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EJI NAVROZ’NA DEEN SOHAMANNA
By: Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S. Ali
mumtaztajddin@yahoo.com

Eji Navroz’na deen sohamanna, Shah Ali Qaim shikar ramava’ne van gaya,
sevak’na m’n thaya uda’si, prann Ali charann’e rahiya (1)
“Navroz is a magnificent day (when) the Everlasting Lord Ali proceeded to woods on hunting spree. (Knowing it), the heart of the servant deemed forlorn, and (his) soul stuck at the footprint of Lord Ali’s feet.”

Sayed Fateh Ali (1733-1798), pen-name Shamsi also was called Sayed Shamsi, the composer of this ginan, was hailed from Kadiwal family. He died in 1798 and was buried near Jerruk, Sind where he is locally known as Fateh Ali Shah. Imam Abul Hasan Ali (d. 1792) appointed him the vakil for Sind in 1791. Sayed Fateh Ali relates in his another ginan that the Imam was in west region, speaking Persian in the Setar Dipa (regions of Iran and Iraq). The Imam apparently resided in Share-Babak and his name was Abul Hasan Ali (d. 1792). It is to be added that the vakil was the office next to the Pir. The first vakil was Mukhi Ghulam in the period of Imam Islam Shah (d. 1423) and the last was Sayed Muhammad Shah (d. 1813).

In 1795, he visited Mahallat in the period of Imam Khalilullah Ali (d. 1817), where he stayed eight months then returned homeland, and reached exactly on 21st March, 1796 and as such he reckoned Navroz as a “Magnificent Day.”

In the end of 1794, he travelled for Mahallat to see Imam Khalilullah Ali (d. 1817). He began his journey from Kutchh by sea for Port Abbas, then took an ass and joined a caravan stirring to Kirman. His caravan was plundered by the Bakhtiyari clan, but he managed to save the religious dues kept in the bamboo stick.

He then marched on foot and reached Mahallat after 22 days. Mahallat is situated about 120 miles south-east of Kirman. The southern part of Mahallat is called Mahallat-e-Pain, where existed a small castle of the Imam. He was hungry, thirsty and fatigued. It was the day of Navroz (i.e., 21st March, 1795) when he put his steps in Mahallat. He was reported that the Imam had gone in forest for hunting. He became gloomy and watched Imam’s footprint on the ground and besought in frustration.

It must be known that the 18 Imams lived in different villages in Iran during the post-Alamut period. In India, the vakil collected religious due in different regions and purchased gold coins therefrom. The gold coins were inserted in the hollow of the bamboo stick, measuring about three to four feet. Then, the stick was sealed on both ends. The stick rendered to goad the animal as well as to hide the religious due. For keeping the gold coins in a like manner was a usual practice. The event of Vazir A.C. Rehmatullah’s grandfather in this context is best illustration to quote below.
Vazir A.C. Rehmatullah (1902-1953) of Bombay had no proclivity in Ismailism, however allowed his wife, Jenabai to go Jamatkhana. During the Diamond Jubilee on March 10, 1946, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah attended different mehmanis at Wadi, Bombay. His wife urged him to join the mehmani, but he denied. When she insisted constantly, he acceded her request. In the mehmani, it was announced that it was the mehmani of Abdul Hussain Currim.

The Imam gazed at him. His wife brought her husband beside chair. The Imam removed his glass and said, “I know names of his progenitors.” Then the Imam counted names of his forefathers on fingertip and said, “The grandfather of this Abdul Hussain was Rahim, his father was Zayn al-Abidin, his father was Rai Rehmatullah, his father was Fadhu and his father was Piru Diwani. All of them had served my house whole-heartedly. Abdul Hussain stands in the seventh generation of Piru Diwani, and he too will serve my house with heartfelt and dedication. Best blessings, Khana Abad, Khana Abad.” Then, the Imam called him nearby and put blessed hand on his shoulder. Vazir A.C. Rehmatullah related that moment in his words that, “I felt a heavy weight as if a mountain on my shoulder. My head lowered down the ground, which was erect so far. The tears streamed out of my eyes and drenched in perspiration. I remembered nothing what eventuated in twinkle of eyes.”

He returned his house and asked his grandmother, who was virtually blind. He said, “The age of the Aga Khan Saheb is about 68 years and my grandfather expired before 70 years. He had never seen him, how he knew my progenitors?” She replied that all the Imam were bearers of the Light of Mawla Ali. She continued that when she betrothed, his grandfather was alive and his one old box was still subsisted beneath cupboard. She told him to bring. He brought, which contained an old robe having many patches and a bamboo stick. She said, “These are the relics of your grandfather being touched by Imam Khalilullah Ali. He visited village to village in India and collected the dasond. When the amassed amount reached to Rs. 5000/-, he purchased gold coins, which he inserted in stick’s hollow and sealed it’s both ends. He then rode away on an ass toward Kirman. After an appalling itinerary of six to seven months, he reached Mahallat and presented gold coins to the Imam.

Thus, he served Imam Abul Hasan Ali (d. 1792) and Imam Khalilullah Ali (d. 1817).” This incident was a new phase, which transformed Vazir A.C. Rehmatullah all of a sudden into religious awakening and resolved to serve community like his ancestors.
The following image is the bamboo sticks. Almost such type of sticks were used by the Indian Ismaili vakils travelling to Iran to hide religious dues. Eji Shah Qaim prit’e jo chint bandi, narn'e prit’e am’e van gaya, eva van sohamanna nar Qaim detha, dela da’i devanta rahiya (2)

“I focused (my mind) lovingly on the Apparent Lord and went in the woods by his mercy.
I saw the Lord in the pompous woods as if the angels were offering their hearts.”

“Eji bhalu thayu’n Saheb’e sumat a’li, Shah Ali Qaim sath’e ramava am’e van gaya;
Anant a’sha puri amari, Shah dil bhav’e gamiya (3)

“It was goodness that the Lord inspired good sense (in mind), and that I too had gone to the woods for hunting with the Apparent Lord Ali, where my uncountable desires were accomplished, and the Lord became saturated in heart.”

Imam Khalilullah Ali on the other side was in the forest at the distance of six miles to the north of Mahallat with his retainers, pages and some eminent guests. Suddenly, the Imam ordered his one servant, Aqa Niamatullah to go Mahallat and bring his one Indian devotee. When he came in Mahallat and conveyed Imam’s message, Sayed Fateh Ali insisted that he would see the Imam only in Mahallat, then changed mind and finally resolved to go. Thus, Sayed Fateh Ali was brought before Imam, and became so much happy. He ate with Imam, then he was offered to join in the hunting. Thus, he too joined for three days incessantly.
It is said that he found colored boiled eggs in the Imam’s dish. When he returned Sind, he related it to the Ismailis when it was Navroz. The Ismailis also celebrated Navroz with colored boiled eggs. This practice later spread in Ismaili world.

Eji het’e Ali’su hirakh bando, avichal rung Saheb’se girhiya;
evi chit bandi nar Qaim sath’e; sat bhandar moti’e bhariya (4)
“I tied love affectionately with Ali, and immersed in perpetual color of Lord. I joined such thought with the Apparent Lord as if (I was invested) real treasure laden with pearls.”

The word avichal rung (perpetual color) refers to the whim of the Truth, which is a permanent spiritual experience.

Tam’e rung rangavo sa’ch’su, an’e jeso patol’e dhang;
t’e jaligali tukada ho rah’e, toy’e na mel’e rung. (ginan)

“Be dyed with the truth like the color on the cloth. If it is reduced to pieces after being blazed in pieces, even it does not release its color.”

Eji am’e Saheb sath’e sahel kidha, ridh sidh’j pamiya;
ek m’n ginan je sambhar’e, a’a jiv tena odhariya (5)
“I enjoyed excursion with the Lord, and gained worldly prosperity and spiritual ecstasy. One who listens the ginan attentively, his soul will be redeemed.”

The Sanskrit word ridh is derived from ridhi means worldly prosperity, while the word sidh is derived from sidhi means spiritual ecstasy.
Eji jiv jiyar’e jugat pam’e, prann pop’e ram rahiya;
agar chandan prem rasia, het’e hans sarovar ziliya (6)

“When the self visualizes insight, his soul blooms like a flower and overwhelms love in (fragrant of) aloe and sandal, thus soul lovingly bath in the lake (of ecstatic love).”

Eji gadh chakwa’ne kil’e Shah Khalilullah ram’e,
tiya Fateh Ali’ne maya kari’ne bolavia, anant asha puri amari; nit Ali noor’e uthia (7)

“Imam Shah Khalilullah Ali leads (worldly) life in the sparrow-shaped castle (in Mahallat), Sayed Fateh Ali was graciously summoned therein. My countless desires were fulfilled, (where) Lord Ali’s perpetual Light bloomed (in absolute glory).”

The Imam’s castle resembled sparrow shape and as such the composer called it gadh chakwa means the sparrow-shaped castle.

The word ram’e means “play.” The Koran mentioned mundane life (al-hayat al-dunya) as play and amusement (la’ib wa-lahw) (6:32, 47:36, 57:20 etc.). It means that “worldly life” is symbolized in Koran as “play”. In the above stanza, it is said that, “gadh chakwa’ne kil’e Shah Khalilullah ram’e,” it’s literally meaning runs, “Imam Khalilullah plays in the castle,” which seems incorrect. Here the word ram’e (plays) refers to “leading worldly life.”

Imam told him to see him next day in his castle in Mahallat. Accordingly, the Imam had gone and Sayed Fateh Ali followed and beheld the Imam in the castle. He handed over religious due to the Imam hidden in bamboo stick. During the conversation, the Imam assured him that, “You Indian disciples will need not to endure trouble to visit Iran after long and appalling travel since the time of Imam’s arrival in India is matured.”

I have seen an old manuscript (n.d.) of Remu Jafar (d. 1989) in Tando Muhammad Khan, Sind in which I found a curious and queer calculation that Sayed Fateh Ali reached Mahallat in 1795 to see 45th Imam Khalilullah Ali. Remu Jafar joined these figures (1795+45), making 1840. Later, Imam Hasan Ali Shah (d. 1881) resolved to start his migration from Iran to India in the year 1840.
Eji Bhai’re moman tame’ bhave’ a’radho, bhanne’ Shamsi tame’ sambharo rukhi;
Saheb’na gunn nahi visare’, tena prann nahi thai’she’ dukhi (8)
“(Sayed Fateh Ali) Shamsi says: O'believer brethren! You listen and adore (the Lord) with dedication. One who does not ignore Lord’s grandeur, he shall never afflict.”

The word gunn means merit, quality or dignity. Here it is said that one who does not neglect grandeur of the Lord, he will never be afflicted. Ignoring Imam’s status despite being known is such wrongdoing that will lead one falling into pit of grief. It seems that he had been close to Imam Khalilullah Ali and knew Imam’s dignity and exhorted believers root cause of their grief, which is explicitly sounded in the above stanza.

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah was invited in Iran to attend wedding of the Iranian emperor Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlvi (1919-1980) with Soraya Esfandir (1932-2001) on February 12, 1951. The Imam reached Tehran on February 10, 1951. The emperor warmly greeted Imam in the royal Marble Palace. It was a royal pattern to greet the august guest with the march-past of the Red Army clad in red uniform, passing near the pavilion and raising their swords before guest. It was and an eye-catching scene.

When the Red Army started their parade and marched near the stage in pavilion, where the emperor and Imam were stood, they did not raise their swords and returned to their place. It queered emperor to its extreme and enraged. When Imam and the emperor descended the stage, the Imam said to the emperor, “I know why you are angry with your Red Army. Be noted that they are my secret followers. They thought it wrongdoing and impolite to raise swords before their Mawla Ali. Don’t be worried, they will be loyal to you.” These secret Ismailis apprehended Imam’s dignity, and did what they considered worthy.

Shaitan ten’e lupash’e, je jive beginani thai,
t’e janni buji chhando rakhash’e, ten’e mu’e mokkash na thai (ginan)

“He will be beguiled by evil force when becomes unknown (of Lord’s merit). If he will conceal intentionally even though knowing, he will not be redeemed after death.”

Maulana Rumi quotes an analogy in his Mathnavi that there was a poor shepherd, who daily collected wood at night in forest and sold in market at morning. The shepherd endured difficulty to goad his donkey in dark night. He daily prayed, “O’ God, give me a lantern, which I will hang on my donkey’s neck to find the route.” Once he saw a glittering diamond in the mountain, he took and considered it a lantern and hanged on donkey’s neck. Once, a jeweler in the town saw hanging of a diamond on donkey’s neck. He asked shepherd, “What is this?” He replied, “Lantern.” He thought that the shepherd was an idiot and said, “Will you give me this lantern, I will give you ten instead.” The shepherd delighted and gave him diamond and took ten lanterns. When the jeweler came in his house, the diamond accidently glided from his hand and smashed into pieces. He said, “O’ Diamond! I was in your search over years. Today, I found, but became pieces, making me sighed.” He then heard a voice in the diamond, saying, “O’ Jeweler! You sighed on me, but I am sighed more than you, because you know my actual value, but alas! You made my value mere for ten lanterns.”

Chhande’ neh na rakhiy’e, ane’ chhande’ mokash na thai;
Satgur sirevo sa’ch’su, to pa’p najik na thai. (ginan)
“Don’t conceal love (with the Lord), because it does not harvest redemption. Adore Lord truthfully, so that the sin don’t approach you.”

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah donned the mantle of the Imamate at the age of 7 years, 9 months and 16 days on Monday, the 17th August, 1885 in the Darkhana Jamatkhana, Bombay. There was a heavy rush of the followers inside Jamatkhana. One person, Somjibhai was removing people to give passage to the Imam. He was appealing with his right hand that, “Give passage to the Imam. He is yet a child. Be cautious! Don’t push him.” The Imam then made a farman, beginning with the sentence: “Don’t consider me small.” After making full farman, the Imam departed. On other side, Somjibhai found that his right hand was paralyzed, for he ignored dignity of the Imam and called him a child.

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Karachi: March, 20