Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

“From year to year, customs and traditions in human clothing are changing and it has become necessary to draw your attention to the fact that when you go to Jamatkhana you should do so in proper and suitable attire. I do not want those spiritual children who have done well in a worldly manner to make demonstration of their success, nor do I wish clothes to be worn which are in compatible with the practice of your faith in atmosphere of calm and serenity. The aforementioned matters are universal and binding principle of Islam and must be followed by all Muslims, for indeed these principles were establish by the Prophet himself.” (Hazar Imam’s Message to All African Jamats, 25th October, 1967)
Inviolable Sanctity – Modesty in Jamatkhana

The word haya’ can be translated as modesty, shame, shyness or bashfulness. The word haya is derived from the word al-hayah, which means life, as if the person who has no haya (modesty) is like a dead person. Islam encourages and treasures al-haya or modesty. It is one of the fundamentals of Islamic Shari'ah.

The Prophet said, “Modesty (haya) is from Iman (faith)” (Masnad, 6: 291). Imam Jafar Sadik said, “Modesty is a part of Iman (faith).” (Safinatu 'l-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 360). The Prophet also said, “Every religion has khulq (natural disposition or temper) and the khulq in Islam is modesty.” (Ibn Majah, 4:460). In brief, modesty known as demureness is a mode of dress and deportment which intends to avoid the encouraging in-descent attractions in others.

Ornaments and multi-color apparels in simple and decent manner are allowed in Islam, but the Prophet had forbidden the clothes dyed with a Syrian bark, known as qatam. It was boiled in water in an iron pot until the water turned dark black, then the clothes were put in the pot to make it black. In pre-Islamic era, the Arabs used to walk behind a bier, casting away their cloaks as a mark of grief, and put on skirts dyed in qatam.

According to Ibn Majah, once the Prophet observed the new Muslims to follow the old Arabian custom, he said, “Are you still observing a pagan custom?” The most favorite color of the Prophet was white and said, “It is better to present before God in the mosque in white dress.” He also said, “Wear white costume and make shroud of dead body in white cloth. It is most sacred and chosen one” (Masnad, 5:206).

The Koran says, “O children of Adam! Put on your adornment (zinat) at every time and when attending the mosque” (7:31). Here, God addresses “the children of Adam” i.e. the humankind, which comprises of male and female; that they must dress appropriately in presence of God in the prayer-halls. Commenting on the above verse, Hossein Nasr writes, “The command to put adornment for prayer is also related to the injunction established by Prophetic practice that people should groom themselves when attending prayer.” (The Study of Quran, New York, 2015, pp. 417-8). It further indicates that we must come to the prayer hall with a heart free from all impurities and full of highest aspiration and noblest sentiments.

Mawlana Hazar Imam said, “You will remember, that at the time of revelation of the Quran, the Prophet had insisted that those who come to pray, come to pray in a state of physical and mental cleanliness. He had also insisted that no man and no woman should behave at the time of prayer, or while he was going to pray, in a provocative manner, and I insist today, that those of you who come to Jamatkhana regularly, should come dressed properly and neither with clothes which are unnecessarily costly nor with clothes which are unnecessarily limited. I refer particularly to the younger generation. You may not know, that this very building has a history linked with the suffragette movement in the United Kingdom and while I have always been a favour of the freedom of women and a full participation of women in society, I do not wish the men or the women to forget the injunctions which were made upon all Muslim Shia and Sunni alike. When you come to pray, you come to pray in a state of physical and mental cleanliness and this is a matter of importance.” (Alexandra Palace, London, 3rd August, 1969.)

Simple clothes in fact depict humility and purification of mind of the wearer, while expensive, gaudy and conspicuous attires, particularly in prayers hall are the sign of egoistic personality.

Jamatkhana – Prayer Hall

The word jamatkhana means communal house or communal gathering place. The Persian word khana means house or place, such as khana’i chaslm (the socket of the eyes), khana’i zumbur (a bee-hive) or khana’i murgh (a bird’s nest). The Jamatkhana is a concrete expression of the response to the beliefs that are an integral part of Ismailism. It represents the physical space in which the community gathers together in a shared process of communication. The thrust of this shared communication is undertaken through collective participation.

The Jamatkhana provides the community with a physical frame within which to express and uphold fundamental beliefs. In addition, the Jamatkhana is most importantly a place for congregational worship as well as a center of learning, how to lead a life of chastity, contentment, tolerance, fraternity and balance.

The Koran says, “In the houses which God has permitted to be exalted, and His name to be remembered therein, where He is glorified in the mornings and the evenings (24:36).

Ibn Abbas relates that on one day they were in the mosque. One companion recited above verse, whereupon the Prophet was asked which, were the houses referred to by God. The Prophet said that the houses were the prophets of past, and also that of Fatima” (Bihar al-Anwar, 5:90). The Prophet also said, “Verily, Fatima, Ali, Hasan and Hussain are in the sacred sanctuary (haziratu’l-qudus), in a white dome shaped edifice, whose roof is the Throne of the Compassionate” (Mishkat, 14:480).

Suyuti in Dhure’ Manthur (5:199) narrates from Zahhak bin Muzahim that the Prophet said, “We are the family whom God has declared to be pure, and He has created us from the tree of Prophethood. Ours is the house which is frequented by angels and which is the seat of blessings and spring of knowledge and wisdom.” According to Ayashi’s Tafsir (1:86), Imam Muhammad Bakir said, “The household of the Prophet is the door leading to God, who calls the people to paradise and leads them towards it.” Qatada also writes in Umadat al-Bayan that once he was sitting with Imam Jafar Sadik and said, “I sat with many scholars, but never impressed more than sitting with your company.” The Imam said, “Don’t you know where you are sitting?

You are sitting in the house, whose mention is given in the Koran (24:36).”
It is apparent that “houses” in the above Koranic verse (24:36) does not mean “mosques.” Now that the meaning of “houses” has been clarified, but what is meant

by their being “exalted” (tarfi)? There are two possible meanings to consider. Firstly, the elevation in the sense of constructing and setting up; the Koran uses the word raf in another verse: “And when Abraham and Ismael were raising (yarfa’u) the foundations of the House” (2:127). Since the houses of the Prophets were already built, bringing such houses into being cannot be intended here; instead, it can only mean the safeguarding of such houses against ruin and desolation. Secondly, the elevation is in the sense of being sanctified.

The Koran says, “And We inspired to Moses and his brother: Provide houses for your people in Egypt and make your dwellings into places of worship, and establish prayer, and give glad tidings to the believers” (10:87). Here the word “mosque” for worship is not mentioned, but simply the house, and thus the Jamatkhana, the house of Ahl al-Bayt is religiously a valid place of worship for the adherents of the Imam.

The mosque is generally a school, where the Shariah is practiced, while the house (khana) of Ahl al-Bayt is a college, where interpretation of the Shariah means Tariqah is exhorted.

In Islam, the women are not forbidden to take part in any social and religious activities, nor is there any injunction in the Koran or the hadith shutting them up within the four walls of their houses. On the other hands, the Koran speaks of a Muslim society, in which men and women had often to meet each other: “And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and not display their adornment except that which is visible thereof” (24:31).

This verse supports coherent conclusion: “O’ Prophet! Tell to your wives and daughters and the women of the believers that they let down over them their jilbab (over-garment); this will be more proper that they may be known, and thus they will not be molested” (33:59). If women did not go out of their houses, where was the necessary of asking them to wear a distinctive dress and where was the occasion for their being troubled?

The Prophet is reported to have said to women: “It is permitted to you to go out for your needs (haja)” (Bukhari, 4:13, 67:116). The injunction to the Prophet’s wife in the Koran does not mean that they were not go out for their needs. The verse in question runs thus: “And stay in your homes and flaunt not your charms as they did flaunt them in the prior Age of Ignorance” (33:33). It is evidently an injunction against the parading of finery and thus exciting the uncontrolled passion of youth.

Display of beauty and going out for one’s needs are quite different things. There is therefore no seclusion in Islam in the sense that women are shut up within their houses, for they are as free to move about for their needs, or the transaction of their affairs as men. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah writes, “In my
grandfather’s and my father’s time the Ismailis were far ahead of any other Muslim sect in the matter of the abolition of the strict veil, even in extremely conservative countries. I have absolutely abolished it; nowadays you will never find an Ismaili woman wearing the veil.” (Memoirs of Aga Khan, London, 1954, p. 188).

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said in a Farman, “Now you conceive that when you go before the influential persons, how elegant dress you would don? It can be gleaned, how should go before God, and how in nice dress? Nice dress doesn’t denote brocaded or the ornament of gold and silver. This is the lady’s ornament, it is not advisable to wear in the Dua. Do not go to offer Dua by wearing gold and silver rings, for God doesn’t please therewith. Clothes must be worn simply, neat and clean during worship.” (Bombay, 4th April, 1893).

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah also said, “Don’t make inordinate expenditure in garments. You come in Jamatkhana clad with best clothe, who looks at you? I am sitting only in Jamatkhana. I am your parent. Do you want to show me? It is not fruitful. I am unhappy in enormous expenses of your parents and husbands.” (Zanzibar, 4th August, 1914).

In 1920 at Karachi, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah pointed at the ladies wing and said, “Why you are sitting in front line by wearing black clothes? It is unfair to come in Jamatkhana in garments of black and indigo colors. You must have read my farman of Zanzibar. You have worn these precious garments, in which

I am absolutely not happy. You are rich, which matters nothing, but the resourceless class would follow it while looking you, and would implicate in extravagant outlays, for which I am not happy at all. You put on simple garment, having simplicity of color. Make such colors, which becomes clean after washing. For example, put on the English color of plain and wide, which can be cleaned and washed. Don’t make and wear such clothes stuck with filth, and not visible. Put on such garments when are polluted, you know it quickly and become clean after washing. Don’t make expenditure in ornaments and clothes. Curtail expenses in marriage feast in simplicity. Don’t make excess expenses at all. I have made farman in Zanzibar pertaining to the garments, which you must read.

If the opulent will use costly garments and make inordinate expenditure, the poor would also implicate in drastic expense by looking it, therefore, maintain simplicity all the time.”(Karachi, 29th April, 1920)

The Imam also said, “You ladies whatever put on the garments, it makes your bodies and abdomens visible, which is improper. In order to make your bodies invisible, you wear full clothes or that which occupies or tight inner garment or the long clothes, so that the bodies and bellies may not exhibit.” (Virpur, 29th January, 1913).

Ilm’ku’n koi buje’ nahi, sab libas kapade’ pahechhane’ji (ginan)

“None will know the knowledge. All will valuate costume and clothes.”

The Prophet said, “The key to paradise is prayer and the key to prayer is purification.” (Masnad, 4:21)

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah also said on another occasion that, “I am the spiritual father of all you women. For your goodness, I advise you now, which you hark with due care and follow it. During the time of Ibadat, neat and clean clothes should be worn and similarly, in majalis and on moment of marriage, neat and tidy clothes should be put on. You are my spiritual daughters. I hope whatever the farman I have made in Zanzibar and here must have heard in context of the garments. Nevertheless, I don’t see less interest in precious and brocaded clothe in women over here. Presently in this majalis, means the majalis of this time, few ladies have worn costly clothes and spent inadvertently futile expenditure in precious brocaded clothes. I am not happy to see it. I have ever more prohibited to wear precious garments hemmed with brocade, and this time as your spiritual father, I once again forbid you…. Wear simple, clean and undefiled clothes. Your minds will be engrossed in wearing expensive clothes and get no concentration in Ibadat.” (Karachi, 1st May, 1920)

Reshami kapada pahen kar a’ve’, use’ khuda kar mane’ji (ginan)
“They will come (in parayer hall) clad in the silken costumes, whom they venerate as God.”
What is the interpretation of the above couplet? “They will come in prayer hall clad in the silken costumes, whom they venerate as God.” Its meaning may not be taken in its face value. When we come in the prayer hall, we always concentrate on Omnipresent God. Conversely, if we focus our attention during prayer on our precious clothe, it will then mean that the cloth is our God.

Bhanne’ Pir Sadardin nirmal thai ne’ shirevo, to jot bi’nb tam pase’ ji (ginan)
“Pir Sadruddin says, you worship after being purified, and then the reflection of the Light will be with you.”

On 2nd September, 1979, Hazar Imam visited London to grace didar and other religious works in the Olympia Hall. During a mehamani, three young sisters joined together. Two among them were clad in ritual attires, but the third sister had put on a sleeveless shirt. The Imam blessed two sisters one after another and when the third sister came, the Imam said, “You now go to church.” She was bewildered and came down and drove a car to reach church as per Imam’s orders.

She came in a big church and participated in the rites began with the Mass. Then, she joined the ladies queue with folded hands. They were moving towards the Euchrist, the symbol of Jesus. When she came near it, the priest obstructed her and said, “Those ladies are allowed to pay homage to Euchrist who have worn full sleeves shirt.”

Being frustrated, she wept and condemned that, “My Imam is a Jesus of Jesus, who indirectly taught me that in his presence, my shirt must have full sleeves.” She sought remission and appeared before the Imam in a saintly dress in another mehmani. The Imam blessed her with Khanavadan and became happy.
In 1945, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah attended Mehmani in the Kharadhar Jamatkhana, Karachi. One young lady attired in costly costume and appeared before the Imam. The Imam asked, “Where is your house?” She replied that it was near Jamatkhana. The Imam said, Go to your house and change your fashionable garment. I am here for an hour, then I will attend you.” She came to her residence and changed the clothes and put on simple white clothes and appeared before the Imam. Looking her, the Imam said, “How fine is your physical look. You are now in my House, not in a Club. You must maintain sanctity of my House.”

Take an example of Tara Rani, who was an affluent queen in the 2nd Treta Jug. She was fond of arraying regal ornaments and highly valued finery. When attended the prayer hall (dharm dua’r), she strictly exercised simplicity, austerity and donned simple saintly white attire (dharam tanna chir) when there was no modernity.

Eji tiya’n thi Tara Rani sancharia, aviya chh’e orada minjarji
Eji solr’e shannga’r sati’e tajiya, paheria dharm tanna chir’ji. (ginan)
“Tara Rani retired therefrom (the bed-room) and came inside (the raiment) room. The chaste lady discarded her pompous finery and put on solemn apparel.”

Soon after 1972, many Ismailis migrated towards western regions and some among them oriented in the new society. There is however no any violation of our culture, but its imitation in the prayer hall is a serious and thoughtful matter – not to be taken lightly.

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said, “The imitation of the Islamic customs are more reasonable than blind fashion of English being imitated by ladies of present time.” (Nairobi, 16th April, 1945) It has been observed in many countries except the Northern Area of Pakistan and Central Asia that most of the young ladies are dressing extremely inappropriately while coming Jamatkhana. It seems they are competing with one another in wearing dresses as short as up-to the hips, deep cut sleeveless, very low cleavage and many other different ways of dressing to expose their bodies, even very young volunteers who are only 8 to 20 years old copy them in contesting with one another wearing shorter than short skirts of their volunteer uniform. Their coming to Jamatkhana dressed so immodestly and indecently walk to the podium to read Farmans, singing Ginans or Qasidas, reciting Du'a or Tasbihs does not materialize purpose of these rites in such attires.

Since they live in western countries, it is not against wearing western dressing, but it has to be within reasons, maintaining decorum and sanctuary of a sacred place like Jamatkhanas. The admirable services of the womenfolk in Jamatkhana are excellent, deserving sheer appreciation beyond any doubt. But, due to lack of simplicity, their noble works are shadowed and shrouded in the light of the Imam’s wishes. Embroidered clothes, shining dresses for show and obnoxious fashion garment like sleeveless dresses, mini and tight skirts mostly among women are condemned by our Imams. In sum, the Prophet also told the women in Medina who attracted men by wearing in-descent dresses with immodest behavior are the sinner. (Mishkat, no. 987).

Islam does not restrict anyone to wear good clothes or to practice fashion. What it restricts, is not to wear such clothes that do not cover the body in a decent manner. In every individual, a unique expression of his/her style, personality and character are being reflected. Therefore, fashion is an appearance and a sort of means to communicate. However, fashion is always unique and distinctive to one and all. Fashion in real meaning is not to wear trendy, expensive and attractive clothes. Instead Fashion is a style, it is a make. It is an appearance. So, whatsoever one is wearing must suit him/her. Frankly fashion is not to wear what others wear. It is not to copy others. Sadly today’s modern society is madly and blindly running behind fashion. In fact, we can see there has been introduced and injected vulgarity in our society in the name of fashion and style.

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said, “I have made the Ismaili ladies free and independent. If it was not so, your condition would have been like other Muslim women, who in seclusion ramble on the road independently. But your Imam gave you sheer liberty. The Ismaili community is 50 years ahead of other Muslim communities. The Ismaili ladies achieved liberty, its semblance can’t be enjoyed by them in 20 years.” (Mombasa, 17th June, 1945)

On 16th December, 1964, Hazar Imam graciously granted audience to the Presidents & Office Bearers of Ismailia Associations for Pakistan, India, Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Madagascar and Burundi. During the meeting, it was submitted to Hazar Imam whether Music could be played in Jamatkhana premises.
The Imam said, “No music in prayer hall, especially sanctified place for prayer where matting or carpeting has been laid for the prayer. Even matting or carpeting should not be removed for playing music. Music may be held in a compound or other premises of Jamatkhana.”

In short, the music has not been declared unlawful, but its exhibition and play inside the prayer halls is prohibited and blocked up. It is a brilliant foresight of our beloved Hazar Imam, who expressively declared disapprobation of the music inside Jamatkhana, otherwise the Fashion and Music - the coalition partners in the modern society would have been perceptibly extravagated! If we think positively, we all know that such stylish, colorful and so called trendy clothes, in fact, do not suit the Islamic code of dressing, but is a symbol to make oneself different from others. Islam allows fashion but within certain limits and provisions.

Those women who wear transparent or tight-fitting clothes should reflect over Prophet’s remark that such women are in fact uncovered, and they won't even smell the fragrance of paradise. Even if transparent and netted scarves are worn, to display hair deliberately is not allowed in Islam. Ibn Abbas said, "Eat what you like and wear what you like as but avoid two things: extravagance and arrogance." (Bukhari) Islam inspires people to be proud of who they are? The Ismailis’ look should be like sincere and devoted followers of the Imam, and not like mere imitations of people of other faiths around them. The Koran describes:

“O children of Adam! We have bestowed upon you clothing to cover your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of God that perhaps they will remember”. (7:26). Clothing should be clean and decent, neither excessively fancy nor ragged. One should not dress in order to promote admiration or sympathy of others. The overall appearance of a person should be dignified and modest. Our clothes should cover the body adequately with dignity and good looks. It should not fail to satisfy the requirements of adequate cover-up of the body. Nor should they be so ugly and awkward that instead of increasing beauty, it grades the person’s appearance. Clothes should be considered a great bounty of God, and one should wear them properly and decently and always express thanks to the God.

Lastly, my mothers, sisters and daughters are most humbly requested to read following Holy Farmans:-

“Nothing will make me happier than to know that you are regular in attendance in Jamatkhana, and nothing will hurt me more than to know that you are irregular in attendance. I want to make this very clear indeed. This is for all my spiritual children all over the world.” (Bombay, 8th November, 1967)
“It is most important that you should be regular in prayers and I insist on this because I know my jamat will understand this, and that they will get from prayers and from observance of their religious duties that happiness which cannot be found anywhere else nor be replaced by anything else. (Lahore, 25th November, 1964)

In view of the above farmans, we have to decide once for all with conviction that in which dressing we should come in the Jamatkhana regularly, either in descent or in-descent dressings?

Hazar Imam said, “I remind all my spiritual children that in our Jamatkhans, I wish to see cleanliness and proper attire. This is a farman, which I have already made, but remember that the Jamatkhanas are buildings in which proper decorum should be maintained and I insist that this is important and it must be observed. And I really mean to see that this is observed because it is fundamental to Islam and the Prophet himself on many an occasion wrote and said that it was essential that the places of worship of the Muslims should be clean at all times in the day and the night.” (Karachi, 8th February, 1970)
Hon’ble Mukhi/Kamadia and the Council is humbly requested, if possible to arrange proper lecture in the Jamatkhana on this delicate issue before the arduous time of the complete violation of the sanctity of the Jamatkhanas beyond the bound and extreme. Millions of thanks in advance.

Kindly note down one most important point that this Article does not aim to launch any sort of a campaign in the global jamat in this context, absolutely not at all. It is my paramount duty to advise to my mothers, sisters and daughters to keep it in minds that the Jamatkhana is a Sacred Place of worship, and not a venue of Beauty Contest. It is now up to them to follow or not.

[][][][][][][][][][][][]
Karachi: October, 2022