Admin wrote:Our Shahada is very long with many affirmations and it has been customary to recite only few parts. We are reciting some in our Dua also such as
LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHUL-HAY-YUL-QAY-YUM;
LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHUL-MALIKUL-HAQ-QUL-MUBIN:
LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHUL-MALIKUL-HAQ-QUL-YAQIN:
LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHU MALIKU YAWMID-DIN:
As far as I am concerned, it is permissible to recite either the whole Kalma, or the first 2 parts or the first 3 parts, Allah knows what is in the heart of his believers and he knows who are those who want to bring Fitna to the community.
LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHUL-HAY-YUL-QAY-YUM;
LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHUL-MALIKUL-HAQ-QUL-MUBIN:
LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHUL-MALIKUL-HAQ-QUL-YAQIN:
LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHU MALIKU YAWMID-DIN:
The above sentences are taken from Quranic Ayats. These Ayats were recited in Old Du'a pathh 9 (part 9), which are continued in Part 3rd of current Du'a given by Imam. These sentences are testimony that we believe in all attribute of ALLAH, as we recite LA ILLAH ILLAL LA.....MEANS THERE IS NO god BUT ALLAH.....
Shahdah is a proof to be a Muslim. Ismailis are first Muslims and then Ismailis and not other way. At time of Prophet Muhammad nor at time of Ali Murtaza the 3rd part was not available. The 3rd part added by Shias centuries after martyrdom of Ali.
Fitnabaaz are those who are discrediting "The Preamble" given by Imam.
You are right Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah made a Farman saying First you were Muslim, then you have gone a step higher and you have become Ismailis.
Fitnabaz are those issuing Fatwas and not respecting the Imam's view about pluralism and diversity and intellectual tradition. Fitnabaz are those preaching extremist shariati Islam and formalism in an Ismaili discussion forum.
mazharshah wrote:You keep writing Constitution is read by non Ismailis, my take is so what. Let them know. Why we keep our ideology and philosophy under carpet. Now a days every thing is naked on U Tube, Face Book, and on various blogs.
The constitution is an official document whereas what is available in U Tube, Face Book and various blogs is not official. It is not a question of hiding our philosophy, it is a matter of building bridges with others. The constitution is an enabling document for building bridges. You don't build bridges by defining yourself as being different, hence we have the first article as the Shahada that binds us with the rest of the Muslims.
If the Preamble was meant as a Farman, why are we saying the Ismaili Shahada in our Jamati rites and ceremonies instead of the Shahada mentioned in the constitution?
mazharshah wrote:You keep writing Constitution is read by non Ismailis, my take is so what. Let them know. Why we keep our ideology and philosophy under carpet. Now a days every thing is naked on U Tube, Face Book, and on various blogs.
The constitution is an official document whereas what is available in U Tube, Face Book and various blogs is not official. It is not a question of hiding our philosophy, it is a matter of building bridges with others. The constitution is an enabling document for building bridges. You don't build bridges by defining yourself as being different, hence we have the first article as the Shahada that binds us with the rest of the Muslims.
If the Preamble was meant as a Farman, why are we saying the Ismaili Shahada in our Jamati rites and ceremonies instead of the Shahada mentioned in the constitution?
You keep twisting my statements.
Constitution is for our internal working of institutions, I have been insisting on Preamble of our constitution which describe our articles of faith. You keep writing constitution and ignoring Preamble to distract readers. By writing,"Now a days every thing is naked on U Tube, Face Book, and on various blogs", I meant negative propaganda about Ismailis and Imam. I am sure when you copy and post from U Tube, you should have been reading that garbage too. Preamble is the best tool given by Imam to counter that negative propaganda.
At the time of Prophet and Mowla Ali, Ismail sect was not founded. It was founded after demise of Imam Ja'far Sadiq. Before Imam Sadiq the Shahadah recited is same which Imam mentioned in Preamble. The third part added centuries later. I accept it because Imam added it to distinguish Ismaili sect from others, which means, " I witness the commander of moumineen Ali is from Allah".
mazharshah wrote:You keep twisting my statements.
Constitution is for our internal working of institutions, I have been insisting on Preamble of our constitution which describe our articles of faith. You keep writing constitution and ignoring Preamble to distract readers. By writing,"Now a days every thing is naked on U Tube, Face Book, and on various blogs", I meant negative propaganda about Ismailis and Imam. I am sure when you copy and post from U Tube, you should have been reading that garbage too. Preamble is the best tool given by Imam to counter that negative propaganda.
At the time of Prophet and Mowla Ali, Ismail sect was not founded. It was founded after demise of Imam Ja'far Sadiq. Before Imam Sadiq the Shahadah recited is same which Imam mentioned in Preamble. The third part added centuries later. I accept it because Imam added it to distinguish Ismaili sect from others, which means, " I witness the commander of moumineen Ali is from Allah".
Everything appears to you twisted because your mind itself is twisted. The constitution is an enabling document for internal and external purposes. It enables others to understand our background and hence deal with us appropriately. Preamble is of course part of the constitution and hence no need to be specific about it.
Ismailism has existed since the beginning so it is not true to say that Ismaili sect was non-existent at the time of the Prophet. Prophet Muhammad was the first Pir of the present cycle. Therefore there must have been a Jamat and his murids as well.
The constitution represents the Zaheri aspect of our faith and hence it states that Imamat began from Hazarat Ali. But of course from the Batini point of view, Imamat has always existed and the Prophet was the murid of the Imam.
mazharshah wrote:You keep twisting my statements.
Constitution is for our internal working of institutions, I have been insisting on Preamble of our constitution which describe our articles of faith. You keep writing constitution and ignoring Preamble to distract readers. By writing,"Now a days every thing is naked on U Tube, Face Book, and on various blogs", I meant negative propaganda about Ismailis and Imam. I am sure when you copy and post from U Tube, you should have been reading that garbage too. Preamble is the best tool given by Imam to counter that negative propaganda.
At the time of Prophet and Mowla Ali, Ismail sect was not founded. It was founded after demise of Imam Ja'far Sadiq. Before Imam Sadiq the Shahadah recited is same which Imam mentioned in Preamble. The third part added centuries later. I accept it because Imam added it to distinguish Ismaili sect from others, which means, " I witness the commander of moumineen Ali is from Allah".
Everything appears to you twisted because your mind itself is twisted. The constitution is an enabling document for internal and external purposes. It enables others to understand our background and hence deal with us appropriately. Preamble is of course part of the constitution and hence no need to be specific about it.
Ismailism has existed since the beginning so it is not true to say that Ismaili sect was non-existent at the time of the Prophet. Prophet Muhammad was the first Pir of the present cycle. Therefore there must have been a Jamat and his murids as well.
The constitution represents the Zaheri aspect of our faith and hence it states that Imamat began from Hazarat Ali. But of course from the Batini point of view, Imamat has always existed and the Prophet was the murid of the Imam.
Wake up:
You wrote,"Prophet was the murid of the Imam"
What a nonsense statement. This kind of stupid statements have created problems for Ismailis in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and else where. Is this the type of scholarship you are providing? Is this the way that non Ismailis will understand constitution? You are creating problems not for Ismailis only but for Imam himself.
Yes my mind twists when I read such foolish statements that Prophet was murid of Imam. My twisted mind become straight forward after reading and understanding Preamble, and now I am clearing and straightening the views of astray Din Bundhu.
In which revealed book or history is written Ismailism exists from beginning? Historically the Word Ismail known to world being as son of Prophet Abraham.
I know you people are disturbed because there is no mention of satpunthi philosophy in Preamble.
mazharshah wrote:
You wrote,"Prophet was the murid of the Imam"
What a nonsense statement..
The least you would know if you had a minimum of education is that When prophet Ibrahim got a promotion he became Imam. At your Shariati level, it would show that to be Imam of the people is higher than to be Prophet of the people unless you challenge the Quran. Do you even believe in Quran?
mazharshah wrote: I consider deleting posts a kind of fatwa by fitnabaz
You have been asked politely not to post. You have recreated accounts which I have deleted many times. What else to expect from cheater than cheating?
I will have to block your IP, which means none of you will e able to post or access the Forum and unfortunately all the people from that source will also be blocked because of you. .
mazharshah wrote:
Wake up:
You wrote,"Prophet was the murid of the Imam"
What a nonsense statement. This kind of stupid statements have created problems for Ismailis in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and else where. Is this the type of scholarship you are providing? Is this the way that non Ismailis will understand constitution? You are creating problems not for Ismailis only but for Imam himself.
Yes my mind twists when I read such foolish statements that Prophet was murid of Imam. My twisted mind become straight forward after reading and understanding Preamble, and now I am clearing and straightening the views of astray Din Bundhu.
In which revealed book or history is written Ismailism exists from beginning? Historically the Word Ismail known to world being as son of Prophet Abraham.
I know you people are disturbed because there is no mention of satpunthi philosophy in Preamble.
Mowlana Hazar Imam has made it very clear that there are two components to our faith: the Zaher and the Batin. The Preamble deals with the Zaher. It is meant for those who want to understand
the Zaheri dimension of faith - by which we articulate to others. Hence you will find notions such as the Imamat began with Hazarat Ali as the first Imam.
The Batini dimension on the other hand is meant for Ismailis only and it is from this dimension that the real vitality comes. Hence we have notions of Imamat from the beginning and Hazarat Ali being the first Imam of the present cycle and the Dasmo Naklanki Avtar. These ideas have been in the Old Dua which was recited for centuries.
Hence to understand Ismailism in its totality, you have to consider the two dimensions. Not to cling to the Preamble only.
Admin wrote:I will have to block your IP, which means none of you will e able to post or access the Forum and unfortunately all the people from that source will also be blocked because of you. .
It is not the case of many individuals using the same IP address, rather it is the case of one person using different user names - the most unethical behavior. This can easily be determined by the same thought currents manifest in all the names.
Admin wrote:I will have to block your IP, which means none of you will e able to post or access the Forum and unfortunately all the people from that source will also be blocked because of you. .
It is not the case of many individuals using the same IP address, rather it is the case of one person using different user names - the most unethical behavior. This can easily be determined by the same thought currents manifest in all the names.
Lately I have observed you have become aggressive and discomfort. Why some one is forced to use different names? It is also UNETHICAL if you do not like postings or philosophy and understanding of others, the moderator or Admin delete the posts or block the accounts. Why don't you look at the the Blog name, it is 'Ismaili. net', means Ismailis all over the world of any part can participate and discuss the issues. If it has been ONLY 'Satpunthi.net' then Admin can have blocked the accounts because then other denominations were not well come. So far it looks like Central Asians or Afghanis are untouchables. When Ismailis are one, having same Imam then there should be uniformity. No doubt on ground level there are issues with youth and educated persons. Some one have to solve these issues, either Imam or ITREB or any intellectual should do, just to drag all issues and relate it with batin won't solve the problems.
mazharshah wrote:
Wake up:
You wrote,"Prophet was the murid of the Imam"
What a nonsense statement. This kind of stupid statements have created problems for Ismailis in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and else where. Is this the type of scholarship you are providing? Is this the way that non Ismailis will understand constitution? You are creating problems not for Ismailis only but for Imam himself.
Yes my mind twists when I read such foolish statements that Prophet was murid of Imam. My twisted mind become straight forward after reading and understanding Preamble, and now I am clearing and straightening the views of astray Din Bundhu.
In which revealed book or history is written Ismailism exists from beginning? Historically the Word Ismail known to world being as son of Prophet Abraham.
I know you people are disturbed because there is no mention of satpunthi philosophy in Preamble.
Mowlana Hazar Imam has made it very clear that there are two components to our faith: the Zaher and the Batin. The Preamble deals with the Zaher. It is meant for those who want to understand
the Zaheri dimension of faith - by which we articulate to others. Hence you will find notions such as the Imamat began with Hazarat Ali as the first Imam.
The Batini dimension on the other hand is meant for Ismailis only and it is from this dimension that the real vitality comes. Hence we have notions of Imamat from the beginning and Hazarat Ali being the first Imam of the present cycle and the Dasmo Naklanki Avtar. These ideas have been in the Old Dua which was recited for centuries.
Hence to understand Ismailism in its totality, you have to consider the two dimensions. Not to cling to the Preamble only.
What are the batini dimensions of Preamble, will you explain these? Did Imam said, look at Preamble with batini microscope? Did Imam explained the batini version of Preamble since 1986?
You wrote;"Hence we have notions of Imamat from the beginning and Hazarat Ali being the first Imam of the present cycle and the Dasmo Naklanki Avtar. These ideas have been in the Old Dua which was recited for centuries".
My take, was the Dasmo Naklanki Avtar phrase historically available in time of Mowla Ali, or Imam Jafar? At that time old Du'a was not available. You elaborated that "these IDEAS have been in the old Du'a", means these ideas were not included in early Ismaili Tenets isn't it?
shivatrivedi wrote:What are the batini dimensions of Preamble, will you explain these? Did Imam said, look at Preamble with batini microscope? Did Imam explained the batini version of Preamble since 1986?
The Batini dimension has existed for centuries. For example the Batini Shahada would be the one we recite during our JK rites and ceremonies. You have to apply a bit of intelligence. If everything so apparent, then there would be no need to make the Zaher/Batin distinction.
shivatrivedi wrote:
My take, was the Dasmo Naklanki Avtar phrase historically available in time of Mowla Ali, or Imam Jafar? At that time old Du'a was not available. You elaborated that "these IDEAS have been in the old Du'a", means these ideas were not included in early Ismaili Tenets isn't it?
Why do you keep referring to the time of Mowla Ali and Imam Jafar as Saddiq. Aren't the Farmans of the 48th and 49th Imam more recent and accurate? We really do not know all the details of what ideas prevailed 1400 years ago, but we have recorded Farmans of 48th and 49th Imams about the notion of Dasmo Naklanki Avatar.
shivatrivedi wrote:What are the batini dimensions of Preamble, will you explain these? Did Imam said, look at Preamble with batini microscope? Did Imam explained the batini version of Preamble since 1986?
The Batini dimension has existed for centuries. For example the Batini Shahada would be the one we recite during our JK rites and ceremonies. You have to apply a bit of intelligence. If everything so apparent, then there would be no need to make the Zaher/Batin distinction.
shivatrivedi wrote:
My take, was the Dasmo Naklanki Avtar phrase historically available in time of Mowla Ali, or Imam Jafar? At that time old Du'a was not available. You elaborated that "these IDEAS have been in the old Du'a", means these ideas were not included in early Ismaili Tenets isn't it?
Why do you keep referring to the time of Mowla Ali and Imam Jafar as Saddiq. Aren't the Farmans of the 48th and 49th Imam more recent and accurate? We really do not know all the details of what ideas prevailed 1400 years ago, but we have recorded Farmans of 48th and 49th Imams about the notion of Dasmo Naklanki Avatar.
You wrote," For example the Batini Shahada would be the one we recite during our JK rites and ceremonies".
IT IS A NEW PHENOMENAON. You enlightened every one that during JK rites and ceremonies we recite BATINI SHAHADAH.
For all religious discussions you have one handy remedy. You give BATINI TABLETS to every one.
We recite Shahadah which was prescribed by Prophet Muhammad and Hazar Imam described it in Preamble. It stayed same in tenure of Mowla Ali. The third part was added centuries later.
You used the word IDEAS and not Tenets or basic articles of faith. Tenets stay same but ideas keep changing. 700 YEARS BACK IDEAS WERE APPROPRIATE AT THAT TIME BUT TIME CHANGED SO THE IDEAS NOW WE HAVE PREAMBLE TO FOLLOW.
In famous khutba Bayaniyah why not he introduced himself as Naklanki Avtar! Do one billion Hindus consider Imam as Naklanki Avtar?
shivatrivedi wrote:For all religious discussions you have one handy remedy. You give BATINI TABLETS to every one.
We recite Shahadah which was prescribed by Prophet Muhammad and Hazar Imam described it in Preamble. It stayed same in tenure of Mowla Ali. The third part was added centuries later.
You used the word IDEAS and not Tenets or basic articles of faith. Tenets stay same but ideas keep changing. 700 YEARS BACK IDEAS WERE APPROPRIATE AT THAT TIME BUT TIME CHANGED SO THE IDEAS NOW WE HAVE PREAMBLE TO FOLLOW.
In famous khutba Bayaniyah why not he introduced himself as Naklanki Avtar! Do one billion Hindus consider Imam as Naklanki Avtar?
Ours is an essentially batini (esoteric) tradition. The Batini ideas remain the same. It is the Zaheri ideas that need to change to reflect the changed circumstances.
Let me ask you one fundamental question: When did Imamat/Ismailism begin? Did it begin 1400 years ago or was it there since the beginning?
shivatrivedi wrote:For all religious discussions you have one handy remedy. You give BATINI TABLETS to every one.
We recite Shahadah which was prescribed by Prophet Muhammad and Hazar Imam described it in Preamble. It stayed same in tenure of Mowla Ali. The third part was added centuries later.
You used the word IDEAS and not Tenets or basic articles of faith. Tenets stay same but ideas keep changing. 700 YEARS BACK IDEAS WERE APPROPRIATE AT THAT TIME BUT TIME CHANGED SO THE IDEAS NOW WE HAVE PREAMBLE TO FOLLOW.
In famous khutba Bayaniyah why not he introduced himself as Naklanki Avtar! Do one billion Hindus consider Imam as Naklanki Avtar?
Ours is an essentially batini (esoteric) tradition. The Batini ideas remain the same. It is the Zaheri ideas that need to change to reflect the changed circumstances.
Let me ask you one fundamental question: When did Imamat/Ismailism begin? Did it begin 1400 years ago or was it there since the beginning?
In one of your posts, You wrote," Concepts change according to changing times that's why we have Imam to guide us according to changing times".
Few years back you used the word CONCEPTS, now you are using the word IDEAS, means with time, concepts and ideas change and being IBNUL WAQT we to change our selves.
You did not elaborate " Batini Shahdah " which you mentioned, you deliberately skipped that portion and started same batini song.
Dear sir, batin is because of zahir. If there is no zahir there will be no batin. Zahir is apparent, clear, visible, but batin is hidden, it is in darkness, not visible, not clear. Usage of word batin is an easy way to run away from serious discussions. When there is no answer we find refuge in batin, reply batin batin and disappear.
In reply to your question, let me ask; Why are we call our selves Ismailis, in relation to whom. Is word Ismailism available in Veds, Puransas or Gita?
You have refuted 1400 years and 1000 yers back philosophy, now how come you are going hundreds of thousands years back and adopting that philosophy.
KALEY BHOJAN JAMIYA
TENA AAJEY SHA WAKHAAN RE
shivatrivedi wrote: Dear sir, batin is because of zahir. If there is no zahir there will be no batin. Zahir is apparent, clear, visible, but batin is hidden, it is in darkness, not visible, not clear. Usage of word batin is an easy way to run away from serious discussions. When there is no answer we find refuge in batin, reply batin batin and disappear.
In reply to your question, let me ask; Why are we call our selves Ismailis, in relation to whom. Is word Ismailism available in Veds, Puransas or Gita?
You have refuted 1400 years and 1000 yers back philosophy, now how come you are going hundreds of thousands years back and adopting that philosophy.
KALEY BHOJAN JAMIYA
TENA AAJEY SHA WAKHAAN RE
Our faith is essentially a batini faith. There are matters that are only for the Jamat and there are matters that can be shared with others. We have been known as the batinis through out history.
The notion of the permanency of Imamat is not thousands of years old. The 48th and 49th Imams have confirmed this. The necessity of Iamamt at all times is an established notion in our tariqah. Even a small child will attest to it.
The satpanth traditions is there since the beginning as per the verse of the Ginan:
ejee aad unnaade aa satpa(n)th saacho
enne pa(n)the chaddee koi na valleeyo paachhojee............11
Since the beginning and indeed the pre-eternity this religion is the true one.
Anyone who has travelled upon this path has not returned.
shivatrivedi wrote: Dear sir, batin is because of zahir. If there is no zahir there will be no batin. Zahir is apparent, clear, visible, but batin is hidden, it is in darkness, not visible, not clear. Usage of word batin is an easy way to run away from serious discussions. When there is no answer we find refuge in batin, reply batin batin and disappear.
In reply to your question, let me ask; Why are we call our selves Ismailis, in relation to whom. Is word Ismailism available in Veds, Puransas or Gita?
You have refuted 1400 years and 1000 yers back philosophy, now how come you are going hundreds of thousands years back and adopting that philosophy.
KALEY BHOJAN JAMIYA
TENA AAJEY SHA WAKHAAN RE
Our faith is essentially a batini faith. There are matters that are only for the Jamat and there are matters that can be shared with others. We have been known as the batinis through out history.
The notion of the permanency of Imamat is not thousands of years old. The 48th and 49th Imams have confirmed this. The necessity of Iamamt at all times is an established notion in our tariqah. Even a small child will attest to it.
The satpanth traditions is there since the beginning as per the verse of the Ginan:
ejee aad unnaade aa satpa(n)th saacho
enne pa(n)the chaddee koi na valleeyo paachhojee............11
Since the beginning and indeed the pre-eternity this religion is the true one.
Anyone who has travelled upon this path has not returned.
You wrote:
Our faith is essentially a batini faith. There are matters that are only for the Jamat and there are matters that can be shared with others. We have been known as the batinis through out history.
Not from beginning, historically called batni after Fatimid era.
With reference to your Ginan part; Who were those satpunthis in pre eternity before start of time? Were humans around in pre eternity era? This is also astonishing that those who traveled on satya path never returned. Where did they go, it is a bit scary, isn't it?
God is Al Haqq, satya, truth, every religion accept it. In my opinion satya path is laws of nature and religion comes under laws of nature. Who will break the law will run into trouble. Satya path is for every one across the board.
The satpunth is Islam and not Ismailism, Allah says in Quran. " INNA DEEN INDALLAHIL ISLAM". Ismailism is 'ism', a Tariqah under Islam.
shivatrivedi wrote:With reference to your Ginan part; Who were those satpunthis in pre eternity before start of time? Were humans around in pre eternity era? This is also astonishing that those who traveled on satya path never returned. Where did they go, it is a bit scary, isn't it?
God is Al Haqq, satya, truth, every religion accept it. In my opinion satya path is laws of nature and religion comes under laws of nature. Who will break the law will run into trouble. Satya path is for every one across the board.
The satpunth is Islam and not Ismailism, Allah says in Quran. " INNA DEEN INDALLAHIL ISLAM". Ismailism is 'ism', a Tariqah under Islam.
A bit of intelligence and common sense is required. Not returned means that by travelling on the Satpanth they have not returned to their original state and have become Fanna Fi Allah.
O course Satpanth has always been equated to Ismailism. Would you call the Sunnis Satpanthis?
shivatrivedi wrote:With reference to your Ginan part; Who were those satpunthis in pre eternity before start of time? Were humans around in pre eternity era? This is also astonishing that those who traveled on satya path never returned. Where did they go, it is a bit scary, isn't it?
God is Al Haqq, satya, truth, every religion accept it. In my opinion satya path is laws of nature and religion comes under laws of nature. Who will break the law will run into trouble. Satya path is for every one across the board.
The satpunth is Islam and not Ismailism, Allah says in Quran. " INNA DEEN INDALLAHIL ISLAM". Ismailism is 'ism', a Tariqah under Islam.
A bit of intelligence and common sense is required. Not returned means that by travelling on the Satpanth they have not returned to their original state and have become Fanna Fi Allah.
O course Satpanth has always been equated to Ismailism. Would you call the Sunnis Satpanthis?
Yes common sense is required by every one. Did you paid attention to very first part of this Ginan by Syed Imam Shah?
TRANN TRANN VED NA DHEE-AAVO MUNEEVARBHAAI
BY SAYYED IMAAM SHAH
trann trann ved na dhee-aavo muneevar bhaai
kaayare khovo purav janam nee kamaai jee.....................1
Do not follow the teachings of the three (previous) scriptures
(which are redundant), o brother believers. By being timid, why
do you lose the good earnings of the past lives (which have
enabled you to attain this exalted path)?
Look, Syed Imam Shah wrote; do not follow the teachings of previous 3 scriptures means he rejected previous guidance of 3 Veds. Further he wrote, Why do you loose the good earnings of past! How you elaborate good earnings of past? Means those satpunthi souls return in time of 4th Ved.
I asked you before, once again, in which historical book is mentioned that Ismailism existed since AADH UN(N)RIYAD!! Name any book, any reference out side Khoja Satpunthi literature. Is the word Ismailism used in Vedas??
Satpanth means Sirat ul Mustaqueem. Sirat al Mustaqueem follows the Imam.
We call Ismailis those who follow the Imam, the name of the religion of the Imam is Satpanth, we call it Sirat al Mustaqueem, sometimes Ismailism, whatever, it does not matter, what matters is what is in one's heart and where his allegiance is.
The fact is that some people think Ismailism stated with Imam Ismail and Islam started with Prophet Muhammad. It all depends which side of the divide from shariat to haquiqat, one person choose to be.
We Ismailis, sometimes are called batini or whatever depending of the period and people, some calls us even Assassins, depending of their level of uneducation.
We have no way of explaining to non Ismailis.
The divide between Shariat and Haqiqat is as deep as the divide between zahir and batin. There are no Shariati Ismailis, there are no zahiri Ismailis, it is all a matter of vocabulary. Some people call themselves Ismailis because they are born in Ismaili family.
The reality is that one can be white outside and black inside and vice-versa.
Maybe the religion of Imam Aaron whas called Judaism, I call it Ismailism. Is Ismailism in the Bible, the name may not be but it was there with Imam Aaron as much as it was with Imam Ali and Imam Krishna.
Self correction is more necessary in the case of a Da'i than in the case of any one else. He should lead a good life and prove to be a Da'i in true sense of the word. For when he invites people to his faith, his followers will look up to him as the best model. If they find good or bad things in him, they will attribute them to the teachings of the Imams and their faith.
Imam Jafar Sadiq said to all his non Da'i Shias, "Be our silent Da'is". He made his remarks clear by pointing out them that if they live a straight life they would attract people to their faith and thus they would prove to be like Da'is not by means of their tongue but by means of their good deeds and character. In this every momin who lives an exemplary life proves to be a Da'i to the Imam. We should bear in mind that our straight life is prescribed by the rules and regulations laid down by the Imam for our guidance. We should always be within our limits. To go beyond our limits is as bad as to fall short of our duties.
In case of a Da'i his first and foremost duty is to live in strict adherence to the principles laid down by his faith. He should be PIOUS to the extreme and should carry on the preaching with skill and prudence. Allah says," Invite people to the path of your Lord by using your discretion and preaching to them in the best possible manner". (14/125)
Not unlike the Prophet, the Da'i is expected to be very discrete in his preaching. He should maintain contact with people and he should know all those whom he intends to preach from man to man. He should study their minds and sort them out according to their intelligence. He should deal with them individually and preach every one of them according to his intelligence and his power of assimilation. He should know how to approach him and how to infuse his ideas into his mind. This is the best course for a Da'i to adopt.
We know many Da'is who have ruined their cause because of their ignorance of the proper methods of preaching. In short, not only the Da'i should be well versed in the art of preaching but he should also try to be useful to them as he possibly can. The good of his followers should be the main concern of his life. May Allah guide us to the right path.
Adopted from the book 'Kitab ul Himma fi Adabi Ataba el A'emmah', written by Qazi Noaman and abridge translation by Professor Jawad al Musqati.
Qualities of a da’i: piety, humility, generosity, forgiveness, ability to protect the weak
The Arabic term ‘da’i’ literally meaning ‘one who summons,’ or ‘calls for a particular cause,’ was applied by several Muslim groups to designate their missionaries, but in the Ismaili tradition, the term referred to an authorised person appointed by the Imam’s permission, to teach Ismaili doctrines. Only candidates who possessed advanced educational qualifications and intellectual attributes could be designated as da’is.
Fatimid da’i Ahmad al-Naysaburi’s (d. ca. 1014) manual on the ideal da’i, titled A Brief Epistle on the Requisites of the Rightly-guiding Mission (al-Risala al-mujaza fi shurut al-da’wa al-hadiya), gives a detailed description of the characteristics and duties of a da‘i.
Naysaburi al-risala
Al-Risala al-mujaza. The Institute of Ismaili Studies
A da’i must have an equally perfect knowledge of the zahir and batin. Apart from knowledge of strictly religious matters – the Qur’an, the commentary on the Qur’an (tafsir), the Traditions of the Prophet (hadith), stories of the prophets (qisas al-anbiya), and the Ismaili interpretations of these writings (ta’wil) – the ideal da’i is expected to have an almost encyclopaedic culture: logic and philosophy, history and geography belong equally to his accomplishments so that he may be equipped for any discussion among scholars.
The da’i also had to be in a position to travel so that he could regularly inspect his region, and had to have knowledge of the local languages in order to teach the message to the people.
Thirst for knowledge is a virtue: the ignorant man should not be ashamed to ask questions, and even the knowledgeable, when there is something he has ignored, should admit it.
A polite, friendly and modest behaviour towards everyone was an important characteristic of the perfect da’i.
If a da’i was incapable of conducting the da’wa in the manner described, then the faith of the followers would be destroyed. They would turn away from the truth and become antinomians or materialists. They would start having doubts about religion, and this would lead to disputes and conflicts…It was up to the da’is to prevent such dire consequences.
A da’i must possess the good qualities of an expert lawyer (faqih), because he often has to act as a judge; he must possess patience (sabr), good theoretical education (ilm), intelligence, psychological insight, honesty, high moral character, sound judgement, etc. He must possess virtues of leaders, such as a strong will, generosity, administrative talent, tact and tolerance. He must be in possession of the high qualities of the priest, because he has to lead the esoteric prayer of his followers. He must be irreproachably honest and reliable, because the most precious thing, the salvation of the souls of many people, is entrusted to him…
He must have the virtue of the physician, who delicately and patiently treats the sick, because he himself has to heal sick souls. Similarly, he has to possess the virtues of an agriculturist, of a shepherd, of the captain of a ship, of a merchant and the like, developing in himself the good qualities required in different professions.
The da’i has to know the ranks and grades of scholars (ahl al-ilm) and appreciate and honour them. He must not notice whether they are poorly and shabbily dressed…When people notice that scholars are highly esteemed, they themselves yearn for knowledge and start studying.”
Extracts from “The Organization of the Da’wa,” The Fatimids and their Traditions of Learning by Heinz Halm, I.B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London, 1997
Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq said:
“Study in order to acquire learning, and to adorn yourself with it; cultivate dignity and goodwill; treat with respect those who teach you, and those you teach. Do not make your learning oppressive to anyone, and do not permit your vanity to destroy the effects of what is really good in you.’
‘Be silent da’is for us,’ meaning: behave in such a way that your example alone be sufficient proof of the superiority of your religion.”
The Fatimids and their Traditions of Learning, p 61
It is said that once Imam Jafar, greetings of God be on him, said to some of his followers, "You should be our silent propagandists." When the people asked him as to how they should carry on the propaganda by silence, he said in reply, " Carry it on by your good deeds." He gave a long sermon on this topic and said in the end, "When people find you doing the right things they will know that it is we who have guided you in this matter. Thus they will run to us and you will prove to be the medium of their coming to us"
It follows that it is the bounden duty of every-one who is the follower of the Imams to do good things and keep away from the evil. He should be devoted to God and he should discharge the duties that have been enjoined on him. He should commit no sins and should do nothing which provokes God.
He should not indulge in religious discussions unless he is permitted by the Imam to do so. The Imam permits only those people to carry on religious discussions whom he finds fit for the job. Many a debator indulges in discussions with one who happens to be more competent than limself and
in the end suffers a defeat at his hands and becomes sceptic.
It is for these reasons that the Imams order us to be silent and have implicit faith in them. None, but the one who is selected by them and is permitted by them to carry on the discussions is allowed to pursue this course. One of the Imams said to one of his *daa-ees\ "If you find your opponent a better debator than yourself then take the help of the inner knowledge, stop him by saying that you are not prepared to initiate him into the depths of the inner meaning. Do not prolong the discussion to give your opponent a free hand. It will create a bad result and make your opponent firmer in his stand. Keep him in suspense, if you are afraid of continuing the discussion. On the other hand if you know at the very beginning that your opponent is a better debator, do not discuss with him and stop him by saying that you believe in inner things. For, very often, discussion with those who are on the wrong path leaves the impression on the audience that your opponents are right. This is exactly what happened when the sorcerers challenged Moses by bringing their ropes and sticks and making them look like snakes. Moses got frightened of the wrong impression they had created on the mind of the audience, although in the long run truth prevailed and the falsehood was eradicated."
It is out of these considerations that we have been ordered by the Imam to be silent and secretive. Imam Jafar, greetings be on him, is reported to have said to some of his followers who offered their services for his support, "We asked you to do something easier than this but you did not do it." They said, " What is that, O the grandson of the Prophet. He said, "We asked you to
keep silent. It you had kept silent we would have been pleased with you but you did not do so.
We must bear in mind that in doing the work of the Imams, we have to follow some specific rules that arc prescribed for us. We have to do things by degrees and we have to proceed with caution step by step. If we do not stop at the first step and jump to the higher step and try to reach the destination earlier than we are required to reach it we shall be ruined. It will be like feeding a new born baby to death.
Hazar Imam asked all Murids to be a Dai on 11 July 2018.
In the past, many Dais were influenced & turned into enemies. Many gave their lives. Many started with good intentions and were tempted into evil.
Prof. Karim H Karim invites us to a clear understanding in his article.
A Dai seeks spiritual and the material knowledge, which are embedded in Farmans (talim & tawil from the Noor of Imam)
"A da'i must carefully study the ideas which he preaches, must personally know every member of his community, know their affairs, their aspirations. With this knowledge at his disposal he must gradually deliver his call to God and His saints, in such a way as not to overtax the intelligence and the patience of his audience. When he has explained to his followers what he wanted to teach them, he must know how to handle them. He must learn to observe the people, recognize the state of their minds, their abilities, extent of their endurance. This is the most important knowledge needed by the da'i for the organization and training of his followers. Ignorance of such matters tremendously affects his work, and the community suffers from this." (Qadi Noman (d. 363/974) in Kitabu'l Himma fi adab atba'il A'imma. Qadi Noman)
Dai “is a position of profound depth and significance that requires understanding of the process of spiritual advancement as well as knowledge of the material world.. embedded in the knowledge that the Imam imparts to his followers (Farmans) through a particular mode of instruction (ta‘lim)”
The Da‘i and His Invitation to the Truth (By Prof Karim H Karim)
“The ethics of a Da’i are unimpeachable and he practices what he preaches. The Da’i constantly pursues a better comprehension of universal truth by engaging with knowledgeable people, sharing knowledge with them and also learning from them. In our time, this would mean engaging with contemporary scientific, cultural, and religious understandings produced around the world
By KARIM H. KARIM July 2019
Many people have heard the position of Da‘i but are unfamiliar with its unique character.
Historically, a Da‘i was a member of the Da‘wa, which was a pivotal institution of the Imamat. The word Da‘wa has sometimes been translated as a preaching mission and Da‘i as missionary.
However, the precise meaning of Da‘wa is a call or an invitation, and therefore a Da‘i is someone who issues a call or invitation.
What was the nature of the Da‘i’s invitation? The answer is to be found in the full name of the institution to which he belonged: Da‘wat al-Haqq (Invitation to the Truth).
The Holy Qur’an says that “His [God’s] is the Da‘wa of the Truth” (13:14). Da‘is referred to their disciples as People of the Truth (Ahl al-Haqq or Al-Muhiqqin). (It was only in the early 20th century, after the Aga Khan Case of 1866, that the name Ismaili came to be formally adopted in reference to the Imam’s followers.)
Da‘is (Pirs and Sayyids) in India, used Indian terminology to call the community Satpanth (Path of Truth).
The Concept of Truth
Truth is the core of the faith and appears repeatedly in its discourses. Imam Mustansir bi’llah II’s book Pandiyat-i Javanmardi declares that “The (real) believer is one who always, permanently, thinks of the Truth, and always intends to act righteously.” One of God’s names is Al-Haqq (the Truth). The third part of the Ismaili Du‘a affirms:
La illaha illallahul malikul haqqul mubin
(There is no deity except God, the Sovereign, the Truth, the Manifest)
La illaha illallahul malikul haqqul yaqin
(There is no deity except God, the Sovereign, the Truth, the Certainty)
Tasbihs in Gujarati ask for “haqiqat-i samaj” (understanding of truth). When delivering sermons, Khoja preachers in the 20th century called their congregations “haqiqat-i momino” (believers of truth) and “haqiqati-dindaro” (followers of the religion of truth). Imam Mustansir bi’llah II and Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah referred to the progression of the believer from shari‘a (“law”) to tariqa (path) to haqiqa (truth) and to ma‘rifa (wisdom; gnosis), as does Bhamar Ghufaa Upar Dekhantaa, a ginan attributed to Sayyid Nur Muhammad Shah.
The truth to which a Da‘i issues his invitation is embedded in the knowledge that the Imam imparts to his followers through a particular mode of instruction (ta‘lim). A hadith (saying) of the Prophet declared: “I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gateway; so let whoever wants knowledge enter through its gate.”
Hazrat Ali and his designated successors in the lineage of Imamat provide unique access to knowledge about truth. Imams conduct interpretations (ta’wil) of the inner meaning of the Qur’an which they impart to their adherents through ta‘lim. Only the rightfully appointed Imams have this unique ability: “None knoweth its [the Qur’an’s] esoteric interpretationsave Allah and those who are of sound instruction” (Holy Qur’an, 3:7); Shia Muslims believe that the phrase “those who are of sound instruction” refers to the lineage of Imamat.
The concept of truth here is not limited to the practice of truth-telling and being honest, which are important in themselves, but to the deeper truth that is the inner reality of existence. This reality lies behind the illusion that constantly misleads the mind.
Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah wrote in his Memoirs that Islam’s “basic principle can only be defined as mono-realism.” The enlightened soul experiences the reality of fundamental truth on which rest all other aspects of faith (such as prayer, devotion, values, and ethics). It is to such ultimate and unique spiritual enlightenment (ma‘rifa, gnosis) that the Da ‘wa offers its invitation.
The identity of a Da‘i is integrally related to the essence of eternal truth. He seeks to live the truth. Nasir-i Khusraw, Hujja of Khurasan, referred to the members of the Da‘wa as “Scholars of the Religion of Truth” (ulama-yi din-i haqq). This is a position of profound depth and significance that requires understanding of the process of spiritual advancement as well as knowledge of the material world.
The Da‘wa in History
The pre-Fatimid Da‘wa emerged in the first Period of Concealment (Dawr al-Satr) that began during Imam Ismail’s time. This was a period of great danger because the Abbasid Caliphate was determined to destroy the Imamat and its followers. Therefore, the Imams in this time were in hiding and their identities and locations were known only to their closest followers. Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi brought the Dawr al-Satr to a close when he established the Fatimid state in North Africa.
It was the Da‘wa that had laid the groundwork for the Imam’s rule. Da‘is functioned largely in secret due to widespread persecution. Their institution, which operated transregionally, had a hierarchical structural model. At the head was the Chief Da‘i (Da‘i al-Du‘at), who was in close touch with the Imam. Under him operated a number of Hujjas (Proofs), the leaders of the Da‘wa in specific regions. Each Hujja supervised several Da‘is, who in turn had assistants called Ma’dhuns. Ordinary members of the community whom Da‘is taught were Mustajibs. Whereas this was an ideal model of the organization, the actual operations were more fluid especially in places where Da‘is worked in relative isolation.
The da‘wa produced a unique body of writings, some of which are described below.
Da‘i Ja‘far bin Mansur al-Yaman’s Book of the Master and the Disciple (Kitab al-‘Alim wa’l-Ghulam) addresses the search for truth and the meaning of life in a series of religious dialogues between a Da‘i and his disciple. This sophisticated composition creatively uses form and language to express a complex narrative. It is a rare and valuable artifact that provides insight into the Da‘wa’s erudition and refined pedagogy.
Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani, the Hujja in Iraq, was a noted philosopher. His major work, Rahat al-‘Aql (Repose of the Intellect), presents contemporary science, philosophy, and theology in an integral manner. Its objective was to enable the believer to attain a paradisiacal state through reason. Kirmani’s book imaginatively maps out a journey in which the soul escapes the troubling state of the physical world and attains freedom in the City of God by gaining a comprehensive sense of God, angelic beings, and the realm of minerals, plants and animals.
Nasir-i Khusraw, who was Hujja of Khurasan, is acknowledged as the founder of Ismaili communities in the mountainous regions of the Pamirs in Tajikistan and Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush in Pakistan as well as Xinjiang in China. He was a foremost exponent of philosophical poetry and his poems are an essential part of Persian-speaking countries’ educational curriculum today. Khusraw’s poetry is also sung at religious gatherings in the Badakshan Jamat and its diasporic locations. Among his philosophical treatises is The Book of Two Wisdoms Reconciled (Kitab-i Jami’ al-Hikmatayn), which endeavours to bridge Aristotelian and haqa’iq philosophies.
The Satpanth branch of the Da‘wa in India produced a unique literary tradition of around one thousand ginans, many of which hold profound insight and wisdom.
Like the Sufis in the subcontinent who used the region’s cultural heritage to preach their beliefs, Ismaili Pirs, notably Shams, Sadruddin, and Hasan Kabirdin, also drew from Indic mythology and symbolism to teach the message of universal truth. Major compositions like Brahm Prakash and Bhuj Nirinjan guide adherents in their spiritual journeys. The ginan tradition, which is attributed to a number of Pirs and Sayyids, speaks of sat (truth) in various South Asian languages including Gujarati, Khari Boli (proto Hindi-Urdu), Punjabi, Sindhi and Siraiki/Multani. South Asian Khoja Jamats and their diaspora find inspiration in the hymns, which are sung every day at religious gatherings.
The Da‘wa’s Pluralist Search for Truth
The quest for truth is a consistent theme that runs through the centuries-long history of Da‘wat al-Haqq and Satpanth.
Da‘is drew on knowledge from a variety of Muslim and non-Muslim sources in a pluralist pursuit of universal truth.
According to Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah, studying other religions is integral to spiritual search because God’s revelation has appeared among different peoples through history.
“All Islamic schools of thought accept it as a fundamental principle that, for centuries, for thousands of years before the advent of Mohammed, there arose from time to time messengers, illumined by Divine grace, for and amongst those races of the earth which had sufficiently advanced intellectually to comprehend such a message. Thus Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and all the Prophets of Israel are universally accepted by Islam. Muslims indeed know no limitation merely to the Prophets of Israel; they are ready to admit that there were similar Divinely-inspired messengers in other countries – Gautama Buddha, Shri Krishna, and Shri Ram in India, Socrates in Greece, the wise men of China, and many other sages and saints among peoples and civilizations of which we have now lost trace.“
This pluralist attitude was present in the earliest Ismaili writings such as the encyclopedia of Ikhwan al-Safa (Brethren of Purity), whose sources included Islamic, Greek, Babylonian, Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Manichean, Jewish, and Christian knowledge. Da‘is Al-Nasafi and Al-Sijistani adapted Neoplatonist thought to indicate the cosmological place of the Imam. As the Da‘wa moved into South Asia, Pirs and Sayyids drew from Indic mythology and cosmology for a similar purpose.
Such pluralist approaches to knowledge were not uncommon in the history of Islam. Prophet Muhammad is said to have told his followers in Arabia to seek knowledge even as far as China. The receptivity of Muslims to other cultures in the Hellenic intellectual environment of Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Iran provided for their own religion’s intellectual flowering. They came upon renowned academies like those of Jondishapur, where Persian, Greek, Indian, and Roman scholars trained in medicine, philosophy, theology, and science. A major translation movement rendered numerous manuscripts written in various languages into Arabic. Muslims scholars drew on the knowledge, philosophical reasoning and analytical tools produced by other civilizations for developing Islamic philosophy (falsafa), theology (kalam), and law (fiqh). Even the modes of Islamic preaching borrowed from indigenous practices; for example, Sufi teachers adopted the bhakti mode of devotion in India.
Whereas it was commonplace for Muslim intellectuals to learn from neighbouring civilizations, Ismaili thinkers embraced the most openly pluralist Islamic approach to other cultural and religious sources. They had a cosmopolitan outlook in studying others’ material and spiritual sciences in a sustained search for universal truth. Da‘is examined the ancient world’s wisdom including that of Greeks, Babylonians, and Sabaeans as well as writings of contemporaries such as Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Hindus, and Buddhists.
The Da‘wat al-Haqq’s cosmopolitan outlook in studying others’ material and spiritual sciences in a sustained search for universal truth enabled them to see spiritual value in their symbols and practices. Al-Sijistani interpreted the Christian cross’s four points as representing the roots of truth. Badakshan Jamats observe Chirag-i Rawshan (Luminous Lamp), a funerary rite that has Islamic features along with characteristics of pre-Zoroastrian Iranian religions. Oral tradition attributes the establishment of this ritual to Nasir-i Khusraw. The Zoroastrian spring festival of Navroz, which is commemorated by Shia and Sunni Muslims in Persianate regions, has been embraced by all Ismailis as a major celebration of spiritual renewal. Farsi-speaking Jamats have been drawn to some of the poems of the great Sunni mystics Attar and Rumi, which are recited in religious gatherings. The Garbi category of ginan compositions bear a Hindu communal dance’s rhythm.
Da ‘is were generally less concerned about exoteric differences between religious perspectives than in pursuing the greater spiritual truth.
Conclusion
Whereas Da‘is have consistently been engaged in a search for truth, this endeavor has been fraught with physical, intellectual, as well as personal spiritual dangers. These hazards led some members of the Da‘wa to turn away from the Imamat’s guidance.
For example, Da‘i Abu Abdullah al-Shii, who prepared the ground for Imam Al-Mahdi to establish the Fatimid state, later conspired against him. In the time of Imam Al-Hakim, a number of Da‘is broke from the Fatimid Da‘wa to establish what came to be known as the Druze movement.
Another major division took place in the Da‘wa upon the death of Imam Al-Mustansir I, when most of the Da‘is in Cairo followed Al-Musta‘li and those in the east, like Hassan-i Sabbah and Rashid al-Din Sinan, adhered to Imam Nizar. Later in India, a grandson of Pir Hasan Kabirdin, Nar Muhammad, founded a break-way religious group called the Imamshahis.
The Da‘i Ahmad bin Ibrahim al-Naysaburi wrote a treatise on the comportment expected of the members of the Da‘wa. It laid out in some detail the qualifications and behavior that a Da‘i should have.
Al-Naysaburi stated that the Da‘wa is built on knowledge, piety, and good governance.
A Da’i maintains a noble character and upholds the truth to which he invites believers. His ethics are unimpeachable and he practices what he preaches. He constantly pursues a better comprehension of universal truth by engaging with knowledgeable people, sharing knowledge with them and also learning from them.
In our time, this would mean engaging with contemporary scientific, cultural, and religious understandings produced around the world.
Life may appear more complex than in previous periods but the struggle to remain faithful to eternal truth, which has been a constant religious quest since the dawn of time, remains relevant to this day.
This endeavour was represented in previous centuries by the institution of Da‘wat al-Haqq, Invitation to the Truth. As in the past, a Da‘i’s life today would be difficult as it would involve dealing with intricate material, intellectual and spiritual challenges.
The person who responds to the Call to the Truth accepts the undertaking of a demanding but ultimately rewarding enterprise. He/she can be seriously misled in this journey by others and even by the illusions of his/her own mind.
Adherence to Din al-Haqq demands a keen dedication to the Imamat and to the Truth.
Followers of the Imam believe that he is the unique source of the knowledge that leads to comprehension of the Truth. However, history has shown that even the Imamat’s highly placed officials like the intelligent and heroic Da‘i Abu Abdullah al-Shii have wavered from such a conviction.
Living the faith of Al-Haqq clearly requires an absolutely unrelenting commitment to and love for the Truth. Those who sincerely seek to maintain such personal steadfastness humbly ask in daily prayers for “haqiqat-i samaj” (understanding of truth) and “iman-ji salamati” (security of faith).
Date posted: July 7, 2019.
____________________
Karim H. Karim
About the author: Professor Karim H. Karim is the Director of the Carleton Study for the Study of Islam. He has previously been Co-Director of the Institute of Ismaili Studies and Director of Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication. Dr. Karim has also been a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University. He is an award-winning author who has published extensively. Professor Karim has also delivered distinguished lectures at venues in North America, Europe and Asia. In 2017, he organized the international conference on Mapping a Pluralist Space in Ismaili Studies, which was the largest ever gathering of scholars working in this field. A forthcoming publication of his is titled “Ismailis: A Pluralist Search for Universal Truth.”
Hazar Imam asked us all to be his Dais on 11 July 2018.
What does Dai mean ? and what do you need to do, read and understand to be a Dai ?
1. A Dai needs to have self discipline, and be ethical, humble, patient and pluralistic
2. They have to read and understand Farmans, and so have knowledge of our practices, our constitution and our faith.
3. They have knowledge of the material and religious principles of the Ismaili Muslim Faith, of the history, and other Muslim and faith community religions, and cultures.
4. They love knowledge and constantly seek out knowledge and share knowledge with others.
5. Their doors are always open for sharing and helping others who seek and need help
6. Through their instruction of religious knowledge and conveyance of the Imam’s Farmans and blessings, they seek only to educate, unify, and to bring love and happiness to their community.
7. The da‘i is learned in argumentation and debate.
8. They are always ready to defend and refute and clarify those who seek to defile or reject the Imams and our faith
9. Lastly, the da‘i is neither somebody who is overly ambitious nor is somebody who seeks recognition from others.
10. Although the da‘i must be skilled in social manners, administration, and governance, they do not chase after political leadership. This is because Pursuing political leadership for sake of recognition and power leads you astray from the Farmans and Imam
Sayyidna Ahmad b. Ibrahim al-Naysaburi (A Code of Conduct, tr. Verena Klemm & Paul E. Walker, 36)
mahebubchatur wrote:Hazar Imam asked us all to be his Dais on 11 July 2018.
What does Dai mean ? and what do you need to do, read and understand to be a Dai ?
1. A Dai needs to have self discipline, and be ethical, humble, patient and pluralistic
2. They have to read and understand Farmans, and so have knowledge of our practices, our constitution and our faith.
3. They have knowledge of the material and religious principles of the Ismaili Muslim Faith, of the history, and other Muslim and faith community religions, and cultures.
4. They love knowledge and constantly seek out knowledge and share knowledge with others.
5. Their doors are always open for sharing and helping others who seek and need help
6. Through their instruction of religious knowledge and conveyance of the Imam’s Farmans and blessings, they seek only to educate, unify, and to bring love and happiness to their community.
7. The da‘i is learned in argumentation and debate.
8. They are always ready to defend and refute and clarify those who seek to defile or reject the Imams and our faith
9. Lastly, the da‘i is neither somebody who is overly ambitious nor is somebody who seeks recognition from others.
10. Although the da‘i must be skilled in social manners, administration, and governance, they do not chase after political leadership. This is because Pursuing political leadership for sake of recognition and power leads you astray from the Farmans and Imam
Sayyidna Ahmad b. Ibrahim al-Naysaburi (A Code of Conduct, tr. Verena Klemm & Paul E. Walker, 36)
Who is a Dai
A Dai is one who has a special authority and mandate from Imam to have, convey, give, share, and explain Imams Farmans and knowledge to the Jamat, without fear or favour.
On 11 July 2018, Imam of the time asked all Ismailis to be his Dais. Therefore those who accept and obey this Farman now have authority from the Imam of the time.
Many Dais in the past have suffered and, given their lives in doing so.
The First Ismaili Muslim Imam, after Prophet Mohammed, Hazrat Imam ‘Ali said “Da‘is in religion distinguish between doubt and certainty.”
Distinguishing between doubt and certainty is to separate truth from falsehood. A Da‘i knows the difference between truth and falsehood, so they can distinguish one from the other.
Da‘is seek and gains knowledge of ta’wil (esoteric interpretation of the Quran) from the Imam’s Hujjah, through learning, reading, studying and understanding Imams Farmans. Da'is also learns from the Imam through divine enlightenment (ta’yid). Dais explain and teach this knowledge & Farmans (Imams Talim), to all.
Sayyidna Ahmad b. Ibrahim al-Naysaburi (A Code of Conduct, tr. Verena Klemm & Paul E. Walker, 40)
And among His Signs is this "the heaven and earth stand by His Command: then when He calls you, by a single summons (da‘wah), lo! You will emerge from the earth"– Holy Quran 30:25
"O ye who believe! Respond (istajibu) to God and His Messenger when he summons you to that which gives you life." – Holy Qur’an 8:24
The Summons (Da‘wah) of God (To call people to the recognition of Allah), is specifically connected to the Ismaili Imams through Prophet Mohammed
A Dai is the summoner by authority of the Imam. Thus, in every period of human history, the essential role of the Imam is to deliver the message of Allah (Quran), and this includes inviting and summoning all human beings to the recognition and understanding of the absolute oneness of God Tawhid), through providing divine guidance towards the Straight Path (Siratul Musqateem).
This mandate and authority of the Ismaili Imams is expressed in the Arabic inspiration found on a Fatimid Coin which reads:
“ Imam Ma‘add [al-Mu‘izz] summons to the tawhid of God, the Absolute
During the Fatimid period, the religious, social, and political activities of the Fatimids, which generally revolved around spreading the cause of the
Fatimid Imams and their legitimacy, were officially structured around a
system of propaganda and recruitment, both internally and externally, which was known as the dawa . The term dawa literally means the mission or the call. This term and the term dawa; both come from the same root. The job of a Dai ; was to defend the cause of the Ismaili Imam of his time and as such they acted as preachers and missionaries. Outstanding characteristic of the Ismaili dais were their high level of knowledge and mastery of various skills of the time.
They were particularly well versed in Ismaili theology and religious debates. It was during the Fatimid time that they came to be organized under a centralized system of dawa , defined around the ideas of ranks in the world of religion (hudiidin), which orchestrated all the activities of different Dais in the vast territories of the Fatimids and beyond, in areas where Fatimids had no political influence or rule.
The term itself dates back to early Ismaili history when the term
‘Ismaili’ was not yet used to refer to the community. In the early phases
of the Ismaili history, Ismaili dais, before the Fatimid period, during
and after it, referred to themselves as the ;bal-dawa al-hadiyya or the people of the rightly guiding call or mission.
The call was to the authority of the legitimate successor of the Prophet through his daughter Fatima and his son-in-law, _ Ali b. Abu AIB Talib, the first Shia Imam.
This system of dawa was the first structured organization of the Ismaili missions in an institutional form. As such it could be called a prototype of later institutions of the Ismaili Community. However, this institution must not be confused with the state institutions in the Fatimid period and the Alamut period, as they manifested themselves in administrative
bodies that dealt with the affairs of the state. It is also noteworthy here to mention that central themes of the Ismaili dawa changed in the different periods of the Ismaili history.
During the Fatimid period, a coherent legal system was also in place with the efforts and contributions of al-Quaid al-Numan in his major legal work, the particularly after the consolidation of the Fatimid Empire when the city of Cairo had become the capital of the
state (Jamal, in Cotran, 2000–2001).
The concept of talim or the authoritative instruction and teaching of the Ismaili Imam had always been central to the Ismailis—as to other Shi i groups; however, during the Fatimid period, the emphasis was mainly on maintaining a balance between the exoteric aspects of faith,
the sharia in broader terms, and the more spiritual or esoteric aspect of
it, which is the tawil (spiritual or esoteric exegesis). This equilibrium
radically changed during the Alamut period, particularly after Hasan II, the fourth ruler and Lord of Alam proclaimed the qiyamat and was
later recognized as the first Ismaili Imam, from the progeny of Nizar,
ruling in Alamut.
During the rule of the first three Lords of Alamut, the concept of talim became a prominent theme to the extent that it brought about a new name, i.e. the Talimmiyya for the Nizar Ismailis.
Contemporary heresiographers (al-Shahrast ā n ī , 2001) describe this development as the dawa al-jad ī da (or the new call/mission) as opposed to the dawa; waal-qadma (which was the older dawa of the Fatimid era).
The gist of this doctrine was that knowledge of God is impossible to attain by relying only on human reason, and mankind needs the instruction of a teacher. That teacher is the Ismaili Imam who is unique and is the only one on the face of the earth with such claim. Apart from the simplified theological content of the doctrine, which was at the same time critical, it served as an important platform to make the Nizaris distinct from the Fatimids who followed the other son of al-Mustansir
(Daryoush Mohammad Poor, 2014. Book authority without territory)
Rank Name Active years Sect Area of influence Base References
Chief Da'i Abu Abdallah al-Khadim since 903-913 until 919 Khurasan Nishapur [4]
Chief Da'i Al-Qadi al-Nu'man 909–974 Fatimid doctrine Ifriqiya
Da'i Abu Ya'qub al-Sijistani ?–971 Fatimid doctrine Khurasan and Sijistan
Chief Da'i Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani 996–1021 Fatimid doctrine
Chief Da'i Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Naysaburi 10th-11th century Fatimid doctrine Nishapur; Cairo
Chief Da'i Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi 1048–1078 Fatimid doctrine Fatimid Caliphate House of Knowledge, Cairo
Chief Da'i Abd al-Malik ibn Attash Fatimid doctrine Persia and Iraq (Seljuk territories) Isfahan
Da'i Ahmad ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Attash Fatimid doctrine Isfahan Shahdiz fortress, Isfahan
Chief Da'i Hassan-i Sabbah 1090–1124 Fatimid, later Nizari Daylam, later Nizari Isma'ili state Alamut Castle
Chief Da'i Abu Hamza Arrajan [5]
Chief Da'i Kiya Buzurg-Ummid 1124–1138 Nizari Nizari Isma'ili state Alamut Castle
Chief Da'i Muhammad Buzurg Ummid 1138–1162 Nizari Nizari Isma'ili state Lambasar Castle, Alamut Castle
Chief Da'i Al-Hakim al-Munajjim died in 1103 Nizari Syria Aleppo
Chief Da'i Abu Tahir al-Sa'igh Nizari Syria Aleppo and Afamiyya [6]
Chief Da'i Bahram al-Da'i Nizari Syria Damascus (civilian base) and Baniyas fortress (military base) [7]
Chief Da'i Isma'il al-Ajami Nizari Syria
Da'i Abu'l Fath of Sarmin Nizari part of Syria
Chief Da'i Abu Muhammad Nizari Syria Al-Kahf Castle
Da'i Rashid ad-Din Sinan ~1160–1163 Nizari Basra District
Chief Da'i Rashid ad-Din Sinan from 1163-1164 to 1192-1193[8] Nizari Syria Al-Kahf Castle
Chief Da'i Abu Mansur ibn Muhammad or Nasr al-'Ajami since 1192 or 1193 Nizari Syria [8]
Chief Da'i Kamal al-Din al-Hasan ibn Masud 1222-1223 Nizari Syria [8][9]
Chief Da'i Majd al-Din 1226–1227 Nizari Syria [8][9]
Chief Da'i Siraj al-Din Muzaffar ibn al-Husayn 1227, 1238 Nizari Syria [8][9]
Chief Da'i Taj al-Din Abu al-Futuh ibn Muhammad 1239–1240, 1249 Nizari Syria [8][9]
Chief Da'i Radi al-Din Abu al-Ma'ali 1258–1261 Nizari Syria [8][9]
Chief Da'i Khwaja Qasim Nizari Quhistan [6]
Da'i Abu Ishaq Quhistani Qasim-Shahi Nizari Quhistan [6]
Da'i Abu Firas until 1530 or 1540 Nizari Syria Maynaqa Fortress [6]
Chief Da'i Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i Fatimid Caliphate Yemen and North Africa
Chief Da'i Hamdan Qarmat Lower Iraq Salamiyah
Chief Da'i Abdallah ibn Maymūn Al-Qaddāḥ
Chief Da'i Maymūn Al-Qaddāḥ
Da'i Zakarawayh ibn Mihrawayh Among the Banu Tamim Saylahin
Da'i Abu Muhammad Abdan
Chief Da'i Jawdhar Fatimid Caliphate North Africa
Chief Da'i Amir al-Zawahi Fatimid Caliphate Yemen
Chief Da'i Ali al-Sulayhi Fatimid Caliphate Yemen
Da'i Abu Yaqub al-Sijistani Fatimid Caliphate
Chief Da'i Musa ibn Dawud Fatimid Caliphate Fars
Da'i Al-Mukarram Ahmad Fatimid Caliphate Yemen
Da'i Da'i Anjudani Nizari Iran
Chief Da'i Abu Hatim Ahmad ibn Hamdan al-Razi Fatimid Caliphate Ray and Central Persia Ray
Chief Da'i Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani Fatimid Caliphate Iraq and Iran
Da'i (Hujjat-i Khurasan) Nasir Khusraw 1052–1088 Fatimid doctrine Khurasan Yamgan District (1060–1088)
Da'i Al-Mukarram Ahmad Fatimid Caliphate Yemen Jibla, Yemen
Chief Da'i Dhu'ayb ibn Musa Sulayhid dynasty Yemen Hooth
Da'i Abd al-Malik al-Kawkabi Jibal Gerdkuh [10]
Da'i Lamak ibn Malik Sulayhid dynasty Yemen
Da'i Yahya ibn Lamak Sulayhid dynasty Yemen
Da'i Abdullah (Ismaili Mustaali Missionary) Fatimid Caliphate Gujarat Khambhat
Da'i Syedi Hasan Feer Taiyabi Gujarat Denmaal
Da'i Syedi Fakhruddin Fatimid Caliphate Rajasthan Galiakot
Da'i Syedi Nuruddin Fatimid Caliphate Maharashtra Don Gaon
Da'i Abdul Qadir Hakimuddin Taiyabi Madhya Pradesh Burhanpur
Da'i Syedi Bava Mulla Khan Taiyabi Madhya Pradesh Rampura
Pir Pir Sadardin Nizari Sindh
Da'i Sulayman bin Hassan Taiyabi India Ahmedabad
Da'i Abdul Hussain Jivaji Taiyabi India Nagpur
Da'i Muhammad Amiruddin Taiyabi India Nagpur
Da'i Taher Fakhruddin Taiyabi India Thane
Da'i Al-Fakhri Abdullah Taiyabi Hijaz Najran
Da'i Haatim Zakiyuddin Taiyabi Gujarat Vadodara
Da'i Ahmad bin Abdullah bin Maymun Fatimid Caliphate Iran and Iraq Salamiyah
Da'i Abu'l-Qasim al-Hasan ibn Faraj ibn Ḥawshab Mansur al-Yaman Fatimid Caliphate Yemen
Da'i Ali ibn al-Fadl al-Jayshani 883–915 Fatimid doctrine (until 911) / Qarmatian doctrine (from 911) Yemen
Da'i Khalaf al-Hallaj Fatimid Caliphate Iran
Da'i Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad an-Nasafi Fatimid Caliphate Iran Ray
Da'i Ja'far ibn Mansur al-Yaman Fatimid Caliphate Egypt Cairo
Da'i Qadi Abul Hussain Ali bin Noman Fatimid Caliphate Egypt Cairo
Pir Shamsuddin Sabzwari Nizari Pakistan Multan
Da'i Taj Mughal Nizari Pakistan Gilgit and Hunza
Pir Pir Hasan Kabiruddin Nizari Pakistan Uchh
Pir Pir Tajuddin Nizari Pakistan Lahore
Da'i Sayed Imam Shah Nizari Pakistan Uchh, see Satpanth for further information
Da'i Sayed Rehmatullah Shah Nizari Gujrat and Kutchh
Da'i Sayed Nurbaksh Nizari Jammu and Kashmir
Da'i Mir Shamsuddin II Nizari Jammu and Kashmir
Da'i Badiuddin Khwaja Kassim Nizari Iran Anjudan
Da'i Syedi Lukman ji Taiyabi India Udaipur
Da'i Khanji Pheer Taiyabi India Udaipur
Da'i Zurayids Hafizi Yemen Aden
Da'i Ibn Selim el-Aswani Fatimid Caliphate Sudan
Da'i Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai Nizari Pakistan Hunza Valley
Da'i Nizari Quhistani Nizari Iran Birjand
Da'i Ismail Gangji Nizari India
Da'i Malik Tayfur Anjudani Nizari Iran
Da'i Sayed Alam Shah Nizari India Gujarat
Da'i Sayed Ali Shah Nizari India Gujarat
Da'i Sayed Bakir Shah Nizari India Gujarat
Da'i Sayed Nur Muhammad Shah Nizari India Gujarat
Da'i Muhammad bin Sa'd bin Daud surnamed ar- Rafnah Nizari Syria
Da'i Nuruddin Ahmad Nizari Syria
Da'i Abul Ma'ali Hatim bin Imran, eminently known as Ibn Zahra Nizari Syria
Da'i Sayed Malang Shah Nizari Central Asia Shagnan
Da'i Sayed Khamush Shah Shirazi Nizari Central Asia Shagnan
Da'i Asma bint Shihab Taiyabi Yemen Jibla, Yemen
Da'i Arwa al-Sulayhi Taiyabi Yemen Jibla, Yemen
Da'i Amira Darrab Fatimid Caliphate Iran Ray
Da'i Hussain Qaini Nizari Iran Qaen
Da'i Abul Khattab Muhammad bin Abi Zaynab Maqlas al-Asadi al-Kufi Ismaili Iraq Kufa
Da'i Hasan bin Muhammad bin Kiya Buzurg Nizari Iran Alamut
Da'i Abu Jabala Ibrahim bin Ghassan Fatimid Caliphate Egypt Cairo
Da'i Jabir al-Manufi Fatimid Caliphate Lebanon Tyre
Da'i Abul Fawaris al-Hasan bin Muhammad al-Mimadhi Fatimid Caliphate Israel Acre
Da'i Abul Hussain Ahmad bin Muhammad bin al-Kumayt Fatimid Caliphate Israel Askelon
Da'i Abu Muhammad al-Tabari Fatimid Caliphate Iran Tabaristan
Da'i Abul Hasan al-Halabi Fatimid Caliphate Syria Aleppo
Da'i Abu Tamim Abul Kassim al-Bukhari Fatimid Caliphate Uzbekistan Bukhara
Da'i Abul Wafa al-Daylami Fatimid Caliphate Iran Daylam
Da'i Ibn Abi'l Dibs Fatimid Caliphate Syria Damascus
Da'i Khuzayma bin Abi Khuzayma Fatimid Caliphate Iraq Baghdad
Da'i Abu Abdullah bin al-Naman Fatimid Caliphate Iraq Baghdad
Da'i Abu Abdullah al-Khadim Fatimid Caliphate Iran Nishapur
Da'i Abul Abbas Fatimid Caliphate Tunisia Mahdia
Da'i Abdullah bin Abbas al-Shawiri Fatimid Caliphate Yemen Ahwaz
Da'i Al-Farazdaq Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin Kuwait Kazma
Chief Da'i Badr al-Jamali Fatimid Caliphate Egypt Cairo
Da'i Zayn bin Abi Faraj Nizari Syria
Da'i Ibrahim bin Abi'l Fawaris Nizari Syria
Da'i Ismail Nizari Syria
Da'i Nasir ad-Dawla Iftagin at-Turki Nizari Egypt Alexandria
Da'i Jalal ad-Dawla bin Ammar Nizari Egypt Alexandria
Pir Pir Satgur Noor/Sayyid Nooruddin Noor Muhammad Nizari India Gujarat
Da'i Pir Sayed Muinuddin Hasan Nizari Iran Sabzevar
Da'i Sayed Salauddin Nizari Iran Sabzevar
Da'i Ad-Darazi Druze Egypt Cairo
Da'i Hamza ibn-'Ali ibn-Ahmad Druze Egypt Cairo
Da'i Al-Muqtana Baha'uddin Druze Syria Beit Jann
Da'i Hasan al-Akhram al-Farghani Druze Egypt Cairo
Pir Pir Nasiruddin Nizari Satpanth Punjab Uchh
Pir Pir Sahib'adin Nizari Satpanth India
Da'i Sayed Ruknuddin Nizari Satpanth India
Da'i Sayed Badruddin Nizari Satpanth India
Da'i Sayed Shamsuddin II Nizari Satpanth India
Da'i Sayed Ghiasuddin Nizari Satpanth India
Da'i Khaki Khorasani Nizari Iran Khorasan
Da'i Ali Quli Raqqami Nizari Iran Khorasan
Da'i Khwajah Qasim Tushtari Nizari Iran Alamut
Da'i Muhammad Abu al-Makarim Nizari Syria
Da'i Shihab al-Din Abu Firas Nizari Syria
Da'i Abul Haytham Gorgani Fatimid Caliphate Iran Gorgan
Da'i Mohammed ibn Sork Fatimid Caliphate Iran Nishapur
Da'i Sayyed Didarali Nizari India
Da'i Sayyed Mustakali Nizari India
Da'i Sayyed Nour Baksh Nizari India
Da'i Sayyed Auliya Ali Nizari India
Da'i Sayyed Amir Ahmed Ismaili Arabia Medina
Da'i Sayyed Nooruddin Ismaili Arabia Medina
Da'i Sayyed Nasser Mohammed Nizari Iran
Da'i Pir Qasim Shah Nizari Iran
Da'i Sayyed Noor Mehdi Nizari India
Da'i Sayyed Hyder Shah Nizari India
Da'i Ibrahim Jusab Varteji Nizari India
Da'i Assad bin Kassim Al-Ajami Fatimid Caliphate Syria Aleppo
Da'i Ibrahim bin Ismail Al Ajami Fatimid Caliphate Syria Aleppo
Da'i Pir Sayyed Alauddin Nizari Afghanistan Badakshan
Da'i Ahmad Hadi Fatimid Caliphate Yemen
Da'i Sayyed Zahiruddin Nizari India
Da'i Rodaki Fatimid Caliphate Central Asia
Da'i Sayyed Shah Qalandar Nizari India
Da'i Pir Mahmud Shah Nizari Iran Sabzevar
Da'i Pir Muhibuddin Nizari Iran Sabzevar
Da'i Pir Muhammad Zaman Nizari Iran
Da'i Pir Baba Hashem Shah Nizari Iran
Da'i Pir Mirza Shah Qasimali Nizari Iran
Da'i Pir Abul Hassan Ali Nizari Iran
Da'i Pir Mehrab Beg Nizari Iran
Da'i Seyyed Ali Asghar Beg Nizari Iran
Da'i Seyyed Akbar Ali Beg Nizari Iran
Da'i Mirza Mohammed Baqir Nizari Iran
Da'i Mohammed bin Ali bin Hasan As-Souri Nizari Syria
Da'i Seyyed Lal Shah Baz Qalandar Nizari India
Da'i Pir Khaliquddin Nizari Iran
Pir Pir Ismailbhai Gangji Nizari India
Da'i Seyyed Islamuddin Nizari India
Da'i Seyyed Imamuddin Indra Nizari India
Da'i Hatem Bin Mahmoud bin Zahrah Nizari Syria
Da'i Seyyed Hasan Shah Nizari India
Da'i Pir Ghalibuddin Fatimid Caliphate North Africa
Da'i Seyyed Gheb Shah Nizari India
Da'i Firuz Fatimid Caliphate Yemen
Da'i Anushtakin Al-Duzbari Fatimid Caliphate Syria
Da'i Abdul Majid Fatimid Caliphate Yemen
Da'i Seyyed Adam Mehdi Nizari India
Da'i Aga Jehangir Shah Nizari India
Da'i Seyyed Bala Shah Nizari India
Da'i Pir Abdul Momin Nizari India
Da'i Pir Salamuddin Nizari India
Da'i Seyyed Khaliq Shah Nizari India
Da'i Seyyed Jalaluddin Nizari India
Da'i Seyyed Awal Shah Nizari India
Da'i Pir Aga Aziz Nizari Afghanistan
Da'i Khuzaima Qutbuddin Taiyabi India
Da'i Tayyebhai Razzak Taiyabi India
Da'i Ibn Hatim Taiyabi Yemen
Da'i Abu Abdullah Ja'far ibn al-Aswad ibn al-Haytham Fatimid Caliphate Tunisia Kairouan
Da'i Ali ibn Muhammad al-Iyadi Fatimid Caliphate Tunisia Kairouan
Da'i Fidai Khorasani Nizari Iran
Da'i Sayed Munir Nizari Afghanistan Shagnan, Badakhshan
Da'i Abu Aly A. Aziz Nizari
Da'i Kassim Ali Nizari
Da'i Noormohomed Rahimtullah Nizari
Da'i Noordin Amlani Nizari
Da'i Alibhai Nanji Nizari
Da'i Jaffer Ali A. Bhalwani Nizari
Da'i Jaffer Ali Muhammad Somji Sufi Nizari
Da'i Juma Bhagat Ismail Nizari
Da'i Bandali Bhagat Ismail Nizari
Da'i Nurullah Bhagat Ismail Nizari
Da'i Karam Hussain Nizari
Da'i Kara Ruda Nizari
Da'i Kassim Ali Muhammad Jaffer Nizari
Da'i Kassim Ali R. Paroo Nizari
Da'i Khuda Baksh Talib Nizari
Da'i Muhammad Murad Ali Juma Nizari
Da'i Sultanali Nazarali Walji Nizari
Da'i Abul Kassim Muhammad Kuhpayai known as Amiri Shirazi or Kassim Amiri Nizari Iran
Da'i Sayed Dadu or Pir Dadu Nizari India
Da'i Sayed Abdul Nabi Nizari India
Da'i Pir Shihabuddin Shah Nizari India
Da'i Abu Al Fath Nizari Syria
Da'i Khalaf ibn Mula'ib Musta'li Syria
Da'i Abu'l Hasan Sinan bin Suleman bin Muhammad Nizari Iraq
Da'i Zahiri Faryabi Nizari Daylam
Chief Da'i Kamaluddin Kohistani Nizari Quhistan
Da'i Shamsuddin bin Daulatshah Nizari Syria
Da'i Shihabuddin bin Ibrahim al-Mainaqi Nizari Syria
Da'i Muhammad bin al-Jazirah Nizari Syria
Da'i Abu Mansur al-Yameni al-Shadili Nizari Syria
Da'i Muhammad Abul Makrim Nizari Syria
Da'i Muhammad bin al-Fazal bin Ali al-Baza'i Nizari Syria
Da'i Khayr Khwah Herati or Muhammad Reza bin Sultan Hussain Ghuriyan Herati Nizari Afghanistan
Da'i Sayed Suhrab Wali Badakhshani Nizari Afghanistan
Da'i Sayed Umar Yamghani Nizari Afghanistan
Da'i Zayn al-Abidin bin Hussain bin Khushnam Angawani Nizari Iran
Da'i Sayed Shah Zahur Nizari Yasin and Punial
Da'i Sayed Bakir Shah Nizari Yasin and Punial
Da'i Sayed Karim Hyder Nizari Yasin and Punial
Da'i Sayed Shah Ardbil Nizari Gilgit and Hunza
Da'i Sayed Hussain Ardbil Nizari Gilgit and Hunza
Da'i Sayed Yaqut Shah Nizari Gilgit and Hunza
Da'i Sayed Shah Abdur Rahim Nizari Gilgit and Hunza
Da'i Sayed Ghulam Ali Shah Nizari Gilgit and Hunza
Da'i Khwaja Shah Talib Nizari Gilgit and Hunza
Da'i Mirza Ismail Nizari Gilgit and Hunza
Da'i Khwaja Shahid Nizari Gilgit and Hunza
Chief Da'i Sheikh al-Hajj Khidr Nizari Syria
Chief Da'i Sheikh Muhammad al-Suwaydani Nizari Syria
Chief Da'i Mu'ayyad al-Din Muzaffar ibn Ahmad Mustawfi Nizari Iran
Chief Da'i Qadi Tajuddin Mardanshah Nizari Iran
Da'i Maulana Dakhli Nizari India
Chief Da'i Shawiri
Missionary Taj Qavi ITREB Pakistan/USA
Missionary Nooruddin Bukhsh ITREB Pakistan
Missionary Bachal ITREB Pakistan
Missionar Kamaluddin ITREB Pakistan