Dr. D.S. Merchant's Articles

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Lady Aly Shah "Shamsul Mulk, the daughter of Mirza Ali Muhammad Nizam ad-Dawla, the grandson of Muhammad Hussain Khan Ispahani, the Prime Minister of Shah Fateh Ali Qajar (d. 1250/1834) of Iran; was born in Ispahan. Khurshid Kulah, the mother of Shamsul Mulk was the daughter of Shah Fateh Ali through one of his queens, Tajudawla Ispahani by name. Lady Aly Shah was thus related to the Iranian royal family through her mother. Queen Tajudawla was educated under the care of Motamid ad-Dawla Abdul Wahab Khan Nishat Ispahani, an eminent scholar of her time and her daughter and grand-daughter were equally recipients of a select and high education. Kul Kamadia The Persian word karsazi means religious dues, which was collected by the authorized persons from each region in India. During the post-Alamut period, the musafir was the tithe-collector in the time of Pir Shams. In Sind, the tithe-collector was called khiyto, in Gujrat the bawa and the vakil in Kutchh. In the time of Pir Taj al-Din, two eminent brothers had embraced Ismailism, viz. Shah Kapur and Shah Nizamuddin. Shah Kapur and his descendant executed the role of collecting religious dues in India and transferred to the Imam in Iran. Later on, the ministry became known as the darga'hi, and the ra'hi was the travelling minister stationed at the dharkhana town. Ra'hi Ram Kunwer died in 1916 and with it the office of the ra'hi was abolished. Koran "The word koran is derived from the Syriac, keryana, meaning scripture reading or lesson. The average authorities however hold that the term is simply the verbal noun from kara'a means he read or recited. Its other forms are yakra'o (he recites), akra'o (I recite), nakra'o (we recite), etc. The verb kara'a occurs 17 times, and koran 70 times in the Koran. Kiya Buzrug Ummid "The word kiya means lord or ruler. Buzrug Ummid or Kiya Buzrug Ummid was the second hujjat and ruler after Hasan bin Sabbah in Alamut, who most probably was born in 455/1062 in the peasant family of Rudhbar. He passed most of his childhood in Rudhbar in cultivation of his father's land. Kiya Buzrug Ummid had been a handsome young page, whom Hasan bin Sabbah had converted before almost 480/1087. He played a leading role during the possession of Alamut in 483/1090. He was an outstanding organizer, talented da'i and an able administrator. Hasan bin Sabbah had sent him with a troop to conquer the fortress of Lamasar in 489/1095. He defeated a certain Rasmasuj and took possession of Lamasar, known as Rudhbar-i Alamut. Khums "Khums literally means one-fifth or 20%. In Islamic legal terminology, it means one-fifth of the items which a person acquires as wealth. However, there are some people who interpret the word ghanimah as whatever one acquires as spoils of war, thus confining the obligation of khums to the spoils of war only. This interpretation is based on ignorance of the Arabic language, the history of khums, the Islamic laws and of the interpretation of the Koran. Not a single sect of Islam confines the meaning of ghanimah to the spoils of war. Khojki Khojki, Khwaja Sindhi, Chali Akhari or Khwajki Sindhi Surat Khat is a traditional script of the Ismailis of Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. It was originated most probably in Sind, then it spread in other parts of India. It is also said that it was an earliest script for writing Sindhi. The Indian tradition has it that it was invented by Pir Sadruddin (1300-1416), who mostly converted the Hindu Lohana caste. Meaning of Khoja "The new converts during the operation of the Ismaili mission in India became known as the khoja - a title firstly came to be originated during the time of Pir Satgur. Syed Imam Shah (d. 926/1520) describes in his Moman Chetamani (no. 198-199) that, "Pir Satgur Nur had converted them, and consigned a path to be protected. He made them Khojas after conversion, and gave the essence of the path. The Satpanth started since then with a practice of tithe." Thus, it is not difficult to determine with exactitude that the term khoja came to be known before the period of Pir Shams. Google Page Rank Button In order to add this free page rank checker tool to your web site and give your visitors the way to check the ranking of any pages, just copy the following HTML code and put it into your HTML document where you want the page rank button to appear of your website. Enter the URL of any website or web page to get its Google Page Rank. Remember, "www.domain.com" and "domain.com" may have different results. Msn, Yahoo, Google Bots Last Visit The bots service allows you to check when a search engine bot has crawl your website, and how many pages they have indexed, Yahoo, Msn, Google and etc. The major search engines which index your website, and update the content for surfers to get more about your website. We have developed a service which helps you indicate your website stats. Yahoo, Google, Msn Bots Last Visit The bots service allows you to check when a search engine bot has crawl your website, and how many pages they have indexed, Yahoo, Msn, Google and etc. The major search engines which index your website, and update the content for surfers to get more about your website. We have developed a service which helps you indicate your website stats. Star Rating Star Rating , a nice rating system, only you have to choose a style and the code generate by our free tool service, just copy the code and use it anywhere in your website where you want to setup rating system. 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To prevent a spam you need to wait a time to send a new ping. Google Adsense Banned Check We update top sites, all sites running the services in your site are listed here, please check and contact us if your site is not listed. Google/Adsense Banned Check: Through this service you can verify the domain either its banned from Google search and Google adsense. Free Internet Marketing Tool In earlier ages of internet, when the requirement of connecting peoples and market on a point which give birth to world wide website also known as website, with it search engines bring new concepts of marketing with it. Those days till now peoples and subscribers search queries through internet search engine provided by Giant companies, such as Google, Yahoo, Msn, Aol etc. these logic made for visitors and a general internet user, beyond these search engine built there policies to get the best results for the end user, like a webmaster has to work on Search Engine Optimization, keyword marketing, link exchange, back links, directory submission etc. etc. but there was no tool to find, when the Search Engine has indexed your website, and at what point or what level of your site is. Khak-i-Shafa The Persian word khak-i shafa means healing clay. The burial of the dead bodies in Karbala or Najaf, and the use of Karbala clay in holy water once held a firm dominance in the Ismaili community in Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. Karbala was considered a sacred place for burial, where the rich class sent dead bodies of their relatives for interment. The dead body used to be kept in the Jamatkhana for some time and transported to Karbala via Baghdad. None spoke anything wrong against this practice, because Imam Hasan Ali I (1660-1694), Imam Abul Hasan Ali (1730-1792) and Imam Khalilullah Ali II (1792-1817) were also buried in Najaf, excepting Imam Hasan Ali Shah (1817-1881), who lies buried in Bombay. When Imam Hasan Ali Shah was buried in Bombay, an average Ismailis seem to have realized that there was no necessity to sanctify a particular place. It procured maximum impact after 1881. When Imam Aga Ali Shah was buried in Najaf in 1885, it reacted nothing and maintained that every place is worthy for interment in Islam. Varas Ismail Gangji Period: (1788-1883) Gangji, the father of Ismail was one of the famous and dedicated social workers in Junagadh jamat. He had never gone to school, his family members called him gang i.e., unlettered, and became known as Gangji, making his original name disappeared in the records. He was however a man of middle class. His son Ismail is supposed to have been born around 1788 and his fame soon reached incredible heights as the Varas of Junagadh. Varas Ismail Gangji Period: (1788-1883) Gangji, the father of Ismail was one of the famous and dedicated social workers in Junagadh jamat. He had never gone to school, his family members called him gang i.e., unlettered, and became known as Gangji, making his original name disappeared in the records. He was however a man of middle class. His son Ismail is supposed to have been born around 1788 and his fame soon reached incredible heights as the Varas of Junagadh. Kalma The term kalma (pl. al-kalma, kalmat) means word matter, sentence or verse. The word kalma is used 26 times, al-kalma 4 times and kalmat 8 times in the Koran. In Islamic terminology it refers to the confession of faith. This testimony in the terminology of the jurists is called iman mujmal (a brief expression of faith). It is simply by bearing witness to the truth that a man enters the fold of Islam. Kalma is a solemn declaration or a testament, and when one pronounces it willfully, he undertakes a great responsibility upon himself. The kalma must rule over him for the rest of his life. His heart shall not accept anything contrary to his declaration. It is his article of faith, a criterion or a touchstone to judge good from bad and truth from falsehood. He will do what the kalma dictates to him as for the Divine writ. It will guide his direction like a rudder of the ship on the high sea of his life. Kalam e Imam e Moobin It is the collection of the different farmans of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah in Gujrati published by the Ismailia Association for India. It is divided into two volumes, the first was published in 1953, entitled Kalam-i Imam-i Moobin (388 pages), containing the farmans of September 1, 1885 to February 20, 1910. It covered almost 160 visits of the Imam in India and East African countries. Its second volume was published in 1960, entitled Kalam-i Imam-i Moobin (Part II) or Rahebari-i Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, with the farman of January 4, 1911 to January 15, 1951 in about 494 pages. Kabr (Grave) When the soul departs from the body at the moment of death, and that which is left behind is nothing but an empty shell. The mortal remains are treated with dignity, love and respect. In Islam, the disposal of the dead body and funerary rites normally include: washing the body, shrouding and prompt burial. Firstly, to preserve dignity, the eyes of the dead body should be closed, and sometimes a cloth is tied round the lower jaw to bind it up, so that the mouth does not sage open in an ugly and undignified manner. Sometimes, suitable is recommended to be placed over the abdomen, so that it does not become inflated. Straight after death the deceased's joints are loosened up if possible, which is not something that should be forced. Kaba The word kaba means it swelled or became prominent or it became high and exalted (ala wa-rtafa'a). The Kaba is a rectangular building in Mecca, almost in the center of the Masjid al-Haram, whereof the front and back walls (north-east and south-west) are each 40 feet in length, and the two side-walls 35 feet each, the height being 50 feet, the four walls running north-west, north-east, south-west and south-east. The four corners of the building are known by four different names, the north corner as al-rukn al-Iraqi (after Iraq), the south corner as al-rukn al-Yameni (after Yamen), the west corner as al-rukn al-Shami (after Syria) and the east corner as al-rukn al-Aswad (after the hajar al-aswad, the Black Stone). Sir Ibrahim Rahimtullah Period: (1862-1942) Ibrahim Rahimtullah was a son of Rahmatullah Kadar, a well-known merchant in Bombay. Sir Ibrahim Rahimtullah was born in Bombay on May, 1862 in a family having no political tradition. He took his education in Elphinstone High School. He was a diligent student and showed particular aptitude for arithmetic, algebra and geometry. His failure in the Matriculation examination in 1897 marked an end of his scholastic career, and he joined his elder brother, Muhammad Rahmatullah in business. The death of his father in 1880 was a great calamity for the young brothers, who were left without any experience in business. Ibrahim Rahimtullah chalked out a different field for himself. It was a beginning of a busy and changing age in India; and there was enough animation in the city life of Bombay. In the meantime, the All Indian National Congress came into existence in 1885, therefore, his youthful days were cast in auspicious times. Jura In Arabic, the word jura or jurrah means a gulp or as much as is swallowed, as it is said jura al-ma'a (he swallowed the water), juratan minadewa (dose of medicine), or jara ar-ma'a (made drunk little water). The Arabic word jarw or jurw also means whelp, cub, small fruit or anything little. In Persian, the word jura means equal in size or weight, draught, gulp or remains at the bottom of vessel. The word jurrah occurs once in the Koran: "He will drink it little by little (jurrah) and will not be able to swallow it agreeably" (14:17). The jura is a tabarruk (benedictory gift) among the Ismailis to be given in the Jamatkhana. Ibrahim Nathoo Period: (1905-1962) Ibrahim Nathoo was born in Nairobi on March 13, 1905. He was educated at Government Indian School, Nairobi, then in Esplanade High School, Bombay; St. Xavier’s College, Bombay; Trinity Hall, Cambridge; and Owen’s College, Victoria University, Manchester. He was a prominent freemason, holding Grand Lodge honours and District Grand Lodge Honours. Missionary Ibrahim Jusab Varteji Period: (1878-1953) Mukhi Muhammad, surnamed Bhojani was famous for his piety and generosity in Kathiawar and was the head of the Vartej village, about 5 miles from Bhavnagar on behalf of the Bhavanagar State. He was also the Mukhi of Vartej Jamatkhana and played significant role in its construction. He and his family members are also known as the Bhojani family. Imam Hasan Ali Shah had visited Bhavnagar and was highly impressed with his devoted services. His son Jusab also served the Vartej jamat and donated a piece of land to extend the premises of the Jamatkhana. Ismaili Journalism in Pakistan Al-Islam (1948) ed. by Ghulam Ali Chunara, Platinum Jubilee Review (1951) ed. by A.J. Chunara, Fidai Chronicle (Dacca, 1953) ed. M.R. Karwa. Mahrab (1954), Paigham (1955) ed. by Muhammad Ali B. Sayani, Parwaz (Dacca), Sargam (1958) ed. Kassim Ghari, Ismaili Mirror (1962), Ismaili World (1964) ed. by Sadruddin J. Hemani, Al-Qandeel (1965) from Peshawer, Al-Ismailia (1967) ed. by Noor Ali B. Mithani. Shinning Stars (1980). Phoolvadi (1980). Sevak (1989) ed. S.K. Tejani. The Ismailia Association for Pakistan also published Ismaili Bulletin (1974) and it was followed by Hidayat (1982). These were followed by the Waezeen Digest. Ismaili Journalism in France "The renowned journal, "The Ismaili France" started from Paris in 1990 and "Ismaili Contact" in Paris in 1992. Both disappeared very soon. Journalism in Middle East Journalism in Middle East: The first monthly journal, Al-Ghadir started from Beirut in 1953, edited by Mustapha Ghaleb. Making calculations, we see the one journal has martyred itself for the community once every two years. Out of all these, only the Ismaili Aftab was able to complete a span of 25 years. It would be not an exaggeration to say that the weekly Ismaili was the only shinning example of Ismaili Journalism, for having been able to complete 50 years of the existence. The weekly Ismaili ended in the year 1995 after a long span of 72 years. Presently, The Ismaili Canada, The Ismaili India, The Ismaili Africa, The Ismaili United Kingdom and The Ismaili Pakistan are being published under respective National Councils. Journalism in India Journalism in India: Ismaili Sitaro, (1908) ed. Lalji Bhai Devraj, Khoja Bandhu, Khoja Mitr (1910), Khoja Hitvardak (1910), Satpanth Prakash (1916) ed. by Lalji Bhai Devraj, Ismaili Aftab (1919), ed. by V.N. Hood, then N.M. Budhwani in Dhoraji, Ismaili Akhbar (1920), Khoja Saundariya (1920), Ismaili (1923) ed. A.J. Chunara, Satpanth Prakash, Ismaili Darpan, Ismaili Prakash, Ismaili Bhomiyo, Khoja Sansar (1924), Hindi Panch Himayati (1924) by Verteji. Khoja Reformer (1925). Khoja Vahevar (1925), Awaaj, Nizari (1925) ed. by Chunara, Mith-i Mauj, Yuwan, Fidai (1927), ed. by G.H.S. Thaver Pir Muhammed, Yuvan (1930), Dass (1930) ed. by Kader Hussain Merali Manji, ed. by Jafar Ali Mukhi Hasan. Khoja Jagrutti (1933), Vishal, Drashti (1935), Searching Light (1940), Al-Islah (1943) ed. by Chunara. Momin Bandhu (1948) ed. by Ismail Rajan, Al-Amin, Zulfikar Ismaili, Dass, Elan (1950) ed. by Badruddin Hemani, Ismaili Digest (1950), Aina (1950) ed. V.N. Hooda, Volunteer (1950) ed. by B.T. Chhatriwala, Waezeen Digest (1951), Wazir Ibrahim Suleman Haji Period: (1889- 1959) Ibrahim Suleman’s ancestors came from Kutchh, and a certain Rahim among his forefathers took his abode in Jerruk, Sind. Rahim had two sons, Haji and Merali. The son of the latter was Alidino, known as Aloo, who was present during the ascension ceremony of Imam Sultan Mohammed Shah at Bombay in 1885. The former Haji had a son, called Ghulam Hussain, also known as Ghulu or Wazir Ghulu. Since he was the breeder of the hawks, the people also called him Ghulu Ba’azwala in Jerruk. He was well-versed in Persian, therefore, Imam Hasan Ali Shah took him to Bombay in 1844 as an interpreter. He also used to translate the Persian farmans of the Imams in Indian languages. He served three Imams in India, and notably as a religious tutor of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah. Imam Hasan Ali Shah also vested him the title of Wazir. He also attended the ascension ceremony of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah in 1885, and died in 1895 at Bombay. In his letter dated 23rd May, 1953 addressed to Wazir Dr. I.S. Haji, the grandson of Wazir Ghulam Hussain Haji, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said, “Your grand-father was one of our greatest servants and he played a great part in the early years of my Imamate. It can also be said of your father that he was a great and most devoted servant.” Jihad The word jihad is derived from jahd or juhd means to strive, exert oneself or take extraordinary pains. Jihad is a verbal noun of the third Arabic form of the root jahada, which is defined classically as exerting one's utmost power, efforts, endeavours or ability in contending with an object of disapprobation. The word jihad is used 36 times in the Koran, and the derivatives of the root occur in 41 Koranic verses. Five of these contain the phrase, jahd aymanihim meaning strong oath. Count Hassan Kassim Lakha Period: (1892-1982) The renowned Lakha family traces their descent back to their forebear, named Surji. His son was Jairaj, and whose son was Manji. The son of Manji was Lalji, who had four sons, Punja, Virji, Lakha and Kalyan. They dwelt in the village, called Berberaja, about 12 miles from Jamnagar, Kutchh. Lakho, or better known as Lakha was an origin of Jamnagar, Kutchh. He was an ordinary businessman. He unfortunately lost his house during the famine in Kutchh. Reduced to extreme poverty, he wandered from village to village in search of means of subsistence. His son Kassim, who was born in 1854, also passed a destitute life. Nothing is known of his early life except that he worked in a grocery shop on daily wages. The constant famines in Kutchh had almost swept away the economical resources of the people, who began to move elsewhere to sustain their lives. Kassim, the son of Lakha migrated with few Ismailis towards East Africa. Dressed in rags, he landed in Zanzibar in 1871. He called his mother and wife, Ratan Pradhan whom he had married in 1870, just before he left India. Kursha was their first child and she was born in 1880. The family grew with the birth of Fatima, Alibhai, Hassan, Sikina, Rehmatullah and Jena. Later on, he came in Lamu in 1877 to try his fortune. He was the first among his family members to venture into the business field. Kassim Lakha was also a devoted social worker and helped the Ismailis who came from India. He died in 1926 at Kampala, Uganda. He left behind four sons, Rehmatullah, Hassan, Mohammad and Alibhai. Jawhar As-Siqalli "Jawhar as-Siqilli was born most probably between 298/911 and 300/913 in Sicily, the then island under occupation of the Byzantines. During the period of Imam al-Mansur, Jawhar was brought as a slave to Kairwan and was presented before the Imam. Realizing his potential, he was made as a personal attendant of Imam al-Mansur, and soon rose to prominence. In 341/932, Imam al-Muizz appointed him as his Katib and since then, he became known as Jawhar al-Katib. In 347/958, he was made the commander-in-chief of the Fatimid forces, and was assigned to subdue the remaining parts of the Maghrib. In 347/958, Jawhar led the Fatimid forces westwards and defeated near Tahrat, who had rebelled against the Fatimids. Hashu Tharuani Period: (1820-1915) The critical examination of the extant sources shows that the Ismailis resided in large number in the villages inside Iranian Baluchistan. It is related that a group of nomad Ismailis entered into the Indian Baluchistan and settled in the southern coast of Lasbela when Jam Ali Khan (d. 1766), one of the chief of the Aliani family of the Jamot tribe of Arab, established his power in Lasbela in 1742. He was succeeded by his eldest son Jam Ghulam Shah (d. 1776) and his younger brother, Jam Mir Khan I (d. 1818) became the third ruler. He was followed by Jam Ali Khan (d. 1830) and his son Jam Mir Khan II (d. 1888), the fifth ruler of Lasbela. When Imam Hasan Ali Shah resolved to bid farewell to his native abode in 1841, the persecution of his followers thickened in Iran. The Ismailis who inhabited Iranian Baluchistan also migrated to some other safe place to ward off the hovering distress. Some of them are reported to have harboured in the Indian Baluchistan and settled in Lasbela. In those days, the Ismaili merchants of Bhuj, Kutchh had extended their mercantile activities as far as Sonmiani, the seaport of Lasbela, where they gradually spread in the interior regions and lived with the Iranian Ismailis. Battle Of Jamal "A'isha had long hated Ali, and wished that, when the aged Uthman died, her own kinsman, Zubayr, should become caliph. When Uthman was assassinated, she was not in Medina, having gone to Mecca a few weeks previously to perform the pilgrimage. The news of Uthman's murder reached her when she was on the way back. She returned immediately to Mecca and incited the citizens against Ali. The fiery address set a match to the smouldering fire of discontent. The first to respond to A'isha's call was Abdullah bin Amur, the Uthmanid governor of Mecca. Those Umayyads who had fled from Medina after the ghastly murder of Uthman now also joined A'isha, and when Talha and Zubayr came over to A'isha, many more of the Qoraish clamoured to join in the rebellion. A'isha started march on Basra. Throwing off the veil ordained, A'isha now took command of the army. The money to equip it came from Yamen treasury, brought to Mecca by the governor whom Ali had deposed. It is however clear from the sources that in the battle between Ali and A'isha, the triumvirate was fighting for personal reason rather than for the blood of Uthman, which was a timely and convenient pretext for them. Jahiliyya The word jahiliyya means ignorance, which is taken to refer to the pre-Islamic period. It was the age of tribalism and is reckoned to cover the period of about a century before the advent of Islam. In pre-Islamic literature, and to a considerable degree in the Koran, the word from the root j-h-l means not ignorance but something like barbarism. The term jahiliyya occurs four times in the Koran (33:33, 48:26, 5:50 and 3:154). Jahiliyya The word jahiliyya means ignorance, which is taken to refer to the pre-Islamic period. It was the age of tribalism and is reckoned to cover the period of about a century before the advent of Islam. In pre-Islamic literature, and to a considerable degree in the Koran, the word from the root j-h-l means not ignorance but something like barbarism. The term jahiliyya occurs four times in the Koran (33:33, 48:26, 5:50 and 3:154). Jahannam (Hell) The word jahannam is derived from jihinnam means a deep pit, and as it is said in Arabic: bir'un jahannam'un means a well whose depth is very great. The word jahannam occurs 77 times in the Koran. Another name for hell, which bears a similar significance, but occurs only once in the Koran, is hawiya (101:9) means an abyss or a pit having no bottom, the root being hawa which means falling down to a depth from a highest and hence according to Raghib, it refers to low desires. Four names of hell are taken from the analogy of fire, viz. jahim, derived from jahm signifying the burning or blazing of fire, but this word is applied to the fury of war as well as of fire, while tajahhama, another measure from the same root means he burned with vehemence of desire or covetousness and niggardliness also he became strained in disposition, occurring 23 times in the Koran. Sa'ir is derived from sa'r means the kindling of fire, and it is metaphorically applied to the raging of war or outbreak of disease, occurring 8 times in the Koran. Su'ur is used in the sense of distress (54:24). Saqar is derived from saqara, means the heat of the sun scorched a man, occurring 4 times in the Koran. Laza means flame, and in one form talazza is metaphorically used for burning with anger, occurring only once in the Koran (92:14). Hutama is derived from hutam means the crushing or grinding of everything to powder or the breaking of a thing, also rendering infirm or weak with age, while hutama means a vehement fire, occurring twice in the same context (104:4-5). The most common description, al-nar (fire) occurs 125 times in the Koran. Besides, hell has lahab means flames (77:31), and it punishes by combustion, aza'b al-hariq (3:181). The nar hamiya (101:11) means a raging fire. Ithna Asharites "The death of Imam Jafar Sadik in 148/765 marked the beginning of the decentralization of Shi'ite religious authority. The Ithna Asharites or the Twelvers, the Shi'ite sect supported Musa Kazim as their next Imam after Imam Jafar Sadik. Musa Kazim was born in 128/745 on the road between Mecca and Medina. His mother was a Berbar slave, called Hamida. Throughout the whole of his life, Musa was faced with hostility from the Abbasids. The cause of his arrest and murder is said to have been the result of the plotting of caliph Harun ar-Rashid's vizir, Yahya bin Khalid. Thus, Musa was arrested in 177/793 in Mecca, then he was sent to Baghdad, where he was imprisoned and killed by poisoning in 183/799. It Is Through Your Light That It Has Come To Be So In Egypt, the festival of Navroz was celebrated with great pomp. It must be known that Egypt under the Fatimid remained largely a Sunni country and Ismailism won only a limited following among the population. Cairo alone housed a large Sunni population. When Imam al-Muizz found that the general Muslims took less interest publicly in the festival, he prohibited public festivities on Navroz in 363/974. Thus, the celebration first moved to the streets of Cairo, to the Azhar, and, finally, to the palace itself. These changes show in part how a popular celebration moved progressively close to the Ismaili centre of Cairo and ultimately was assimilated into the ceremonial of the court. The general population probably did not desist from its customary practices on the festival, but the ceremony that took place at court was stripped of all popular elements. Ismailis in Yamen Imam Radi Abdullah had dispatched his da'is in all directions, the most acclaimed among them was Ibn Hawshab. When the Imam found that Ibn Hawshab was groomed enough for the responsibility of its promulgation, he jointly entrusted him and his colleague, Ibn Fazal, with the task of Ismaili mission in Yamen. They conquered Sana'a, the capital of Yamen, and exiled the ruling tribe of Banu Laydir, and established Ismaili authority in Yamen. The Ismaili mission reached the apex of its influence in Yamen, from where Ibn Hawshab dispatched many da'is to the farthest corners. Thus, Yamen became a vital zone and an important hub of Ismaili dawa. Missionary Hamir Lakha Period: (1888-1963) Lakhpat was the oldest port of Kutchh, situated near Indus river. It depopulated from 15000 to 2500 in 1847 during a famine and became absolutely desolated. Hamir Lakha’s grandfather migrated from the depopulated region of Lakhpat and came in Sind, where he rendered valuable services in different villages. It is related that Bibi Mariam (1744-1832), the mother of Imam Hasan Ali Shah visited India with Mirza Abul Kassim in 1829 to resolve the internal strifes of the community in Bombay. She arrived in Karachi via Muscat, and reached Lakhpat after visiting Jerruk. The temperature of Lakhpat was so scorching that the people travelled at night on camels. It was the grandfather of Missionary Hamir Lakha, who arranged her nocturnal journey between Ramki Bazar and Lakhpat. He well cushioned the camels and made the journey of Bibi Mariam comfortable. Ramki Bazar was a small village between Sind and Kutchh in district Tharparkar, about 32 miles from Badin. It was an ancient town and a bustling commercial center where trade caravans came from all parts of India. All kinds of grains and cottage butter were brought from interior Sind and transported on camels in Bhuj, Mundra, Mandavi, etc. It appears that 250 to 300 Ismailis of Kutchh lived in this area. His grandfather had come from Lakhpat and settled in the village called Nindo, near Badin, with his 18 year old son Lakho (1829-1928). Lakho was well built and very muscular. He also held a natural command on mathematics and was competent in maintaining the accounts. Seth Rahmatullah was an Ismaili merchant in Ramki Bazar, who learnt the talent and honesty of Lakho. He employed him in his firm to maintain the accounts. Missionary Hamir Lakha Period: (1888-1963) Lakhpat was the oldest port of Kutchh, situated near Indus river. It depopulated from 15000 to 2500 in 1847 during a famine and became absolutely desolated. Hamir Lakha’s grandfather migrated from the depopulated region of Lakhpat and came in Sind, where he rendered valuable services in different villages. It is related that Bibi Mariam (1744-1832), the mother of Imam Hasan Ali Shah visited India with Mirza Abul Kassim in 1829 to resolve the internal strifes of the community in Bombay. She arrived in Karachi via Muscat, and reached Lakhpat after visiting Jerruk. The temperature of Lakhpat was so scorching that the people travelled at night on camels. It was the grandfather of Missionary Hamir Lakha, who arranged her nocturnal journey between Ramki Bazar and Lakhpat. He well cushioned the camels and made the journey of Bibi Mariam comfortable. Ramki Bazar was a small village between Sind and Kutchh in district Tharparkar, about 32 miles from Badin. It was an ancient town and a bustling commercial center where trade caravans came from all parts of India. All kinds of grains and cottage butter were brought from interior Sind and transported on camels in Bhuj, Mundra, Mandavi, etc. It appears that 250 to 300 Ismailis of Kutchh lived in this area. His grandfather had come from Lakhpat and settled in the village called Nindo, near Badin, with his 18 year old son Lakho (1829-1928). Lakho was well built and very muscular. He also held a natural command on mathematics and was competent in maintaining the accounts. Seth Rahmatullah was an Ismaili merchant in Ramki Bazar, who learnt the talent and honesty of Lakho. He employed him in his firm to maintain the accounts. Ismailis in Syria "Syria is an original homeland of the Ismailis. It is located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean sea. Iraq bound it on the east on the north by Turkey, on the west by Lebanon and the Mediterranean sea and on the south by Jordan and Israel. The Ismailis mostly flourished in Salamia, where Imam Ismail resided secretly till death in 158/775. Imam Muhammad bin Ismail also came to live in Salamia, where he died in 197/813. The Abbasids intensified operations in search of the Imam, thus Imam Wafi Ahmad went to Syria and lived in the castle of Masiyaf for some time. The Ismaili da'is in search of a new residence for their Imam came to Salamia and inspected the town and approached the owner, Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Saleh, who had transformed the town into a flourishing commercial centre. Soon afterwards, Salamia became the headquarters of Ismaili dawat. Imam Wafi Ahmad retired into solitude and died in Salamia in 212/828. Imam Taqi Muhammad is reported to have died in 225/840 in Salamia after bequeathing the office of Imamate to his son, Imam Radi Abdullah. Imam al-Mahdi lived in Salamia in a thick of insecure milieu in the cloak of a merchant and relinquished it in 286/899. Ismailis in Iran "Tradition has it that Imam Muhammad bin Ismail left Medina and went to southern Iraq, where he acquired the epithet of al-maktum (veiled one), and then at Nishapur in disguise, where he lodged for some times. Afterwards, the Imam proceeded towards Ray, about 15 miles from Tehran. Ishaq bin al-Abbas al-Farsi, the Abbasid governor of Ray professed Ismailism. Imam betrothed to Fatima, the daughter of Sarah, sister of Ishaq bin al-Abbas. When the news of Imam Muhammad bin Ismail's stay at Ray reached the ears of Harun ar-Rashid, he wrote to Ishaq bin al-Abbas, ordering to arrest the Imam and send him to Baghdad. Upon receipt of caliph's letter, he showed it to the Imam and replied to the caliph that he found no trace of the Imam, and would send as soon as he was arrested, and thus he tried to put the caliph off the scent. But the spies planted by Baghdad reported to the caliph that Imam Muhammad bin Ismail not only was living at governor's house, but that he was operating his mission from there. Upon this, the caliph wrote another letter to Ishaq bin al-Abbas, impugning him to come in person with his forces if his orders were not obeyed forthwith. The governor however made his usual reply. Meanwhile, the complaints about Ali bin Musa bin Mahan, the governor of Khorasan reached the point where Harun ar-Rashid could no longer ignore them, and adopted a militant stance. In 189/805, he marched towards Ray with a detachment of his army, and after searching for the Imam through a tracking party, ordered to arrest Ishaq bin al-Abbas. Ishaq died as a result of severe torture inflicted upon him, and was rigorously flogged till death. He did not waver and stood steadfast in spite of excruciating tortures. In spite of the gloomy situation, his faith remained unshakable. Dewan Ghulam Hussain Mohammad Jindani Naser was from Jamnagar, Kutchh and he came from a noble family. He migrated towards Zanzibar in 1851 to find a better life for his family. He had only a son, called Mohammad, who was born in Zanzibar in 1864. Mohammad Naser served the jamat devotedly in different fields. He was also noted for his generosity. When the first Ismaili Council established in 1905 at Nairobi with Varas Mohammad Rehmatullah Hemani as its President, Mohammad Naser was also appointed as one of its founder members (1905-1914). On January 15, 1912, the Imam sent him a letter from Karachi and appointed him as his Estate Manager to take care of the Imam’s estates in Zanzibar in place of Varas Saleh. He took over its charges also from Kamadia Pradhan. Ismailis in Central Asia The term "Central Asia" will include here the mountainous regions of China, Soviet Union, including Hindukush, Pamir, Yarkand, Wakhan, Oxus, Shagnan, Gilgit, Hunza and Chitral. During the period of Imam al-Mustansir billah, Nasir Khusaro was designated as a hujjat of Khorasan and Badakhshan. He came from Khorasan and launched mass conversion in Central Asia. When public pressure against him escalated, he found refuge in Yamghan, in the court of Ali bin al-Asad, an intellectual Ismaili prince in the mountainous region of Badakhshan. Thus Yamghan became synonymous with prison, where he died. Wazir Ghulam Hussain Mohammad Ali Dharas Devji, the son of Lalji was a native of Junagadh, India. He was an eminent wool merchant, having immense devotion in social services. According to the available information, Devji is said to have joined the Ismaili caravan in Bhuj, Kutchh headed by a certain Dharamsi Punjuani which was bound for Iran for the didar of Imam Shah Khalilullah (1792-1817) in Yazd at the beginning of 1817. They started from the port of Mandavi, Kutchh and boarded for Muscat and landed at Port Abbas, and reached Yazd on camels. Yazd is situated between Isfahan and Kirman on the route leading to Baluchistan. Ismailis in Afghanistan The word Afghanistan means the land of the Afghans and the word afghan (awghan or aoghan) means the mountaineers. The oldest Indian literature refers it as Balhekdes. The Persians called it as Zablistan and Kabalistan. To the Greeks, it was Bakhtar or Bactria. The Afghan territories also is included in the Central Asia. How and when the Ismaili mission penetrated Afghanistan is under the shadow of much ambiguity. There were immense difficulties on the field of communication with the Imams, also the scattered dispersion and above all their absolute minority in the territory. Most of them had to settle in the mountainous villages of central parts and remote places of northern areas. The hovering fear of persecution forced them to maintain complete secrecy of their faith and assumed taqiya during last five centuries. Ismaili Tariqah The Shi'a Ismaili Muslims are now a global jamat and spread all over the world, ranging from Australia down south to the Arctic zone in Canada, up north. In all countries of their settlement, including the very new ones, Ismailis are seen to exist harmoniously within the broader framework of the country concerned, on the one hand progressing steadily under Present Imam's guidance on the other, contributing to the progress and well-being of that particular country. The Ismailis emerged originally from Syria, then spread in Yamen, Iran, Central Asia, Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, East Africa, etc. Missionary Ghulam Ali Shah Period: (1910-1968) Ghulam Ali Shah was the son of Sayed Muhammad Shah, a native of Qaimpur, about 10 miles from Khairpur in Bhawalpur State, founded by Qaim Khan Arabni in 1747. Sayed Muhammad Shah was a famous landowner. He was a Twelver and well rooted in Islamic studies, and he had over 6000 followers in his village. Sayed Muhammad Shah was a learned scholar. He thoroughly studied the concept of the Imamate. Over time his thoughts became wrapped up in the presence of an Apparent Imam in the world. In 1911, he left Qaimpur and proceeded to Middle East in search of an Imam. He would wander like a restless man, looking lost and forlorn, with an agitated mind. After many years he reached in Najaf and paid homage to the shrine of Hazrat Ali. It was during this period that the pendulum at last swung on other side. He prayed, "Mawla! Your Noor is ever present on earth. Unfortunately, I cannot recognize it. I am disappointed with earthy life. Either give me death or your recognition." With this prayer, he slept and dreamt, and was inspired to return to India, where his search would materialize. Ismailis The Shi'a Ismaili Muslims are now a global jamat and spread all over the world, ranging from Australia down south to the Arctic zone in Canada, up north. In all countries of their settlement, including the very new ones, Ismailis are seen to exist harmoniously within the broader framework of the country concerned, on the one hand progressing steadily under Present Imam's guidance on the other, contributing to the progress and well-being of that particular country. The Ismailis emerged originally from Syria, then spread in Yamen, Iran, Central Asia, Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, East Africa, etc. Huzur Varas Ghulam Ali Allana Period: (1906-1985) Ghulam Ali Allana traced his descent from a certain Haji, and whose son, Vali was a small merchant in Lahari Bandar, Sind. When the port of Lahari Bandar dried up, Vali came in Jerruk, where he lived with his son Saleh. The son of Saleh was Aloo, whose business expanded as far as Bhuj, Kutchh. Natho, the son of Aloo lived for some time in Bhuj, Kutchh and then settled down in Mulla Katiar, Sind. Natho’s son was Khalfan, who migrated towards Karachi with his wife, called Lakhanni. Khalfan was the care-taker (jamatbhai) in the Kharadhar Jamatkhana. He had four sons, Allana, Pesan, Ghulam Hussain and Mohammad; and four daughters, Fatima, Khatija, Zainab and Mianbai. Allana joined a Jewish firm in Karachi to repair the watches. In 1882, Allana started his own small shop of repairing and selling the watches, and ultimately he was destined to become a leading dealer of watches. Allana was a thrice-married man. He had two sons, Hussain and Fijey from his first wife. He had no child from his second wife. His third wife was Sharafi, the daughter of Mukhi Hashu, and the mother of Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana. Ismailia Socio-Economic Conference "The First World Ismailia Socio-Economic Conference was held on Tuesday, December 15, 1964 on the ground of the Aga Khan Gymkhana, Karachi. Pakistan was fortunate to be the venue of this most important Conference. It was a sunny, bright and pleasant morning, when the Present Imam arrived at 10.30 a.m. and walked through the red carpet leading to the well decorated stage amidst the thundering applause of almost 6000 Ismailis, both delegates and observers from 13 countries. The inaugural session started with the recitations of the Koran and Ginan. Huzur Varas Ghulam Ali Allana Period: (1906-1985) Ghulam Ali Allana traced his descent from a certain Haji, and whose son, Vali was a small merchant in Lahari Bandar, Sind. When the port of Lahari Bandar dried up, Vali came in Jerruk, where he lived with his son Saleh. The son of Saleh was Aloo, whose business expanded as far as Bhuj, Kutchh. Natho, the son of Aloo lived for some time in Bhuj, Kutchh and then settled down in Mulla Katiar, Sind. Natho’s son was Khalfan, who migrated towards Karachi with his wife, called Lakhanni. Khalfan was the care-taker (jamatbhai) in the Kharadhar Jamatkhana. He had four sons, Allana, Pesan, Ghulam Hussain and Mohammad; and four daughters, Fatima, Khatija, Zainab and Mianbai. Allana joined a Jewish firm in Karachi to repair the watches. In 1882, Allana started his own small shop of repairing and selling the watches, and ultimately he was destined to become a leading dealer of watches. Allana was a thrice-married man. He had two sons, Hussain and Fijey from his first wife. He had no child from his second wife. His third wife was Sharafi, the daughter of Mukhi Hashu, and the mother of Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana. Huzur Varas Ghulam Ali Allana Period: (1906-1985) Ghulam Ali Allana traced his descent from a certain Haji, and whose son, Vali was a small merchant in Lahari Bandar, Sind. When the port of Lahari Bandar dried up, Vali came in Jerruk, where he lived with his son Saleh. The son of Saleh was Aloo, whose business expanded as far as Bhuj, Kutchh. Natho, the son of Aloo lived for some time in Bhuj, Kutchh and then settled down in Mulla Katiar, Sind. Natho’s son was Khalfan, who migrated towards Karachi with his wife, called Lakhanni. Khalfan was the care-taker (jamatbhai) in the Kharadhar Jamatkhana. He had four sons, Allana, Pesan, Ghulam Hussain and Mohammad; and four daughters, Fatima, Khatija, Zainab and Mianbai. Allana joined a Jewish firm in Karachi to repair the watches. In 1882, Allana started his own small shop of repairing and selling the watches, and ultimately he was destined to become a leading dealer of watches. Allana was a thrice-married man. He had two sons, Hussain and Fijey from his first wife. He had no child from his second wife. His third wife was Sharafi, the daughter of Mukhi Hashu, and the mother of Dr. Ghulam Ali Allana. Ismailia Associations "In 1944, Imam Sultan Muhammad changed the name of Recreation Club Institute into the Ismailia Association for India. Ali Muhammad Macklai was appointed its President with Alijah Rajab Ali Muhammad Dandawala as Vice-President and Itmadi Rehmatuallah Virjee as Hon. Secretary. Thus, the Ismailia Recreation Club was the progenitor of the Ismailia Association. In view of his long selfless services, the Imam granted the titles of Huzur Wazir (minister in attendance) and Commander in Chief to Ali Muhammad Macklai. Fidai Khorasani Period: (1850-1925) Muhammad bin Zain al-Abidin bin Karbalai Daud Khorasani, was also known as Fidai Khorasani and Haji Akhund in Iran. He was born in 1850 in Dizbad, a village located in the mountains between Mashhad and Nishapur. He traced his descent from Khaki Khorasani (d. 1646), the famous Ismaili poet. Fidai Khorasani took his formal education in Dizbad and studied in Bakiriya Madrasa in Mashhad. He was knowledgeable in religion since childhood and explored rare historical documents on Ismailism. Ismaili Scouts The modern scouting movement was started in the world for the purpose of training the youths in the essentials of good citizenship and it arose in 1908 after the appearance of the book, Scouting for Boys written by the then inspector general of cavatry in the British army, Lieut. General R.S.S. Baden-Powell (1857-1941). Thus, the scouting movements spread in Britain and very quickly to other countries. Chile was the first to take up scouting after Britain, and Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa were the first in the commonwealth, but by 1910, it had spread to Sweden, France, Norway, Mexico, Argentina and the United States. During the first world war (1914-1919), its movements almost spread in the major countries of the world. In 1920, the first international scout meeting, or the first world Jamboree was held in Olympia, London, which was attended by 8000 scouts from 34 countries. It was on this occasion that Sir Baden-Powell was acclaimed Chief Scout of the world by virtue of his unique position as the acknowledged founder of the movement. In the same year, the Girl Guides were also founded. Varas Fadhu Piru Khalikdina Period: (1885-1936) Nur Muhammad was a devout Ismaili, who lived in Jimpir, Sind. His son Khalikdina however took up his abode at Jerruk. Khalikdina had three sons, Piru, Yonus and Juma. The elder son Piru, also called Pir Muhammad, was the Mukhi in Jerruk. Mukhi Piru had four sons, Fadhu, Aziz Ali, Amir Ali and Ghulam Hyder. The most prominent among them was Fadhu. The real name of Fadhu was Fida Hussain, but he became better known as Fadhu. He was also called Fazal Ali. Fadhu was born in Jerruk on May 9, 1885. He was admitted in Alumal Trikamdas School for primary education in Karachi. He joined N.G. High School for higher education. After his father died in 1913, he had to take over charge of his father’s business. He also became a Commission Agent of a British firm, Ralli Bros. Ltd. in Karachi, exporting bones. Dewan Eboo Pirbhai Period: (1905-1990) Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai, the first Chairman of the Leaders' International Forum, was born at Bombay on May 27, 1905. His father, Pirbhai Gangji belonged to a noble family. He came in Nairobi in 1910 with his family, where he took his early education at the Duke of Gloucester School. Without much formal education, he became a taxi owner-driver in 1926. Ismaili Flag - Significant Features Of Both Colors "We have described above the features of green and red colours. We will briefly proceed to discuss significant characteristics of these two colours together. Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406) writes in Muqaddimah (1:186) that Khadija asked, what garment he liked best to wear during revelation, and the Prophet replied, "White and green ones", whereupon she said that it was an angel, meaning that green and white, are the colours of goodness and of the angels." Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal (d. 855) writes that when the revelation came, the Prophet covered his head with almost green mantle, his face grew red, he snored as one asleep, or rattled like a young camel; after some time he recovered (Masnad, Cairo, 1949, 4:222). Ismaili Flag - Green Color - Its Special Features "The Ismaili flag contains rich green colour with a red strip descending from left upper corner to the bottom of right side, making a cross mark in the flag. The nature of the characteristics, which the Ismaili flag, acquired green and red colours (lawn) from the historical context will be explored briefly in the following lines. Green (akhdar) is synonymous with nature. For the Arabs, as for many other people, green is the symbol of good luck, of natural fertility, of vegetation, of youth. For Islam, the green standard of the Prophet and the green cloak of Ali bin Abu Talib have become the very emblems of the religion. As a beneficent colour, green belongs so naturally to the popular spirit of the Arabs that their colloquial language is full of expression where this colour symbolizes joy, gaiety or success. Green is mentioned six times in the Koran as an adjective (khudr, akhdar), vide 12:43, 46:18, 31, 36:80, 55:76 and 76:21, and once as a participle (22:63). Giving the description of green, the Koran also says, "Reclining on green cushions and beautiful carpets" (55:76) and "Do you not see that God sends down water from the cloud so the earth becomes green?" (22:63). In Syria, a green land is used in describing a lucky person. To wish somebody a good year, one uses the expression green year, and when one takes up residence in a new dwelling, green leaves of beet are hung there as a token of good luck. In Morocco, the expression my stirrups are green means, "I bring the rain when I travel into an area where it is awaited." The Prophet himself declared, "The sight of green is agreeable to the eyes as the sight of a beautiful woman" (al-Jahiz, Tarbi, p.137). Ismaili Constitution The word constitution is derived from the Latin constituere means an action of decreeing or ordaining. According to The Oxford English Dictionary (London, 1933, 2:876), "It is a decree, ordinance, law, regulation usually one made by a superior authority, civil or ecclesiastical." In the broad sense, a Constitution is a body of rules governing the affairs of an organized group. Ismaili Tariqah The word tariqah (pl. turuq, tara'iq) is derived from tariq meaning a space between two rows of palm-trees. It is thus simply meant the way, path or road, as it is said in Arabic qatah atariq means he interpreted the road, and howalla tariqatah means he is following his own way. Salmon suggests in his Arabic Dictionary (p, 499) the derivation of tariqah from taraqa meaning a string of camels following a difficult tract to a well." The word tariq occurs nine times in the Koran. The tariqah is not only internal perception of the hidden meaning of the law, it also purports to be a total discipline aimed towards the progressive purification of the soul. Atrial fibrillation (AF) with a rapid ventricular response A previously healthy 22-year-old woman presents to the emergency department (ED) with acute shortness of breath. Her shortness of breath became worse with exertion and was associated with pleuritic chest pain for 2 days. She has had a fever, nonproductive cough, nausea, vomiting, and arthralgia. On presentation, she is febrile with a temperature of 101.5°F (38.6°C), a blood pressure of 88/54 mm Hg, a pulse of 104 bpm, a respiratory rate of 28 breaths/min, and an oxygen saturation of 88% while breathing room air. Her oxygen saturation improved to 92% with supplemental oxygen given at 2 L/min. She is in moderate respiratory distress; however, she can speak in full sentences. Her physical examination reveals absent breath sounds throughout the right thorax, with decreased breath sounds halfway up the left thorax. Other findings include egophony, decreased fremitus, and dullness to percussion on the right thorax. She has no jugular venous distention, edema on her lower extremity, or rash. Acute Liver Failure Acute liver failure (ALF), also known as fulminant hepatic failure, is a rare manifestation of liver disease and constittes a medical emergency. The syndrome arises from loss of hepatic parenchyma that may result from a variety of insults to the liver. Despite advances in medical management and the availability of liver transplantation, mortality rates in patients with ALF remain substantial. It has been estimated that in the United States, 2000 deaths a year are attributable to ALF. I Am Like A Man Going In The Darkness, Whilst Behind Him Shines A Bright Moon (vide Diwan, Beirut, 1309 A.H., p. 972). Ibn Tiqtaqa also quoted the above poem in his al-Fakhri (comp. 699/1302). Abul Fida (2:309) writes, "Sharif ar-Radi had composed a poem in praise of the Fatimids in which he admitted the legitimate descent of the Fatimids from Ali bin Abu Talib." But in 402/1011, the Abbasid caliph Kadir billah (d. 422/1031) alarmed over the prosperity of the Fatimids and their success inside his empire, attempted to combat with Imam al-Hakim by another tool. He gathered a number of Shi'a and Sunni jurists to his court and ordered them to prepare a forged genealogy of the Fatimids and sign the document. Like other depending upon the Abbasids, Sharif ar-Radi and his brother al-Murtada also joined the campaign and signed the document. Ibn Taghri Birdi (d. 874/1470) writes in al-Nujum al-Zahira fi Muluk Misr wal Qahira (Cairo, 1929, 1:45-6) that, "The Abbasid caliph hired the theologians and paid them large sum of money to write books condemning the Fatimid cause and their doctrine." Ibn Athir (8:9) writes, "Sharif ar-Radi did not include these verses in his Diwan due to fear of the Abbasids, and also signed the document." Hijrat Al-Habashah "When the sufferings and tribulations of the Muslims at the hands of the Meccans reached to its extreme in 615 A.D., the Prophet directed that those of them who could afford it should migrate to Abyssinia across the Red Sea, whose kings were known as the Negus (Najashi). As-Hama, the then Negus was a Christian king. Under the direction of the Prophet, eleven men and four women from among the Muslims migrated to Abyssinia. When the Meccans came to know of their migration, they were much upset and sent some men after them in pursuit, but the Muslims had a long start and could not be overtaken. This infuriated the malicious ones among the Meccans. They formed a deputation under Abdullah bin Rabi and Amr bin A'as, who went to Abyssinia with handsome presents to persuade the king to deliver the emigrants into their hands. In due course, this deputation stood in the presence of the king and listened to their representation. Then he sent for the refugees and asked them what they had to say. Hasan Bin Sabbah "He was born on 428/1034 at Qumm. His father, Ali bin Muhammad bin Jafar bin al-Hussain bin Muhammad bin al-Sabbah al-Himyari was of Yamenite origin. From early age he acquired the rudiments of formal education from his father at home. When he was still a child, his father moved to Ray and it was there that Hasan bin Sabbah pursued his religious education. Hasan bin Sabbah was an intelligent and proficient in geometry and astronomy. He learnt the Ismaili doctrines from a Fatimid da'i, Amir Dharrab. Convinced that Ismailism represented ultimate reality, he embraced Ismailism at the age of 35 years in 464/1071 and afterwards, he came into contact with a Fatimid da'i Abdul Malik bin Attash in Ispahan. Pir Hasan Kabiruddin "Pir Hasan Kabiruddin, the son of Pir Sadruddin was generally known as Syed Hasan Shah, Pir Hasan Shah, Syed Sadat, Gur Pir Hasan al-Hussain, Makdum Syed Kabiruddin Shah etc. He is however known in Uchh Sharif as Hasan Dariya. He was born in Uchh Sharif in 742/1341 and was the first Indian pir to be born in India. He was endowed from birth with deep spiritual insight and strong common sense combined with sympathy and love for his fellow beings, and was also noted for his piety since childhood. Hasan Bin Sabbah "He was born on 428/1034 at Qumm. His father, Ali bin Muhammad bin Jafar bin al-Hussain bin Muhammad bin al-Sabbah al-Himyari was of Yamenite origin. From early age he acquired the rudiments of formal education from his father at home. When he was still a child, his father moved to Ray and it was there that Hasan bin Sabbah pursued his religious education. Hasan bin Sabbah was an intelligent and proficient in geometry and astronomy. He learnt the Ismaili doctrines from a Fatimid da'i, Amir Dharrab. Convinced that Ismailism represented ultimate reality, he embraced Ismailism at the age of 35 years in 464/1071 and afterwards, he came into contact with a Fatimid da'i Abdul Malik bin Attash in Ispahan. Clinical Medicine Cases Case 1: • 50 year old man presented with generalized weakness, dizziness, lethargy for 10 days. He was also having loose stools for the past 15 days. On examination was pale and thin lean emaciated man. His blood pressure was 70/40 mm of mercury, with pulse of 130 beats / minute. He had bilateral decrease air entry on chest, epigastric tenderness and pedal edema on examination. Neurological exam was non focal. He had some history of undocumented weight loss, but no history of fever. His past history was significant for episodes of loose stools, which would resolve on taking antibiotics • Hemoglobin: 8 mg/dl Abumin: 1.5 • MCV: 68 Total Bilirubin: 8.1 • WBC: 14 cmm Direct Bilurubin: 5.5 • Platelet: 176 GGT: 304 • SGPT:71 • RBS: 106 AP: 359 • BUN: 15 • Cr.:1 mg/dl ESR: 53 • Na: 126 meq Stool DR: Normal • K: 4.6 meq Calcium: 7.3 • Cl: 111 Phos:1.6 • HCO: 18 Hasan Bin Ali Bin Abu Talib "Abu Muhammad Hasan, or Hasan, the elder brother of Imam Hussain was born in 3/625 in Medina. He was also brought up with Imam Hussain in the household of the Prophet until the latter's death when Hasan was about 7 years old. It emerges from the extant traditions that the Prophet had a great fondness for his two grand-children. Hasan and Hussain, whom he referred to as the "chief of the youths of paradise." Another tradition relates, "Both Hasan and Hussain are for me the fragrance in the world" (Masnad, 2:85). Hasan was 37 years old when his father fell at the hands of the assassin at Kufa. Qais bin Sa'd was the first to swear allegiance to Hasan on the day when Ali died, and then it was followed by 40,000 Kufans, acclaiming Hasan as the fifth caliph. Tabari (2:5) writes that the oath of allegiance taken by those present stipulated that, "They should make war on those who were at war with Hasan, and should live in peace with those who were at peace with Hasan." This clearly suggests that the oath sworn by the Kufans was political. Thus, the temporal power that had been with the Prophet, joined with the caliphate of Ali about 24 years, 8 months and 28 days after the death of the Prophet. When Ali died, the same powers, though remained with the Ahl al-Bayt, were separated once again. The temporal authority had gone to the hands of Hasan, and the spiritual authority was inherited by Hussain and in his Hussainid progeny. Hajj "The word hajj literally means repairing to a thing for the sake of a visit (al-qasd li-l ziyara), and in the technicality of law of repairing to the House of God to observe the necessary devotions (iqamat an li-l-nusuk). The word hajj occurs nine times in the Koran in five different verse (2:189), three times in 2:196, three times; and once each in 2:197, 9:3 and 22:27. The hajj takes place in Zul Hijja, the last month of the Muslim year. On the 7th day of the month, the pilgrims start the rite of ihram (derived from haram meaning prevention or forbidding, or entering upon a state in which a particular dress is put on. The ihram dress consists of two seamless sheets, a sheet reaching from the navel to below the knees and a sheet, which covers the upper part of the body. Both these sheets must be, preferably, white) from the miqat (a place where a person intending hajj), then enter al-masjid al-haram, preferably through bab as-salam (the gate of peace) and listen to a sermon describing the rites, which they are about to perform. The rites themselves begin on the 8th. After the dawn prayer, the participants perform tawaf (tawaf al-qudum, the making circumambulation of arrival) and sa'y. They then proceed to Mina, which is about three miles from Mecca, where they offer the prayers. After sunrise on the 9th, they proceed to the plain of Arafat, which is nine miles further east, repeating talbiya on the way. The talbiya consists in saying aloud labbaika Allah-umma labbaika means "Here am I, O God! Here am I in Your August Presence." At Arafat, the guide pitches a tent, either on the plain or, if possible, on the adjacent mountain, Jabal Rahma (the Mount of Mercy), the khutba is delivered from the pulpit of Jabal al-Rahma. Hadith or Ahadith The word aman al-ummah means the security of the ummah. The Prophet is reported to have said: "Just as the stars are a means of securing (aman) the people of the earth against drowning, my Ahl al-Bayt is a means of securing my ummah from division" (Mustadrak, 3:149 etc.). In this context, according to ar-Risala fi l-Imama (comp. 408/1017) by Abul Fawaris Ahmad ibn Yaqub, Imam al-Muizz said in a speech he delivered on the day of fast-breaking in Cairo that, "O people, God has chosen a Messenger and Imams. He has made them superior and favoured them. He has accepted them as the guides to His creatures. He sent down His revelation upon them, and made them speak with His wisdom. They are like luminous stars : if one of them sets, another one shining, glittering and fully radiant will illuminate." Spectrum Of Abdominal Tuberculosis (ATB) Epidemiology: Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest diseases. WHO estimates that each year more than 8 million new cases of tuberculosis occur and approximately 3 million persons die from the disease. Ghibah Ghibah is the verbal noun (masdar) of ghaba and also that of ightiyab means backbiting. Jawahari writes, "It is said ighatabahu ightiyaban when one falls into backbiting. The noun is al-ghibah, and it means saying such things about an absent person. If it is true it is called ghibah and if false, buhtan (slander)." The Koran specifies the varieties of evil speech, which violate the dignity of others and seek to expose their weakness. In the following text the believers are instructed on this theme: "O believers! Let not people ridicule other people, perchance the latter may be better than the former, not let women ridicule other women, perchance the latter may be better than the former. Neither find fault with each other, nor insult one another with derisive nicknames" (49:11). This is immediately followed by another passage, which singles out backbiting (ghibah) and depicts its enormity in particularly striking terms: "Spy not and defame not others behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? (Surely) you would abhor it" (49:12). Elsewhere in the Koran is the chapter bearing the title, "The Slanderer" (al-Humazah), begins with a clarion denunciation of every slandering defamer (104:1). The whole of this chapter is devoted to a rigorous condemnation of backbiting. Evian Conference Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah had called a Conference in Evian, France known as the Evian Conference between July 4, 1952 and July 8, 1952 to discuss various economic and social problems confronting the African Ismailis and also to make necessary amendments in the Constitution of the African Councils. It was attended by 40 members including the President and the Secretary of the Supreme Council, the Presidents of the Provincial Councils and of the Ismailia Association, educational administrators, the managing director of the Jubilee Insurance Company, and three members of the East African Legislative Council. Focus Humanitarian Assistance FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance is an international group of agencies established to compliment and facilitate the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance in specific regions of Africa and Asia. This global institution with an international mandate, seeks to enable the local jamats to prepare for hazards, respond to crisis situations, and where possible, to avert disaster or minimize its impact. FOCUS meets its challenging and growing mandate through the dedication, energy and intellect of hundreds of volunteers and professionals who form the backbone of FOCUS. Firqa and Fiqh Among the indicative of divisions or distinctions, the words used in the Koran are hizb (pl. ahzab), ta'ifa, shi'a and the derivatives of f-q-r. All can be understood with the general meaning of party, group or faction. The word hizb in its singular, plural and dual forms appears 19 times and the word shi'a and shi'ya occurs 11 times in the Koran. The word ta'ifa and its dual forms appears 23 times, used more or less randomly to refer to groups or parties among the Ahl al-Kitab. Tusi (d. 460/1067) calls the Shi'ites "the group which is right" (al-ta'ifa al-muhaqqiqa). Fidai "The Persian word fidai (or fidawi, pl. fidaiyan) means one who offers his life for a cause or sacrifices. Its synonymous Arabic word is fidaiyyun. It is a term for special Ismaili devotees of Iran and Syria, coined for the first time in Alamut period, who risked their lives. The term fidai is the symbol of loyalty and sacrifice - a highest form of virtue. Eid Al-Milad Al-Nabi The month of Rabi I has an immortal significance in the whole of human history. In this month that Blessed Being made his auspicious appearance from the person of Amina who diverted totally the very stream of the human history; who uplifted humanity from the lowest pit of degradation and rose it to the zenith of glory and grandeur; who heralded a new message of peace and prosperity for the suffering mankind. He emancipated the human race from those fetters in which it had been lying shackled for centuries. He relieved humanity of those heavy burdens under which it had been groaning for ages. The whole world was groping in the dark and gone astray at the time when the Holy Prophet was born. Etiquette of Eating, Drinking and Clothing The host should offer water to wash the hands of his guests from the right to the left, washing his own last. When a man has guests with him, he should eat joyfully with them; he should be the last to begin to eat, and he should be the last to lave his hands before, and last to do so after, a meal (Kitab Majmu'at al-Hawashi, p. 59). When the host's relation are present at a meal, the host should wash his hands last, apart from the members of his own family (Daim al-Islam, p. 414) Abu Aly Alibhai Aziz, Dr., Missionary Varas Amir Chand (1837-1911) sprang from a noble family of gupti Ismailis in Punjab. He was employed in a governmental department in Amritsar and retired in 1880. He inherited land from his forefathers, and became one of the most famous landlords in Punjab. In 1882, Imam Aga Ali Shah appointed him Kul Kamadia for Punjab, Frontiers and few regions near Afghanistan. He performed his duties with such marked distinction that during his first visit to Amritsar in 1897, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah appointed him Mukhi on January 1, 1897 with a title of Varas for Punjab and Frontier province, including the regions lying on the borders of Afghanistan. He also travelled with the Imam in Sialkot between January 2, 1897 and January 11, 1897. Varas Amir Chand visited Bombay several times. His last visit took place in the middle of 1908 and gave valuable and informative statements twice in court during the Haji Bibi Case on July 28 and July 29, 1908. He is also credited to have converted a portion of the depressed class to Ismailism, as well as helping them financially to run their cottage industry. Provocative Silence Dark night with cold breeze was there, which is usually a concern for the residents of hilly station Abbottabad. The emotions and feelings of residents are directly proportional to the climatic changes. In fact it is true through out the year. People care very much about the weather and its fluctuations here, sunny day in winter season is usually welcomed and windy nights are sensational. Du'A The word du'a is derived from da'wa or ad'iya means call, occurring 159 times in the Koran. It refers to the offering of supplication in general or in particular a single supplication, vide 2:186, 3:38,39 and 4:60. Another word su'al (asking) is also employed in this context (14:34, 11:47, 55:29). The word du'a is often associated with spreading hands, palms upwards, as though to receive blessing, an ancient and natural gesture used in Babylonia and Egypt and common to the Arab lands. The hands are wiped over the face at the end of the petition in token of the application to the worshipper of the blessing received. It is to address one's attention to God by voicing one's personal situation. It is basically personal or petitionary prayer, or asking God for what one wants. The Koran commands it in several verses, such as "Call upon Me, and I will answer you" (40:60). The Prophet called the du'a (supplication) "the marrow of worship" (mukhkh al-ibada). It can be asked personally or one can asks with the jamat. Druzes "In 407/1016, an Iranian da'i, named Muhammad bin Ismail Nashtakin ad-Darazi came in Egypt, who professed the transmigration of souls. He also preached the divinity of Imam al-Hakim. He came from Bukhara to Cairo in 408/1017. Finding no response, he moved to Wadi al-Taymun, at the foot of Mount Hermon in Lebanon and Jabal as-Summaq in Syria. He was first in the public eyes being the founder of the Druze sect. In 410/1019, the Turks soldiers of the Fatimids gathered and moved towards the houses of ad-Darazi and his followers and surrounded them. Ad-Darazi and those with him fortified themselves in a house, fighting the besiegers from the roof and the wall. The besiegers ravaged the house and killed about forty people with az-Darazi. About the same time, another Iranian from Farghana, named Hasan al-Akhram also appeared as using his influence to propagate the deity of Imam al-Hakim, and found a Druze sect about in 409/1018. He was also killed in his house just eight days following his declaration. Donation The English word donation is borrowed from the Latin, donaire means present. It is an action or faculty of giving or presenting. It includes presentation, grant, bestowal or gift. The tradition of donation goes back to the Islamic period. The Koranic message specifies to participate in the cause of God by giving money. The word infaq means to spending benevolently, occurring seven times in the Koran (2:195, 261, 262, 8:60, 9:34, 47:38, 57:10), such as: "The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of God is as the parable of a grain growing seven ears with a hundred grains in every ear; and God multiplies it for whom He pleases" (2:261), and "And the parable of those who spend their wealth to seek the pleasure of God and for the certainty of their souls is as the parable of a garden on an elevated ground" (2:265). Battle of Ditch The enemies of the Muslims created a united front after the battle of Badr and Uhud. This culminated in a solemn pact of alliance among the five principal tribes. When the news of this tremendous mobilization reached the Muslims in Medina, it struck them all with panic. It was Monday, the 1st Shawal, 5/February 24, 627 when a gigantic army under the command of Abu Sufian besieged Medina. The number of this invading force is variously estimated at something between ten and twenty-four thousands, the largest single army ever mustered on Arabian soil. Devotional Literature "The generic term sharru or precentor in Assyria can be traced in the sha'ir or poet-soothsayer of the Arabs. The Assyrian hymn was the shire, and in it we recognize the Hebrew shir (song) and the Arabic shi'r (poetry). The Psalm of David in Assyrian was the zamaru, which equates with the Hebrew zimrah (song) and mizmor (psalm). Certainly the Assyrian shigu or penitential psalm is identical with the shiggaion of the Hebrew and the shajan of the Arabs in origin. Likewise, the allu or wail in Assyrian may be linked up with the Hebrew and Arabic elal and wilwal. Indeed, the Assyrian shidru or recitation may find its cognate in the inshad of the Arabs. Yet scarcely a line has come down to us concerning the hymn of the ancient Arabs, that their songs were appreciated is borne out by an inscription of Ashurbanipal (7th century B.C.), where Arab prisoners toiling for their Assyrian masters whiled away their hours in singing (alili) and music (ninguti), which so delighted the Assyrians that they begged for more. Darkhana The Persian word darkhana, is composed of two syllables, dar and khana. The preposition dar means in, and khana means house. Thus, the darkhana means in the house. Any specific thing in the house is also called darkhana. Another view suggests that it is derived from darb-i khana means chief place of residence, or dari khana, a residence with big windows being used for the royal meetings. In Ismaili terminology, it represents specific abode of the Imam, or Imam's headquarters. Dar Al-Hikmah "Amid the surging splendour, Imam al-Hakim emerges as an unusual personality judged by any standard. He founded Dar al-Hikmah (House of Wisdom), also known as Dar al-Ilm (House of Knowledge) in 395/1004, where the sciences including astronomy, logic, philosophy, mathematics, history, theology, languages and medicines were taught. Qadi Abul Aziz bin Muhammad bin Noman was its first supervisor. This academy was connected with the royal palace, enriched with a huge library, and distinct conference rooms and chambers. The scientists, philosophers, professors, theologians, scholars etc conducted scholastic activities. Staff of clerks and servants was employed for the upkeep of the institution. Scientists, professors and learned men were employed as lecturers. Conciliation And Arbitration Board (CAB) With the imposition of the New Constitution of the Shi'a Ismaili Muslims in 1986, the Conciliation and Arbitration Board (CAB) came into existence for the first time in the Ismaili world. Previously, the Ismaili Councils executed the judicial activities in the community. The judicial activities of the Council thenceforward consigned to the newly formed Conciliation and Arbitration Board. Syed Dadu Syed Dadu, or Pir Dadu was a gifted vakil in Sind. He was born in 879/1474. He was an efficient scholar of Arabic and Persian and acquired high command in Indian languages. His lineage runs as Syed Daud bin Yasir bin Khair al-Din bin Mahr al-Din bin Gul Muhammad bin Hashim bin Moinuddin bin Aminuddin bin Buraqanuddin bin Shamsul wa Shak bin Quwwamuddin bin Syed Ali bin Muhammad bin Hussain bin Daud bin Zaid bin Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hamza bin Yousuf bin Hasan bin Sakhaudullah bin Abul Hasan bin Abdullah bin Ali Jawad bin Imam Zayn al-Abidin. Chhanta The word chhanta is an Indian word, means an act of sprinkling (the water). Its synonymous in Arabic is rashash means to sprinkle, and rashash'tun (pl. rashashat) means an act of sprinkle (of water). Its proper word in Persian is pashidan. It is a sin that defiles man and renders him impure. The chhanta is a symbolic rite in Ismaili tariqah to dissipate the sins or forgiveness. It is also an act of the purity of body, soul and intellect, thus the sanctified water is sprinkled three times on the face of the believers in its rite. Black Clothes The word aswad derived from swd means black, occurring seven times in the Koran (2:187, 3:106, 35:27). In the sense of an original black colour, the word aswad occurs only twice: "When you can tell a white thread from a black on in the light of the approaching dawn" (2:187) and "black mountains" (35:27). The word muswadd (dark-faced) is used in 16:58 and its parallel (43:17) to suggest the darkening of the face in the light of bad news as reflection of grief. Other words generally understood as the colour black or dark hues include ahwa in 87:5. The word hamida in 22:5 means lifeless and is ordinarily taken as black-ended. Another term mudhamm used in 55:64 in the sense of dark green, tending to black.
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