Ismaili Dictionary & Encyclopedia

BaHESTNoun

Paradis.

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #470general BahiengoEncyclopedia Topic

Will meet, will gather, will flow

Various Sources BAHIRAName

(6th Century) Nestorian monk who predicted the arrival and prophethood of Mohamed after his journey with Abu Talib to Basra (Bocra).

(6e. S.) Moine Nestorien qui aurait prédit la prophétie de Mohamed lors de son voyage avec son oncle Abu Talib à Basra. (Bocra)

Heritage Dictionary of ismailism, entry #184general BahotEncyclopedia Topic

Many, too much

Various Sources BaHOTNoun

Très, beaucoup, "mal khajina bahotaj bhariya" (Tu as amassés beaucoup de trésors..)

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #471general BahotanEncyclopedia Topic

Vast, big

Various Sources BahuEncyclopedia Topic

Too much, arm, hand, many, too many

Various Sources BahurangiEncyclopedia Topic

Of many colours, multi-coloured

Various Sources BahutedaEncyclopedia Topic

Too much

Various Sources BaiEncyclopedia Topic

Woman, sister

Various Sources BAI BUDHAIEncyclopedia Topic

Syed Ruknuddin, the son of Pir Hasan Kabiruddin had a daughter, called Bibi Jeval or Bibi Jivan Khatoon. She married to Pir Hasan Kabiruddin and had five sons and a daughter, called Bai Budhai. The biography of Bai Budhai is not found in early or later sources. We have very brief scrap of the traditions. She is referred simply as the daughter of Pir Hasan Kabiruddin or the sister of Syed Imam Shah (d. 926/1520) and nothing else. Syed Imam Shah was the younger son of Pir Hasan Kabiruddin through Bibi Hurmat Khatoon, and the meager detail of Bai Budhai makes little concern connected with him. She is brought on historical record after the death of Pir Hasan Kabiruddin in 853/1449. Whatever is known about her is derived from her dialogues with Syed Imam Shah in the treatise comprised of 71 ginans, entitled Syed Imam Shah tatha Bai Budhai'no Samvad, in which it infers that she complained to Syed Imam Shah their parents died during their small ages (47:5). The age of Syed Imam Shah was about 19 years during the death of his father in 853/1449. It suggests that Bai Budhai's age would have been 16 to 17 years, and as such she was born most possibly in 835/1432 or 836/1433. Summing up the fragments of the ginans, it appears that the name Budhai was her pen name. It is said that her marriage took place with a rich cotton merchant of Syed family. She led a prosperous life, but did not adhere to the path of her forefathers.

Pir Hasan Kabiruddin died in 853/1449 in Uchh Sharif, where Bai Budhai came and stayed with her step brother, Syed Imam Shah for about six months. She sought chance to discuss with her brother on the faith of her forefathers. Syed Imam Shah answered to her every question, and their dialogues are preserved in the ginan, known as Syed Imam Shah tatha Bai Budhai'no Samvad, which is the only source of information to know about her.

Bai Budhai was neither a preacher nor a composer of the ginans. It infers from her dialogues that she passed whole day in worldly affair and slept whole night (11:1). She even did not cook food at home, but got it by her house servant (21:2). Syed Imam Shah was dissatisfied with her life and daily routines (15:7) and advised her to make a balance. It also appears that during her stay in Uchh for six months, she continued to commemorate the death ceremony of her father (51:9) with her brother. They cooked rice and pulses (da'l) in pure ghee (51:4), arranged cold drinks (51:3) and invited the townsfolk (49:10) including family members and other Syeds, especially Qadi Muhammad Shah of Uchh (51:7).

She is known to have been neglected in the ritual in the house of her father-in-law and also her leaning toward the faith they followed. There is no clear indication of the faith being practiced in her husband's house. Syed Imam Shah however pointed out that the Koran was much followed in her husband's house same as his own house, but in esoteric form secretly, and if it was divulged, the Muslims would kill them (34:6-8). This narrative indicates that Bai Budhai married to that family, where exoteric teaching was observed. It cannot be ascertained from the dialogues whether her husband was a Sunni or a Shi'a? This question is solved in the Janatpuri (92-93) of Syed Imam Shah, which reads: "Consider Pir Hasan Kabiruddin as Guru Bhirma. He had 18 sons and 5 wives. He had one daughter, whose name was Bai Budhai. Her religion was Jafari of Imam Jafar Sadik."

The term "Jafari" explicitly denotes the doctrine of Ithna Asharis. It means that she followed Ithna Ashrism after her marriage. When she arrived in Uchh after her father's death, Syed Imam Shah rebuked her. She poured down many questions and her brother convinced her. She seems to have satisfied and promised her brother to revert to the faith of her ancestor under strict taqiya.

The tradition has it that the name "Budhai" is not her original name, but a pen name, which came to be known after her discussion with her brother. She was convinced means she "gained the knowledge" i.e., budh a'ai (knowledge revealed), which became the term Budhai. If this tradition is genuine, the question arises, what was her real name? We are helpless to solve it due to lack of information. Edlji Dhanji Kaba quoted the above stanzas of Janatpuri (92-3) in his Khoja Panth Darpann (Amerali, 1913, p. 90), and also derived information from an old manuscript, where the name Budhai is written as Budbadi. This also cannot solve the question of her real name.

The dialogues between Syed Imam Shah and Bai Budhai are given in the 71 ginans under the title of Syed Imam Shah tatha Bai Budhai'no Samvad. From 1st to 6th ginan, Syed Imam Shah makes his introductory address to her, using the term jir'e bai. Then, Bai Budhai is brought to ask from 7th ginan, using the term jir'e bhai and then Syed Imam proceeds from 8th ginan to reply her and vice versa. This discussion is continued upto 41st ginan, where a break takes place. The 42nd ginan is attributed to Hajar Beg or Hyder Beg, the servant of Syed Imam Shah, who also joins to impart her, using the term ar'e beti're, and then in 43rd ginan, Bai Budhai turns to reply to Hajar Beg, using the term ar'e bawa're. Then, once again the dialogue between Syed Imam Shah and Bai Budhai resumes from 44th to 71st ginan. In sum, she addresses to her brother in 32 ginans and once to Hajar Beg, indicating 32 ginans to her credit out of 71 ginans, while Syed Imam Shah exhorted her in 37 ginans out of 71 ginans, and one 43rd ginan is attributed to Hajar Beg.

The above ginans of dialogue cannot be reckoned an original version. It is possible that the dialogues would had been composed by someone from Imam Shahi sect in Nawsari. The 56th and 70th ginans clearly reflect the concept of the Imam Shahis. The entire scene of the dialogues seems to have been brought into the poetry forms much after the death of Syed Imam Shah (d. 926/1520)). It is curious enough to point out that these dialogues contain the words rupee (34:9) and paisa (54:10). In fact, the currency of rupee introduced in India much after the period of Syed Imam Shah. According to New Encyclopaedia Britannica (10: 242), "In the late 16th century in central and northern India, the Mughals established the silver rupee, divided into 16 annas. In 1082/1671, the British East India Company minted coins copied from local types, using the rupee as the basic unit of account." Thus, the rupee became the standard unit of currency much long after the death of Syed Imam Shah, and the composer seems to have brought the dialogues down to his period. If so, it suggests that it would have been versified after second half of the 17th century.

Mukhi Laljibhai Devraj (1842-1930) published the above collection of dialogues on June 26, 1921, entitled Syed Imam Shah tatha Bai Budhai'no Samvad from his The Khoja Sindhi Chhapakhana, Bombay. It was never since reprinted.

Bai Budhai is reported to have left Uchh soon after the arrival of a certain Devasi Chandan in 854/1450, who brought a letter of Imam Muhammad bin Islam Shah (d. 868/1463) for Syed Imam Shah to visit Kahek. Henceforward, nothing is known about Bai Budhai. It seems that she had returned to her home and practiced Ismaili faith during the rest of her life in secrecy and made a will to bury her in Uchh. The date of her death is also not accessible. Mia'n Momin Nur Muhammad however writes in Ismaili Moman kom'no Itihas (Bombay, 1936) that the tomb of Bai Budhai is situated in Uchh, but does not exist at present.

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral BAI BOUDHAYName

(15th Century) Only daughter of Pir HK. A granth is devoted entirely to her. She preached to the people of Punjab, Sind and Gujarat. She had 18 brothers.

(15e S.) fille unique de Pir HK. Un Granth lui est consacré. Elle prêcha au Punjab, Sind et Goujrat. Eut 18 frères. (Adhar farzand téna...)

Heritage Dictionary of ismailism, entry #193general BaiunEncyclopedia Topic

(For) others

Various Sources BAIYATEncyclopedia Topic

The word baiyat, occurring 14 times in the Koran is derived from ba'ya meaning sale and purchase, bargain or transaction. In Arabic the word yabi'u means to sell, ba'a means he sold, al-bai'u means sale and al-baya means sale and purchase. In Islamic terminology, the term baya refers to an agreement or undertaking between the master and his followers. Other synonymous expressions appearing in the Koran are al-ahd (13:19-20) and al-mithaq (33:7, 5:14). Thus, baya or baiyat means an agreement or spiritual undertaking between the Lord and his followers. When one swears an oath of allegiance (baiyat), he gets guarantee from his Lord.

In Islam, the best example in this context is the Baiyat al-Aqba, which had been taken two times by the people of Medina from the Prophet on the hill of Aqba in Mecca. When the Prophet came in Medina, the Ansar women assembled in a house for taking oath of allegiance with the conditions that they would remain away from shirk, would never blame on others, would not commit theft, would never commit adultery and would not kill children. Another important illustration is the Baiyat al-Ridwan (the pledge of God pleasure) taken under a tree during the treaty of Hudaibia. The word ridwan is used that God well pleased (radiya) with the believers. These believers are also known as the ashab al-samra (the Companions of the tree). After the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet sat on Mount Safa and took oath of allegiance from the persons who embraced Islam, both men and women. The Prophet dipped his hand in a bowl of water and took it, then the women dipped their hands. After his farewell pilgrimage, the Prophet' caravan halted at the Ghadir al-Khum on 18th Zilhaja, 10/March 16, 632, where he declared Ali bin Abu Talib as his successor. Ali took the baiyat of the believers, known as the Baiyat al-Ghadir.

Cyril Glassee writes in The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam (London, 1989, p. 69) that, "The installation or recognition of a ruler in his office takes the form of a pact, a bay'ah, which is an oath of fealty or allegiance. This is made with the ruler by the subjects, or, on their behalf, by the body of religious scholars, and political chief. Initiation into a Sufi order is also in the form of pact made by the novice with God through the spiritual master."

The Shi'ites maintain that bay'a is an oath of allegiance, a solemn pledge and binding covenant made with the Imam of the time to render obedience to him in all matters, which remains forceful unalterably in the relationship between the followers and the Imam. A well known hadith relates: "Whoever dies without a pledge of allegiance on his neck has died a pagan death" (man mata wa-laysa fi unuqihi bay'atun fa-qad mata mitatan jahiliyah).

"Hence, it is necessary for you that you should remind yourselves of the covenants that you have made with the Imam and the terms of the covenant that you have taken upon yourselves to fulfill. If you ignore inadvertently or forget or treat lightly any of those terms, then the moment you realize your mistake you must atone for it by repentance and do what you have omitted to do. If you have forgotten the terms or some part of it then renew them by reviving the terms of the covenant. Admit your guilt and repent to God and to the Imam. If you persist in your mistakes or your ignorance then you will appear before God as One who had ignored His sign on earth and broken his vow with Him" (Kitab al-Himma).

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral Baj karavseEncyclopedia Topic

Will put aside

Various Sources Baja haiEncyclopedia Topic

Proper, correct, befitting

Various Sources BajarEncyclopedia Topic

Market

Various Sources BajiEncyclopedia Topic

Play, game, spectacle, deceit, fraud

Various Sources Baji / BaziEncyclopedia Topic

Game, play, stake

Various Sources BajothiyaEncyclopedia Topic

Small stool to sit, small table

Various Sources BakshamniEncyclopedia Topic

Forgiveness

Various Sources BakshanharEncyclopedia Topic

One who forgives, one who pardons

Various Sources BakshiyeEncyclopedia Topic

Forgive

Various Sources BalEncyclopedia Topic

Child, baby boy or girl

Various Sources BALNoun

Diminutif de BALaK (enfant).

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #459general Bal balEncyclopedia Topic

Sacrifice

Various Sources Bal kunvarEncyclopedia Topic

Little child, baby boy or girl

Various Sources Bal panaEncyclopedia Topic

Childhood

Various Sources Bala / BaloEncyclopedia Topic

Child

Various Sources Bala pumbdaEncyclopedia Topic

Small kids, small children

Various Sources BALA SHAH, SEYYEDName

(15/16th Century). Son of Seyyed Imam Shah.

(15e/16e S.) Fils de Seyyed Imam Shah.

Heritage Dictionary of ismailism, entry #185general Balad / BaladiaEncyclopedia Topic

Ox, bullock

Various Sources BalakEncyclopedia Topic

Child, small boy

Various Sources BALaKNoun

Enfant.

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #460general BalamEncyclopedia Topic

Beloved

Various Sources BALANCE [ see MIZAN ]Encyclopedia TopicEncyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral BalanddaEncyclopedia Topic

Burning, alight

Various Sources BalbalEncyclopedia Topic

To sacrifice, to surrender, to submit

Various Sources BALDEVName

Hero and brother to Wasoudev and Krishna. He rebirths 9 times in each cycle.

Héro, frère de Wasoudév et Krishna, il prend 9 incarnations à chaque cycle.

Heritage Dictionary of ismailism, entry #186general BaleEncyclopedia Topic

Burn

Various Sources BalhariEncyclopedia Topic

To sacrifice one's life, sacrifice

Various Sources BalhariyaEncyclopedia Topic

To sacrifice

Various Sources BaliEncyclopedia Topic

Maid, slave girl, female devotee, servant

Various Sources BaliEncyclopedia Topic

Baby girl, girl, girl, child

Various Sources BaliEncyclopedia Topic

Having lit, having burnt

Various Sources Bali baliEncyclopedia Topic

Of every girl, of the clean soul

Various Sources BalihariEncyclopedia Topic

To sacrifice one's life, sacrifice

Various Sources BaliyaEncyclopedia Topic

Tied, bound

Various Sources BalkarEncyclopedia Topic

Have ignited, set alight

Various Sources BaloEncyclopedia Topic

Child

Various Sources