Ismaili Dictionary & Encyclopedia

RELIGIONEncyclopedia Topic

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.

Din : In sum, the distinction between the three words is thus expressed: din in relation to God who reveals it, milla in relation to the prophet through whom it is revealed, and mazhab in relation to the mujtahid who expounds it. In other words, for din the word dinu'llah, for milla the word millatu Ibrahim and for mazhab the word mazhabu Abu Hanifa is used.

Mazhab: (pl. mazahib). It is a Persian word derived from the root zahaba, meaning he went, and mazhab signifies a way that one pursues in respect of doctrines and practice, or an opinion respecting religion.

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral RELIGION, FREEDOM OFEncyclopedia Topic

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. Freedom of religion in its Islamic context implies that non-Muslims are not forced to convert to Islam, nor are they hindered from practicing their own religious rites. Both Muslims and non-Muslims are entitled to propagate the religion of their following, as well as to defend it against attack or seditious provocation, regardless as to whether such an action is launched by their co-religionists or by others. For the basic idea of freedom defies impositions of any kind on an individual's personal choice. Freedom of belief, like all other freedoms, operates as a safeguard against the possible menace of oppression from superior sources of power. This is also essentially true of the Islamic concept of this freedom. Fathi Uthman observes, "No power of any kind in the Islamic state may be employed to compel people to embrace Islam. The basic function of the Islamic state, in this regard, is to monitor and prevent the forces which might seek to deny the people their freedom of belief" (Huquq al-Insan bayn al-Shariah al-Islamiyyah, Beirut, 1982, p. 91).

The world today has become pluralist with variety of religions, languages and cultures in one country due to fast process of modernization, liberalization and globalization. In contrast, there was no concept of civil society in past. The states were all powerful and the people did not enjoy any rights. The modern democratic trend has conceded well-defined rights to the citizens. The civil society has its own autonomy in a democratic fabric, and the notion of human rights has acquired great significance - a fundamental to a society, which is pluralistic. It is unfortunate that the Islamic world is yet to cope with the notion of civil society. Most of the Muslim countries do not have democracy, where the rulers condemn human rights as a western notion and some even non-Islamic.

It is important to examine from theological perspective, what is the attitude of Islam towards pluralism? Does Islam approve of pluralism or promotes a monolithic society? While going through the Koranic teachings, it infers that Islam not only accepts the legitimacy of religious pluralism, but considers it quite central to its system of beliefs. The Koran says: "And We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, verifying what is before it of the Book and a guardian over it, therefore judge between them by what God has revealed, and do not follow their low desires from the truth that has come to you; for every one of you, We have appointed a (different) law and way of life. And if God had so willed, He could surely have made you all one single nation: but (He willed it otherwise) in order to test you by means of what He has given you, therefore strive with one another in doing good works! Unto God you all must return, and then He will let you know that in which you differed" (5:48).

This is very seminal passage in favour of religious and legal pluralism, which Muslims, especially the Muslim regimes, have not considered seriously. The most significant and operative part of the above verse is "for every one of you, We have appointed a (different) law and way of life." The term "everyone of you" obviously denotes different communities. Every community, obviously religious or religio-cultural community, has its own law (shir'atan) and its own way (minhaj) and attains its spiritual growth in keeping with this law and way of life of its own. Thus, the Prophets of God were sent to different nations, who gave laws and indicated way of life to their people in keeping with their genius and that, which could ensure their spiritual and material growth. It is further emphasized in the above verse, "And if God had so willed, He could surely have made you all one single nation" (wa lav sha'allah laja'alkum umatav wahida).

It was not difficult for God to make entire mankind one nation, but He graced mankind with pluralism as it adds richness and variety to life. Each nation has its own unique way of life, its own custom, tradition and law. God does not want to impose one law on all and creates "nations" rather than "nation." God has created different nations to try and test human beings in what has been given to them, i.e. different scriptures, laws and ways of life. And that test is to live in peace and harmony with each other, which is the will of God. Thus, the differences of laws and ways of life should not become causes of disharmony and differences. What is desirable for human beings is to live with these differences and vie with one another in good deeds.

In the last part of the above verse, it is stated, "Unto God you all must return, and then He will let you know that in which you differed" (fa'yu'nabi'ukum bima kuntum fi'hi ta'khat li'fu'n). It is therefore not the task of human beings to decide for themselves who is right or wrong. It will lead to disturbances and breach of peace. It should be left to God to decide when they return unto Him.

The above Koranic verse (5:48) has also another important dimension. The earlier part of this verse says, "And We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, verifying what is before it of the Book and a guardian (muhaimin) over it." This is very much modern in its approach. The Koran has thus come to vouchsafe for what was revealed earlier to different nations through their Prophets. All religions are based on the revelation from God. The Koran has come to be guardian of earliest truth revealed through other scriptures. It means that the laws, the ways of life may differ and yet religion (din), the divine essence, the divine truth, is the same, reflecting in all religions, in all spiritual traditions, and the humans have no right to reject the other as illegitimate, much less, false.

The Koranic pluralism finds different expressions in different places. The Koran does not maintain that there could be only one way of prayer to God. There could be more than one. Thus, the Koran says, "And every one has a direction to which he turns, so vie with one another in good works" (2:148). Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir stresses its inner resemblance's to the phrase occurring in 5:48 that "for every one of you We have appointed a (different) law and way of life." This verse clearly refers to different directions, different religious nations have adopted whereto they turn for prayer. All of them, however, submit to God and pray to Him. The Koran exhorts that the direction of the prayer, whatever its symbolic value for a religious community, does not represent the essence of the prayer or faith

This is further corroborated by the Koran: "It is not righteousness that you turn your face towards the East and the West, but righteousness is this that one should believe in God and the last day and the angels and the Book, and the Prophets, and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and beggars and for (the emancipation of) the slaves free and keep up prayer and pay the poor rate, and the performance of their promise when they make a promise, and the patient in distress and affliction and in the time of conflict, and these are they who keep their duty" (2:177).

Thus the above verse exhorts that the real aim of Islam is to produce ideal human persons. And only such persons are truly muttaqun i.e., God conscious and keepers of their duty to God. This verse needless to say, lends great support to the basic premise of religious pluralism by de-emphasizing a particular way of prayer and extolling the importance of human conduct and sensitivity to others suffering and ones own steadfastness in the face of calamities and afflictions.

The Koran is very particular about freedom of conscience, which is a key to pluralism. The Koran clearly state that there is no compulsion in religion (2:256), and maintains that all children of Adam are honourable (17:70). It does admit of inter-religious dialogue but with decorum: "And argue not with the People of the Book except by what is best, save such of them, as act unjustly. And say: We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him we submit" (29:46).

The Koran lays great stress on unity of humankind. It says: "Mankind is a single nation. So God raised Prophets as bearers of good news and as warners, and He revealed with them the Book with truth, that it might judge between people concerning that in which they differed. And none but the very people who were given it differed about it after clear arguments had come to them, envying one another. So God has guided by His will those who believe to the truth about which they differed" (2:213). The whole verse is rich with the spirit of pluralism and freedom of belief and conscience.

The theme of oneness of humankind is repeated in the Koran in different ways. We have been told that all human beings have been created of a single soul (4:1), they are all descended from the same parents (49:13), they are as it were dwellers in one home, having the same earth as a resting place and the same heaven as a canopy. It also stresses on racial, linguistic and national identities, which are projected as signs of God: "And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colours. Surely there are signs in this for the learned" (30:22). It is also stated: "O mankind, surely We have created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes that you may know each other" (49:13). Thus national and tribal or for that matter other identities are necessary for knowing each other and it should not lead to any conflict, and hence the Koran clearly accepts the legitimacy of diversity.

The Koran also makes it clear quite forcefully that all places of worship should be respected and protected: "And if God did not check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries (swami), churches (biya), synagogues (salawat), and mosques (masajid) in which God's name is commemorated in abundant measure. (22:40). Commenting on it, Maulana Muhammad Ali writes in The Quran (Lahore, 1916, p. 672) that, "It deserves to be noted that the lives of Muslims are to be sacrificed not only to stop their own persecution by their opponents and to save their own mosques, but to save churches, synagogues and cloisters as well

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral RELIGION, FREEDOM OF - Freedom within Islamic circleEncyclopedia Topic

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 dividing line between a Muslim and a kafir or between believer and unbeliever is confession of the unity of God and the Prophethood of Muhammad (la ilaha ill-Allah Muhammad-un-Rasulu-llah). A man becomes a Muslim or believer by making such confession, and so long as he does not renounce his faith, he remains a Muslim or believer technically, in spite of any opinion or interpretation he may profess on any religious matter. Islam forbids an attribution of disbelief to a Muslim (takfir al-muslim). Ibn Hazm writes in al-Fisal fi'l Milal wa'l Ahwa wa'l Nihal (Cairo, 1932, 3:138) that, "Any one who has uttered the testimonial of faith (Kalimat al-Shahadah), and declared his or her faith in the mission and guidance of the Prophet, is a Muslim and this bond with Islam cannot be severed by allegations of any kind unless his or her disbelief is proven by indisputable evidence." The Koran and hadith are quite clear in this context. The Koran says: "And do not say to any one who offers you salutation, you are not a believer" (4:94). The Muslim form of salutation

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral ReliyaEncyclopedia Topic

Poured, put

Various Sources ReljoEncyclopedia Topic

Be satisfied, enjoy, be delighted

Various Sources ReniEncyclopedia Topic

Night

Various Sources RentEncyclopedia Topic

Wheel to draw out water from the well

Various Sources RentEncyclopedia Topic

Persian wheel, spinning wheel, wheel for drawing water from well

Various Sources REPENTANCE [ see TAUBA ]Encyclopedia TopicEncyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral RESURRECTION [ see QIYAMAH ]Encyclopedia TopicEncyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral Reva (Rava)Encyclopedia Topic

Sand, fine gravel, grit, grain of sand, sugar etc

Various Sources REWARD AND PUNISHMENTEncyclopedia Topic

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 term ajr (pl. ujur) means wage, pay or reward is frequently employed in the Koran. It sometimes refers to work or services rendered in every day human contexts. Pharaoh's sorcerers expect payment (26:41), Moses was paid for being a shepherd (28:25-7), wives and girl slaves are entitled to an ajr (4:24-5, 5:5, 60:10), and divorced wives received payment (ujur) for nursing the children of their former husbands (65:6). In most places, ajr is reward given by God for righteous conduct. One may be rewarded in this world, as e.g. Joseph was (12:56), but nearly always ajr refers to the reward in the world to come. The word thawab, mathuba and cognates occur nineteen times in the Koran, mean recompense, compensation, or requital. Another word jaza means compensation, payment or satisfaction. With its cognates, it also occurs frequently in the Koran. It refers to both reward and punishment on earth, but far more often in the life to come.

Among the punishment terms in the Koran, aza'b and cognates occur 322 times in the Koran. The word aza'b means pain or torment, and more specifically the pain or torment inflicted by way of chastisement. The flogging of adulterers is also called aza'b (24:2, 8), but otherwise this word mainly refers to the torment in hell. God seizes the sinners with the torment (23:64, 43:48) or the torment is personified, it seizes the sinners (11:64, 16:113, 26:156, 158, 189). In some 150 places, the word is embedded in often-repeated clausula phrase, such as "for them is a painful punishment" (5:36) or phrases ending with the words "a demeaning (painful or severe) punishment" e.g. "he will have a painful punishment" (2:178). Another term iqab is the verbal noun of aqaba, a verb, which means to do alternately and to punish for crime, sin, fault or offence. Its finite verb forms of the root

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral RIBAEncyclopedia Topic

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. Riba, in essence, is thus an amount charged on the principal as a consideration for the time during which the principal is to be used and it consists of three elements, viz. addition to the principal, the rate of that addition according to time, and the payment of the additional amount being a condition of the bargain. All transactions including these three elements come under the category of riba.

The first revelation at Mecca denounced usury, yet without prohibiting it reads: "And whatever you lay out at usury (riba), so that it may increase in the property of men, it shall not increase with God; and whatever you give in charity desiring God's pleasure, it is these that shall get manifold" (30:39). This verse does not offer prohibitive injunction. It simply exhorts that the riba does not increase with the God or procure no reward in the hereafter. Tabari in Jami al-Bayan (21:46-48) reports from Ibn Abbas that the riba in this verse means a gift offered by someone to a person with the intention that the latter will give a greater gift to the former. Some commentators have however taken this word to mean usury. This view is attributed to Hasan al-Basri as reported by Ibn Jawji in Za'd al-Masir (Beirut, 1964, 6:304). If the riba in this verse (30:39) is taken to mean usury, which seems more probable, because in other places it carries the same meaning, there is no specific prohibition against it. It emphasized that the riba is not a source of reward from God in the hereafter.

What is meant by riba? The Koran does not define it for the reason that it was a well-known term in Arab society. It is like the prohibition of pork, liquor, gambling, adultery etc., which were prohibited without giving hard and fast definition as all these were well known and there was no ambiguity in their meaning. Similar was the case of riba

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral RidaEncyclopedia Topic

Heart

Various Sources RidahEncyclopedia Topic

Heart

Various Sources RidehEncyclopedia Topic

Heart

Various Sources Ridh sidhEncyclopedia Topic

Worldly and spiritual happiness

Various Sources Ridh sidhEncyclopedia Topic

Wealth, riches, success, prosperity

Various Sources RidhaEncyclopedia Topic

Fell in love with, hypnotized by

Various Sources Ridi bhidiEncyclopedia Topic

Dissolve, mix

Various Sources Ridi bhidi jaesheEncyclopedia Topic

Will mix, will merge

Various Sources RidiyaEncyclopedia Topic

Heart

Various Sources RijanEncyclopedia Topic

Pleased, satisfied

Various Sources RijeEncyclopedia Topic

Be pleased, be happy

Various Sources RijheEncyclopedia Topic

To be pleased, to be happy

Various Sources RikhianEncyclopedia Topic

Momins

Various Sources RikhienEncyclopedia Topic

Believers, momins

Various Sources RikhienjeEncyclopedia Topic

To the believers

Various Sources RikhisarEncyclopedia Topic

Momin, believer

Various Sources RikhisarEncyclopedia Topic

Believer, momin

Various Sources RIKHISaRNoun

Sanscrit: Rishi ---> Rikhi ---> Rikhisar. Fidèle, croyant.

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #901general RikhiyaEncyclopedia Topic

Momin

Various Sources RisEncyclopedia Topic

Anger, annoyance

Various Sources RisamnaEncyclopedia Topic

Annoyed, displeased

Various Sources RitEncyclopedia Topic

Method, custom, practice, customary law

Various Sources RODAKIName

(10th Century) Poet converted to Ismailism. He was born in Rodak near Samarkand. Composed1 300 000 verses, the Abbasides blinded him due to this adherence to the Ismaili faith. For detailed English text on Rodaki click here

(10è S.) Poète converti, né à Rodak près de Samarkhand. Aurait composé 1 300 000 vers. a été aveuglé par les Abbasides pour son appartenance à l'Ismaélisme.

Heritage Dictionary of ismailism, entry #341general RoesheEncyclopedia Topic

Will cry, will weep

Various Sources RogEncyclopedia Topic

Disease, sickness

Various Sources RogEncyclopedia Topic

Disease

Various Sources ROHIDASName

Son of Tara Rani and Raja Haristchandra Kunvar* Rohidas was sold after the dethronment of his father, King Harichandra.

Fils de Tara Rani et du Roi Haristchandra. (Kounwar* Rohidas). fut vendu suite au détr

Heritage Dictionary of ismailism, entry #645general RohiyaEncyclopedia Topic

Cotton

Various Sources RohnaEncyclopedia Topic

To sow, to cultivate

Various Sources RohonEncyclopedia Topic

Rohni, the fourth lunar mansion or constellation, containing five stars, in the form of a cart.

Various Sources RohonEncyclopedia Topic

Name of a star / Polar

Various Sources RojEncyclopedia Topic

Day

Various Sources RojiEncyclopedia Topic

Subsistence, providence, daily bread

Various Sources RoloEncyclopedia Topic

Make a noise, clamour, shout and scream

Various Sources RomEncyclopedia Topic

Hair of body

Various Sources Rome raeEncyclopedia Topic

Each hair of the body

Various Sources Rome romEncyclopedia Topic

In every small hair of the body

Various Sources