was still on.
It
was left to Imam al-Mansoor to complete the task which his
father, Imam al-Qaim had so
courageously undertaken.
***25
Abu Yazid:
Among the many Berber tribes of North Africa, one of the most
important was the Zanata tribe.
They
were at rivalry with the Kutama tribe, which had supported the
Fatimids and brought them to
power.
To this Zanata tribe belonged Abu Yazid, who was born in Sudan.
He accepted the Kharajide
faith,
converted his tribe to it and spread it all over North Africa and
Sudan. Thus he became a great
challenge to the Fatimid Caliphate.
During Imam al-Qaim's time, Abu Yazid conquered many important
towns, including Baja,
Raqqada
and Qairawan. Imam al-Qaim sought refuge in Mehdiya, at which
Abu Yazid laid a siege in 334
A.H.
Due to the high morale which the Imam inspired and due to the
large reserves of food, which
were
wisely stocked in the town in advance, the Fatimid capital was
able to outlive the siege and tireout
the
besiegers, who under Abu Yazid, withdrew to Susa.
During Imam al-Mansoor's time, Abu Yazid continued to make
trouble and Imam laid a seige at
Susa.
A battle was fought in which Imam al-Mansoor himself took part.
The Imam defeated Abu Yazid
and
drew him away to Morocco. However, Abu Yazid continued to harass
Imam's forces. He was
finally
defeated at Fort Kutama, where he was seriously wounded. He died
soon after in a prison in 336
A.H.
Imam al-Mansoor respected the memory of Abu Yazid as he was a
brave enemy and looked after
all
his family. Qadhi Nauman, the chief Fatimid Judge and author in
the service of the first four
Fatimid
Caliphs, wrote an entire book on Abu Yazid; the book, however,
has been lost. Besides Abu
Yazid's
revolt, Imam al-Mansoor had to face another revolt, but he was
finally able to supress this revolt
in 336
A.H.
Sicily:
The Fatimid army in Sicily was torn in quarrels between its two
parties - the Arabs and the
Berbers and
due to this, Sicily was almost out of control. Imam al-Mansoor
sent a very able governor, Hasan
bin
Aly, who succeeded in putting down all opposition and brought
peace to the country.
Death of Imam al-Mansoor:
After seven years of rule, Imam al-Mansoor died on 28th Shawwal,
341 A.H., at the age of 39.
He
was buried at Mehdiya. Before he died, he appointed his son
al-Muiz as the next Imam and
Caliph.
map.... THE FATIMID EMPIRE
*** 26
15th Imam Mowlana al-Aziz
16th Imam Mowlana al-Hakim bi-Amrillah
17th Imam Mowlana az-Zahir
18th Imam Mowlana al-Mustansir bil-Lah
19th Imam Mowlana Nizar
14th Imam
4th Fatimid Caliph - (341 A.H. - 365 A.H.)
Imam Abu Tamim Maad bin al-Mansoor al-Muiz Li-din-Allah was born
in the Fatimid capital,
Mehdiya
on 11th Ramadhan, 319 A.H., during the life of Imam al-Mahdi.
Imam al-Muiz got a thorough
training
in Ismaili religious doctrines and the fine arts. As a young
Imam, he added the religious and
cultural
qualities to the tradition of the soldier and administrator which
his forefathers had so ably set
forth.
He is said to have learnt seven languages, and took much interest
in law, even as a young Imam.
He
succeeded to the Caliphate and Imamat on 28th Shawwal, 341 A.H.,
at the age of 22.
Preparations in North Africa for Invasion of Egypt:
Previous attempts to conquer Egypt were made in the time of Imam
al-Qaim and Imam al-Mahdi.
Imam al-Muiz now prepared for another invasion. Imam spent two
years in having roads
constructed,
wells dug, rest houses built, etc., to make it easy and organized
for his troops for their march
towards
Egypt. The ports were ready with the fleet, the bases were ready
for sending reinforcements, and
a big
army was recruited from the Berber tribes.
*** 27
The general, Jawhar, was put in charge of the invasion. Imam
al-Muiz waited until Jawhar
recovered
from his sickness. He visited Jawhar everyday. On the day of
Jawhar's departure in 357 A.H., the
Imam gave him a most honoured send-off by asking the princes and
all the officials and the troops
to
dismount and salute the general.
Conquest of Egypt:
Qazi Jawhar reached Alexandria and after occupying it peacefully,
he proceeded immediately to
Fustat.
There, some people decided to put up a resistance, but they were
soon put down. The town
finally
surrendered to Jawhar, who declared a general pardon. All the
officials and ' honourables came
out
to receive him on 18th Shaban, 358 A.H. Qazi Jawhar immediately
ordered the Khutba (a speech
that
traditionally precedes prayers), to be read in the name of Imam
al-Muiz and chose a large area
near
Fustat to build the new Fatimid capital.
Construction of Cairo:
The building of the new town started at the time which the
astrologers thought was inauspicious,
because it was governed by the planet al-Kahir (Mars). The city
was named after the planet as
al-Kahira (Cairo), or more fully as al-Kahira alMahrusa (the
guarded city of Mars). The city was
built
according to the plan previously prepared by Imam al-Muiz
himself. It contained large squares,
palaces
and official buildings.
The al-Azhar University:
One of the most important constructions in Cairo was that of the
chief mosque, Jamia al-Azhar,
which
is the oldest mosque in the city. It set forth a style of
architecture, which characteristically
became
Fatimid. General Jawhar himself supervised its construction.
Later, in the time of Imam al-Aziz,
he
built a huge library and a university, which is the oldest
existing university in the world.
Qazi Jawhar's Reforms in Egypt:
The evils of famine, shortage, theft, looting, etc., which are
the usual consequences of war, also
afflicted Egypt; it required the administrative genius of Jawhar
to control and improve the
situation.
He made many reforms in the system of distribution of food, in
suppression of corruption and in
installation of officers to supervise the work.
*** 28
Imam al-Muiz's Departure from North Africa to Egypt:
Before leaving North Africa for Egypt, Imam had to make the
country secure by suppressing the
revolt
of Muhammad bin Khizr and by appointing a governor over North
Africa.
The Imam then started his journey towards Sardinia, one of his
Mediterranean bases. He
regulated the
affairs of Sardinia and Sicily and then went to Tripoli, where a
section of his army revolted. From
here
he proceeded to Barqa on the borders of Egypt, where two of his
eminent followers died.
Imam al-Muiz arrived at Alexandria, where Commandergroup of
prominent citizens received him.
Many of the officials were honoured with gifts by the Imam. Then
they proceeded towards Cairo
and
entered the city on 7th Ramadhan, 362 A.H. Imam took over the
administration in his own hands,
while
Jawhar returned to his work as the Commander-in-Chief of the
army.
Administration:
The Fatimid Imam and Caliph held the final supreme spiritual and
temporal powers in his own
hands.
The administration, however, was divided among various officers
as follows:
a)
The Vazir: He was the chief political head of the
administration. Although Qazi
Jawhar was the real
power behind the office, the Vazirate was given to the famous
Yaqub bin Killis.
b)
The Qadi: The real power of this office was retained by
Qadi Nauman, the celebrated
author of the
principle Ismaili law book, Daim al-Islam and of many other
standard works on law and history
which
have survived to this day, and which are our main source of
history of the Ismailis during the early
Fatimid period.
i) The Muhtasib (anti-corruption officer): This officer
belonged to the department of the
Qadi. He was
like a magistrate who looked into cases. He was similar to an
inspector of weights and measures,
public morals, markets and oney changers. He was kind of an
anti-corruption officer, security
officer
and secret olice.
*** 29
ii)
The Court of Mazalim: This was a special court set up for
complaints against the officials
of the
administration. Its purpose was to check the high-handed rule
and inefficiency.
e c)
Sahib al-Kharai (Financial administrator): The financial
administration was the most centrally
controlled. The local revenue officers in the provinces were
directly responsible to the centre.
d)
The Qaid (Commander-in-Chief): The policy of the Fatimids was
to recruit loyal Berber
tribes to their
regular standing army and to have loyal commanders in full
charge, without making any
compromise
on the point.
I)
Qazi Jawhar : Jawhar, originally a Sicilian, was brought
in the service of Imam
al-Muiz as a
young slave. By his able suppression of revolts in North Africa,
he earned his position of
importance
and through his conquest of Egypt, he became the most influential
man in the whole Fatimid
Empire.
He was not only a good soldier, but also an able administrator;
he ruled Egypt for many years
until
Imam al-Muiz's arrival, at which time he withdrew to his military
duties and remained the
Commander-in-Chief until his death in 381 A.H., during the time
of Imam al-Aziz.
ii)
Navy: The Fatimids laid particular stress on the navy
because of the East-West trade on
which they
depended and also in preparation for their invasion of Egypt. In
Imam al-Mahdi's time, Sicily was
made a Fatimid base, and in Imam al-Muiz's time, Crete was also
added. From the very
beginning, the
towns of Mehdiya and Mansooriya were built as naval bases,
besides Susa which was already a
naval
base.
A large fleet of different kinds of ships was under construction
for many years in the factories at
Mehdiya and Susa. Thus Imam al-Muiz prepared a solid fleet for
the encirclement of Egypt via
Alexandria.
*** 30
The admiral of the Fatimid fleet was called Qaid al-Qawad and had
ten commanders subordinate
to
him. The Qaid also controlled the entire secretariat of all the
armed forces.
e)
Sahib as-Shurta (the police department): The police
department was made subordinate to the
Courts
of Law and the police were made to carry out the orders of the
Qadis. The department was
divided
into lower and higher police, roughly corresponding to our civil
and military police and were
coordinated first by Jawhar himself and later by Yaqub bin
Killis.
The Da'wa under Imam al-Muiz:
I)
Central Da'wa: In the time of the first four Fatimid
Caliphs, the central Da'wa was
actively controlled
by the Imams with the help of two important people, well-versed
in Ismailism, namely Qadi
Nauman
and Ja'far bin al-Yemeni. Imam al-Muiz appointed Dai Ja'far as
the head of the entire Da'wa
organization throughout the Empire, while Qadi Nauman
concentrated on writing historical and
legal
literature.
ii)
The Da'wa in India: In India, the Dalwa began from Imam
al-Mahdi's time, whenYemeni
Dai, Ibn
Hawshab sent his nephew Dai al-Haytham to Sind, where he preached
Ismailism. From there, the
Ismaili faith spread to Multan and other parts of North India,
and towards Gujrat as well.
Cultural Progress:
Literature of all kinds was produced in the time of Imam al-Muiz.
The center of gravity shifted to
Cairo, where Fatimids became the champions of a new scientific
and literary renaissance. Imam
al-Muiz himself was a learnedman; he knew many languages, namely,
Nubian, Latin, Spanish and
Slavonic. His libraries at Mansooriya and Cairo became famous
for their rich treasures of books
on
almost any science. Learned people were given all the
encouragement to use these libraries.
Imam al-Muiz himself spent much of his time in the libraries
reading.
*** 31
Imam al-Muiz encouraged and handsomely rewarded the writers under
his patronage. We have
already
noted the literary output of the Da'wa as well as secular
sciences of Qadi Nauman and Dai Ja'far
bin
Mansoor.
There were many other minor writers, Dais, as well as others.
Two important poets were Ibn
Hani and
Tamim bin al-Muiz.
Society:
Morales and enthusiasm were kept up by the observance of various
festivals of general Islamic
nature;
particularly those of Shia and Ismaili. Fridays and the two Idd
days were the days of festivity.
Moreover, the Shia festival of Idd-e-Ghadeer al-Khumm and the
10th of Muharram were also
observed.
Birthdays of the Ahl-e-Bayt (the Prophet's family) and the Imams
and certain important dates of
the
year were celebrated. Imam took part in the celebrations of the
festivals. Local festivals of
secular
origin, like the "Flooding of the Nile" and "Navroz" (beginning
of spring) were also encouraged
by the
Imam. Imam al-Muiz would hold huge receptions at his palace;
processions were taken through
the
town and the whole town was illuminated.
Death of Imam al-Muiz:
After a glorious Imamat of brilliant achievements, Imam al-Muiz
died on 11th Rabbi-ul-Akhar,
365
A.H., at the age of 45 years. Before his death, Imam al-Muiz
appointed his son Nizar as the next
Imam, who assumed the title of al-Aziz bi-Allah. The news of
Imam al-Muiz's death was not
announced for eight months; the Imamat and Caliphate of Imam
al-Aziz was declared on
Idd-ul-Azha
in 365 A.H.
*** 32
MOWLANA AL-AZIZ
15th Imam
5th Fatimid Caliph -
(365 A.H. - 386 A.H.)
Early Life:
Mowlana Abu Mansoor Nizar al-Aziz bi-Allah was born on 14th
Muharram, 344 A.H., at
Mehdiya.
He came to Egypt with his father, Imam al-Muiz, and succeeded to
the Fatimid Caliphate and
Imamat
upon his father's death on 11th Rabbiul-Akhar, 365 A.H. The
formal declaration of his succession
took
place eight months later on Idd-ul-Azha in 365 A.H.
The Maghrib (North Africa):
Bulkin was ruling the Maghrib as the governor of the Fatimids.
The Zanata tribe of the Berbers
again
tried to create trouble, but was again suppressed by Bulkin.
Shortly afterwards, Bulkin died; his
son
Mansoor succeeded him as the governor.
Mansoor, however, got a Fatimid revenue officer killed, and also
showed disloyalty to the Imam.
Imam al-Aziz sent a Dai to the Kutama tribe with whose help
Mansoor was to be suppressed.
However, the Dai was killed and Mansoor remained in power.
In 386 A.H., both the Imam and Mansoor died and the matter of the
governorship of the Maghrib
remained unsettled. The next Imam, Mowlana al-Hakim appointed
Mansoor's 12-year old son as
the
governor of Maghrib.
Vazirate - Yaqub bin Killis:
Yaqub bin Killis was a Jew from Baghdad. He went to Maghrib and
entered into the service of
Imam
al-Muiz. The Imam appointed him his financial administrator. He
carried out his work with
utmost
efficiency and loyalty. He came to Egypt with Jawhar's army and
actually controlled the
administration
of Egypt.
*** 33
During the last years of Imam al-Muiz's rule and the first two
years of Imam al-Aziz's Caliphate,
Yaqub
rose to a position of greater and wider influence and in 367
A.H., Imam al-Aziz made him the
chief
Vazir. We have noticed how the institution of Vazirate had
developed from the small beginning
in the
time of Imam al-Mahdi until it became established as a recognized
and distinct office of supreme
importance in the time of Imam al-Muiz. Yaqub bin Killis thus
became the first Chief Fatimid
Vazir
in the true sense of the term.
Yaqub organized the revenue administration throughout the Empire.
He directed the trade.of the
Empire, controlled the income from different provinces and
introduced a "Currency Reform", thus
swelling the state treasury with enormous revenue. He encouraged
religious education at Jamia
al-Azhar and under his orders a regular university was instituted
at al-Azhar.
In 373 A.H., he was deposed from Vazirate and imprisoned by the
orders of Imam al-Aziz, as he
was
suspected of murder. The Imam, however, released him after a few
months,returned his money
and
honoured him. His services toward sadministration of the Empire
were indispensable. Yaqub bin
Killis
continued to serve as the Chief Vazir until he died in 380 A.H.,
after 15 years of service under
Imam
al-Aziz.
The Qadi:
After Qadi Nauman's death in 363 A.H., his son succeeded him in
the office of the Chief Qadi.
When
the son, Aly bin Nauman, died in 374 A.H., he was followed by his
brother, Muhammad bin
Nauman.
The new Qadi was a very learned man. He continued in the office
in the time of the next Caliph,
Imam
al-Hakim and died in 389A.H.
The famous General Jawhar also died in 381 A.H., during Imam
al-Aziz's time.
*** 34
Death of Imam al-Aziz:
Imam al-Aziz died at Bilbays while on his way to meet the
Byzantine forces in Syria. He died of a
stomach ailment on Tuesday, 25th Ramadhan, 386 A.H. When on his
death-bed, he called his
treasurer,
Barjuwani, his Qadi, Muhammad bin Nauman, and the Amir, Hasan bin
Ammar and entrusted to
their
guardianship the next Imam, Mowlana al-Hakim, who was only 11
years old.
16th Imam
6th Fatimid Caliph - 386 A.H. - 411 A.H.)
Early Life:
Mowlana al-Hakim bi-Amrillah was born on 23rd Rabbi-ul-Awwal, 375
A.H., in Cairo. In 383
A.H.,
when he was only 8 years old, his father Imam al-Aziz declared
him as his successor. Upon Imam
al-Aziz's death in 386 A.H., Imam al-Hakim became the next Imam
and Caliph at the age of 11
years.
The power rested mainly with the council of guardianship in which
Barjuwani and Ibn Ammar
were
the prominent figures.
Barjuwani, whose ethnic origin is uncertain, was in charge of the
Turkish guards of the Empire.
He
was also the treasurer and the tutor of Imam al-Hakim, and as
such, held great influence. Ibn
Ammar
belonged to the Kutama Berber tribe and held control over the
Berber guards of the Imam. Both,
Barjuwani and Ibn Ammar, were trying to depose each other and in
this struggle, both of them
were
killed.
Imam al-Hakim boldly acknowledged responsibility at the young age
of 15 years and began to
take
direct interest in the affairs of the state. He appointed
Husayn, the son of the famous General
Jawhar,
as his new Vazir.
The business of the country was conducted at night, after the
court. Imam al-Hakim would ride
through the town to see for himself the condition of his people
and to hear their complaints.
*** 35
As negligence and pleasure-making increased among his people, the
Imam ordered his people to
revert
to conducting their business during daytime. The Ismaili laws on
prohibition of certain
vegetables, fish
and wine, and the introduction of certain forms of prayer, were
now implemented.
The Christians and Jews who were accustomed to very lenient
treatment were put under certain
restrictions. The Sunnis also followed many aspects of the
Ismaili laws. In 394 A.H., when Imam
al-
Hakim was collecting large quantities of wood on Mt. Muquattam
for some scientific purpose,
the
people panicked, thinking that probably the wood was being
gathered for burning of all the
opponents
of the Caliph. Imam had to assure those people that he had no
such intention.
Many of the restrictions, however justified, had to be removed in
397 A.H., in order to please the
people. All this happened during the Vazirate of Husayn bin
Jawhar, whose mismanagement had
brought much discredit to the Imam. Husayn was dismissed from
his position and later executed
when
he secretly took part in Abu Rakwa's revolt.
Abu Rakwa's Revolt:
Abu Rakwa was an Ummayyad prince from Spain who had taken refuge
in North Africa with the
Zanata people, the traditional enemies of the Fatimids. His
original name was Walid bin Hisham;
he
was called Abu Rakwa because he carried a leather bottle and
lived like a Darwaish. Banu Qurra
on
the Egyptian border joined Abu Rakwa and they occupied the town
of Barqa. Imam al-Hakim
sent Inai
with an army to meet the forces of Abu Rakwa, but he was defeated
at Barqa and killed.
When Abu Rakwa came close to Alexandria, the Imam sent an army
under the faithful general
Fadl bin
Hasan bin Saleh, who met Abu Rakwa on the banks of the Nile. The
two armies, separated only
by
this great river, proceeded southwards on the opposite banks,
until they were just outside Cairo,
where
they camped. Abu Rakwa tried to stage a diversion, but his main
army was defeated by Fadl and
he
fled to Sudan. There he pretended to be a Fatimid envoy, but
when the Nubian King came to
know
his true identity, he handed him over to the Fatimid General
Fadl, who had come to Sudan. Abu
Rakwa was taken back to Cairo where he was sentenced to death.
Egypt was in a state of bankruptcy after the revolt of Abu Rakwa.
The state treasury was empty,
food
was scarce. The Nile failed to rise and the country was caught
in the clutches of famine and
plague.
To keep up the morale of his people, the Imam removed all the
restrictions imposed upon
different
sects of Muslims and severely punished the Christian and Jewish
revenue officials.
Abbasid Manifesto of 406 A.H.:
In the time of Abbasid Caliph, Qadir bi-Allah, an official
manifesto was issued, declaring the
Fatimids
not to be the genuine descendants of Hazrat Aly and Fatima, but
of Daysan bin Said. However,
history
has proved this manifesto to be a slander and not a fact.
The Institutions Under Imam Hakim bi-Amrillah:
a) Religious Contributions:
The mosque begun by Imam al-Aziz known as Jamia al-Anwar,
was completed by Imam
al-Hakim
in 393 A.H., and renamed Jamia al-Hakim. In the same year, Imam
al-Hakim had another mosque
built, known as Jamia Rashida, of which there is no trace now.
At a place called Maqs, another
mosque was built by the Imam, and also a group Of other mosques
called Masajid Muallaqa,
which have all been destroyed. A list of mosques was compiled
and sum of 9,220 dirhems a
month was alloted for their upkeep.
Imam al-Hakim spent large sums of money for theologians,
muezzins, Quran readers and for
maintaining wells, roads, hospitals and centres for providing
free Kafans to the poor people.
Most of
the money for these and other such purposes came from Imam's
private treasury.
b) Dar-ul-Ilm or Dar-ul-Hikma (Academy of
Sciences):
The famous academy of sciences, called the Dar-ul-Ilm, or the
Dar-ul-Hikma was built by Imam
al-Hakim in 395 A.H.
It became the biggest centre learning and research in the whole
Muslim world. However, the
academy
was destroyed t)y Afzal Shahin Shah, the son of Badr al-Jamali.
It was later revived on a different
site
but was completely wiped out with the end of the Fatimid
Caliphate.
*** 37
Large treasures of books were preserved there; scientists and
learned men used it as an academy
of
sciences. People who visited Dar-ul-Ilm were provided with ink,
paper and pen free of charge.
Lavish
gifts were given to the scholars attached to this academy.
Dar-ul-Ilm was also used as the headquarters of Da'wa, which was
under Abdul Aziz bin
Muhammad
bin Nauman's charge.
c)Scientific Activities:
i)
A huge canal at Alexandria at the cost of 15,000 dinars.
ii) An observatory at Qarafa.
iii) The famous astronomer Ibn Yunus prepared the astronomical
tables (Zij) in four volumes.
iv) The principle of a fixed calendar (not necessarily depending
on the appearance of the moon),
probably first adopted in the time of Imam al-Muiz, was put into
practice by Imam al-Hakim.
v) Ibn Haytham: The famous scientist and engineer, Ibn
Haytham, was invited toCairo
by Imam al-
Hakim. Ibn Haytham left his native town Basra and when he
approached the limits of Cairo, the
Imam
came personally to receive him. Ibn Haytham was entrusted with
the task of finding the source of
the
Nile; however, he returned from Aswan abandoning the project.
Cairo, Ibn Haytham was put in
charge
of the scientific activities. After the death of al-Hakim, he
took residence in Jamia al-Azhar and
wrote
many books on Scientific subjects. He died in 430 A.H. Ibn
Haytham became famous due to his
works
on Geometry. He is known as al-Hazam in Europe
*** 38
Da'wa Under Imam al-Hakim:
The Central Da'wa:
a) Sayyedna Hamidud-din-al-Kirmani:
Two important Dais preceded al-Kirmani as the heads of the
entire Da'wa organization.
Later
al-Kirmani took over the charge of the central Da'wa under Imam
al-Hakim.
Al-Kirmani was from the province of Kirman in Persia. It is not
known when he was born.
During
Imam al-Hakim's time, he became the Chief Dai of Iraq and
Persia.
Dai Kirmani came to Egypt after the revolt of Abu Rakwa to
strengthen the Da'wa under the
guidance
of the Imam. He re-started the Dawat work at Dar-ul-Ilm which
had temporarily closed down.
Here
he worked under Khatgin, whowas Dai Du'at.
b) The Da'wa in India:
Besides the central Da'wa, the Ismaili Da'wa was active in
Syria, Yemen, North Africa,
Persia, Iraq and India.
During this time, Northern India was the scene of great dawat
activity. Multan had an Ismaili
dynasty of Dais from 354 A.H., to 401 A.H.
The Last Years of Imam al-Hakim (407 A.H. - 411 A.H.)
a) Toleration:
During these years, Imam al-Hakim gave a very liberal new
deal to the Christians and
Jews.
Their churches were restored and rebuilt and many of the
restrictions were removed. The Sunni
population was allowed to pray in their own way and even the
rising Druze community was not
interfered with.
This toleration was, however, not appreciated by the people, and
they spread a scandal about the
chastity of Imam al-Hakim's sister. The Imam wanted to punish
the wrongdoers, but his guards
went
to such an extent in their revenge that Imam had to ask them to
stop the conflict.
*** 39
Another false story was spread to the effect that Imam's sister,
being thus exposed of her crime in
front
of her brother, got the Imam killed; however, the real
circumstances of Imam al-Hakim's death
will be
discussed later.
b) The Rise of the Druzes:
It was during Imam al-Hakim's reign that the sect of the
Druzes came into existence. The
word
Druze appears to have been derived from the name of Persian
missionary, Muhammad bin Ismail
Darazi, who arrived in Egypt in the year 407 A.H. Ismail Darazi
was a Batinite who believed in
the transmigration of the soul. He wrote a book in which he
taught that the divine spirit which
God had breathed into Adam had passed on in due succession from
prophet to prophet, then to
Hazrat Aly until at length it had found its abode in Imam
al-Hakim. All those who conformed
to Darazi's teachings, became known as Druzes and are still found
in very large numbers in
Lebanon and other places.
c) Disappearance and Death of Imam al-Hakim bi
-Ambrillah:
In 415 A.H., a man was brought before Imam Zahir who
confessed killing Imam al-Hakim
for
religious motives. This is an authentic report. There was a
Kutami Amir, Yusuf bin Dawwas
in the court of Imam al-Hakim. He was charged with corruption
and was also suspected of
having instigated this assassin to kill Imam al-Hakim.
It was Imam al-Hakim's custom to go out at night to his
observatory at Mt.Muquattam for
meditation
and for observing the stars. On one such visit, he was surprised
by four assassins on the way,
three of
whom escaped. The one who was caught was brought to Imam
az-Zahir, together with the blood
stained shirt of Imam al-Hakim.
The later Christian historians spread a malicious story, which
was reproduced by many Muslim
writers,
that the Imam's sister, Sitt-al-Mulk, was in love with Yusuf bin
Dawwas. This matter had come
to the
knowledge of the Imam, but before Imam al-Hakim could take any
action, his sister conspired
with
Yusuf to have her brother, the Imam, killed.
*** 40
The Druzes believe that Imam al-Hakim did not die, but was taken
away from Mt. Muquattam to
the highHeavens. They believe that he still lives in concealment
and will reveal himself in due
time when the world is ready for him.
Character and Personality of Imam al-Hakim:
Tall, fair and strong, with sparkling blue eyes and grave face,
Imam al-Hakim had a towering
personality, which imposed its stamp of genius on every person he
came across. He was brave,
generous, learned and a just ruler. Imam al-Hakim's reign was
marked not only by revolts, but
also by
the scarcity of rains and by famine and plague. How he
maintained his authority through all these
difficulties is a wonder.
17th Imam
Early Life and Succession:
Mowlana Abu Maad Ali az-Zahir was born in Cairo on 3rd Ramadhan,
395 A.H. When his father
Imam
al-Hakim died on 27th Shawwal, 411 A.H., Imam az-Zahir was 17
years of age. Before his death,
Imam al-Hakim had already appointed az-Zahir to succeed him as
the next Imam.
The news of Imam al-Hakim's death and Imam az-Zahir's succession
were kept secret from the
people
for three months according to the usual Fatimid tradition, for
the sake of security and unity. In
the
month of Safar, 412 A.H., it was publicly announced that Imam
az-Zahir had succeeded his father
to
the Imamat and the Fatimid Caliphate. Imam took the title of
az-Zahir li-Aziz din-Allah.
Sitt al-Mulk:
Because the Imam was still young, his aunt, i.e. Imam al-Hakim's
sister, Sitt al-Mulk, ruled the
Empire
for five years i.e. until 416 A.H., when she died. After that,
Imam az-Zahir took the reigns of
Government in his own hands. At that time he was 22 years
old.
*** 41
Saif-ad-Dawla Yusuf bin Dawwas:
We have seen in the previous chapter that Saif-ad-Dawla was
responsible for getting Imam
al-Hakim
killed. (It should be noted that Saif-ad-Dawla was not the
killer, but one who may have instigated
the
killing.) Saif-ad-Dawla was a powerful Amir and could not be
dealt with immediately. So Sitt
al-Mulk
waited for an opportunity to avenge her brother, Imam al-Hakim's
death. One day, she invited
Saif-ad-Dawla to the palace to present him with gifts. However,
on his return journey from the
palace, she sent
a party of slaves to surprise Saif-ad-Dawla and kill him. This
was done in 412 A.H.
Council of Administration:
The Caliphate of Imam az-Zahir was not safe in the hands of the
Vazirs and Sitt al-Mulk had to
deal
with them firmly. Before her death in 416 A.H., Sitt al-Mulk
appointed an administrative council.
Imam az-Zahir did not interfere much in the affairs of the
administration which were being looked
after
by the appointed council.
Famine:
The year 416 A.H., saw the beginning of a terrible famine in
Egypt, because the Nile did not rise.
The
famine lasted for three years; there were no crops; bread was
almost impossible to get; animals
became
so scarce (a cow was sold for 50 dinars), that their slaughter
was prohibited by law. Looting and
rioting prevailed throughout the country; the army could not be
paid; officials fell out with each
other;
even the pilgrims going to Mecca were attacked and looted; the
slaves revolted and became the
most
dangerous. The Caliph, Imam az-Zahir appealed to the rich for
funds, but very little came forth.
However, in 41 B A.H., the Nile began to rise, the country
returned to normal and order was
restored.
Syria, Byzantium, and Iraq:
Because of the insecure conditions in Egypt due to famine, the
Syrian towns were getting out of
Fatimid control. Before Imam az-Zahir could deal with them, he
saw it fit to conclude a truce
with
Constantine VIII of Byzantine.
After establishing peace with Byzantium in 418 A.H., Imam
al-Zahir turned his attention to Syria
and
brought it under Fatimid rule once more.
*** 42
In 425 A.H., Imam az-Zahir sent a group of Dais to Iraq. In
Baghdad, they were very successful
in
converting a large section of people to Ismailism.
Last Days:
Imam az-Zahir is known for his liberal and just rule. Under his
Caliphate, the people led a
prosperous
life, except for the terrible years of famine. He had an
artistic temperament and he encouraged art
and
music. He established a school for slaves in which they were
taught the art of fighting and many
other
crafts. He opened an armament factory in which 3,000 employees
worked. He built the Lulu
palace
and had a hobby of collecting precious stones.
In 427 A.H., Imam az-Zahir caught the plague; he was taken to the
"Garden of the Strand" at
Maqs
and from there to port of Cairo, where he died on 15th of Shaban,
leaving the Caliphate and
Imamat
to his son Mustansir, who was then seven years of age. Imam
az-Zahir was 32 at the time of his
death;
he had ruled for 16 years.
18th Imam
8th Fatimid Caliph - (427 A.H. - 487 A.H.)
a) Accession: In Cairo, there were two Jewish
merchants, Abu Saad
and his brother. Imam az-Zahir
had bought a Sudani slave woman from Abu Saad and had married
her. By her he got a son who
was named Maad. He was born on 16th Ramadhan, 420 A.H. Eight
months later, in 421 A.H.,
Imam az-Zahir appointed Maad as his successor. On this occasion,
Imam az-Zahir gave robes of
honour as a gift to nobles and spent a large amount on
charity.
When Imam az-Zahir died on 18th Shaban, 427 A.H., his Vazir
Jarjarai, in accordance
with the
previous "nass", took an oath of allegiance from the people for
Imam Maad who now adopted the
title of al-Mustansir bil-Lah (i.e. the seeker of help from
Allah). Thus Imam al-Mustansir came
to the throne of Imamat and Caliphate while he was only seven
years old.
*** 43
b) Queen Mother and the Early vazirs
Since Imam Mustanisir bil-Lah was very young, his another and her
former master, Abu Saad,
began
to take undue interest in the affairs of the state. As long as
Vazir Jarjarai lived, their interference
was
kept in check.
Jarjarai was a vazir of long standing. He had served under Imam
al-Aziz, Imam al-Hakim and
Imam
az-Zahir and was responsible for successfully installing al
-Mustansir on the throne. During his
vazirate, Egypt saw peace and prosperity. He died in 436 A.H.
After Jarjarai's death, the influential merchant Abu Saad began
his intrigue for power. Dai
Muayyad
who witnessed Abu Saad's interference, writes, "The Jew (Abu
Saad) was outwardly in her
(Queen
Mother's) service, but in reality had full control of the
state." However, Vazir Sadaqa got tired
of Abu
Saad's overbearing attitude and had him and his brother
assassinated. This enraged Imam's
mother
and she ordered the assassination of Sadaqa, who was followed by
two other vazirs. This
confusion
and chaos finally halted with the appointment of Yazuri, whose
administration lasted for eight
years,
a period of prosperity, efficiency and reforms.
Sikkin the Pretender:
In 434 A.H., a man named Sikkin, who had great physical
resemblance to Imam-al-Hakim,
declared that he was Imam al-Hakim himself and that he was in
hiding after his disappearance in
411 A.H. He gathered some followers and attacked the palace built
by Imam al-Hakim but was
soon captured and put to death.
The Maghrib (North Africa) and the Eastern Trade:
a) Loss of North Africa:
North Africa gradually became divided into various Shiite
and non-Shiite groups and
became
independent of the Fatimids forever. North Africa was always a
liability to the Fatimid Caliphate
and now that it had become independent, no effort was made to
regain it. However, this had a
great effect on the trade policy of the Fatimid State, which we
shall examine later.
*** 44
b) Loss of Sicily:
Loss of North Africa affected Sicily also. Fatimid contact
with Sicily was mainly through
North
Africa. When the link snapped, the contact was broken. Thus
Muslim Empire in Sicily came to
an end and this also affected the Fatimid trade policy towards
the west.
c) Diversion of Trade:
The Fatimid trade was diverted from the west to the east
because of the loss of North
Africa
and the advance of the Saljuqs, which resulted in the thickening
of rivalry with the
Abbasids
and the capture of Baghdad and the decline of the Fatimid
Empire.
The Yazuri Administration:
Abu Muhammad Hasan Yazuri became vazir in 442 A.H., and remained
in office until 450 A.H.
These
eight years of hisvaziratewere marked by peace and prosperity in
thecountry. He was a poor
fisherman's
son, originally fromYazur. He rose from position to position
until he became the Qadi of Egypt.
He
was subsequently made Chief Dai also. He introduced the policy
of agricultural reforms and for
that
he needed to suppress the factional quarrel and corruption at
home and to discontinue the policy
of
territorial expansion abroad. Although his noble aim kept him in
office for eight years, the steps
he
took towards achieving it, created serious differences of opinion
and brought his downfall. In 449
A.H., Yazuri died. It is said that he was poisoned by the order
of the Queen Mother. According
to
another version, he was executed.
Visit of Dai Muayyad:
A Persian Dai, by the name of al-Muayyad Fid-Din as-Shirazi, born
in Shiraz of an Ismaili family,
had
been a Fatimid Dai in Persia and Iraq. He started from Persia in
438 A.H., and arrived in Cairo in
439
A.H. From then on he played a very important role in Fatimid
service.
On his arrival in Cairo, he found the administration in a state
of chaos. Muayyad, who was the
most
qualified tobecome the Chief Dai, was constantly frustrated in
his ambition. First Yazuri took over
the
Da'wa from Ibn Nauman and appointed Muayyad only as his secretary
towrite lectures (Majalis)
for
him. Then when his work increased and Yazuri had to give up the
Da'wa, Ibn Nauman was
brought
back and Muayyad, for the second time, was disappointed. After
Ibn Nauman's death, his son
became
the Chief Dai and Muayyad was put in charge of only a section of
the secretariat. Shortly
afterwards,
he was sent away on an expedition against Baghdad.
When he returned in 449 A.H., the situation had not changed much.
Yazuri had died and the
country
was in a state of chaos. He did not receive the welcome he
deserved. Muayyad continued with
his
religious duties in retirement. In 450 A.H., he was appointed
the Chief Dai. In 453 A.H., he was
sent
to Syria in exile by the Vazir. He returned to Cairo in 454
A.H., and the Imam put him in charge
of
organizing the Fatimid Da'wa abroad.
The period of 454 A.H. to 459 A.H., was a period of chaos and
famine, but Dai Muayyad passed
it in
conference with Dai Lamak at the Dar-ul-Ilm, reorganizing the
entire Fatimid Da'wa of the world.
Muayyad remained in charge of the entire Da'wa until his death in
470 A.H. He wrote most of his
works during his last years of life.
Visit of Dai Nasir Khusraw:
Nasir Khusraw, born in Khurasan in 394 A.H., resided mostly in
Balkh, from where he made
many
journeys. He belonged to Shii Sayyed family of government
officials. In his youth, he wrote
poems.
He was comparatively a less educated man, nevertheless, held a
great appeal for the masses. He
started
on a long journey in 437 A.H., which brought him to Egypt in 439
A.H.
As his work was intended for general reading, he was cautious
when referring to the deeper
matters
of religion. Nevertheless, he made it very clear that he
believed in the allegorical interpretation
(hidden
meaning) of the Quran. He accepted the Fatimid Caliph as the
true Imam and adhered
wholeheartedly
to the doctrines of the Fatimid sect. His book gives us a vivid
picture of Egypt. He gives a most
glowing description not only of the splendours of the Fatimid
court, but of the extraordinary
wealth
and prosperity of Cairo and of the Bazaars and their merchants.
His visit to Egypt inspired him to
such
an extent that from then onwards, he completely devoted his time
to missionary work for the
Fatimids.
The Ismailis of Central Asia consider Nasir Khusraw as their
patron saint even to this day.
*** 46
The Palace of Imam Mustansir bil-Lah
Nasir Khusraw gives us a glowing description of Imam's palace.
He says that he had an occasion
to
see the palace the festival of Idd in 441 A.H. The grounds of the
palace were as big as the town of
Mayyafariqin. It had a mountain like palace in its midst, a
building on each side of it call the Little
Palace and the Great Palace, with a huge square in front where
thousands of troops could parade.
Palace guards numbered 500 foot guards and 500 horsemen. So
30,000 people lived in the
palace, of
whom 12,000 we servants.
The Caliph's throne was 12 feet high and gilded on three sides.
It had engravings of hunting
scenes and
inscriptions beautiful hand. It had delicate furnishing of silk
fr Constantinople and steps of silver.
The
throne glowed with different lights from different angles. Nasir
Khusraw remarked that a whole
book
could be devoted to the description of the throne alone.
From the palace ran a huge tunnel opening outside the palace
grounds. Through it, a person
could
ride on horseback. This tunnel was used by the Caliph (Imam).
Nasir ad-Dawla's Mischief:
Nasir ad-Dawla was appointed the governor of Syria, but on
account of his inefficiency, he was
deposed and recalled to Cairo, where he was put in charge of the
Turkish regiment of the Fatimid
Army. He bidded his time for revenge against the Caliph, Imam
Mustansir bil-Lah.
Though deposed in Cairo, he was able to hold his own in
Alexandria, where he had the support of
the
Arab and Berber tribes. Nasir ad-Dawla attacked Cairo, which was
defended by the rival Turkish
guards. After burning part of Cairo and conquering the
defenders, Nasir ad-Dawla entered the
City
as a conqueror.
After his victory over the unhappy city, Nasir ad-Dawla became so
overbearing and tyrannical in
his
conduct that he provoked even his own followers, and was
eventually assassinated in 466
A.H.
*** 47
Invitation to Badr-al-Jamali:
The country was torn between the Turkish and the Sudani soldiers,
between famine and plague
and
between the loot and plunder by adventurers like Nasir ad-Dawla.
Vazirs followed one after the
other
in quick succession. There was hardly anyone in the country who
could restore it to peace and
prosperity. A person with tremendous courage and ability was
needed to save the day. At this
time,
the Imam thought of one such person, Badr al-Jamali, the Fatimid
governor of Akka, whom the
Imam
invited to Cairo. Badr al-Jamali came to Cairo on lmam's
instructions and accomplished what he
was
required to do.
Imam Mustansir bil-Lah's Last Days:
After the death of Dai Muayyad and Dai Nasir Khusraw, the Persian
Dai Hasan bin Sabbah came
to
Egypt in 471 A.H., during Badr al-Jamali's vazirate. Hasan bin
Sabbah asked the Imam who his
successor would be and the Imam named Shah Nizar as his
successor. Badr al-Jamali, however,
wanted to see Mustaali, the younger son of the Imam as the next
Imam. Badr al-Jamali's and
Hasan
bin Sabbah's groups clashed on this issue, and Hasan bin Sabbah
was expelled from Egypt. Badr
al-Jamali, however, did not live to install Mustaali on the
throne, for he died a month before Imam
Mustansir bil-Lah's death. Imam Mustansir bil-Lah died in
Zul-Hijja, 487 A.H.
The Bohras:
After Badr al-Jamali's death, his son, Afzal Shahin Shah, was
appointed as the next vazir. Upon
Imam
Mustansir bil-Lah's death, Afzal Shahin Shah installed Mustaali
on the Fatimid throne and the
Ismailis
became divided into two groups, one accepting the Imamat of Imam
Nizar, who was the eldest
son of
Imam Mustansir bil-Lah and the other supporting Mustaali, the
second son, who also claimed the
Imamat. The followers of Mustaali are known by the name of
"Bohras". Only two more Bohra
Imams
succeeded Mustaali, and the line of Bohra Imamat came to an end
with Tayyeb, who the Bohras
believe
went into hiding.
*** 48
18th IMAM
MOWLANA MUSTANSIR BIL-LAH
|
|
| |
| |
SHAH NIZAR MUSTAALI
(Nizaris) (Bohras)
| |
| |
SHAH HADI AMIR
| |
| |
SHAH MUHTADI TAYYEB
| (who the Bohras
| believe went
| into hiding)
|
SHAH KARIM AL-HUSAYNI
(49th Imam)
MOWLANA NIZAR
19th Imam - (487 A.H. - 490 A.H.)
Dai Hasan bin Sabbah was told by Imam Mustansir bil-Lah that his
successor would be his eldest
son
Nizar. This brought Hasan bin Sabbah into conflict with Badr
al-Jamali, who ordered Hasan bin
Sabbah's arrest; however, Hasan bin Sabbah succeeded in
escaping@from the prison. He first
went
to Alexandria and then to Syria, from where he proceeded to
Persia. From 473 A.H. to 487 A.H.,
he
preached the Imamat of Imam Mustansir bil-Lah in Persia and
Khurasan, where he was appointed
as
the Chief Dai.
After Imam Mustansir bil-Lah's death in 487 A.H., Dai Hasan bin
Sabbah did not accept
Mustaali's
rule, but declared Imam Nizar as the rightful heir, thus making
Persian Ismailis independent of the
Fatimid Caliphate. He then began to make a Nizari state in
Persia. Hasan bin Sabbah lived in a
territory which was surrounded by the Saljuq power. Saljuqs were
orthodox Sunnis and wanted
to
destroy all traces of Ismailism. In spite of their opposition,
Hasan bin Sabbah succeeded in
occupying
Alamut, which was in the mountains of Elburz. He built strong
fortresses on top of Alamut and
set up
Ismaili rule there.
Although in Egypt Badr al-Jamali's son had managed the succession
of Mustaali to the Fatimid
throne,
Dai Hasan bin Sabbah continued upholding the right of Imam Nizar
against the claim of Mustaali.
He
had been told to do so by Imam Mustansir bil-Lah himself. This
meant independence from
Fatimid
discipline just as he was independent of the Abbasid rule.
*** 49
In his "History of the Ismailis", A.S. Picklay says, "Although
Nizar was the rightful claimant to
the
throne after his father's death, his younger brother (Mustaali),
supported by his father-in-law, the
chief
Vazir, usurped all the power." He further writes, "Mustaali,
feeling insecure during Nizar's
existence,
plotted against him (Imam Nizar) and finally succeeded in making
him a prisoner along with his
two
sons."
In Egypt, Imam Nizar continued his struggle up to 490 A.H., when
he was killed. There have
been
some incorrect theories that Imam Nizar came to Alamut.
Actually, he did not, but his son and
successor, Imam Hadi, was brought to Alamut from Egypt by Abdul
Hasan Saidi, a trusted Dai of
Imam Nizar. Thus the Egyptian period of Ismaili Imams came to an
end.
*** 50
20th Imam Mowlana al-Hadi
21st Imam Mowlana al-Muhtadi
22nd Imam Mowlana al-Qahir
23rd Imam Mowlana Ala Zikrihis-Salam
24th Imam Mowlana A'La Muhammad
25th Imam Mowlana Jalalud-din Hasan
26th Imam Mowlana Alaid-din Muhammad
27th Imam Mowlana Ruknud-din Khair Shah
We have noticed Dai Hasan Bin Sabbah's conflict with Badr
al-Jamali in Egypt over the question
of
succession to Mowlana Mustansir bil-Lah. Upon Imam Mustansir
bil-Lah's death in 487 A.H., Dai
Hasan bin Sabbah did not accept Mustaali's rule, but upheld the
right of Mowlana Nizar as the
rightful
successor and thus made Persian Ismailis independent of the
Fatimid Caliphate. In 483 A.H.,
Hasan
bin Sabbah succeeded in occupying Alamut, and made a Nizari state
in Persia. In Egypt,
Mowlana
Nizar continued his struggle until he was killed in 490 A.H. His
son and successor to the Imamat,
Imam
Hadi, was brought to Alamut from Egypt by a trusted Dai of Imam
Nizar.
Imam Hadi was about 25 years old when he came to Alamut. When
Hasan bin Sabbah felt that
death
was approaching him, he called to Alamut an important Dai, Kiya
Buzurg Ummid, from the
fortress
of Lamasser of which he was in charge. Hasan bin Sabbah asked
Kiya Buzurg Ummid to be the
Chief
Dai of the Imam after him. He further introduced Imam Hadi to
all who were present there and
asked
them to accept Imam Hadi as the rightful Imam.
*** 51
Dai Hasan bin Sabbah died in 518 A.H., after a rule marked by
freedom, strength, determination
and
dynamism. During his lifetime, the Fatimid Caliph, Amir, son of
Mustaali, wrote a pamphlet
against
the Imamat of Imam Nizar, but it did not do him any good. Amir
was later assassinated by Nizari
Fidais. Hasan bin Sabbah wrote many books, including his
autobiography. However, these books
do
not exist today because the library at Alamut was destroyed
during the time of Mongol
invasion.
During the lifetime of Dai Kiya Buzurg Ummid, Imam Hadi was the
acknowledged Imam and the
Ismailis remained united under him. Imam Hadi died in 530 A.H.,
at the age of 65, in the fortress
of
Lamasser which was his official residence. He was succeeded to
the throne of Imamat at the
same
place by his son, Mowlana Muhtadi, who was about 45 years old at
that time. Soon after, Dai
Kiya
Buzurg Ummid died; his son Muhammad became the Chief Dai after
him.
Dai Hasan bin Sabbah was born in an Ithna Ashari family of Rayy,
sometime between 430 A.H.,
and
440 A.H. His father was a Shii theologian and gave Hasan bin
Sabbah a good education in
subjects like
qeometry, astronomy and philosophy.
The story about Hasan bin Sabbah's being a fellow student with
Nizam-ul-Mulk and Ummar
Khayyam
is obviously false as Nizam-ul-Mulk was at least 30 years Hasan
bin Sabbah's senior and could not
have
studied with him.
Hasan bin Sabbah attracted the attention of an Ismaili dai. He
began to seek more and more of
Ismaili
literature and got himself completely converted to the Ismaili
faith. With the permission of Dai
Abdul
Malik bin Attash, who was then the chief of the Ismaili Da'wa in
Iraq, Hasan bin Sabbah was
admitted
into the Ismaili community and movement.
Dai Hasan bin Sabbah must have heard about Nasir Khusraw and read
his work, but it is doubtful
whether he ever met him. Dai Abdul Malik bin Attash must have
advised Hasan bin Sabbah to
visit
Cairo, the Seat of the Imamat. Eminent Dais from Persia had
often travelled to Cairo to make
their
*** 52
pilgrimage to the seat of the Imamat. In 467 A.H., Hasan bin
Sabbah set out for Cairo, and after
a
journey through Syria, reached Cairo in 471 A.H., just after the
Chief Dai al Muayyad had died.
Hasan
bin Sabbah was welcomed by Imam Mustansir bil-Lah who needed some
support against Badr
al-Jamali.
Conquest of the Fortresses:
There are many stories about the conquest of Alamut, including
the one which states that by
cutting
a given piece of leather into thin strips and linking them into a
big string, Dai Hasan bin Sabbah
surrounded the fortress of Alamut with it and thus won it as a
prize.
The fortress was built high up on a steep rock which was
inaccessible except by a special passage
which was well guarded. Because of its inaccessibility and
height, it was called Alamut, which
means,
"an eagle's nest".
Dai Abdul Malik, who was the Dai in charge of the East, and who
was responsible for sending
Dai
Hasan bin Sabbah to Egypt, continued to rule at the fortress
called Shahdiz in the south of Persia.
In
fact, the Ismaili Dawat in Persia had two centres, one at
Shahdiz, and the other at Alamut, until
the
time when Shahdiz was captured.
After the conquest of Alamut, other fortresses were conquered,
namely, Gird Kuh in
Rudbar territory
where Dai Muzzafar was in charge, Lamasser where later Dai
Kiya Buzurg was put in
charge, and
Maymundiz where later in the Ismaili history, Imam
Ruknud-Din Khair Shah finally
surrendered to
Halaku Khan, the Mongol invader.
Life in Ismaili Fortresses:
Dai Hasan bin Sabbah was a very strict ruler. It is said that he
lived in the fortress of Alamut all
the
time. Only twice he was seen outside the fortress and twice on
the roof of the fortress, but he
guided
the destinies of the Ismailis not only in the neighbouring
fortresses but also in other Muslim lands.
He
had the complete information of everything that happened in the
Abbasid court of the Caliph, his
Sultan
and his Vazir.
Ismailis in these fortresses lived a very strict life and in
times of emergencies, women and children
were
separated from men and sent away to a particular fortress, while
the men lived a very vigorous
military
life.
*** 51
The Name and Practice of the Assassins and the Legend
of Paradise:
Owing to the difficult situation in which the Ismailis were
placed, their system of self-defence
took a
peculiar form. When their fortresses were attacked or besieged,
they were isolated like small
islands
in a stormy sea. They prepared their garrisons for the fight,
and as a rear-guard action, sent their
agents into the very heart of the Abbasid Court in order to
remove certain key trouble-makers and
thus
weaken the entire campaign against the Ismailis. Thus originated
the practice of assassination,
which,
as we have seen, was a necessity.
The Ismaili Fidais carried out the assassinations with full
understanding, knowing very well what
the
result would be. They were not, as is commonly supposed by
hostile writers, being doped with
drugs
into carrying out these assassinations under the influence of the
drugs.
Marco Polo, the famous traveller, passing through the land of the
Ismailis, wrote a fabricated
story
about the false paradise that was shown to the Ismailis as an
inducement to carry out the
assassinations.
This story was taken up by the hostile Sunni writers and has been
widely circulated, although it
does
not have any foundation at all.
The story goes that the Ismaili Dais doped their followers with
Hashish, and when they were out
of
their senses, took them into an artificial paradise which was a
delightful garden. Inside this
garden, the
Fidai was entertained with every pleasure that he could think of.
Then the dais would promise
him,
such a life of pleasure forever if the Fidai would carry out an
assassination. If he agreed, the
complete
plan of a particular assassination was revealed to him. He was
then doped again and while still
asleep,
was taken out of this paradise and back to his normal life.
Later, when the Fidai woke up, he
would
consider this incident an inspired dream, and willingly carried
out the assassination with
calculation and
efficiency.
The very nature of this story shows a malicious and hostile
attitude of its authors. It should in no
way
be accepted, as it derogates the high morals and character of the
Ismaili Fidais of those days, who
sacrificed even their lives for the sake of their Imam.
*** 54
In this story, the word "Hashish" stands out as the source of the
name "Assassins" given to the
Nizari
Ismailis. The Ismailis were called "Hashashin" (the users of
Hashish) by the Crusaders; this word
was
later corrupted into "assassin". Since Ismailis practised
political murders at that time, their act
was
called by their name - "Assassination". Professor Jawad's theory
is that the word "Assassin" was
applied to the Ismailis because of their belief in "Asas", that
is the Imam.
*** 55
MOWLANA MUHTADI
21st Imam - (530 A.H. - 552 A.H.)
In 530 A.H., Imam Hadi died at the fortress of Lamasser. His son
Imam Muhtadi succeeded him.
Imam Muhtadi was about 45 years old at that time. He had a
grownup son, Qahir, about 25 years
of age, and a grandson Hasan (Ala-Zikrihis-Salam), approximately
5 years old.
Dai Kiya Buzurg Ummid died in 532 A.H., during the lifetime of
Imam Muhtadi, and was
followed
in Da'wa by his son Muhammad.
The political events of this period will be discussed later.
Imam Muhtadi did not live long and
was
followed to the throne of Imamat by his son, Imam Qahir, during
whose time Muhammad bin
Kiya
Buzurg was the Dai.
Dai Kiya Buzurg Ummid:
The early life of Dai Kiya Buzurg is not known except that for a
long time he remained an Ismaili
Dai
under Hasan bin Sabbah. He was in charge of the fortress of
Lamasser. After Hasan bin Sabbah's
death, he was called from Lamasser and put in charge of the
entire Ismaili Da'wa in the East.
Only two years after Hasan bin Sabbah's death, the Saljuq Sultan
Sanjar, attacked Alamut,
probably
with the intention of judging the strength of Hasan bin Sabbah's
successor. However, he was
defeated,
and the story goes that once when he got up from his sleep, he
found a dagger thrust into his bed,
with
a note attached to it, saying that if he persisted in his
hostility towards the Ismailis, he would find
the
dagger thrust into his heart. Perhaps because of this, his
attitude towards Ismailis became neutral
and
he maintained very good relationship with the Ismaili Dai.
*** 56
MOWLANA QAHIR
Imam Muhtadi did not live long and was followed by his son,
Qahir, as the Imam. When Imam
Qahir
died in 557 A.H., Dai Muhammad bin Kiya Buzurg had already died.
The next Imam, Mowlana
Ala
Zikrihis-Salaam, took the reigns of the Imamat in his hands and
directed the day to day affairs of
the
Da'wa himself, as well.
Dai Muhammad bin Kiya Buzurg's Activities:
As the Sunni harassment increased, the Ismailis effectively
adopted the policy of assassination.
The
Abbasid Caliph Rashid was assassinated, so were three Qadis and
some military men. The Afghan
ruler
gave protection to Ismaili Dais in his territory, but his son got
them all killed.
In Daylam, the Ismailis occupied a fortress which they named
Mubarak Kuh (the Mount of
Blessings)
and near Qazwin, a fortress, which they named Jahan Gushay(World
Conqueror). Although these
were
small achievements, the names of these fortresses instilled hope
into the hearts of the Ismailis of
those
times
MOWLANA ALA
ZIKRIHIS-SALAM
23rd Imam - (557
A.H. -561 A.H.)
Early Life:
Imam Ala Zikrihis-Salam succeeded his father Imam Qahir in 557
A.H. Dai Muhammad bin Kiya
Buzurg had died a little earlier and the administration of the
Da'wa as well as the running of the
Fortress Empire of the Ismailis were taken over by Imam Ala
Zikrihis-Salam into his own
hands.
*** 57
It is said that Imam Ala Zikrihis-Salam was the son of Dai
Muhammad bin Kiya Buzurg. This is
the
Sunni version of Imam Ala Zikrihis-Salam's succession. However,
the Ismaili sources and
tradition
hold this as incorrect and maintain the continuity of Imamat
fro-n Imam Nizar to Imam Hadi,
Imam
Muhtadi, Imam Qahir and through Imam Qahir to Imam Ala
Zikrihis-Salam.
When Imam Ala Zikrihis-Salam became the Imam in 557 A.H., he was
32 years old. He opened a
new
era in the history and the doctrines of the Ismailis.
Kura Kiya:
In 558 A.H., Ismailis built a fortress outside the city of
Qazwin, which commanded influence over
the
city. Its people began to call Imam Ala Zikrihis-Salam, Kura
Kiya, i.e. the town-lord. The
Quhistani
Ismailis also became active, but on the whole the policy of the
Ismailis was now of peace with the
surrounding Sunni areas.
Death of Imam Ala Zikrihis-Salam
There was a group of Ismailis led by the brother-in-law of the
Imam, namely, Husayni Namawar.
They
were opposed to the new Qiyama policy and were in favour of the
restoration of Sharia. Husayni
conspired against the Imam and succeeded in poisoning him. After
a short rule of five years,
Imam Ala
Zikrihis-Salam died in 561 A.H.
*** 58
24th Imam - (561 A.H. - 607 A.H.)
Mowlana Ala Muhammad succeeded his father to the throne of Imamat
at the age of 19, and with
youthful enthusiasm, put down the opposition of Husayni Namawar.
He vigorously propagated
the theory of Qiyama. He insisted on the doctrine that God was
present in the form of the Imam.
He propagated his genealogy through Imam Ala Zikrihis-Salam, Imam
Qahir, Imam Muhtadi,
Imam Hadi and Imam Nizar, so that if there were any doubts in the
minds of the people
because
of the enemy propaganda, they may be removed.
Fakhud-Din ar-Razi
There is one story about the famous scientist and philosopher
Fakhud-Din ar-Razi, that when he
went
too far in opposing the Ismaili doctrines and talking against
Imam Ala Muhammad, an Ismaili
Fidai,
at the point of a dagger, made ar-Razi promise that in the
future, he would not speak against the
Imam.
Fakhud-Din ar-Razi not only promised this, but also kept his
promise.
Important Events:
It was about this time that the Fatimid dynasty in Egypt was
overthrown by Salahudin-al-Ayyubi
(Saladin), and Rashidud-Din-Sinan, an Ismaili Dai, began his
famous career in Syria.
Sultan Sanjar had died and the Khwarazm Shahs were replacing the
Saljuqs in their Empire.
The Abbasid Caliphate had been divided into various states and
the Caliph's rule did not extend
beyond his palace.
Imam Ala Muhammad died in 607 A.H., after a long rule of 47
years.
*** 59
Dai Rashid-ud-din-Sinan:
The name of Rashid-ud-din Sinan in the Da'wa affairs of Syria is
as great as that of Hasan bin
Sabbah in Alamut.
He was born and brought up in Iraq in a Shii family. Because of
a family quarrel, he came to
Alamut, studied Ismailism, and became a friend of Imam Ala
Zikrihis-Salam before his
succession. Sinan was later sent to Syria by Imam Ala
Zikrihis-Salam.
The group of Ismaili fortresses in the Mount Bahra area were
under the charge of Dai Abu
Muhammad, and after his death, they came under the administration
of Sinan.
Sinan was occupied in constructing and reconstructing the
fortresses. He was always moving
from
fortress to fortress without any bodyguard or personal troops.
He worked without a government
and
was constantly clashing with and defeating the Franks, the Sunnis
and the Nusayri invaders. His
influence spread even in the Jazr district of Syria besides Mount
Bahra. (Mount Bahra is now
called
"the NusayriMountains".)
An Ismaili author relates many anecdotes which show the kind and
amiable nature of Sinan, and
the
confidence and love that he inspired into his people. Many
stories have been woven around his
personality, and sometimes in their love for him, his people went
as far as identifying him with the
Imam.
Sinan was appointed by Imam Ala-Zikrihis-Salam and hence remained
within the discipline of
Alamut.
However, he freely decided how to apply the policies of Alamut to
his own territory, in his own
way.
Sinan changed the status of women; they worked and fought
unveiled, side by side with the
men.
Sinan died during the lifetime of Imam Ala Muhammad. His people
remained loyal to the Imam at
Alamut. After the death of Imam Ala Muhammad in 607 A.H., the
restoration of Sharia created
new
problems both in Alamut and in Syria.
*** 60
MOWLANA
JALALUD-DIN HASAN
25th Imam
- (607 A.H. - 618 A.H.)
Early Life:
Mowlana Jalalud-Din Hasan was born in Alamut in the lifetime of
his grandfather, Imam Ala
Zikrihis-Salam. When he succeeded to the throne of Imamat in 607
A.H., he was a grown-up
man, who was
fully aware of the conflicts of opinion that raged during the
last few years of his father, Imam Ala
Muhammad's Imamat. The policy of Qiyama which was practised for
almost 48 years, had
created
anti-forces, and there was the danger of the community being
split up into two groups.
Therefore,
taking into consideration the changing mood of his people, Imam
Jalalud-Din Hasan very wisely
restored the Sharia policy. Because of his new policy, Imam
Jalalud-din Hasan became known as
"Nau
Musalman".
This shows that more emphasis was laid on good relationship with
the surrounding Sunni world,
as a
matter of political policy.
Pilgrimage to Mecca:
As the first step to normalize his relations with the Sunni
world, Imam Jalalud-Din Hasan sent his
another on a pilgrimage to Mecca as a member of the Abbasid Iraqi
delegation. This meant his
recognition by the rulers of Baghdad and Mecca. The Syrian
delegation tried to oppose the
Ismaili Association with the orthodox pilgrimage (Hajj) but the
Ayyubid princess of Egypt
intervened and got
this Association endorsed. Thus the Imam received recognition
from Egypt and Syria as well.
Moreover, Imam's mother contributed generously to charity and had
many wells dug, thus
proving the
constructive nature of the Ismaili mission.
The Qazwini People of Alamut:
The Qazwini people of Alamut still remained unconvinced of the
truth of Qiyama policy.
Therefore,
Imam invited their scholars to visit the library of Alamut and to
burn all such books if they were
found
to contain unorthodox material.
*** 61
Persia and Syria:
The Ismailis of Persia and Syria appreciated the difficulties and
problems of this situation and gave
their
Imam their unflinching loyalty in his new policy, just as they
had given their firm loyalty to the
previous
Imams in their old policy. Imam Jalalud-Din Hasan made a tour of
Quhistan, Rudbar and Syria
and
returned with great success. In all the towns, he ordered the
building of mosques and public
baths.
In Syria, the new policy brought this advantage to the Ismailis
that the surrounding Sunni threat
was
transformed into a joint front against the Franks. In Persia,
the Ismailis tried to cultivate good
relationship with the rising power of Khwarazms, but they were
jealous of Ismailis' good
relationship
with the Abbasid Caliph Nasser. On Caliph's suggestion, Imam
married the daughter of Amir of
Khutam of ancient Iranian descent. She became the mother of the
next Imam, Mowlana
Alaid-Din
Muhammad. The Imam also married other noble women from the Gilan
nobility.
Death of Imam Jalalud-Din Hasan:
After ten years of active rules Imam Jalalud-din Hasan died of
dysentery at Alamut in 618 A.H.
His
vazir accused Imam's wives of poisoning the Imam, but this
remains uncertain.
Early Life:
Mowlana Alaid-din Muhammad was born in 608 A.H., and succeeded to
the throne of Imamat in
61
8 A.H., at the age of ten years. His mother was a princess, the
daughter of Amir of Khutam, of
ancient
Iranian descent. Imam Jalalud-din Hasan married her at the
suggestion of the Abbasid Caliph
Nasser.
*** 62
The Sharia Policy:
Imam Alaid-din Muhammad continued the Sharia policy of his father
for about ten years.
However,
he noticed a change taking place in the aspirations of his
people, as well as in the general political
situation, and therefore, in accordance with the altered
circumstances, he decided to change the
nature
of the Ismaili attitude towards Sharia.
The Ismailis, the Khwarazmians and the Mongols:
The Ismaili conflict with the Khwarazmians continued. In the
meantime,the Ismailis started their
negotiations with the Mongols. Imam sent Badr ad-Din Ahmed as his
ambassador to the Mongol
court,
but nothing much came out of it. The Ismailis then approached
the Crusaders for a joint front
against
the Mongols, but this did not succeed either, as the Christians
were, at that time, wooing
Mongols.
Pir Satgur Noor
Pir satgur Noor had already started work of conversion in
India and on the Gujarat coast,
the Nizari
Ismailis were entering into healthy competition with the Tayyabi
Ismailis in converting the local
Hindu
commercial communities to Ismailism. It is interesting to note
that there were many Indian
lsmailis
serving at the court of the Imam at Alamut.
Later Life of Imam Alaid-din Muhammad:
Although Imam had started his rule very early, he did not make
any changes until he was about 20
years old, and it is wrong on the part of Sunni authors to
imagine that his activities stemmed from
firstly the immaturity and secondly from the perversity of
character. On the contrary, the Imam
showed
great wisdom in his attitude towards both Sharia and Qiyama, in
accordance with the exact needs
of
his people and the changing times.
Imam Alaid-din Muhammad displayed great appreciation for
learning. At his Court, he
patronized
many Sunni scholars and scientists, like Tusi. One Hasan
Mazandarani, also a Sunni, was his
favourite
companion and advisor, who later treacherously murdered the
Imam.
*** 63
Death of Imam Alaid-Din Muhammad:
Hasan Mazandarani was a refugee from the Mongols. Imam Alaid-Din
Muhammad treated him
very
kindly. He, however, turned away from the Imam either because of
his Sunni faith or because of
some
personal reasons, and he eventually carried out the murder of the
Imam in 653 A.H.
Imam Alaid-Din Muhammad had appointed his son Ruknud-Din as his
successor, but the Sunni
writers
say that he intended to change this appointment in favour of
another son because of a
disagreement
between him (the Imam) and his son, Ruknud-Din. However, such
stories do not seem to be true
because the Sunni authors have always tried to show a conflict
between practically every Imam
and his
successor; they have done this so often that their malicious
intentions have become evident.
27th Imam - (653 A.H. - 654 A.H.)
Imam Ruknud-Din Khair Shah succeeded to the Imamat in 653 A.H. He
apprehended his father's
killer, Hasan Mazandarani and sentenced him to death.
Mongol Invasion:
Mangu Khan was the chief of the Mongols. He decided to invade
China himself and assigned his
brother, Halaku Khan to invade the Middle East.
Halaku Khan began his march in 650 A.H. (1252 A.D.). Three years
later, he entered Iran. All
the
petty princes hastened to be on his right side by voluntarily
entering into his service and begging
his
mercy and favour. Ismailis were the first ones to stand up to
him and they were the first victims
of his
invasion.
On his succession, Imam Ruknud-Din Khair Shah began negotiating
with the Mongols for an
honourable surrender. He wrote to Yasur, the Mongol commander of
Hamadan, offering his
submission, but he was asked to go personally to the constantly
shifting court of Halaku, who was
coming towards Rudbar. The Imam did not go himself, but sent his
younger brother Shahin Shah.
Halaku agreed to stop Yasur's attacks, but he demanded that the
Ismaili fortresses should be
demolished and that the Imam should come to his (Halaku's) court
immediately. The Imam,
however,
asked for a year's grace, hoping that Alamut and Lamasser would
be saved from destruction. He,
however, gave orders for the demolition of many of Rudbar's
fortresses.
*** 64
The Imam then sent his vazir Shams ad-Din Gilaki to Halaku on his
behalf. Halaku directed
Shams to
go to Gird Kuh to secure his submission. The Ismaili chief of
Gird Kuh submitted and came to
Halaku's court, which was now at Rayy. Nevertheless, the
fortress, even without its leader,
continued
to resist, for such was the heroic spirit of the Ismailis. It is
interesting to note that Gird Kuh was
the
very last fortress to fall, and that too, much later.
As demanded by Halaku, the Imam sent his five year old son to
Halaku's court, but the Mongol
commander sent him back as he was too young. The Imam then sent
another of his brothers,
Shiran
Shah, to Halaku, who was now only three days march away from
Rudbar. Halaku had the Ismaili
chieftain of Gird Kuh secretly slaughtered, and he sent Shiran
Shah back with an ultimatum to the
Imam to destroy the fortress of Maymundiz in which he was
residing, to surrender himself
unconditionally and to report to the Mongol commander
immediately.
Even as the Imam was considering Halaku's ultimatum, Halaku
arrived at the foot of the fortress
and
sent another ultimatum to the Imam to surrender within five days,
or to face war. The Imam
hesitated
to surrender, but his Sunni advisors and the hypocrite scholar
Nasir-ad-Din Tusi advised and
urged
Imam to surrender. The Imam went out in their company to the
camp of Halaku. These
ungrateful
courtiers of the Imam, including Tusi, lost no time in
disassociating themselves from the service of
the
Imam and in giving up their loyalty to the Ismaili dynasty. As
soon as they were in Halaku's
camp, they
hastened to offer their services to the Mongols.
*** 65
A few courageous and faithful Ismailis continued to resist and
hold out in the fortress the same
way
as their brethern had done at Gird Kuh; the Mongols could only
occupy the fortress over their
dead
bodies.
Imam Ruknud-Din Khair Shah Among the Mongols:
Once the Imam was in their power, the Mongols made the Imam order
all the Ismaili fortresses to
surrender. Many fortresses in Rudbar, in Quhistan and around
Gird Kuh in Qumis surrendered,
numbering 100 in all. These places were all evacuated and
destroyed. But the Ismailis in Rudbar,
in
Alamut and in Lamasser refused to surrender, even at the Imam's
personal appeal. After
occupying and
demolishing Alamut, Halaku proceeded to besiege Lamasser, which
held out for one more year.
Halaku, at this time, was occupied with celebrations at Qazwin.
He gave Imam Ruknud-Din
Khair
Shah a Mongol girl in marriage and presented the Imam with 100
camels. He made the Imam
write
to the Syrian fortress to surrender to the Mongols, and took the
Imam with him on his march to
invade
Baghdad.
The Imam, however, decided to go to the court of the Great Mangu
Khan in Mongolia. While on
his
way, he again sent a word to Gird Kuh to surrender, for it had
not done so yet. Mangu Khan
received
the Imam with respect, but did not set him free because he argued
that the fortresses of Gird Kuh
and
Lamasser had not yet surrendered to the Mongols. Soon after,
Imam Ruknud-Din Khair Shah
was
murdered by the Mongol guards, presumably by the order of Mangu
Khan and in consultation
with the
Sunni advisors.
Fall of Gird Kuh and Lamasser:
Massacre of the Ismailis:
After about a year of resistance, the garrisons of Gird Kuh and
Lamasser were finally
overwhelmed by
the Mongols Thousands of Ismaili men were massacred and many
women and children were sold
into
slavery. The Mongol commander is said to have rounded up about
80 thousand Ismailis in
Quhistan
on the pretext of a general meeting, and massacred them. Orders
were given to have the entire
family
of Imam Ruknud-Din Khair Shah, including the babies,
slaughtered.
*** 66
Syria:
The Syrian Ismailis did not surrender even with the fall of
Alamut. They formed heroic alliance
with
the Mamelukes of Egypt and resisted the Mongol invasion.
Ivanow thinks that within two generations after Imam Ruknud-Din
Khair Shah, there was a split
among
the Nizari Ismailis; the Syrian Ismailis following a different
line of Imams from that of the Iranian
Ismailis. Whether this is correct or not ,the fact remains that
the Syrian Ismailis remained
politically
independent of their Iranian brothers and continued to maintain
the traditions of Rashid-ud-Din
Sinan
for whom they built a shrine. Today, the Syrian Ismailis are
fully integrated into the traditions of
the
Iranian Nizari Ismailis.
Iran:
Ismailism continued in Iran although deprived of its great
strongholds. Rudbar and Quhistan had
large
Ismaili populations and Sunni missionaries found it extremely
difficult to convert them.
Hasan bin Sabbah's tomb at Alamut was visited by the Ismailis
without any fear. After its fall,
Alamut
was reconquered by the Ismailis, but after a short period of
time, it was again taken by the
Mongol
chief, Aqba.
Imam Ruknud-Din Khair Shah had a young son, Shamsud-Din Muhammad,
who had been
secretly sent
away to Adharbayjan for safety. He became the next Imam and with
him the great Satr
(concealment)
period of Persia begins. He and his successors remained in
hiding, but continued to give the
leadership
to the Ismaili community. The poet, Khaki Khurasani, who lived
during Imam Shamsud-Din's life,
wrote devotedly about his Imamat. The remainder of the Nizari
Ismaili history falls into the post
Alamut, Persian and Indian periods.
*** 67
28TH IMAM MOWLANA SHAMSUD-DIN MUHAMMAD
29TH IMAM MOWLANA QASIM SHAH
30TH IMAM MOWLANA ISLAM SHAH
31ST IMAM MOWLANA MUHAMMAD BIN ISLAM SHAH
32ND IMAM MOWLANA MUSTANSIR BIL-LAH
33RD IMAM MOWLANA ABDAS SALAM
34TH IMAM MOWLANA GHAREEB MIRZA
35TH IMAM MOWLANA ABUZAR ALI
36TH IMAM MOWLANA MURAD MIRZA
37TH IMAM MOWLANA ZULFIQAR ALI
38TH IMAM MOWLANA NURUD-DIN ALI
39TH IMAM MOWLANA KHALILULLAH ALI
40TH IMAM MOWLANA NIZAR
41ST IMAM MOWLANA SAYYED ALI
42ND IMAM MOWLANA HASAN ALI
43RD IMAM MOWLANA QASIM ALI
44TH IMAM MOWLANA ABUL HASAN ALI
45TH IMAM MOWLANA KHALILULLAH ALI
*** 68
28th Imam - (654 A.H. - 710 A.H.)
Ismaili tradition says that Imam Ruknud-Din Khair Shah, the last
of the Imams at Alamut, sensing
danger for his family and for the Ismaili community at Alamut,
sent his son, Shamsud-Din
Muhammad,
then a boy of seven years, to a place of safety with his uncle.
It is known from the Persian poet
Nizari
Quhistan that Imam Shamsud-Din Muhammad and Imam Qasim Shah lived
in Adharbayjan, and
the
vicinity of Adharbayjan seems to have been the centre of Imamat
for about two centuries.
Imam Shamsud-Din Muhammad lived as a Zardoz (an embroider) for
the purpose of Taqiya
(concealment) and was commonly known as Muhammad Zardoz.
Referring to the Imam, whom
he
knew, Nizari Quhistan wrote:
"HE IS THE KING OF THE WORLD,
THE CROWN OF RELIGION,
HE IS THE SON OF ALI, WHO IS THE LIGHT
OF THE EYES OF THE KING OF THE WORLD,
HE IS THE FATHER OF SPIRITUALISM
AND THE SWEETEST FRUIT OF THE ETERNAL
GARDEN OF CREATION."
*** 69
29th Imam - (710 A.H. - 771 A.H.)
Pir Shams:
Pir Shamsud-Din Subzwari traced his descent to Imam Ismail
through Sayyed Hashamali who had
gone
to Cairo from Yemen. Hashamali's mother was Khairun-Nissa, who
also traced her genealogy to
Imam
Ja'far as-Sadiq. It was Hashamali who was entrusted to accompany
Imam Hadi, son of Imam
Nizar
from Cairo to Alamut. A strong group of these Ismaili Sayyeds
moved from Cairo to Sabzwar in
Iran
and Pir Shams was froin that colony.
Pir Shams was asked by Mowlana Qasim Shah to carry out the
Ismaili Da'wa in countries beyond
the
boundaries of Iran. Before starting the mission entrusted to
him, Pir Shams presented himself in
the
holy presence of Imam Qasim Shah, kissed Imam's hand and received
his blessings. When he
reached
Badakshan, a large number of people came to see him and after
being convinced, they accepted
the
Ismaili faith and swore allegiance to Imam Qasim Shah.
Pir Shams then left Badakshan for Tibet, where he stayed for a
few days to carry out his mission.
He
then proceeded to Kashmir by way of Hindu Kush, passing through
Ghazna, Chinab and
Analnagri.
Throughout his journeys, Pir Shams remained steadfast in his
faith, although often he could not
get any
food for any price and had to starve. He endured all these
difficulties with an unflinching heart
and at
last succeeded in reaching his destination. He settled in
Kashmir and learnt local languages so
that he
could preach to the people in their own tongue.
*** 70
Shams Tabriz:
Pir Shamsud-Din Sabzwari has been confused with Shams Tabriz.
Shams Tabriz was the
"Spiritual
Master" of Mowlana Jalalud-Din Rumi, the great mystic poet of
Iran. Rumi wrote a book of
poems
in honour of his master, entitled "Diwan of Shams Tabriz" which
has been translated by R.A.
Nicholson. Shams Tabriz,. was the son of Imam Alaid-Din Muhammad
of Alamut; he left the
fortress
before its destruction, even before Imam Shamsud-Din Muhammad,
the son of Imam Ruknud-Din
Khair Shah had left. He also attained recognition as a Saint,
but, he did not go to India.
30th Imam
31st Imam
Imam Islam Shah, son of Imam Qasim Shah succeeded his father to
the Imamat. It was during the
period of his Imamat that Tamarlane, the Tartar, conducted a
campaign through Persia during
which
he, without doubt, massacred many Ismailis.
Ismaili tradition informs us that Imam Islam Shah resided at
Shahri Babak and later at Kahak. It
seems
that the Ismaili Imams maintained their connection with
Adharbayjan until a much later date;
however,
it is highly probable that Imam Islam Shah found it necessary to
shift his residence during
Tamarlane's
purge of the Ismailis.
Imam Islam Shah sent Pir Sadrud-Din (known as Pir Sadardin in
Indo-Pak), to India. Pir
Sadrud-Din
had been trained under Pir Shamsud-Din Sabzwari and assumed
charge of the communities in
Kashmir,
Sind and Punjab. Because of his teaching, there are thousands of
Ismaili Muslims today in India,
Pakistan, Burma and Africa.
Imam Muhammad bin Islam Shah also maintained the growing Ismaili
community in India under
Pir
Sadrud-din.
*** 71
THE GREAT SATR (CONCEALMENT) PERIOD OF PERSIA
32nd Imam
44th Imam
Ismailis in Persia passed through a long period of unexpected
calamity and continuous persecution
in
the form of the Mongol invasion and mass killings by Tamarlane.
Therefore, for many years,
Isrnailis
had to live under strictest secrecy in Persia. Anjudan, and
later Kahak came to be known as the
residences of the Imams. However, Ismailism continued to grow in
the sub-continent of India
during
Imamat of Mowlana Mustansir-bi-Lah II, Mowlana Abdas-Salaam and
Mowlana Ghareeb
Mirza.
The oldest of the 3 mausoleums in Anjudan contains the grave of
Imam Mustansir bil-Lah II. It is
an
octagonal building with a conical dome. It is popularly known as
Shah Qalander but no reason
for this
can be found.
It is not known where Imam Abda-Salam's grave is. Behind an old
mosque and not very far from
the
mausoleum of Imam Mustansir bil-Lah, there is another mausoleum
known as Shah Ghareeb.
Within
the mausoleum, there are five graves besides the one in the
centre,and others are outside.
The name of Imam Ghareeb Mirza does not appear an any one of
those graves.
It would seem that the next Imams, i.e. Mowlana Abuzar Ali,
Mowlana Murad Mirza, Mowlana
Zulfiqar Ali, Mowlana Nurud-Din Ali, Mowlana Khalilullah Ali and
Mowlana Nizar must have
moved
to Kahak, because near the western end of that village, is the
mausoleum of Mowlana Nizar. This
is
within a garden, and the building has several rooms, each with
several graves in the style of Sufic
mausoleums in Persia. Mowlana Nizar is buried in the main
chamber which is dome-shaped.
An interesting fact to be noted here is that some of the graves,
apparently of those of the servants
of
the Imams, bear Khojki inscriptions; these could presumably be
the graves of the Indian followers
of
the Imam.
*** 72
In the gardens belonging to the house of the Imam, there is a
stone platform raised on stone legs
like
a table and set in a depression. Local inhabitants say that Imam
Nizar used to sit upon this
platform,
which when the depression was filled with water, formed an
island, where he used to receive
his guests,
who were seated amidst flower-beds around the water.
The unsettled political condition which marked the next century,
is reflected in the very fact that
we
do not have much information about the Imams of this period.
Indeed we know almost nothing of
the
activities of Mowlana Sayyed Ali, Mowlana Hasan Ali and Mowlana
Qasim Ali.
Our 44th Imam, Mowlana Abul Hasan Ali was for some time the
governor of Kirman under the
Zend
kings. It is thought by some that Mowlana Abul Hasan Ali
accompanied Nadir Shah to India at
the
time of his invasion in 1738 A.D. The Imam retired from his
position at kirman and resided in
Muhallat.
Indian tradition places his death in around 1194 A.H.(1780
A.D.)
Imam Abul Hasan Ali is said to be buried in the mausoleum of the
famous Sufi, Mushtak Ali. The
grave, which is said to be of Imam Abul Hasan Ali's, is covered
with a greenish coloured slab,
with no
inscription. A little distance from his tomb, there is another
mausoleum, octagonal in shape. The
inscription on this seems to record the burial of a daughter of
the Imam. Other graves are also
there,
but their condition makes it impossible to identify them. W.
Ivanow thinks that it is possible that
some
of the Imams were buried at Najaf, for it was a recognized custom
at that time.
*** 73
MOWLANA KHALILULLAH ALI
After his death, Mowlana Abul Hasan Ali was succeeded by his son,
Mowlana Khalilullah Ali,
who was
also known as Sayyed Kahaki, because he had established his
residence at
Kahak near Muhallat. His position as the Spiritual head of the
Ismailis was recognized by the
Persian
sovereign, Fateh Ali Shah. Mowlana Khalilullah Ali was greatly
revered by his followers. Ismailis
from
India as well as from other countries used to make pilgrimages to
Kahak to pay tribute to their
Imam
and to receive Imam's benedictions. The praise of the Imam has
been given in Kalami Pir as
follows:
"One who riseth by the Command of God,
The River (Qayyer) of the present time and eternity, The Source
of Generosity and Mercy, our
Master,
Our Lord, one who knows the Mysteries of what is Open and what is
Hidden. Our Lord Shah
Khalilullah Ali Prostration and Glorification be due at
His mention."
Mowlana Khalilullah Ali took up a temporary residence at Yezd.
In 1817, Imam and a number of
his
followers were killed by a mob, provoked by a mullah who was
jealous of Imam's popularity.
Mowlana Khalilullah Ali was buried at Najaf. His murder
terrified the ruler, Fateh Ali Shah, who
ad
' ministered severe punishment to the ones who were guilty of
this crime; the mullah was cast
naked
into a freezing pond and beaten with thorny stick.
The young son of the Imam, Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali Shah, was
richly rewarded by Fateh Ali
Shah,
who gave him the districts of Kum and Muhallat, in addition to
Imam's inherited estate. Fateh Ali
Shah
also recognized Shah Hasan Ali Shah as the head of the Ismailis
and gave him the title of Aga
Khan.
Later, he gave the Imam one of his daughters, Sarv-e-Jahan, in
marriage.
The young Prince, Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali, governed well. Fortune
smiled upon him as long as
Fateh
Ali Shah lived, but upon Fateh Ali Shah's death in 1834, a civil
war broke out and the Royal
Princes
got into a dispute as to who should be
the successor to the Royal throne. This changed the situation of
the Ismailis in Persia and the
Persian
Period of Nizari Ismaili Imams came to an end.
......Photos of 46th, 47th and 48th Imam.
***74
46th Imam - (1817 A.D. - 1881 A.D.)
While Fateh Ali Shah lived, Persia granted Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali
a friendly centre for his
activities.
During his lifetime Fateh Ali Shah has designated his grandson,
Muhammad Shah, as his
successor.
But upon Fateh Ali Shah's death, two parties were formed at the
Court, one supporting Fateh Ali
Shah's eldest son and the other, the deceased Shah's nominee,
Muhammad Shah. Mowlana Shah
Hasan
Ali supported the Prince whom Fateh Ali Shah had nominated, and
it was mainly by the strength
of
Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali's army and military genius that Muhammad
Shah came to the throne. In
the
government which Muhammad Shah formed, the Imam was given the
position of
Commander-in-Chief
of the army.
For some years, things went well. But in approximately 1838
A.D., friction developed between
the
Imam and the Prime Minister Mirza Aghashi, who took every
opportunity to discredit the Imam
in the
eyes of the king. He also deliberately insulted the Imam by
asking the hand of Imam's daughter in
marriage for a low-bred person. The Imam not only gave a sharp
refusal to this request but, upon
further inappropriate demands by the Prime Minister, raised a
revolt in Kirman. A truce was
made, but
the Prime Minister broke his promise and had the Imam arrested.
However, the Imam was
released
by Muhammad Shah; but as the pressure continued, the Imam renewed
his rebellion. Soon after,
he
left for Sind, via Afghanistan. There he was enthusiastically
welcomed by the Talpur Amirs of
Sind,
who had long been Imam's zealous supporters.
Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali, the First Aga Khan, came to India in
1840. Upon arriving in Sind, the
Imam
placed himself and his followers in the hands of the British.
Sir Charles Napier who was the
Governor
General in Sind, wrote this in 1844 A.D., "The old Persian Prince
(Aga Khan) is my great crony
(old
companion); living not under my care, but paid by me 2,000
sterling a year. He is a god, his
income
immense...... He is clever, a brave man. I speak truly when
saying that his followers do
not refuse him
anything he asks...... He could kill me if he pleased. He only
has to say the word and one of his
people
can do the job in a twinkling of an eye and go straight to heaven
for the same."
*** 75
The services rendered by Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali in Sind also
proved his staunch attachment to
the
British cause. For these services, rendered at personal risk and
danger, he was awarded the
hereditary
title of "His Highness" by the British.
Imam had lost huge properties in the land of his birth owing to
the treachery of the Persian Prime
Minister, Mirza Aghashi. At the time he was compelled to leave
Persia, it was his intention to
secure
aid in Afghanistan or India and return to his country to demand
what rightfully belonged tohim.
He did
make an effort to re-establish himself in Persia,but the
opposition was too strong for him to do
this.
He then gave up the idea and went to live in Bombay. There
again, the Persian influence was
strong
enough to make him move to Calcutta, from where he returned to
Bombay after the death of the
Persian ruler, Muhammad Shah. Except for a brief period at
Bangalore, his headquarters or
Darkhana
remained in Bombay.
Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali spent the last years of his life in the
peaceful enjoyment of his large
income
and hereditary honours at Poona, Bombay and Bangalore. He
devoted the last 30 years of his life
to
the upliftment of the Ismaili community in India. One of his
great passions in life was horses. He
had
in his stables some of the best breeds of Arabian horses. His
fondness for horses made him one of
the
prominent supporters of the turf. There are many cups won by him
on the racecourses which are
still
preserved in the family.
The Duke of Edinburgh and King Edward VII, who was Prince of
Wales at that time, visited
Mowlana
Shah Hasan Ali at his residence during their visit to India. It
was an honour which, with the
exception
of the leading ruling princes, was accorded to no other nobleman;
this was an acknowledgement
of
Imam's princely birth and of the great and loyal services he had
rendered to the British
government.
Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali died in April 1881 A.D., leaving
three sons -Aga Ali Shah, who
succeeded him to the Imamat, Aga Jangi Shah and Aga Akbar
Shah. Before Mowlana Shah
Hasan
Ali's death there was reconciliation between him and the ruling
family in Persia. The last resting
place
of this great Persian nobleman, warrior, statesman, sportsman and
Spiritual Leader, is at Mazagon
in
Bombay. This place is called Hasanabad after the Imam, where
Ismailis have erected a
mausoleum,
visited to this day, by thousands of Ismailis.
*** 76
THE KHOJA CASE
Among the followers of Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali, there were a
handful of people who refused to
acknowledge him as their Spiritual Leader. They tried to
withhold from him the properties
dedicated
to him by his pious and devout followers. These "seceders"
argued that Pir Sadruddin who was
responsible for converting Hindus into Khojas, was a Muslim of
Sunni persuasion and, therefore,
the
Khojas converted by him and the descendants of the converts,
could not be considered Shia
Imami
Ismailis. The argument which started with religious dues and
properties held in trust for the
Spiritual
Head of the community, Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali, had its trial in
the Bombay High Court before
Sir
Joseph Arnould in April and June 1866 A.D. This trial is
popularly known as the "Khoja Case" or
"Aga
Khan Case".
Sir Joseph Arnould, the Chief Judge, tried the case; the best
advocates available were briefed on
both
sides. Neither the plaintiffs, nor the defendants spared any
expense in obtaining evidence, which
was
valuable from the viewpoints of the historian, the research
scholar, the theologian and the student
of
philosophy. Sir Joseph had indeed a difficult task examining the
evidence. The result was a
lengthy
and well argued judgement, which decided, once and for all, that
the Khoja community "is a sect
of
people whose ancestors were Hindu in origin, which was converted
to, and has throughout abided
in,
the fait;li of the Shia Imami Ismailis, which has always been and
still is bound by ties of spiritual
allegiance to the hereditary Imams of Ismailis".
As a result of this judgement, the rights of Mowlana Shah Hasan
Ali as the Spiritual Head of the
Shia Imami Ismailis were firmly and legally established.
*** 77
MOWLANA SHAH ALI SHAH - AGA KHAN 11
Mowlana Shah Ali Shah was in Karbala with his mother, the Persian
Princess, when Mowlana
Shah
Hasan Ali, his father was forced to leave Persia. Born and
raised in Persia, Mowlana Shah Ali
Shah developed a liking for hunting. From his noble father, he
had inherited a daring spirit and
love
for adventure.
Mowlana Shah Ali Shah was married to Marium Sultan, the daughter
of an Iraqi tribal chief and
had
two sons by her, Badin Shah and Noor Shah. When Mowlana Shah
Hasan Ali took up permanent
residence in India, he sent for his son, Shah Ali Shah, and his
family. After coming to India,
Mowlana
Shah Ali Shah lost his wife. He married the daughter of a
Shirazi family and settled in Bombay.
After
the death of his second wife, he married Nawab A'lia
Shamsul-Muluk, a grand-daughter of Fateh
Ali
Shah and the daughter of Nizamud-dowlah, a noted Persian scholar,
philosopher, diplomat and
statesman, who was Prime Minister to Fateh Ali Shah. After their
marriage, they lived in
Baghdad for
some time and then moved to Karachi, where their son Mowlana
Sultan Muhammad Shah was
born.
Mowlana Ali Shah's two sons by his first wife died in Mowlana
Shah Ali Shah's lifetime. The
eldest
son died at the age of 33. He was greatly loved by the Khoja
community and respected by others
as
well. It was this Prince, Pir Shahbudin Shah Al-Husayni, who
wrote the treatise, "Risala dar
Haqiqati
Din" (The True Meaning of Religion).
The younger son, aged 30, who was a good sportsman, fell from his
horse one day and sustained
serious injuries which proved fatal. These two deaths, coming
one after the other, grieved
Mowlana
Shah Ali Shah to such an extent that he died nine months later.
He died in Poona in 1885 A.D.,
after
a brief Imamat of four years. When he died, his successor to the
Imamat, Mowlana Sultan
Muhammad
Shah was not even eight years of age.
***78
Under Mowlana Shah Hasan Ali's guidance, and the tutorship of
learned and pious Mullahs, who
were
specially brought from Persia and Arabia, Mowlana Shah Ali Shah
had received a perfect training.
He
was so intelligent and quick at learning, that within a short
period of time, he had mastered the
oriental
languages.
During the lifetime of his father, Mowlana Shah Ali Shah had
earned the respect as a Pir (Spiritual
Man). However, his interests were not confined to religion only.
He was the President of the
Muhammadan National Association until his death, and rendered
valuable service to the Muslim
community. He was also, for some time, a member of the Bombay
Council for Making Laws and
Regulations.
With regards to his followers, he spared nothing to raise them
socially; he freely helped the
destitute Khojas and opened a school for Khoja children in
Bombay.
Mowlana Shah Ali Shah was a splendid sportsman and a skilful
rider. He had an adventurous
spirit;
when he went hunting, he never made use of shelters in
trees but always shot the tigers
standing on the
ground, with a sure and steady aim. He had bagged no less than
40 tigers in this way.
*** 79
LADY ALI SHAH
Lady Ali Shah, whose maiden name was Nawab A'lia Shamsul-Muluk,
was the daughter of
Nizamud-dowlah, the Prime Minister to Fateh Ali Shah, the
greatest of Persian Monarchs of
Kajjar dynasty. The
mother of Lady Ali Shah, Kurshid Kulah, was the daughter of King
Fateh Ali Shah by one of his
queens, named Tajud-dowlah. Lady Ali Shah was thus related to
the Persian Royal Family
through
her mother.
Nawab A'lia Shamsul-Muluk was married at Kirman to Mowlana Shah
Ali Shah in 1867 A.D. She
was
24 years old at that time. Later, she came to India with her
husband and while living in Karachi,
gave
birth to His Highness Sultan Muhammad Shah at "Honeymoon Lodge",
a charming residence on
top
of a hillock.
Eight years after this happy event, on August 17, 1885, Lady Ali
Shah was stricken with grief at
the
death of her dear husband, Mowlana Shah Ali Shah. However, she
submitted herself to the divine
will
and devoted her life to the
education and upbringing of her young son, Mowlana Sultan
Muhammad Shah, who had inherited
vast
fortune and heavy responsibilities.
When Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah was hardly 19 years old, public
life claimed his attention.
His
inborn virtues and talents, fostered by careful training,
impressed all those who came into contact
with
him. Before long, he became the accepted leader of a vast
majority of people, and his life became
one
of constant travelling.
In 1896, Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah went to England for the
first time. After that, his
association with Western Europe increased and he continued to
remain away from India for
longer
periods of time. Lady Ali Shah, as a mother, felt the pangs of
this separation and once said to her
son,
"Death is inevitable, but if it comes to me in your absence, it
will be unendurable." Mowlana
Sultan
Muhammad Shah's reply was a remarkable one. "Do not worry", he
said, "You will breathe your
last
with your head on my lap." The words were to prove prophetic
decades after they were
uttered.
*** 80
Lady Ali Shah was a brave woman and a born leader. When her son
had to remain in Europe for
long
periods to work for his country, his community and the world in
general, Lady Ali Shah helped
the
leaders of the Jamat in their administrative duties by offering
her advice and guidance. Many a
time
she was called upon to settle problems and arguments of the
Jamat, and she did so to the
satisfaction
of all.
She was like a loving mother to the Ismailis, who sought her
guidance, inspiration and help in
times
of difficulty. People visited her every day, seeking her advice
on important domestic, business,
communal and health matters. Ismailis, not only from India, but
also fron distant parts of the
world,
came to see her. They were looked after by Lady Ali Shah at her
own expense until their affairs
were
settled. So keenly was she interested in the welfare of the
Jamat, that whenever anyone
connected with
the Jamat came to visit her, her first inquiry invariably was,
"How is the Jamat?" Good news of
the
Jamat made her happy; bad news pained her.
Lady Ali Shah had a dynamic personality. She was intensely pious
and spent most of her time in
prayer, or in discussions of holy matters. Although belonging to
the older generation and to the
old
school of thought, she was liberal in her views and adaptive in
her ways. In 1896, when the
plague
broke out in Bombay, and the orthodox public opinion was opposed
to the inoculation, she
allowed
her only son, Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah, to be injected with
the antiplague serum, as an
example to the others, thus breaking down the barriers of public
antipathy towards medical
reforms.
In 1932, she visited England. Large crowds of people came out to
see "The Mother of a Great
and
Distinguished Man". She was given audience by His Late Majesty,
King George V and Queen
Mary
in the Buckingham Palace. One of the coveted honours, the title
of the Imperial Order of the
Crown
of India, was bestowed upon her.
*** 81
The end of 1937 found her weak and frail. Reports of her
ill-health brought Prince and Princess
Aly
Khan and Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah hurrying to her bedside.
Under expert medical
treatment,
she rallied, for a while, however, and left for Mesopotamia in
January 1938. Before her
departure,
Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah had gone to Aligarh to attend the
convocation of the Muslim
University. He received a rousing reception there; however, he
ordered all the floral tributes
offered
to him to be taken immediately to his mother. Mowlana Sultan
Muhammad Shah, who had
dedicated
his book, "India in Transition" as a token of gratitude to his
mother, again paid his mother the
tribute
of a grateful son.
Lady Ali Shah travelled to Basra by sea, while Mowlana Sultan
Muhammad Shah, after fulfilling
his
many engagements, flew to Basra by plane, and made arrangements
for a comfortable landing for
his
mother, Lady Ali Shah. He then proceeded to Cairo. When Lady
Ali Shah arrived in Baghdad,
she
sent a telegram to Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah. The Imam flew
to Baghdad immediately.
On
his arrival, he found that his mother was getting worse. Two
hours later, the Grand Old Lady
breathed
her last in the lap of her son. Lady Ali Shah was buried at
Najaf, next to the tomb of her husband,
Mowlana Shah Ali Shah.
.....Photo, Enthronement ceremony of Hazrat Imam Sultan Muhammed
Shah
***82
MOWLANA SULTAN MUHAMMAD SHAH
The Third Aga Khan known as the Right Honourable Sir Sultan
Muhammed Shah, was born
at
Karachi on Friday, November 2, 1877 at Honeymoon Lodge.
He was only eight years of age when his father, Mowlana Ali Shah,
died, leaving to him the
responsibility of the Imamat. He owed much to the training he
received from his capable mother,
Lady
Ali Shah. His uncle, Aga Jangi Shah, acted as his guardian, but
it was his mother who helped the
most
to shape his character and to develop his education. It was a
pleasure for Lady Ali Shah to see
the son
towards whose development she had contributed so much, rise in
honours not just within his own
community, but throughout the world.
Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah devoted his whole life to the
betterment of the Ismaili
community
and of the Muslim community at large.
The Multi-Sided Life:
Various biographies of Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah have
described the multi-sided life he
lived.
They write of his statesmanship which led him upwards to the
Presidency of the Assembly of the
League of Nations in 1937; of his love for sport that made his
name known on the Racecourses of
the
world; of his efforts for peace between communities and between
nations; of his zeal for
education and
his share in the establishment of the Muslim University in
Aligarh; of his interest in the Muslim
League;
of his service to his own community, the Ismaili Khojas; and of
the honours that had been
conferred
upon him. We will not essay so broad an account of his
achievements, but briefly record his
Leadership
of the Ismaili community through the 72 years that he had been
the Imam.
*** 83
Ithna Ashari Khojas:
Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah succeeded to the throne of Imamat
while yet a child. It was
some
years before the Imam could assume the full responsibility. The
Council did well to hold the
community together. However, in 1901, while Mowlana Sultan
Muhammad Shah was abroad, a
group
of people withdrew from the Jamat, erected their own mosque and
made their separate burial
ground
in Bombay which they called Aram Bagh. They announced the fact
of their separation in the
newspapers and became known as Ithna Ashari Khojas. On the day
of Imam's return to Bombay,
some
of his followers attacked and killed one of the trustees of the
new mosque and wounded another.
Representatives of the seceding group placed their case before
Lord Northcote, the then
Governor of
Bombay. The Imam called his followers together and severely
condemned their violent
conduct.
Haji Bibi Case:
Haji Bibi, a widow of Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah's cousin,
along with 13 other persons,
filed
a case against the Imam, demanding a share of his property and
income. Various leaders of the
community, including Mukhi and Kamadia, gave evidence in favour
of the Imam. The case lasted
several months and at last the wise and learned judge, Justice
Russell, gave the following
judgement:
"Whatever offerings are made to His Highness the Aga Khan by his
followers in the form of
religious
dues or gifts, belong to His Highness the Aga Khan. He is the
sole master of such income, as well
as
of all the properties of the community. I have found enough
proof which has convinced me to
give this
judgement. I declare the case in favour of the defendant,
ordering the plaintiffs to pay all the
expenses
of the case."
The Jubilees:
The Ismailis have had three special opportunities to manifest
their love for their Imam; first at his
Golden Jubilee, then at his Diamond Jubilee, and lastly at his
Platinum Jubilee. On the first
occasion,
he was weighed against gold in Bombay, and later in Nairobi.
Ismailis pride themselves over the
fact
that although weighing a person against gold is not something
new, Sultan Muhammad Shah was
the
first person to have been weighed twice in this way. They take
more pride in the knowledge that
never
before had anybody been weighed against diamonds, or platinum.
....... Photos
Jubilee celebrations of Hazrat Mowlana Sultan Mohammed Shah
*** 84
As early as in January 1943, the Aga Khan Legion had 40,000
members on its roll and had
collected
20 lakh (one lakh = 100,000) rupees to purchase diamonds. On
March 10, 1946, the remarkable
ceremony was performed in Bombay. The Imam is said to have
weighed 243.5 pounds; the value
of
the diamonds has been given as approximately 2 million dollars.
The ceremony was repeated in
Dar
es Salaam in August 1946. Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah was
weighed against Platinum in
Karachi, Pakistan on February 17, 1954.
Sincere Devotion of the Ismailis:
While there was pomp and pageantry in these celebrations, there
was much more than just that;
there
was evidence of the deep affection and sincere devotion of the
Ismailis for their Imam. The Imam
had
filled a unique place in their lives; he had thought and planned
for the improvement of their lot; he
had
used large sums of his own property for their upliftment and
betterment. The delight the Ismailis
felt
at seeing their Spiritual Leader was incomparable. They showed
extraordinary devotion and
genuine
affection towards their revered leader, and displayed wonderful
discipline.
The Family:
In 1898, Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah married his cousin Shahzadi
Begum, the daughter of
his
uncle Aga Jangi Shah. In 1908, he married Theresa Magliano, an
Italian artist, whose works of
art had
been exhibited in the Royal Academy of several different
countries. She had two sons, one of
whom,
called Mahdi,died as an infant. The second was Prince Aly Khan.
Princess Theresa died in 1926.
In
1929, Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah married Mademoiselle Andree
Carron, to whom a son
was
born at Paris on January 17,1933, who bears the name Prince
Sadrud-Din. The Begum Aga Khan
took
keen interest in her husband's work; she accompanied him on his
tours and organized social and
welfare
activities for Ismaili women. This marriage was later dissolved
at their mutual request. In
October
1944, Mowlana Sultan Muhammad shah married Mademoiselle Yvette
Labrousse of Cannes, who
had
previously converted to Islam and had taken the Muslim name of
Umme-Habiba. The wedding
took
place in Switzerland.
*** 85
Prince Aly Soloman Khan:
Prince Aly S. Khan was born at Turin in Italy on June 13, 1910.
Most of his childhood was spent
in
Europe with his mother. Later years of his life were divided
between England and the Continent.
He
was tutored by Mr. C.W. Waddington, once Principal of the Mayo
College in India. He was
accomplished in horsemanship, yachting, motoring and aviation.
In May 1936, he married the Honourable Mrs. Noel Guiness. She
took keen interest in Islamic
literature and in the affairs of the Ismaili community. She had
two sons, Prince Karim, the present
Imam, and Prince Amyn Muhammad.
Among Ismailis, Prince Aly was known as His Serene Highness
Prince Aly Khan. During last
years
of his life, he toured among the followers of his father and won
his way into the hearts of the
people.
His wife, Princess Tajuddowlah Aly Khan took special interest in
the education and general
welfare
work of the community.
Prince Aly Khan was in active service during the war years,
rising to the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel.
It pleased Prince Aly Khan very much if his father's followers
took an active part in the religious
affairs.
He once said, "A man without religious education is like a dry
tree doomed to destruction."
Prince Karim:
The annual birthday celebration of Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah
was a joint celebration of
Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah's and Prince Aly Khan's birthdays.
In 1943, Mowlana Sultan
Muhammad Shah ordered the joint celebration to include "one
grandson, Prince Karim only".
Therefore, when Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah passed away from
this world on July 11,
1957, he
was succeeded to the Imamat by his grandson, Prince Karim, the
present Imam.
.....Photos
Hazar Imam's family
Masnadnashini, Karachi, 1958
Graduation from Harvard,1959
5th IMAM
MOWLANA JA'FAR AS-SADI
|
___________________|____________________
| |
| |
6th IMAM ISMAIL 7th IMAM MUSA AL KAZIM
(Ismailis) |
| 8th IMAM ALI BIN MUSA
| |
7th IMAM 9th IMAM MUHAMMED TAQI
MUHAMMAD BIN ISMAIL |
| 10th IMAM ALI NAQI
| |
| 11th IMAM HASAN ASGARI
| |
| 12th IMAM MUHAMMED MEHDI
| |
| (Ithna Asharis - Twelvers)
|
49th IMAM
SHAH KARIM AL-HUSAYNI
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The Heritage Society Presents... | Back to Heritage F.I.E.L.D |
HOLY GINAN
EJI UTTAR KHANDMANHE SHAHNI JOT JAGEVA
SHAHNA PURAKH MILE PAR KETA
EJI PARNE PRUTHVINO MOWLA KAYAM SAMI
SHAHNA LAGAN MAHADAN LEVA
EJI BHANE PIR SADARDEEN SUNO GATIYU(N) MOMANO
SHAH SU(N) RAKHO HET HARIYALA
MEANING
THE "LIGHT OF IMAMAT" WILL BE ILLUMINATED IN THE NORTHERN CONTINENT, THE BRAVE MOMINS OF THE IMAM WILL GET TOGETHER ON THAT EVENT AND (DO YOU KNOW) WHAT TYPE OF ASSEMBLY THAT WILL BE?
THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY OF THE RULER OF THE WORLD, OF THE ETERNAL
MASTER, WILL TAKE PLACE, IT WILL BE THE "SPIRITUAL UNION OF THE GREAT DAY".
PIR SADARDEEN PROCLAIMS: LISTEN O MEMBERS OF THE JAMAT! YOU MAINTAIN YOUR LOVE EVERGREEN WITH HAZAR IMAM.
photos
1. IPS Dare-es-salaam
2. The Institute of ismaili Studies, London.
3. Jami' - ul - Hakim, Cairo.
...... E N D ......