kmaherali wrote:swamidada wrote:
But there is no mention of Ali being Imam at that time in the couplet you mentioned. Your question is about Imamat.
A bit of intelligence is required to make the connection.
"The philosophy of Ten Incarnations (DAS AVTAAR) should be taken and explained in the light of Islamic principles; also the understanding of ALLAH'S NOOR, whose lineal descent is from even before creation, should be given. These principles, Pir Sadardin during the time of Shri Islam Shah has explained, they should be explained in a similar manner.
(Kalam-e Imam-e Mubin, II, p473).
Ginan verse:
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.
http://ismaili.net/heritage/node/23179
From the above two references it is quite clear that Imamat existed since the beginning.
Our present Imam is Shah Karim Al Hussaini. We have to follow his Farman and Hidayat. Being an Ismaili we should follow the Ta'limaat in Preamble as explained by Imam of the time.
In Preamble there is no mention of Dus Avtar or reincarnation. These theories were propagated in previous era. Now time has changed. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said," In my 70 years of Imamat I have changed Farmans 70 times.
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah said;
1.HINDU NI WAATO ILM MA WANCHO CHHO TE WAJIB NATHI.
2.JIYAREY TAME(N) HINDU HATA TIYARE PIR SADARDIN NE TAME(N) RASTO DEKHARIYU(N).
3.TE WAQAT GUJRI GAYO. HAMN(N)A MOWLA ALI NI TAREEF, IMAMO NI TAREEF ANY HAZAR IMAM NI TAREEF WANCHO.
4. NAW (9) AVTAR MUKI NAKHO (leave 9 Avtars).
5.DASMO AVTAR MA MARA DADA (MOWLA ALI) NI TAREEF WANCHO.
August 20, 1899- Jungbar.
Let me quote a reference of Paris conference in 1975.
Article 6.2.4 published in the Ismaili Paris Conference has asked all Jamats and individuals to "forward all firmans, whether in manuscript, printed or any other form, of Mowlana Sultan Mohammed Shah, Mowlana Shah Hassan Ali Shah, and Mowlana Aga Ali Shah, to the Ismaili Association of Pakistan by 31st Dec 1975. These bodies also request individual members of their respective jamats, through suitable announcements, to make available any such material that may be in their possession."