Another misconception, which must be removed in this connection is that relating to God's setting seals on hearts. The misconception in this case is that it is thought that God has created some men with seals on their hearts, while other have been created with free and open hearts. No trace of any such distinction is met with anywhere either in the Koran or in hadith.

"He was born in 280/893 in Salamia. His name was Muhammad Nizar, surnamed al-Qaim bi-Amrillah (Firm in the ordinances of God). He married to Umm Habiba, the daughter of his uncle, and ascended in 322/934.

"The word qalb is derived from qalaba, meaning to overturn, return, go back and forth, change, fluctuate, undergo transformation. The Koran uses a number of verbal forms from the same root in this meaning. It uses the term heart itself in a variety of senses

"It is learnt that a group of Mubarakiyya in Kufa among the Ismaili orbit believed in the Mahdism of Imam Muhammad bin Ismail, anticipating his return, which had never been promulgated by the official dawa. Granted that it was the propaganda of the Ismaili dawa, there would hardly be a place left for the Imams for them in the line of Muhammad bin Ismail. This small Ismaili group was expecting the return of the Imam, and a da'i Hussain al-Ahwazi had also a leaning towards them.

"The Qarmatians also penetrated into Bahrain by the efforts of Abu Sa'id al-Hasan bin Bahram al-Jannabi, who was born in Jannaba on the coast of Fars. He was trained by Abdan in Kufa, and Hamdan al-Qarmat sent him to Bahrain in 281/894. By 286/899, with the support of the clan of Rabi of Abdul Qafs, Abu Sa'id had brought under submission a large part of Bahrain and also captured Qatif.

Meanwhile, Hasan al-A'sam, the son of Ahmad Abu Tahir and a nephew of Abu Tahir, had become the commander of the Qarmatian forces, who was usually selecting to lead the Qarmatians in their military campaigns outside Bahrain. In 357/968, Hasan al-A'sam had taken Damascus after defeating Hasan bin Ubaidullah bin Tughj, the Ikhshidid governor of Syria. The Qarmatians also sacked Ramla and took vast riches and returned to Bahrain.

"It must be known that some historians have tried to establish as fact that the Qarmatians and the Ismailis constituted one and the same movement, and some have tried to prove the contrary. Ibn Rizam, an anti-Ismaili pamphleteer of the first half of the fourth/tenth century had wrongly woven stories of the Ismailis and Qarmatians, to which S.M. Stern writes in Studies in Early Ismailism (Jerusalem, 1983, p.

The word qatl al-nafs means self-murder, denoting suicide in classical Islamic literature. Another word intihar means cutting of the throat is common in modern Arabic speech. There is only one phrase in the Koran relevant to the subject of suicide: "O you who believe! Do not devour your wealth in the wrong way, rather only through trade mutually agreed to, and do not kill yourselves" (4:29).

"The word qibla means direction or point towards which one turns his face for prayer as opposed to dibrah which indicates the direction or point towards which one turns his back. The word qibla occurs four times in the Koran.

There is no indication in the Koran when the last day shall arrive, and it is apparent that such knowledge belongs only to God: "People ask you about the hour. Say: Truly such knowledge is with God

"Qiyamat-i qubra or qaim al-qiyama was a famous occasion commemorated in Alamut on 17th Ramzan, 559/August 8, 1164 when Imam Hasan II came out publicly upon the termination of dawr-i satr. In his speech, he announced himself a legitimate Imam in the descent of Imam al-Nizar. Edward G.

"Hussain bin Ahmad or Abu Abdullah, surnamed az-Zaki, known as Hussain ar-Radi, or Radi Abdullah (Servant of God who is satisfied and content), was born in 210/825 and assumed the Imamate in 225/840. He is also called Muhammad and al-Muqtada al-Hadi. His also kept his identity secret being represented by his hujjat, Ahmad, surnamed al-Hakim.

The phrase Razi Allah-o anho or Razi Allah-o anha or Razi Allah-o anhum means may God be pleased with him/her/them as the case may be. It is uttered after the the names of the Companions of the Prophet, saints or Pirs.

The phrase Rahmat-ul-lah alai-hi or Rahmat-ul-lah alai-ha means may God bless him/her.

RAJM [ see HUDUD ]

By the end of Rig Vedic period, the fourfold division of society was regarded as fundamental and primeval in India, making its society classified into four castes, i.e., the priest (brahmana), warrior (ksatriya), peasant (vaisya) and serf (sudra). Below the sudra are the people, called untouchable (achhut), outcastes or depressed classes, and sometimes they are called the fifth class (pancama).

"Abu'l Hasan bin Suleman bin Muhammad, known as Rashiduddin Sinan was born in 528/1133 at Aqr al-Sudan, a village in the district of Basra. He was handsome, of middle height, with dark eyes and acute, learned, eloquent and quick-witted. He was brought up in Basra, where he became a schoolmaster and was converted to Ismailism. Subsequently, he went to Alamut where he was well received, and indoctrinated with Ismailism.

The Koran (3:7) says: "But none knows its interpretation, save only God and those firmly rooted in knowledge (rasikhun fi'l ilm)." Imam Jafar Sadik said, "We are the people obedience to whom God has made obligatory, and we are the rasikhun fi'l ilm" Kitab al-Burhan fi tafsir al-Koran (1:21). According to al-Safi fi tafsir kalam Allah al-wafi (1:21), once Imam Jafar Sadi said, "We are the rasikhun fi'l ilm, and we know the tawil of the Koran."

RECREATION CLUB INSTITUTE [ see ISMAILI TARIQAH BOARD ]

The Koran directs man's attention to the phenomena of nature and the facts of history, as they reveal the power of God and His wisdom. Man is invited to look at and reflect upon the grandeur of the heavens, the beauty of the earth, the freshness of dawn, the glory of sunset and the terrifying force of the wind as it sweeps over the open spaces of the desert. Pointedly, it asks: "Are not these marvelous?

The word religion comes from Latin relegere or the French religiun meaning to bind or a state of life bound by holy orders or the pattern of belief. The Arabic word for religion is or milla or din, which is briefly defined as under:

Milla : It means dictate, occuring 15 times in the Koran. It has special reference to the prophet through whom the religion is revealed.

The phrase al-hurriyah al-diniyyah means freedom of religion. One of the manifestations of personal liberty is the freedom of the individual to profess the religion of his or her choice without compulsion. Everyone in the society must have freedom to observe and to practice their faith without fear of, or interference from, others.

The word takfir means accusing someone of being a disbeliever, and takfir al-muslim is an attribution of disbelief to a Muslim. The Islamic Shariah forbids the attribution of disbelief, blasphemy or heresy to a Muslim.

The central theme in the Koran is the requital of human deeds by divine justice both in this world and the world to come. For those who do good deeds, God gives him some reward on earth and a far greater reward in the hereafter. Unbelievers and evildoers can be punished on earth and have to undergo eternal chastisement in the hereafter. The ultimate separation of the two groups will take place on the day of judgment.

The word riba comes from the verbal root raba meaning to grow, increase, addition or excess. It refers to an addition over and above the principal sum lent. In economics, it refers to that surplus income, which the lender receives from the borrower, over and above the principal amount as a reward for waiting or parting with the liquid part of his capital for a specific period of time.

ROZA [ see SAUM ]

"The term ruh (pl. arwah) is derived from the verb raha meaning to go away, leave, begin or set out. Derived from this root are rawwaha (to refresh, relax, rest); arwaha (to release, relieve, soothe); istarwaha (to breathe, smell, be refreshed, to calm, happy, glad); rih (wind), etc. It literally means soul, spirit or breath of life. The word ruh in different derivatives occurs 21 times in the Koran.

Mubarak or mabruk is derived from baraka (to bless). It means be blessed or good luck. It is a customary wish extended on special occasions.

The word muhajir (pl. muhajirin) means the emigrant, one who flies or forsake his home, is the name often applied in the Koran to those followers of the Prophet, who had migrated from Mecca to Medina with him. The word is derived from hijra. The term muhajir is not applied to the Prophet himself, but only to those who migrated with, before or after him and later made up a large portion of the population of Medina.

"Abu Jafar Muhammad bin Ali, known as al-Bakir was born on 1st Rajab, 57/October 15, 677. He assumed Imamate at the age of 37 years. He possessed extensive knowledge in religion matters, and because of that, according to Yaqubi, he was nicknamed al-Bakir (split open, or revealer of secret science), as it is said, tabaqqara al-rajulu fi'l aw fi'l mal means the man became abundant in knowledge or he enhanced himself in knowledge.

"Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi was born on Monday, the 12th Shawal, 260/July 31, 873 in the town, called Askar-i Mukram (or Askar wa Makrum), situated between the rivers of Masrukan and Shushtar. His name was Abdullah al-Mahdi and assumed the Imamate at the age of 8 years. His father, Imam Radi Abdullah had assigned the control of organization to his uncle, Sa'id al-Khayr. By the time Imam al-Mahdi became young, and married a daughter of his uncle, who died after some time.

Imam Muhammad bin Islam Shah, also known as Muhammad or Mehmud Shah, was probably born in Daylam. He was ten years old when his father arrived in Kahek in 798/1396. If this is a genuine tradition, it implies that he was born possibly in 788/1386, and was about 17 years old while assuming the Imamate. He mostly resided in Shahr-i Babak in Kirman.

"Abu Abdullah Muhammad, surnamed ash-Shakir was born in 122/740 in Medina. He passed his early life with his grandfather for 24 years and 10 years with his family in Medina. He however kept himself silent so long as he lived in Medina. He most probably left Medina soon after the death of his grandfather in 148/765.

"Muhammad bin Kiya Buzrug was born in 490/1097 probably in the fortress of Lamasar. He was given training by his father, and proved an able and competent administrator. He was assisted by his one young brother Kiya Ali, who led many expeditions and died in 538/1144. In the early part of Muhammad bin Kiya's reign, the area in control of Alamut was extended in Daylam and Gilan, where several new castles were taken or constructed, such as Sa'adatkuh, Mubarakkuh and Firuzkuh.

In India, Syed Ghulam Ali Shah was collecting the religious dues in Kutchh, and after his death in 1797, the Imam Shah Khalilullah Ali, who ascended on May 23, 1792 had appointed him as a vakil in Gujrat. He mostly preached in north Gujrat among the Momina Ismailis. He led a pious life in the dress of a rich person. When he passed through any village, he had lot of horses and camels in his caravan. He also visited Sind, Kutchh and Kathiawar and composed few ginans.

"Ismael, the son of Abraham had a son, Kaidar whose progeny spread over the Arabian province of Hijaz. Adnan, to whom the Prophet traced his descent, was also a scion of Ismael in about the fortieth generations. Further down, in the ninth descent from Adnan, there followed Nadar bin Kinana. Another descent in the genealogical scale and then comes in the ninth place, one, Qassi by name. The supreme charge of the Kaba fell into the hands of Qassi (d. 480 A.D.).

The name Muhammad (may peace be upon him) is the passive participle of the second form of the verb hamada (to praise or laud), and means "(he who is) worthy of praise" or "(one who is) often praised." Muhammad is the passive participle of the first form of the same verbal root, "(he who is) praised, to whom praised is due."

The verses of the Koran are stated to be partly muhkam (decisive) and partly mutabshabih (allegorical). The Koran (11:1) explains the first designation by declaring that it is "a book whose verses are precisely, clearly or unambiguously set forth" (uhkimat). Here the purpose of muhkam is to provide clear guidance. With regard to the second designation, the Koran (39:23) says: "God has sent down the best speech, a mutashabih book (kitaban mutashabihan)".

"His name was Ma'd, and kunya was Abu Tamim, surnamed al-Muizz li-din'allah (Fortifier of the religion of God). He was born in Mahdiya in 319/931, and ascended in 341/952. His period is noted for the extension of the Fatimid domination from Maghrib to Egypt and Syria. His Caliphate is also acclaimed for the progress of learning and arts. He himself was a learned philosopher, scientist and astronomist.

The word mujizah is derived from ijaz meaning inability, referring to the miracle. The Koran exhorts miracles in a threefold sense: the sacred history, in connection with the Prophet, and in relation to revelation. The threefold sense of the miracle corresponds to the three meanings of the word aya (pl. ayat), which indicates the verse of the Koran as well as the miracle of it and the sign, particularly those of creation.

Every mosque has a mutawalli (guardian), who is charged with its management and internal affairs. He has the right to appoint the man who leads the prayers. In the Ismaili tariqah, the guardian of each Jamatkhana is called mukhi, a word derived from mukhiya means foremost. Since the Imam physically is not present all the times in the Jamatkhana, the Mukhi acts tangible symbol of the Imam's authority. In the big jamat, the Mukhi was assisted by a caretaker called tha'nak.

The Arabic word mu’min (pl. mu’minun) is the active participle of form 4th of the root –m-n means to believe. The word mu’min thus means believer or faithful. In order to qualify as a mu’min, one must believe in the Unity of God, the finality of the Prophet, belief in God’s earliest prophets, His revealed books, His angels and the hereafter. In Koran, the attitude of true believers towards God is characterized by gratitude, awe, repentance and submission.

Hypocrite is the word generally used to translate the Koranic term munafiqun, the active participle of the third form of the root n-f-q. Its verbal noun, nifaq is usually translated as hypocrisy. The etymology of nifaq and munafiqun is disputed, but they are often associated with the nouns nafaq means tunnel, and nufaqa and nafiqa i.e. the burrow of a rat or a jerboa. The connotation of hiding underground and undermining is very apt, since this is precisely what the munafiqun are accused of.

The Arabic word munajat is derived from najiy, meaning confidential talk The Koran says: "And We called to him from the right side of the Mount (Sinai) and let him come near in order to have a personal talk (najiy) with Him" (19:52)

"Ali Shah, surnamed Shah Murad or Murad Mirza lived in Anjudan. He had also retained his close relations with Shah Ismail cemented by his father. His mode of living, his dress and food were characterized by a rare simplicity.

The term mushrik is derived from shirk, i.e., associating in the sense of ascribing partners to God, which is described in the Koran as the only sin for which no forgiveness is possible (4:48). Another common Koranic expression for this is "those who associate" (alladhina ashraku).

One of the most perplexing points in Islam is its attitude towards music, and for centuries the legists have argued the question whether listening to music (al-sama) is lawful or not. It is not easy to comprehend how the question arose, seeing that there is not a word of direct censure against music in the Koran, and above all, in face of the fact that music was almost an indispensable article in the social life of the Arabs. According to A History of Arabian Music (London, 1929, p.

"Badr al-Jamali, the Fatimid vizir expected the succession of Musta'li but he died in 487/1095, a month before the death of Imam al-Mustansir. The Imam appointed Lawun Amin ad-Dawla as a new vizir, but after few days, al-Afdal, the son of Badr al-Jamali managed to obtain office of vizirate when the Imam was on death-bed. After the death of Imam al-Mustansir, the year 487/1095 marks the triumph of vizirial prerogative over caliphal authority in the structure of the Fatimid empire.