Ismaili Dictionary & Encyclopedia

HAYTHAM, al-Name

(9th Century) Nephew of Ibn. Hawshab* who sent him as a missionary to Sind in 270/884.

(9e S.), neveu de Ibn. Hawshab* qui l'envoya comme missionnaire au Sind en 270/884.

Heritage Dictionary of ismailism, entry #244general HAYYAN, JABIR IBN.-Name

(2nd/8th Century). (born in730 AD). Called Geber in the West. Was the pupil of Imam Jafar Sadiq. Famous alchinist and author of 3,000 works including the "Balance of Letters" sv. PaulKraus.*

(2e/8e S). (né en 730). Geber de l'Occident. Elève de Imam Jafar Sadiq. Illustre alchimiste et auteur de 3000 traités dont la "Balance des lettres". Paul Kraus* WORD: HAYYAN, JABIR IBN.- CDN

Heritage Dictionary of ismailism, entry #272general HAZaRNoun

Le toujours présent, l'actuel, l'Omniprésent. Equiv. MAUJOUD*. Attribut se rapportant â l'Imam. HAZaR IMAM*.

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #45general HAZAR IMAMEncyclopedia Topic

The term Hazar Imam means an Apparent Imam. It is the term specially refers to the Present Imam in the lineage of Ali bin Abu Talib. He is the legitimate Imam of the age according to the Ismaili tariqah. The word hazar means the present and apparent, which can be perceived physically in the world. Different terms are also used for the Hazar Imam, such as Imam-i Zaman, Imam ad-Dahr, Imam al-Asr, Imam-i Mubin, etc. The Present Hazar Imam or Mawlana Hazar Imam is the 49th Imam, Prince Karim al-Husayni, known as the Aga Khan IV.

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral HAZRATEncyclopedia Topic

It means, Your honour or Your majesty

HELL [see JAHANNAM ]

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral He jeEncyclopedia Topic

Those who

Various Sources HediEncyclopedia Topic

Having awaken

Various Sources HekEncyclopedia Topic

One

Various Sources Hek hekEncyclopedia Topic

Each one, every one

Various Sources Hek manEncyclopedia Topic

Single-mindedness, concentration

Various Sources Hek maneEncyclopedia Topic

Single-mindedly, with concentration

Various Sources Heka koiEncyclopedia Topic

Everyone

Various Sources HekandhaEncyclopedia Topic

Will join, will participate

Various Sources HelEncyclopedia Topic

Pitcher, (allegorically used for a symbol of hope)

Various Sources HemEncyclopedia Topic

Gold

Various Sources Hem jalEncyclopedia Topic

A type of ornament, gold; a type of tree

Various Sources HemajalEncyclopedia Topic

The Himalaya mountain, icy cold

Various Sources HerEncyclopedia Topic

Cycles, visits

Various Sources HeranharEncyclopedia Topic

Deceiver, a trap, tempting

Various Sources HERETICSEncyclopedia Topic

Those who deviate only a little from orthodoxy are called ahl al-ahwa (people of desires), those who follow the devices and desires of their own hearts are called ahl al-bid'a (people of innovation) or mulhid (one who turns aside). Extremists of any sort are called ghulat (pl. of ghali), meaning boil or be expensive.

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral Heri lesheEncyclopedia Topic

Will snach away, will take away, will rob

Various Sources HeriyaEncyclopedia Topic

Misguided, misled, enticed

Various Sources HetEncyclopedia Topic

Love, affection

Various Sources Het haryaliEncyclopedia Topic

Fresh love

Various Sources Het pritEncyclopedia Topic

Love and affection

Various Sources HETANoun

Loin, éloigné.

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #579general HetarasEncyclopedia Topic

Love

Various Sources HeteEncyclopedia Topic

With love

Various Sources HiEncyclopedia Topic

This

Various Sources HiaEncyclopedia Topic

This

Various Sources HiasaEncyclopedia Topic

This

Various Sources HIDDEN ISMAILI IMAMS IN DAWR-I SATREncyclopedia Topic

"The first veiled period (dawr-i satr) became benign climate for the enemies of the Ismailis to cultivate different wrong genealogies of the Imams. Thus, the ancestry of the Fatimids has confounded the students of history due to divergent accounts given by the historians, which had been developed round the persons of the "hidden Imams" (aima'i masturin) during concealment period. The widespread Abbasid propaganda, the derogatory attitude of Sunnite and Shi'ite authors make difficult to decide one way or the other about the legitimacy of their claim. In the light of the Fatimid policy, we are inclined to believe that the Fatimids deliberately seem to have avoided discussing the matter of their ancestry. It emerges from this a safe conclusion that it was a preconceived plan of the Fatimids to keep their genealogy a top secret, owing to the intricate and dark passages it passed through and due to contradictions involved in the adoption of assumed names by the hidden Imams.

The variety of lineages suggested by the writers amounted to several hundreds, and the lineage between Imam Wafi Ahmad and Imam Radi Abdullah alone has been altered in no less than fifty ways. Since the hidden Imams had assumed different names in various regions to outsiders, in order to evade the vigilance of the Abbasids, the historians derived their informations on hearsay. The Ismaili Imams of that period were too cautious to disclose their true names; instead they assumed names, other than their owns and used for themselves the names of their da'is. The hidden Imams, for the most part, could not pass the settled lives in specific places, but were known by names other than their own, sometimes by names of their da'is and hujjats as a precautionary measure designed to ward off the danger of their persons being discovered.

The absence of detailed biographies of the three hidden Imams is also the result of their having lived in strict disguise. This seems quite probable, if one realizes the situation very seriously. What in fact would the popular memory preserve about the Imams when these were living ostensibly as local merchants, carrying on their business, associating with friends, directing their followers through secret agency of mission, marrying, educating their children, etc. The memory of these traditions is very meagre, retaining only reminiscences of the most important names and events. Similarly, the Ismaili da'is also disguised as pious merchants of slightly lower standing, also left behind very trivial traces. Thus the leaving of any trace of their activities in writing was obviously avoided as much as possible. W. Ivanow writes in The Rise of the Fatimids (Calcutta, 1942, pp. 43-44) that, "Thus the long blank period in the story of the Imams, living in such conditions, cannot reasonably be taken as valid proof of the falsity of their claims to continuous succession from their original ancestor, Ismail b. Jafar."

Even though the period of concealment and persecution of the Abbasids were no longer in existence, the Fatimids were insistent not to divulge the names of their earlier three hidden Imams, the link between Imam al-Mahdi and Imam Muhammad bin Ismail. It seems quite possible that these Imams had assumed names for more than one time, and hid their true names, and were too complicated to be clarified. The followers also seem to have given much priority on the Imam of the time, descending from Imam Muhammad bin Ismail. This secrecy however led too much confusion and made it too hard to locate the real names of the hidden Imams. It is also a striking feature that these three hidden Imams are not mentioned by the early renowned Ismaili scholars, viz. Abu Hatim ar-Razi (d. 322/934), Qadi Noman (d. 363/974), Jafar bin Mansur al-Yamen (d. 365/975) and other authors of 4th/10th century.

Commenting the aggressive attitude of the historians, Ivanow writes in The Rise of the Fatimids (Calcutta, 1942, p. 29) that, "With their predominantly hostile tendency, each author vie with the others in inventing something more humiliating and scandalous for the dynasty." The diversity of the names of the three hidden Imams can be judged from the following list of some special surname and epithet, whose implications were intelligible only to the trusted followers, indicating a causative factor of the contradictions in the sources:

ABDULLAH : Radi, Ahmad, Abu Muhammad, al-Wafi

AHMAD : Wafi, Muhammad, Abul Hussain, at-Taqi.

HUSSAIN : Muhammad, Taqi, Ahmad, Abu Abdullah, az-Zaki, al-Muqtada al-Hadi, ar-Radi.

The fact about the Imams assuming the above code names in one or more times can be derived from the letter of Imam al-Muizz (341-365/953-975), which he routed in 354/965 to his da'i in Sind, named Jaylam bin Shayban, which is preserved in the 5th volume of Uyun'l-Akhbar by Idris Imaduddin. According to Expose de la Religion des Druzes (Paris, 1838, p. 252) by de Sacy, "These men (hidden Imams) obliged to seek concealment, took sometimes one name and sometimes another, in order to shelter from the pursuit of their enemies." John Nicholson also writes in Establishment of the Fatemide Dynasty in Northern Africa (1840, p. 12) that, "They themselves have taken different names at different times in order to elude discovery."

According to an-Naqdu'l-Khafi by Hamza (cf. Expose de la Religion des Druzes by Silvestre de Sacy, Paris, 1838, p. 74) that the Fatimid Caliph, al-Muizz had once said: "I am the seventh in the second heptad." As is well known, al-Muizz was the 14th Imam in the second heptad. The Imams of the first heptad were seven and the seventh one was Imam Muhammad bin Ismail, and the Imams followed after him were also seven to make Imam al-Muizz as the 14th Imam. Hence, the 13th Imam was Imam al-Mansur, the 12th was Imam al-Qaim and 11th was Imam al-Mahdi. It therefore emerges conclusively that there must have been three Imams between Imam al-Mahdi and Imam Muhammad bin Ismail, whose names were Abdullah (Wafi Ahmad), Ahmad (Taqi Muhammad) and Hussain (Radi Abdullah) from 8th to 10th in the sequence. W. Ivanow writes in Ismailis and Qarmatians (JBBRAS, Bombay, 1940, p. 74) that, "Being the fourth Fatimid Caliph, al-Muizz was the seventh Imam after Muhammad bin Ismail. Thus this formally rejects the theory of the Fatimids descending from Abdullah bin Maymun."

The description of Imam al-Muizz however does not contain the explicit names of the "three hidden Imams", but before that, it is known that Imam al-Mahdi had sent a letter in Yamen, which reached there after his arrival in Mahdiya in 308/921. Jafar bin Mansur al-Yamen (d. 365/975) had quoted the letter in his al-Fara'id wa Hudud ad-Din (pp. 13-19), wherein the names of the three hidden Imams have been mentioned, viz. Abdullah, Ahmad and Muhammad. Dr. Sami Nasib Makarem writes in The Hidden Imams of the Ismailis (al-Abhath, 21, 1969, p. 24) in this context that, "If al-Mahdi's letter is authentic, it is one of the oldest documents that have come to light until now, and, consequently a most reliable document, especially because it was written by the Caliph al-Mahdi himself."

Among the later Ismaili historians, Ahmad bin Muhammad an-Naysaburi, the author of Istitaru'l-Imam, compiled under Imam al-Aziz (365-386/975-996) seems first to have mentioned the names of the three hidden Imams. Later, Hamiduddin Kirmani (d. 408/1017) in Tanbihu'l-Hadi wa'l-Mustahdi and ar-Risalat al-Wa'iza, Idris Imaduddin (d. 872/1468) in Uyun'l-Akhbar and Hasan bin Nuh Broachi (d. 939/1533) in Kitabu'l Azhar also provided brief biographies of the three hidden Imams.

In sum, R. Strothmann writes in Gnosis-Texte der Ismailiten (Gottingen, 1943, p. 59) that, "The three Imams followed by Muhammad bin Ismail were in concealment: Abdullah al-Rida, Ahmad al-Wafi and Hussain al-Taqi, and finally the beginning of the Fatimid dynasty with al-Mahdi."

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral HIJABNoun

Voile, rideau, V. PaRDO*

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #46general HIJRAEncyclopedia Topic

The word for emigration, hijra is derived from h-j-r means cutting oneself off from friendly or sociable relation, ceasing to speak to others, forsaking, abandoning, deserting, shunning or avoiding (4:34, 25:30, 74:5). It also means departure from the desert to the town or villages and vice versa. Its most common meaning is to forsake one's own land and take up residence in another country. The Koran frequently uses the variations of the root kh-r-j to convey this sense (4:66, 8:30, 9:40, 60:1). It also has been interpreted to mean an emigration from the territory of unbelievers to the territory of believers for the sake of religion (4:97, 29:26). Technically, the term hijra has been used to designate the emigration of the Prophet and his early Companions from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D. Its (hijra) various derivatives appear 31 times in the Koran, 16 of which refer to the emigration of Muslims from Mecca to Medina and the departure from home for the cause of God.

The first emigration of Muslims was to Abyssinia (Habasha, modern Ethiopia) when the Meccan persecution intensified, the Prophet instructed them to disperse in various directions. Upon their inquiry of where, exactly, to go, he advised them to set out for Abyssinia. The second but more consequential emigration was from Mecca to Medina.

It must be known that the classification of the suras or chapters of the Koran as Meccan and Medinan also takes account of changes in tone and terminology. While the pre-hijra verse use the vocative phrase "O you people" (ya ayyuha l-nas), post-hijra verse are often addressed to "O you who believe" (ya ayyuha lladhina amanu). Classical Koranic exegesis thus saw the hijra as the demarcation for major changes in the course of the umma's development and for changing themes of the Koranic message. The Islamic calendar provides another indication of the decisive importance accorded to this event.

Early sources differ on whether the door of hijra i.e. the period in which emigration could be undertaken for religious reasons, was closed after the conquest of Mecca in 8/630 or whether it remained open indefinitely. The disagreement revolves around two sets of conflicting traditions. In one, the Prophet said, "There is no emigration after the conquest of Mecca." In another, the Prophet is reported to have said, "The hijra will not come to an end as long as the infidels are fought." The issue was so hotly debated in scholarly circles that both Abu Daud and Nisa'i included separate chapters in their hadith compilations.

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral HIJRAT AL-HABASHAHEncyclopedia Topic

"When the sufferings and tribulations of the Muslims at the hands of the Meccans reached to its extreme in 615 A.D., the Prophet directed that those of them who could afford it should migrate to Abyssinia across the Red Sea, whose kings were known as the Negus (Najashi). As-Hama, the then Negus was a Christian king. Under the direction of the Prophet, eleven men and four women from among the Muslims migrated to Abyssinia. When the Meccans came to know of their migration, they were much upset and sent some men after them in pursuit, but the Muslims had a long start and could not be overtaken. This infuriated the malicious ones among the Meccans. They formed a deputation under Abdullah bin Rabi and Amr bin A'as, who went to Abyssinia with handsome presents to persuade the king to deliver the emigrants into their hands. In due course, this deputation stood in the presence of the king and listened to their representation. Then he sent for the refugees and asked them what they had to say.

Jafar, nick-named Taiyar (the flying), the son of Abu Talib and brother of Ali, acting as spokesman for the Muslims, stood forth and made reply, "O'king, we belong to a people steeped in ignorance. Our fathers and grandfathers worshipped idols. They ate carrion and other things unclean. They gambled and fornicated and indulged in other sins. They knew no pity, nor compassion nor human sympathy. They oppressed and persecuted the weak and the helpless. They robbed and killed without compunction. For centuries our people lived thus and then God in His mercy sent us the light. From among these cruel and headstrong people, He deputed a man to be His prophet and His messenger. This man was already known to his people as the trusted one and everyone bore testimony to the purity of his conduct, the goodness of his ways and the nobility of his birth. This man spoke to us of One God and appealed to us to worship no one but Him. We listened to his call and accepted it. We vowed that we would renounce all false deities and idols and worship the One True God. He taught us to be honest, kind, compassionate and just, and we obeyed his teachings. This so angered our countrymen that they persecuted and tortured us in many fearful ways. These people demanded that we should renounce our new faith and once again revert to idolatry. We refused to give up our new faith and our enemies refused to give up their persecutions. When their brutalities exceeded all limits and our lives were in peril, reluctantly, we bade farewell to our mother land, and decided to emigrate."

The king was greatly impressed, and returned the gifts brought by the leaders of Mecca, and said, "I will not hand over to you these innocent men and women who have come to me for shelter." Nevertheless, the disappointed Meccans hit upon another plan. Next day, they tried to incite the king, by telling him that the heretics did not believe in the divinity of Jesus. But in this too their hopes were frustrated. The Muslims confessed on the basis of Koranic verse that they did not look upon Jesus as God but as a prophet of God. The king picked up a straw and pointing to it said, "Jesus is in fact not even this much more than the Muslims have described him to be." Empty-handed and humbled the deputation from Mecca returned home and the leaders of Qoraish gnashed their teeth in anger.

Gradually, the number of emigrants increased in Abyssinia. Only a few days had passed in peace, when a rumour reached them that the Meccans had finally embraced Islam. On hearing this, most of the Muslims decided to return to Mecca. When they reached the city, they came to know that the report was false. The Meccans began to persecute even more severely those persons who had returned from Abyssinia. In spite of this, however, about a hundred Muslims managed to leave Mecca and settled in Abyssinia. The Meccans however did their utmost to check the tide of emigration, but all in vain.

The Abyssinian emigration gave the Meccans a conclusive proof that the Muslims were ready to run all risks, and undergo every form of hardship in the cause of Islam. They would shrink from no danger in the path of God. The Meccans vainly tried to check this tide of emigration. It was not until seven years after the Prophet's flight from Mecca that they rejoined their Muslim brethren at Medina.

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral HIJRAT-I MEDINAEncyclopedia Topic

"It was the 13th year of the Prophet's mission when the clouds had gathered fast. The Meccan chiefs centered in their Council Hall (darun-nadwa), a chamber inside Kaba, to deliberate over what might be treated with the Prophet. Stormy was the meeting, for fear had entered their hearts. Imprisonment for life, expulsion from the city, each was debated in turn for the Prophet. They decided then on a final and desperate remedy, namely to kill the Prophet. Murder by one man would have exposed him and his family to the vengeance of blood. The difficulty was at last solved by Abu Jahl, who suggested that a number of courageous men, chosen from different families, should sheathe their swords simultaneously in the Prophet's bosom, in order that the responsibility of the deed might rest upon all, and the relations of the Prophet might consequently be unable to avenge it. The proposal was accepted, and forty youths were selected for the sanguinary deed. As the night advanced, and it was against the Arab sense of chivalry to kill any one within the four walls of his house at night hour. Hence, the assassins posted themselves round the Prophet's dwelling, and watched all night long, peeping now and then through a hole in the door to make sure that the Prophet still lay on his bed. In order to keep the attention of the assassins focused upon the bed, the Prophet put his own green coverlet upon Ali, and bade him to lie on his bed; so as to fail the scheme of his enemies, and himself escaped.

The Prophet had guessed exactly what would be the reactions of the Meccans when they found he had gone. He had, therefore, not started for Yathirab with camel. He had gone on foot with Abu Bakr to Mount Thaur, about one hour's walk from Mecca. They reached Mount Thaur while it was still dark and concealed themselves in the innermost recess of a cave in the rocky hillside. A tracking party, following the footprints of the fugitives, reached the mouth of the cave. Abu Bakr, hearing the sound of their footsteps, grieved within himself. It was a critical moment when the sword of the bloodthirsty enemy was hanging on their heads. The Prophet quieted the fears of Abu Bakr with the words: "Do no be grieved, for surely God is with us." For full three days, the Prophet remained in the cave.

On the third night, they came out with two camels. Quickly the Prophet mounted and followed by Abu Bakr, rode into the desert night. They took a certain Abdullah bin Uraiqi, a non-Muslim as their guide. In order to avoid the main caravan tracks, they struck a diagonal course northwest toward the Red Sea. For nearly a week the journey continued over the parched, barren, mournful wasteland. No living creatures, not even vultures or snakes, inhabited this wilderness. They first had proceeded parallel to the Red Sea until they reached a place called Usfan. From here they turned a little inland and travelled for some distance along the foot of Mount Amaj. Then they followed a route parallel to the usual route. They went past Qudayda, al-Kharrar, Thanniyya al-Marrah and Liqfa, and crossed the territories of Banu Madlijah and Banu Aslam, where they alighted for a while. Here The Prophet hired a camel to relieve, his own which was exhausted by the long non-stop journey. Before they entered Kuba, they passed through such places as al-Araj, Thanniya al-Ghair and the valley of Ri'm. On the seventh morning after the start of the flight, the oasis of Kuba, a few miles from Yathirab, was sighted. The last stage was from there to Kuba, which was originally the name of a well and became a settlement of Banu Amr ibn Awf. Finally, the Prophet made his footing in Kuba after 12 nights had passed of the month of Rabi I, when the mid-day heat was scorching and the sun stood perpendicular. This journey covered 246 miles. This flight of the Prophet from Mecca to Yathirab (Medina) is called the hijra.

On the other side in Mecca, Ali slept fearlessly whole night on The Prophet's bed. R.V.C. Bodely writes in "The Messenger" (London, 1946, p. 113) that, "The morning breeze whispered over the desert. The dawn came mauvely from the east and showed the assassins braced to strike. As the first white rays of the rising sun hit the flat roofs of Mecca, the door of the Prophet's house opened. The men stood ready to spring. They then held back as their astonished eyes rested on the burly figure of Ali standing on the threshold carrying the Prophet's cloak over his arms." The assassins at first thought of killing him, but when they found him ready to defend himself, they gave up the idea and dispersed in search of the Prophet. Discomfited and unhappy, they immediately dispatched their best riders in pursuit of the fugitive. Up and down they hunted over all the tracks and passes leading out of Mecca, but found no trace of the Prophet.

Ali stayed three days at Mecca and handed back all the articles, which were entrusted to the Prophet for safe custody, mostly by his enemies, secured their receipts and quitted the city in broad daylight. Ali was also assigned for safe transport of the Prophet's daughter Fatima, the daughter of Hamza, another Fatima, his own mother, Fatima bint Asad, and his aunt, that was the daughter of Abdul Muttalib, a fourth Fatima. On account of scarcity of mounts, Ali had to travel on foot, and reached Kuba with bleeding feet. The Prophet embraced him, and dressed his feet. He stayed with the clan of Umar bin Auf at Kuba for 14 days, and during which time he laid foundation of the first mosque of Islam. It is of this mosque that Koran (9:109) speaks as "the mosque founded on piety."

The news of the Prophet's arrival at Kuba soon reached Yathirab and the city had been in eager expectation of his arrival. Each morning some people would go out on the outskirts to watch the appearance of their revered master. The tedious hours of impatient expectancy were at last over, and the illustrious visitor appeared on the horizon of Yathirab. At last the great day arrived. News was brought to Yathirab that the Prophet was on his way. He entered the city on September 22, 622.

HILAL [ see LAIL AT-QAMAR ]

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral HILF AL-FUDZULEncyclopedia Topic

The Prophet participated in the alliance known as Hilf al-Fudzul, formed to vindicate the rights of the weak and the oppressed against tyranny. Each member of the alliance was bound in honour to defend the helpless against all manner of oppression. The credit of taking the lead in the formation of this humanitarian organization was due to the Prophet and his family, Banu Hashim. His early inclinations to render help to the distressed go to show that human sympathy was implanted in his very nature.

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral HinEncyclopedia Topic

This, these

Various Sources HinaEncyclopedia Topic

Empty, without, devoid of, weak, inferior

Various Sources HincheEncyclopedia Topic

Swaying, swinging

Various Sources HinchloeEncyclopedia Topic

Leap

Various Sources HindoEncyclopedia Topic

Roam, while roaming, walk

Various Sources Hindola khatEncyclopedia Topic

Swing

Various Sources HindoleEncyclopedia Topic

Cradle

Various Sources HindseEncyclopedia Topic

Will roam

Various Sources HiniEncyclopedia Topic

S1nall, weak

Various Sources HirEncyclopedia Topic

Silk

Various Sources HIRAEncyclopedia Topic

Jabal al-Noor (Mount of Light) is situated near Mecca, with the cave of Hira where the Prophet received the first revelation. (96: 1-5). On the Sail Kabeer road to Taif, just three miles away from the downtown Mecca city in its north-east there stands the mountain of light (Jabal al-Noor). This is the mountain, which has the honour of having the cave, Hira, where the first revelation of the Koran was bestowed upon the Prophet. The mountain is prominently seen from everywhere in Mecca. Even before entering the city from Jeddah people can see it from their own vehicles. It is an important part of the city skyline when seen from inside or the outskirts.

Although it remained in the periphery of the city till recently, today the Mecca city has expanded to such a great extent that the Jabal al-Noor having Hira has to be counted very much in the city area. The area has many other mountains surrounding Jabal al-Noor but this mountain is easily recognized as it has a crown-like upper part which makes it so distinctive as if it is the queen of the mountains. The nearby mountain called Thabeer and other hills around it are triangular shaped mountains with a usual ascent and descent but Jabal al-Noor can be divided into three portions.

First is the normal ascent for the mountain, which ascends at an angle of 35-40 degrees. After it comes the more vertical area with a slope making an angle of less than 70 degrees horizontally which makes it a bit difficult for those not used to climbing on the mountains. The last portion then is an almost flat part with an easy ascent, coiling around the hill and then descending a bit to embrace Hira.

In the construction of the walls of the Kaba stones were brought from five different mountains, one of them being the Jabal al-Noor. Its two neighbouring mountains and the mountain of Thabeer are also called two waves of the sea.

It has been estimated that the height of the cave from sea level is 2,500 feet whereas its altitude from the ground level is 200 metres. The cave can be seen at the left side while going to the Mina area from Mecca.

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral HirakhEncyclopedia Topic

Happiness

Various Sources HiranEncyclopedia Topic

Deer

Various Sources