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

"Sixty Christian priests of Najran, headed by Abu Harith bin Aqamah, the grand bishop of Najran, Abdu Massih and Ayham arrived in Medina on 9/631 to clarify their religious and political stance, which had spread over the Arab peninsula and to engage in discussions with the Prophet to realize the essence and truth of Islam.

The state between death and resurrection is called barzakh, which literally means a thing that intervenes between two things, isthmus or an obstacle or a hindrance. A. Jeffery suggests that it is a loan word of Persian, farsakh or parasang means a measure of land that fits the description of a physical barrier. The word barzakh occurs thrice in the Koran (23:100, 25:53, 55:20). It is used (25:53 and 55:20) in the sense, where a barrier between two seas is spoken of as barzakh.

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.

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.

Beej is one of the most important rites in the Indian tradition of the Ismailis.The Hindi word beej means crescent. When the new moon falls on Friday, the Ismailis keep a fast

"Tabari (5:267) relates from Ibn Abbas that the Israelites in one of the town of Syria were afflicted by the epidemic of plague. They were 4000 people who left their town fleeing the plague. They said, "Let us go to a land which is free from death." They arrived at Dawardan near Wasit in Iraq. As they reached the place, God said to them, "Die!." They were so badly afflicted by a calamity that death struck them.

"The word darwish or darvesh (pl. darawish) is a Persian word, being composed of two syllables, dar and vish. Various meanings are assigned to the two syllables, taken together. Some say it means the sill of the door; others, those who beg from door to door; while there are many who assert that darwish signifies in thought or deep meditation, using the dar as a preposition in, and not as a substantive, and the vish as thought.

"The Persian word didar is derived from didan means meeting, beholding or seeing. In Ismaili terminology, it denotes the beholding the Imam of the age. It is a means to strengthen the heart, cooling the eyes, refresh the faith and earn guidance and blessings of the Imam. When one is graced with the didar, he feels that he is newly born, and acts what the Imam imparted. The didar does not mean mere an act of looking the Imam. It needs the eyes of the knowledge and faith and without it the purpose does not solve.

""... And God only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you a thorough purifying (33:33)"

"The title beglarbegi means "Governor General", a term derived from Turkish beylerbeyi means chief of the chief. In Iran, the Beglarbegi governed three sub-ordinate governors of a province, including deputy governor and lesser officials. Karim Khan Zand (d. 1193/1779) had a friendly relation with Imam Abul Hasan Ali and his brother Pir Mirza Muhammad Bakir. Later on, Karim Khan Zand appointed the Imam as the Beglarbegi of Kirman in 1170/1756.

The Koran says: "(Receive) the baptism (sibghah) of God, for who is better than God to baptize (sibghatan)?" (2:138).

The culture of decima or tithe (old English teogothian) was common among the Babylon. The discovery of old clay tablets in 1966 however reveals that it was prevalent long before the civilization of the Babylon. Tithe or tenth part was a customary tax in ancient Egypt, Syria and Greece. Cyrus caused his soldiers to devote tenth of their booty to Zeus. Zoroaster imposed tithe on traders and market dealers for the welfare of the priests.

"The Koran (4:59) says: "O you who believe, obey God, and obey the Messenger and those of you who holds authority (ulul amr)"

The word Berber is derived from Latin barbari, an appellation equivalent to the English barbarian, which the Romans used to call peoples who spoke neither Latin nor Greek. The social organization of the Berbers or Katama Berbers had been tribal from the earliest known period of their history. Ibn Khaldun distinguished three major divisions among the Berbers, i.e., the Zanata, Sanhaja and Masmuda. The Zanata, whose original home was in Tripolitania and southern Tunisia, were predominately nomadic. The Sanhaja were as widely dispersed in the Maghrib as the Zanata.

"The word ma'ad is derived from the verb ada or awd signifies to return to a place, and thus ma'ad means the ultimate place of one's returning. It is also treated as a synonym of raja'a, which is also used in the Koran (2:28) to indicate return to God: "Then He will make you die, then He will make you live, then you will be brought back to Him (ilayhi turjaun)". Its verbal form ada denotes to recommence or reiterate.

The principal sources of revenue in Islam are ushr, jaziya, zakat and khums.

""Only God is your Wali (guardian) and His Apostle and those who believe, who perform prayer and pay alms while they bow" (5:55)

"The Hindi word bhagat is a corrupt form of bakt means a devotee. According to hadith al-kudsi, God said, "The most blessed of my friends is a man of faith who has few possessions and delights in the prayer, who performs well the service of his Lord, and obeys Him in secret. He is unnoticed among men: they do not point to him with their fingers.