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

There is the highly controversial episode in the last days of the Prophet's life, which is also called the Episode of Pen and Paper. The Prophet, while in his terminal illness and only days before his death, called for pen and paper. According to Bukhari (1:41), when the Prophet's illness became serious, he said, "Bring me writing materials that I may write for you something, after which you will not be led into error." Umar said, "The illness has overwhelmed the Prophet.

"The two connotations of the root are ghaba'an, meaning to be absent and ghaba fi, meaning to be hidden. In current usage, ghayb signifies absence. More frequently ghayb indicates what is hidden, inaccessible to the senses and reason, thus at the same time absent from human knowledge and hidden in divine wisdom. It is to this second meaning that al-ghayb refers, as a technical term of the religious vocabulary.

"Anas bin Malik related the Prophet as saying: "Surely the likeness of my Ahl al-Bayt is similar to Noah's Ark, whoever boards it will attain salvation and whoever remains behind is drowned." The word safina means ark, and thus this tradition became known as the Hadith al-Safina. This tradition is narrated by eight Companions of the Prophet, and eight persons from the disciples of the Companions, and by sixty scholars and more than ninety authors.

"North Africa was the land of the lost causes of Islam. The land was mainly inhabited by the Berber tribe, which was practically independent of the Abbasids. The Ismaili dai Abu Abdullah arrived in the Katama land and chose Ikjan as his base, a mountain stronghold that dominated the pilgrimage route, where he began to preach the Ismaili doctrines. While he was preaching in North Africa and consolidating the secular power, Imam al-Mahdi was closely following his activities from his retreat in Salamia.

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.

The word saqlain means weighty or heavy thing. In his saying, the Prophet called the Koran and Ahl al-Bayt as the weighty things, and thus this tradition became known as Hadith al-Saqlain. This tradition was spoken on four major occasions, such as at Arfat (Tirmizi, 5:328), at Ghadir Khum (Nisai, 96:79), at Prophet's Mosque in Medina (Ibn Atiyyah, 1:34) and in Prophet's chamber during his last illness (Ibn Hajar, p. 89). This tradition however became more famous at Ghadir Khum.

The word fatwa is derived from the root fata, which includes in its Semanic fields the meaning youth, newness, clarification, or explanation. These connotations have survived in its various definitions. Its development as a technical term originated from the Koran, where the word is used in two verbal forms meaning asking for a definitive answer and giving a definitive answer (4:127, 176). The concept of fatwa in early Islam developed in the framework of a question and answer process of communicating information about Islam.

The Koran speaks on one occasion, of the presence in paradise of ghilman (pl. of ghulam meaning a boy), and on two occasions of wildan (pl. of walad meaning a son or a child): "And round them shall go boys (ghulman) of theirs as if they were hidden pearls" (52:24); "And round about them shall go children (wildan) never altering in age" (56:17, 76:19).

The word ta'ir means a bird or a thing that flies off. Hakim in Mustadrik (3:130), Abu Nu'aym in Hilyah (6:339), etc. report that once when the Prophet sat down to eat a fowl that had been cooked for his dinner, he prayed to God: "My Lord, bring the most beloved of Your creatures, that he may eat this fowl with me." In the meantime, Ali bin Abu Talib came and the Prophet ate with him. Hence, this tradition became known as Hadith al-Ta'ir.

The Koran does not mention the word fa'y, which became the technical term in Islamic law, but refers explicitly to the verb afa'a (from the same root as fa'y); vide 33:50 and 59: 6-7. There is indications that in 59: 6-7, referring to the surrender of the Banu Nadir, afa'a denotes booty acquired not by fighting but as a result of the surrender of the enemy. Fa'y literally means that which come back. The word fa'y is applied to the lands in the conquered territories which came under the direct ownership of the Muslim state.

"In about 488/1095, the Ismailis of Alamut took possession of one of the most important strongholds, Girdkuh, the old Diz Gunbadan (the domed fort) in Qumis. The valiant garrison of Girdkuh however continued to resist its Mongol besiegers for 13 years after the reduction of Alamut.

The word yaum al-dar means the day of the house. In the fourth year of the Prophet's mission, God commanded him to proclaim openly his call. The Koran says: "And warn thy tribe of near kindred" (26:24). Thus, the Prophet invited the chiefs of Banu Hashim to a banquet. In the end, the Prophet stood and said, "I have brought for you the best of this world and the next. God has commanded me to invite you to it.

"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.

The Present Imam founded the Global Centre for Pluralism on April 18, 2005 in Ottawa. The Global Centre for Pluralism will be a non-denominational, not-for-profit, Canadian organization with global reach. The Government of Canada said it would contribute CAD$30 million to the Centre. The initial investment by the Aga Khan Development Network will be CAD$40 million.

In Ismaili tariqah when one enters the Jamatkhana, he in a bold clear voice utters Hai Zinda i.e., "He (Imam) is living." In reciprocation of which, those assembled within the prayer hall respond by pronouncing Qaim Paya i.e., (We) found (Imam) for ever." When the prayer is in progress, Hai Zinda is not pronounced aloud, but wished in the mind by those who enter the prayer hall.

When Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah was on tour of East African countries, a suit was filed against him at Bombay High Court on 1st Muharram, 1326/February 4, 1908 by Haji Bibi, the daughter of Aga Jhangi Shah and the widow of Muchul Shah (d. 1321/1903) with her son Samad Shah and Kutchuk Shah and 13 others. They claimed rights from the property of Imam Hasan Ali Shah. Haji Bibi demanded for monthly allowance, servants salaries, fooding, furniture, maintenance and car along with Rs. 9010/- per year at the rate of 6%. The court started the proceeding from January 4, 1908.

According to the Arabic lexicons, the word din is one of the most controversial words in the whole Koranic vocabulary. Its etymology is also uncertain. Outwardly we have one simple monosyllabic word. The word din has two important meanings distinguishable in the Koran: religion and judgment.