In order to understand fundamental beliefs of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, let us first read the preamble of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim constitution. If you need definitions for technical terms, please refer to the glossary of terms which are accessible online.

This content which has been developed for this site focuses on the Alid tradition of a thinking and spiritual Islam. It is reflected in the following fundamental beliefs & concepts:

1. Imamat is continuous, perpetual and everlasting.
    
   
2. The Holy Imam's talim lights the murid's path to spiritual enlightenment.
    
   
3. The religious authorities recognized by the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims are: Allah, the Holy Prophets, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.), Noor Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.), the Holy Imams, the Holy Pirs, illuminated souls, Dais appointed by the Holy Imams, and Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al Hussaini Hazir Imam (please recite the holy salwat).
    
   
4. The Qur'anic ayat "And We have encompassed everything in the manifest Imam." (36:12), implies that all spiritual and intellectual subtle things of the kingdom of God can be found gathered and enfolded in the manifest Imam, provided someone recognizes himself or herself.
    
   
5. Externally Ali (Imam of the time) is a pure personality and internally a light. Externally, the Qur'ân is a glorious heavenly Book and internally (in the Prophet and the Imam) it is a light. This shows that externally Ali and Qur'ân are separate from each other, but internally they are not only together, they are one light.

Approach

SalmanSpiritual.com is committed to deliver a clear and direct message of Imamat to the readers. Therefore, excerpts from the religious authorities recognized by the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims have been used to propagate the message. Personal opinion is minimized and guidance from the authorities of the faith is maximized. Full citations are given for all the resources used on the website.

I personally believe that a person who practises his/her faith with conviction, acquires knowledge though formal or continuing education, and is blessed with inspired knowledge (ilm-u laduni) will achieve salvation, enlightenment and eternal existence. It is extremely important to be well grounded in knowledge because path towards enlightenment requires knowledge and practice.

Some people have asked me how to navigate the SalmanSpiritual.com web site? I have taken time to review the resources and organize them sequentially in order to provide the reader with a curriculum. If you would like to learn more about the faith, please visit the page which lists the curriculum for the Path of Enlightenment. The content of the curriculum has been developed from the resources which are listed below.

Partial Annotated Bibliography

My language skills are limited to English and rudimentary Gujarati, therefore I have relied on the English translations of major works for developing the content of my website. The annotations for major works used are presented below:

1. The Holy Quran. Translation and commentary by A. Yusuf Ali. Second edition published in 1977. This book contains the text and the translation of the Holy Qur'an with commentary. I also obtained the electronic version of the English translation and have developed search tools for this resource. This enables me to conduct key word search for this resource on my website, SalmanSpiritual.com, via the internet.
    
   
2. The Holy Qur-'aan. Transliteration in Roman Script by M. A. Haleem Eliasii with original 'Arabic Text' and English translation by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall. Obtained through Iqbal Book Depot. This three column Qur'an allowed me to publish transliterations of Qur'an Surahs and Ayats on my website. I also obtained the electronic version of the English translation and have developed search tools for this resource. This enables me to conduct key word search for this resource on my website, SalmanSpiritual.com, via the internet.
    
   
3. The Holy Qur'an with English translation of the Arabic text and commentary according to the version of the Holy Ahlul-Bait. Translated by S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali. Second edition 1995. This book also has special notes from Ayatullah Agha Haji Mirza Mahdi Pooya Yazdi on the philosophic aspects of some of the verses.
    
   
4. A Concordance of the Holy Qur'an. Hanna E. Kassis. Published in 1983. This resource allowed to obtain translations of root words and associated references.
    
   
5. A Thousand Wisdoms. An Encyclopaedia of Ta'wil (Hazar Hikmat) by Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai. Translated from Urdu into English by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai. Published in 1996. This book contains 1000 ta'wils (wisdoms) and is organized by key words with meaning and wisdom. I have made an extensive use of this book.
    
   
6. Mishkat al-Masabih, Volumes 1 and 2. James Robson. I used the reprinted 1990 version and searched for various hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.)

7. Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and Sayings of Hazrat Ali. Translated by Syed Mohammed Askari Jafery. Second American Edition, published in 1981. I have made an extensive use of this book.
    
   
8. Kalame Mowla. Teachings of the first Imam, Commander of Believers, Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.). Gujrati text transliterated into Roman text by myself. Published in 1975 by the H. H. The Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismailia Association for the United Kingdom. I have made extensive use of this transliteration and have augmented it with the translation of Alwaez Rai Shamshudin Bandali Haji. There are 23 chapters and 327 verses on topics which cover ethics, and practices for spiritual elevation and enlightenment in this book. This resource is used extensively used by Ismailis who originated from the Indo-Pak subcontinent and who now reside in many countries such as India, Pakistan, East Africa, Europe, Canada, USA and Australia.

9. Selections from Qazi Noaman's Kitab-ul-Himma fi Adabi Ataba-el-a'emma or Code of Conduct for the Followers of Imam. Translated into English by Jawad Muscati and A. Moulvi. Published in 1950 by The Shia Imami Ismailia Association for Africa. This book has 25 Chapters which was ethical and spiritual guidance for the followers of the Imam.

10. Six Chapters or Shish Fasl by Nasir-i Khusraw. Persian text, edited and translated by W. Ivanow in 1948. This is a very simplified book compared to other prose of Nasir-i Khusraw and contains 6 chapters: (1) Recognition of the Oneness of God; (2) On the Word of God, be He glorified and All-High; (3)Universal Soul (Nafs-I Kull) and its Position and Activity; (4) Creation of Human Soul in the Material World; (5) The Necessity of Natiq, Asas and the Imam; (6) Reward and Punishment After Death. Pir Nasir- Khusraw spent 7 years in Egypt in the time of Imam Moiz and then back to Central Asia. He is responsible for converting a large number of people into Ismailism. The Central Asian Jamat draws its traditions from Nasir-i Khusraw. His mission was conducted during the Fatimid period but his literature was in Persian and is being used in Central Asia and China.

According to Aziz Esmail and Azim Nanji, Ismaili Pirs from Iran arrived in Northern India in the 13th/14th century, and engaged in preaching on a substantial scale. The Pirs started their work in Punjab, Sindh and Kashmir and spread southwards. The important Pirs in the Ismaili tradition are Pir Shams, Pir Sadr-al-Din and Pir Hasan Kabir-al-Din and a new community known as Khoja, from the term Khwaja, came into existence.

According to Farhad Daftary, the preaching (da'wa) carried out by the pirs was embodied in the community's indigenous religious literature called ginan. The word ginan is derived from the jnana, a Sanskrit word generally defined to mean contemplative or meditative knowledge. The authorship of ginans is attributed to various Pirs and continued from 13th to the early decades of the present century. They amount to a total of 800 separate compositions of different lengths.

Ginans contain moral and religious instructions, mystical poems and legendary histories of the pirs. These ginans constitute an important source of literature for Ismailis in India, Pakistan and East Africa. As the Ismailis from these countries have now settled in Europe, Canada and the USA, the ginan tradition is still alive in the Ismaili communities residing in these countries.

The status of the Pirs has been described in following excerpts of 'Pandiyat-I Jawanmardi' (Advices of Manliness) of Imam Shah Mustansir bi'l-laah II:

"The pir is the person to whom the Imam of the time has granted his position, which makes him the highest amongst the creations (ashraf-i makhluqat). And whenever he (i.e. the Imam) has chosen the pir, and appointed him, he (the pir) must convey to others the knowledge in detail (ma'rifat-ra ba-tafsil bi-guyad). You must attain perfection in knowledge of the Imam through him. But if he (i.e. the Imam) has not appointed a pir, you must come to know some person amongst the learned (sahiban-i ilm) whom he (i.e. the Imam) has commissioned to guide and to preach to people (ba-dalalat wa da'wat) so that you may attain through the guidance and preaching of such a person (irshad wa da'wat) the recognition of the Imam (ma'rifat-i Imam). Thus you will not remain in wretchedness, attaining through the illumination of his knowledge (rawshana'i-y-i ilm-i u) the recognition of the Imam. And whenever there is a pir, the teachers will take up preaching (da'wat), by his permission, remaining under his control and order." (page 26)

Holy Ginans are sacred and illuminate the path to enlightenment and salvation. The Pirs were illuminated by the Light of the Holy Imam and were then inspired to write the Holy Ginans.

11. Anant Akhado of Pir Hasan Kabirdin. I transliterated this work of 500 verses from Gujrati to Roman script in 1994. Pir Hasan Kabirdin (r.a.) was one of the five sons of Pir Sadardin (r.a.) and was born on 22nd Shaban, 742 A.H. in Unchh Sharif. At a very young age, he developed an intense yearning for the didar of the Mowlana Islamshah (a.s.) and wanted to accompany his father, Pir Sadardin (r.a.), for the zaheri didar of the Holy Imam in Iran. His father told him that it would be difficult for a person of his age to take on such a long journey. Pir Hasan Kabirdin's (r.a.) feelings were hurt and he started to pray intensely. He wrote 500 verses of ginan (Ana(n)t Akhâdo) on a piece of cloth over a period of 6 months and 6 days and shaped it in a form of a turban (verse 48). Later, he travelled to Iran and presented the turban to the Holy Imam. Imam Islamshah (a.s.) accepted the turban and bestowed the status of Pir on this humble soul (verse 49-50). He was given the responsibility of giving spiritual salvation to millions of souls.

    Ana(n)t Akhâdo is one of the famous works of Pir Hasan Kabirdin (r.a.). In it, he describes the importance of reciting D'ua (verses 252-254), submitting tithe (Dasond page 70) and performing supplications (venti, page 65). He has advised us to acquire knowledge and perform Divine remembrance (zikr, verse 315), perform giryah-u zâri (supplications) and bandagi (luminous prayers at luminous time), participate in Tariqah practices and submit dasond through which one can become a true momin and achieve the didar of the Holy Imam (verse 315). He has described that each person will have an astral body (nurâni kâyâ) in paradise (verse 463) and will be rewarded according to the deeds done in this world. He will intercede for his followers on the Day of Judgement.

    The whole transliteration and translation of Anant Akhâdo is available online at SalmanSpiritual.com. The translations were obtained from the Ismail Heritage Library website. I have also developed search utilities which are freely accessible through the internet.

12. Anant Naa Nav Chhuga of Pir Hasan Kabirdin. Pir Hasan Kabirdin (rahemutullah alayhi) yearned for the didar of the Holy Imam and used to perform giryah-u zari (supplications). Anant Naa Naav Chhuga consists of 9 chapters each with 10 verses of pure supplications. I have transliterated this work in 1994 to learn the art of giryah-u zari through the Holy Ginans.

    Giryah-u zâri means to weep or cry in the presence of God to demonstrate humility with remorse for one's excusable and mortal sins and to beg for pardon, forgiveness, guidance and mercy from the Divine Court. It is a correct practical form of repenting from all kinds of sin and is a foundation for righteousness (taqwâ) and humility, and is the best control of pride and arrogance. This great Pir has left us this legacy for spiritual upliftment, enlightenment and salvation.

    The whole transliteration and translation of Anant Naa Naav Chhuga is available online at SalmanSpiritual.com. The translations were obtained from the Ismail Heritage Library website. I have also developed search utilities which are freely accessible through the internet.

13. Moti Venti of Pir Hasan Kabirdin. In this work of 50 verses, the Lord is symbolized as a husband (nar) and the Pir is symbolized as a spiritual wife (nari). All other souls are symbolized as children. Therefore, the Pir becomes the entity which nurtures and educates the Jamat, and prepares them to come closer to the Holy Imam. The sheer responsibility of being a mother was (is) a great burden, therefore after performing intense giryah-u zari and bandagi, the Pir begs the Holy Imam to grant salvation to countless millions of souls. I also transliterated this work in 1994 to learn more about the art of giryah-u zari through the Holy Ginans.

    The whole transliteration and translation of Moti Venti is available online at SalmanSpiritual.com. The translations were obtained from Alwaez Vazir Kassamali M. Jaffer. I have also developed search utilities which are freely accessible through the internet.

14. Selection of 30 Holy Ginans for Spiritual Upliftment During Holy Ramadan. The intention (niyat) and motivation for this 30-day project in 2004 was to increase the intensity of prayers during the month of Ramadan. For this purpose, 30 Holy Ginans were selected for recitation from the two publications of Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Board (ITREB) for Canada, Ginan-e-Sharif, Vol. 1 & 2. These were recited by congregations in Edmonton. Literal translations were provided on SalmanSpiritual.com website. I studied the Holy Ginans from two volumes and selected 30 for the month of Ramadan. The objective of this program was to use the ginans for spiritual elevation and enlightenment.

15. 'Pandiyat-I Jawanmardi' (Advices of Manliness) of Imam Shah Mustansir bi'l-laah. Edited in the original Persian and translated into English by W. Ivanow. Published by the Ismaili Society Series A No. 6 in 1946?. The work is a collection of instructive religious and moral advices and maxims of Imam Mustansir bi'l-laah II for his followers. The aim of the book is to provide milestones which would encourage the followers to continually improve the quality and quantity of their good deeds and strengthen his faith. There are several pages of content on spiritual advancement and luminosity.

16. The True Meaning of Religion (Risala dar Haqiqat-I Din) by Pir Shihabu'd-din Shah Al-Husayni. Translated from Persian into English by W. Ivanow and published in 1933 by the Ismaili Society, reprinted in 1970 by the Shia Imami Ismailia Association for Tanzania. Ivanow describes the book as follows: "The present short treatise on the spirit of the fundamental principles of Ismailism forms a useful introduction to the study of the Ismaili doctrine in general, and especially as it developed in the Nizari school of the sect. It was intended by its author to reach everybody, the learned as well as the people of no great education, and therefore all technicalities or abstract and difficult theories have been carefully avoided. The author shows on many occasions a deep insight into the nature of religious life of the human soul, and here and there lays open the most hidden psychological springs of movement, in fact more than many works extant do."

17. The Memoirs of Aga Khan by Aga Khan III. Published in 1954. The chapter VIII of this book is titled 'The Islamic Concept and My Role as Imam' clearly describes the origins of man's religious aspirations and tracks the path from primitive man till the present. The concepts of continuous creation, monorealism and the proclamation of the presence of soul in all existence are revolutionary and form a foundation to link science and religion. The mechanisms of advancing the soul are presented and concept of subject merging into the object are presented.

One of the greatest contributions from Northern Areas of Pakistan is the voluminous work of Distinguished Professor Allamah Nasir al-Din "Nasir' Hunzai (D. Litt, Rutherford University). He speaks nine languages: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Shina, Burushaski, Chitrali, Punjabi and English. He has translated some difficult works from Persian to Urdu. He has written extensively in Urdu and Burushaski, and has fewer publications in Persian and Turkish. 'Allamah Sahib's literature has been translated into several languages. Dr. Faquir M. Hunza'i, Mrs. Rashida Noormohamed-Hunza'i, Ms. Zain Rahim Qasim, Mr. Khan Muhammad and Mr. Gulam Abbas have collectively translated 43 works into English. One of 'Allamah Sahib's major works, Qur'ani 'Ilaj, have been translated into French by 'Abdur Rahman Rener and a booklet, Sixty Questions, has been translated into Swedish by Svensk Oversattning and Amina Punja. Mr. Habib Rajan has translated 25 works into Gujrati.

The full impact of his literature has not been felt because a large body of literature still has to be translated in accessible languages, especially English and is not widely distributed.

18. Qur'ânic Healing (Qur'ani Ilâj): The second edition of this book is a volume of 168 pages containing two radio interviews, preface, twenty-six articles, an appendix and a book review. 'Allamah Sahib's model of human well being includes soundness of body, soul and intellect. Therefore, in order to be fully protected, one has take care of the physical body but pay more attention to the internal (spiritual, ethical, ideological and intellectual) diseases because these internal diseases are subtle and dangerous. The first ten articles explain the principles of Qur'anic healing through piety, voice and Divine remembrance. The most intriguing chapter is 'Man in the World - World in the Man' in which 'Allamah Sahib shows that each human is finite in the physical sphere but is potentially infinite in the spiritual and intellectual worlds because the whole universe in a subtle form is hidden in him. He defines spiritual science and its applications in articles 11 through 18. The last 7 articles describe methods to activate the universe within oneself.

19. Spiritual Healing (Ruhâni Ilâj): This book is a volume of 108 pages containing a preface and twenty-three articles on the topics of healing the soul. The first article shows that the Qur'an is a spirit and not just a written book. The second article shows that Divine remembrance leads to the satisfaction of heart and is a cure for all kinds on internal diseases such as false fear, inferiority complex, sadness, vanity, ignorance, pride, laziness and mental confusion. There are three articles on dreams. 'Allamah Sahib shows that dreams are indicators of the state of soul and can be improved through Divine remembrance. There are two articles which list prayers from the Holy Quran and their impact on the development of soul. There are several articles dealing on Personal World and its development through the cycle of renewal, minor resurrection, and heavenly love. The role of Izra'il, the angel of death and resurrection, is described in the article 'Izra'ili Wisdom' and is a continuation of the article 'Germs and power of 'Izra'il' from Qur'anic Healing. An article titled 'Perfect Man' describes the status of Prophets and chosen and special friends of God and their role in guiding humanity. This book also contains information on the world of subtle particles (soul) and the relationship between the 'Lower I' of human beings with the 'Higher I'.

20. Healing Through Knowledge (Ilmi Ilâj): This book is a volume of 161 pages containing a preface and thirty-two articles on the topics of healing such as curing bad dreams, anger, insinuation and incubus. Different cures through hunger, rapid Divine remembrance, goodwill and supplication are described. Other articles describe the concept of death before death, Qur'anic wonders and marvels, and the path of Prophets and spiritual health. The last article describes luminous time and luminous prayer, and their impact on the development of the personal world.

Dr. Noorallah Juma
Copyright © 2000-2005 All Rights Reserved - SalmanSpiritual.Com