Baya'h Bayah - A covenant and contract

[mahebubchatur]

Bay‘ah is a contract & a covenant between every Ismaili Muslim (or murid), and the Imam of the Time.

Bayah literally means “buying/selling”, a two-way contract that includes a commitment from the murid and a acceptance by the Imam give guidance by giving Farmans and Blessimgs.

When offering Bayah , the murid commits his allegiance, devotion, and obedience (walayah). In accepting the Bayah, the Imam of the time agreed to give the Imam’s material and spiritual, Farmans , (including intercession, blessings, and purification).

Bay‘ah gives very murid the right to access and receive Imam’s teachings, interpretations guidance, & blessings. These are given by the Imam in the Form of Farmans.

"You perform bay‘ah, but you must first understand it’s meaning and then offer bay‘ah. When you offer me bay‘ah it means that you extend your hand to me with a promise…He who obeys me and promises to follow me after offering me Bay‘ah , I also give him my promise that I shall hold his hand in the Hereafter. The trials and tribulations of the Day of Judgment are very frightening and painful. I will keep him away from this. "
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III,
(Manjewadi, October 31, 1903, quoted in Kamaluddin Ali, Practices and Ceremonies)

" Since bay‘ah is a two-way contract involving both the murid and the Imam, only those who have given bay‘ah to the Imam of the time have access to private discursive spaces and private religious practices offered by the Imam in the Jamatkhanah, while those who do not give this bay‘ah are not privy to them. This only makes logical sense because every single Ismaili ritual practice performed in the Jamatkhanah is an expression and an enactment of the Imam-murid relationship, a relationship that only exists through bay‘ah. The act of bay‘ah indicates that a person accepts the Ismaili Imam as his or her spiritual master and guide and accordingly, only after this acceptance does it become appropriate to access the Imam’s guidance. It simply makes no sense for someone who has not given bay‘ah to participate in the Jamatkhanah practices. Accessing the Jamatkhana practices without giving bay‘ah to the Imam is similar to walking into a store and stealing products without paying for them, or trying to access prescription drugs from the pharmacy without having the doctor’s prescription.

It is incumbent upon the parents that they should first make their children my murid through the performance of bay‘ah…Those who have not offered bay‘ah they have not signed to accept our faith. Just as you sign on an agreement in your business and in other dealings, similarly, through bay‘ah, I take a signature from your soul.
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III,
(Kutch Nagalpur, November 27, 1903)


Bay‘ah as a religious practice goes back to the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad and the Qur’an mentions it in numerous verses (48:10, 16:91, 48:18, and 60:12) in which the believers give bay‘ah to the Prophet Muhammad when they become his followers or reaffirm their loyalty to him. The Qur’an stipulates that the Prophet should only provide guidance, blessings, and intercession to people after they give him their bay‘ah. The Ismailis have continued this Qur’anic protocol of bay‘ah throughout their history:


BAYAH

BISMILLA HIR REHMANIR RAHEEM.
ASH-HADU AN LA ILAHA ILLALLAH
WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMEDAN RASOOLULLAH
WA ASH-HADU ANNA ALI-YUN AMIRIL MOMINEEN ALIYULLAH

I DECLARE AND ACCEPT THAT MOWLANA HAZAR IMAM SHAH KARIM AL-HUSAYNI IS THE LORD OF THE AGE, THE IMAME ZAMAN, AND MY SPIRITUAL MASTER. I PROMISE TO BE ABSOLUTELY OBEDIENT AND LOYAL TO HIM. HAI ZINDAH - QAYAM PAYA".


Dua part 4 - if you don't honour and respect your Bayah (promise and covenant), with Imam e Zaman then the Loss is ours (48:10)

Related Articles

http://www.ismaili.net/html/modules.php ... 545be63d9f


https://ismailignosis.com/2016/11/19/wh ... r-prayers/

[mahebubchatur]

Bay‘a Baya'h

(Arabic; derived from ba-ya-‘a, meaning ‘to sell’ or ‘clasp hands’).

A practice rooted in Arab tradition and the practice of Prophet Muhammad. It is also mentioned in the Holy Qur’an (see 48:10, 48:18, and 60:12) and defined as an oath of allegiance, an act by which a certain number of people, individually or collectively, recognise the authority of an individual.

Thus, the bay‘a of a Caliph was the act by which an individual was proclaimed and recognised as the head of the Muslim State. In many Muslim traditions, the meaning of bay‘a is to offer oneself to a spiritual master, pir, murshid, or shaykh in exchange for spiritual knowledge and guidance.

In Shi‘i contexts, the word is used for the oath of allegiance to the Imam by his followers. In the Shi‘i Ismaili tradition, it is the acceptance of the permanent spiritual bond between the Imam and the murid, uniting all Ismaili Muslims worldwide in their loyalty, devotion and obedience to the Imam within the Islamic concept of universal brotherhood.

[swamidada1]

[quote="mahebubchatur"]Bay‘ah is a contract & a covenant between every Ismaili Muslim (or murid), and the Imam of the Time.


ASH-HADU AN LA ILAHA ILLALLAH
WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMEDAN RASOOLULLAH
WA ASH-HADU ANNA ALI-YUN AMIRIL MOMINEEN ALIYULLAH


Note:
Please correct the following pronunciation of Kalimah Paak (Shahadah). Even in JK it is recited wrong.

ASH HADU AL LA ILLAHA ILALLAH
WA ASH HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAR RASUL LALLAH
WA ASH HADU ANNA ALIYAN AMIRAL MU'MINEENA ALIYULLAH

In first line it is not ASH HADU AN BUT ASH HADU AL.....
In second line it is not MUHAMMADAN BUT MUHAMMADAR....
In third line need more attention, it is not ALIYUN AMIRIL... BUT ALIYAN AMIRAL MU'MINEENA ALIYULAH.



]

[kmaherali]

There is a related thread:

http://www.ismaili.net/html/modules.php ... highlight=

Code of Conduct for the Followers of the Imam by Qadi al-Nu'man

Majlis 5 - FULFILMENT OF THE TERMS OF BAYAT WITH THE IMAMS

pdf:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-xQ9IM ... Ook8o/view

[swamidada1]

In early 50's to late 60's, Ismailia Association Pakistan published some books and the book 'Al Kitab ul Himma fi Aadabi Ataba' Al A'immah' (code of conduct for followers of Imams), written by Qazi Noaman was translated by Professor Jawad al Musqati and published by Ismailia Association in 1954.

[mahebubchatur]

Bay‘ah (Arabic: بيعة) – Allegiance, In Ismaili Faith is a sacred and binding sacred covenant and agreement between every Ismaili Muslim (murid) and the Imam
of the Time (Murshid). It is not merely a symbolic act but a profound lived contract rooted in devotion and an ethical commitment.

In this the follower pledges and commits loyalty, and obedience (walayah), to Imam for Farman’s, Blessings and Mercy. The Murid makes voluntary contributions of time, and resources in accordance with Farmans

In return, Hazar Imam accepts this allegiance and gives guidance, blessings, and intercession, which
are divinely inspired from the Qur’an , and rooted in Allah’s light and will.

This reciprocal commitment and engagement form the core foundation and cornerstone of the
Ismaili faith and the agreement with Noor of Imam who will never withhold Farmans which are the continuation of the teachings and interpretations - Tawil & Talim - from the Will of Allah - as is the Quran from the will of Allah

Full article on Bayah including Noor Deedar etc

http://ismaili.net/timeline/2025/bayah.pdf

Bayah and pledges - renewal on 11 Feb 2025

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6p7am204 ... 4k000&dl=0