Re: Ismaili religious beliefs
The Ismāʿīlī (Urdu: اسماعیلی Ismāʿīlī, Arabic: الإسماعيليون al-Ismāʿīliyyūn; Persian: اسماعیلیان Esmāʿīliyān) branch of Islam is the second largest part of the Shī’a community, after the Twelvers (Ithnāʿashariyya). The Ismaili get their name from their acceptance of Ismail bin Jafar as the divinely appointed spiritual successor (Imam) to Jafar al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelvers, who accept Musa al-Kazim, younger brother of Ismail, as the true Imam. The Ismaili and the Twelvers both accept the same initial Imams from the descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima Zahra and therefore share much of their early history.
Tracing its earliest theology to the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, Ismailism rose at one point to become the largest branch of the Shia religion, and climaxed as a political power with the Fatimid Empire in the tenth through twelfth centuries.[1]
After the passing away – or occultation (according to Sevener Ismailis) - of Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail in the 8th century CE, the teachings of Ismailism further transformed into the belief system as it is known today, with an explicit concentration on the deeper, esoteric meaning (batin) of the Islamic religion. With the eventual development of Twelverism into the more literalistic (zahir) oriented Akhbari and later Usooli schools of thought, Shiasm developed into two separate directions: the metaphorical Ismaili group focusing on the mystical nature of the Imams and the mystical path to Allah, and the more literalistic Twelver group focusing on divine law (sharia) and the deeds and sayings (sunnah) of Muhammad and his successors (Ahl al-Bayt).[2]
Though there are several sub-groupings within the Ismailis, the term in today’s vernacular generally refers to the Nizari community, who are followers of the Aga Khan and the largest group among the Ismailis. While many of the branches have extremely differing exterior practices, much of the spiritual theology has remained the same since the days of the faith’s early Imams. The Ismaili are found in India, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia[3], Yemen, China[4], Jordan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, East Africa and South Africa, but have in recent years emigrated to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America.[5]
Beliefs
Concepts
View on the Qur’an
Main article: Esoteric interpretation of the Qur’an
The Ismailis understand the Qur’an to have several layers of meaning, but generally divide those types of meanings into two: the exterior (zahir) meaning and the interior (batin) meaning. While a believer can understand the batin meaning to some extent, the Imam alone has the complete understanding of the Qur’an and it is to him alone to interpret it according to the times.
The Ginans
Main article: Ginans
The Ginans are Nizari Ismaili religious texts. They are written in the form of poetry by Pirs to interpret the meanings of Qur’anic ayat into the languages of the Indian subcontinent, especially Gujarati and Urdu. In comparison to Ginans, Ismailis of other origins, such as Persians and Arabs have Qasidas (قصيدة) written by Dai’s داعي (جمع دعاة)ـ.
Reincarnation
Main article: Reincarnation (Ismailism)
The belief in reincarnation in the Satpanth tradition of Nizari Ismailism is attested to in the Ginans and Ismailis perform chantas monthly, which is done for the forgiveness of the sins committed in the last month but only those sins which are committed unintentionally; and strictly not for the forgiveness for sins committed in past lives. The system of the four Yugas viz. Sat, Treta, Dwapar and Kali is a Hindu belief. Descriptions of each yuga are codified in the various Puranas, a set of holy books of Hinduism. However, it must be mentioned that the Ginans of Nizari Ismailism do not assert the doctrine of rebirth, but rather, invoke the doctrine in their attempts to teach the message of Ismailism to the people of India.
Reincarnation also exists in the Druze branch of Ismailism. The Druze believe that only the members of their community will be reincarnated as humans in the form of future descendants. It is also known that Druze believe in five cosmic principles, represented by the five colored Druze star: intelligence/reason (green), soul (red), word (yellow), precedent (blue), and immanence (white). These virtues take the shape of five different spirits which, until recently, have been continuously reincarnated on Earth as prophets and philosophers including Adam, the ancient Greek mathematician and astronomer Pythagoras, and the ancient Pharaoh of Egypt Akhenaten, and many others. The Druze believe that, in every time period, these five principles were personified in five different people who came down together to Earth to teach humans the true path to God and nirvana, but that with them came five other individuals who would lead people away from the right path into “darkness”.
Panentheism
Main article: Panentheism (Ismailism)
With the exception of the Mustaali Ismailis, most Ismaili believe in panentheism, meaning God is both reality and transcendent of it. While the figure of the Godhead is beyond this universe, the Godhead has created reality, which is God itself. All living beings exist in this reality, however reality in its entirety is invested in the form of the Imam.
Numerology
Main article: Numerology (Ismailism)
Ismailis believes that numbers have religious meanings. The number seven plays a general role in the theology of the Ismā’īliyya, including mystical speculations that there are seven heavens, seven continents, seven orifices in the skull, seven days in a week, seven prophets, and so forth.
Imamate
Main article: Imamah (Shi’a Ismaili doctrine)
In Ismailism, the Imam is seen through the Qur’anic phrase, “The Face of Allah.” It is through the Imam that the individual believer can truly know the light of Allah, and hence he is their one true desire in this world. [22]
Old Ismaili doctrine holds that divine revelation had been given in six periods (daur) entrusted to six prophets, who they also call Natiq (Speaker), who were commissioned to preach a religion of law to their respective communities.
Whereas the Natiq was concerned with the rites and outward shape of religion, the inner meaning is entrusted to a Wasi (Representative). The Wasi would know the secret meaning of all rites and rules and would reveal them to a small circles of initiates.
The Natiq and the Wasi are in turn succeeded by a line of seven Imams, who would guard what they received. The seventh and last Imam in any period would in turn be the Natiq of the next period. The last Imam of the sixth period however would not bring about a new religion of law but supersede all previous religions, abrogate the law and introduce din Adama al-awwal (“the original religion of Adam”) practised by Adam and the Angels in paradise before the fall, which would be without cult or law but consist merely in all creatures praising the creator and recognizing his unity. This final stage was called Qiyamah.[23]
Pir and Dawah
Main article: Da’i al-Mutlaq
Just as the Imam is seen as the Face of Allah, from which his light shines through, the guide to that light is known as the Dai. During the period between the Imamates of Muhammad ibn Ismail and al-Madhi Billah, the relationship between the teacher and the student became a sacred one, and the Dai became a position much beyond a normal missionary. The Dai passed on the sacred and hidden knowledge of the Imam to the student who could then use that information to ascend to higher levels. First the student loved the Dai, and from the Dai he learned to love the Imam, and by learning to love the Imam he learned to love Allah. In Nizari Ismailism, the head Dai is called the Pir. [14].
Zahir
Main article: Zahir (Islam)
In Ismailism, things have an exterior meaning, what is apparent. This is called zahir.
Batini
Main article: Batin (Islam)
In Ismailism, things have an interior meaning that is reserved for a special few who are in tune with the Imam, or are the Imam himself. This is called batin.
Aql
Main article: Aql (Shiasm)
As with other Shias, Ismailis believe that the souls of the Prophets and the Imams are derived from the first light in the universe, the light of Aql, which in Arabic roughly translates as knowledge. It is through this knowledge that all living and non-living entities know Allah, and all of humanity is dependent and united in this light. [24]](Ismailism - Wikipedia) [20]](Ismailism - Wikipedia)
** Taqiyya**
Main article: Taqiyya
Ismailis believe in taqiyya, which means to hide one’s true religious beliefs. This has been pivotal to the survival of Ismaili groups since they have been small minorities in many countries and empires hostile to them.
** Niranjan Nirakar Swaroop**
Main article: Niranjan Nirakar Swaroop
Niranjan Nirakar Swaroop is a Sanskrit term and refers to the Satpanth idea (found in the Ginans of the Ismaili religious tradition) that the true spiritual teacher is esoteric and all-pervading, found by the Mureed when meditating upon special mantras given by the exoteric spiritual teacher (Bandagi).