GENERAL HIDAYATS FOR JAMATS - Short Quotes

Discussion on doctrinal issues
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Ten Important quotes of Aga Khan in order to make this world a better place for all human beings.

1. When people speak these days, about an inevitable “Clash of Civilizations” in our world, what they often mean, I fear, is an inevitable “Clash of Religions.” But I would use different terminology altogether. The essential problem, as I see it, in relations between the Muslim world and the West is “A Clash of Ignorance.” And what I would prescribe -- as an essential first step -- is a concentrated educational effort.

2. There are those... who enter the world in such poverty that they are deprived of both the means and the motivation to improve their lot. Unless these unfortunates can be touched with the spark which ignites the spirit of individual enterprise and determination, they will only sink back into renewed apathy, degradation and despair. It is for us, who are more fortunate, to provide that spark.

3. Everybody makes mistakes. Never regret them, correct them. There’s no such thing as a perfect world or perfect life.

4. For too long some of our schools have taught too many subjects as subsets of dogmatic commitments...Too often, education made our students less flexible- confident to the point of arrogance that they now had all the answers- rather than more flexible- humble in their lifelong openness to new questions and new responses. An important goal of quality education is to equip each generation to participate effectively in what has been called 'the great conversation' of our times. This means, on one hand, being unafraid of controversy. But, on the other hand, it also means being sensitive to the values and outlooks of others

5. Pluralism is no longer simply an asset or a prerequisite for progress and development, it is vital to our existence.

6. If our animosities are born out of fear, then confident generosity is born out of hope. One of the central lessons I have learned after a half century of working in the developing world is that the replacement of fear by hope is probably the single most powerful trampoline of progress.

7.Tolerance, openness and understanding towards other peoples' cultures, social structures, values and faiths are now essential to the very survival of an interdependent world.

8. A secure pluralistic society requires communities that are educated and confident both in the identity and depth of their own traditions and in those of their neighbors.

9. We cannot make the world safe for democracy unless we also make the world safe for diversity.

10. There are many interpretations of Islam within the wider Islamic community, but generally we are instructed to leave the world a better place than it was when we came into it.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

No guidance on elections

Chittagong (East Pakistan) (now, Bangladesh)
January 30, 1970

""First of all, in the months ahead, you will be called upon as citizens of Pakistan, to excercise your duties to elect a new Government for this country. You know that each one of you must vote according to the dictates of his conscience. This is a matter on which the IMAM never gives guidance. But one thing is essential, that the process of election should take place peacefully, and I, therefore, emphasise that I wish My spiritual children of Chittagong, and for that matter all throughout Pakistan, to observe the greatest discipline and the greatest order in the process of these elections which will take place later this year. ""

..... MHI Farman
..... Chittagong,East Pakistan, (now Bangladesh)
..... January 30, 1970
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Lest we Forget

Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah addressed the delegation at the Platinum Jubilee Ceremony in Cairo, Egypt on February 20, 1955. He said, “You have referred to my 70 years Imamat which, indeed, is unique in the history of the 48 Ismaili Imams by its long duration, but also it began in another world, the world of horse carriages and candle lights, and today we are in the world of nuclear power, physics, jet air-travel and serious discussion amongst the most learned as to how and when we can visit the stars and the moon...But, as I have explained in my Memoirs .....there are two worlds - the world of material intelligence and the world of spiritual enlightenment. The world of spiritual enlightenment is fundamentally different from the world of material intellectualism and it is the pride of the Ismailis that we firmly believe that the world of spiritual enlightenment has come ....from the inception of Islam to this day with the Imamat and carries with it as one of its necessary consequences love, tenderness, kindliness and gentleness towards first, our brother and sister Muslims of all sects and secondly, to those who live in righteousness, conscience and justice towards their fellow men. These religious principles of Ismailism are well known to you for you have heard them from me and through your fathers and grandfathers and from my father and grandfather until I fear that by long familiarity with these teachings some of you forget the necessity of re-examination of your heart and religious experience.”


Extracts from Speech made by Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah

At the Platinum Jubilee Ceremony

Cairo, Egypt
February 20, 1955
FreeLancer
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Post by FreeLancer »

Important points of Farmans during recent USA visit ;

1. Unlimited blessings to all murids and volunteers.
2. Educate yourselves, life long education. Particularly for youth to maintain high standard of education, work hard to stay ahead in competition and after settling in life help jamaits and other communities.
3. Follow ethics of our Tariqa.
4. Think about the creation of Allah.
5. Imam pointed out about pure Tawhid. In a way Imam educated the jamait by first asking question about QUL in Surah Ikhlas and then by explaining it. He asked;
If anyone knew what the word "QUL" meant. He explained that it meant "Say". But who is being told to "say"? He elaborated that it was Allah telling the Prophet Muhammad to "say" his message to the people - so it was important to understand the meaning and context behind our Dua and Prayers. ( why he mentioned Surah Ikhlas? In my opinion he wanted jamaits to understand meaning and it was a way of pointing to an important word used in Surah Ikhlas i.e 6th part of Du'a in which the word BI HAQQI IS USED 3 TIMES).
6. He also mentioned to take out Tasbih when ever you get time and remember Allah, Muhammad, and Ali.
7. Lots of Du'a Asees and prayers for mushkil aasan, unity in families, to stay on siratul Mustaqeem.
8. Special prayers for ruhanis to stay in eternal peace.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

I think we should not post here what people have heard. They can be misleading. We should only post direct quotes.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

On Being Ahead of the Game

I believe that it is in the interest of the Jamat that our institutions, our families, our organizations should work together. So, if enterprises can come together, professional groups can come together, I would be very, very happy because I believe that there is strength in the multiplicity of talent in a given initiative. So, I would say to my spiritual children: think of working together, think of building bridges amongst families, amongst professionals, in new knowledge, so that you are, as they say, “ahead of the game”. Yes,that is what they say in this part of the world, “ahead of the game”, I think. And as your Imam what more could I wish for than that you should always be ahead of the game. Yes,be out there to win! So, I am ambitious for my Jamat, every day, every day, every day. (Jamati Mehmani, Toronto, Metro Convention Centre, Canada
November 18th, 2017 – Afternoon)
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

DJ Darbar Nairobi: A Day of Special Happiness

I hope this will be a day of happiness in the Jamat as it is a day of happiness for me. That there will be lots of joy. I think you call it Dandia Raas and so there will be plenty of dancing. I suspect a little bit of Biryani from here or there. And I will participate with you in your rejoicing for it is a day of immense happiness for me.( Nairobi Kenya Diamond Jubilee Deedar - Darbar , 14 April 2018)
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

How to live ahead of this time

My Beloved Spiritual Children

As time moves forward, more and more of the Jamat around the world are living in what we call 'the knowledge society". This is causing fundamental changes in institutional life, in political life, in economic life, and I hope my spiritual children will remember that, I, as your Imam, have a wish for you, that you live not only in this time, but ahead of this time -- ahead of this time. So how do you do that? You do that by acquiring knowledge, by making sure that knowledge is regularly updated, that as change occurs in the societies around you, you are able to take advantage of those changes and indeed, participate in them and, perhaps, lead in them, so that our Jamat worldwide is always in a strong position to live successfully in the societies in which you are living. (Acceptance of Jamati Mehmanis, Houston, USA, 20th March 2108)
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Four Tariqas (categories - paths)

In this world there are people belonging to four tariqahs.

Those people who are of the first category love us and do not love the world. Their hearts are towards us, then we also always remember them. They are with us even here and will be with us even there.

Those people who belong to the second category love us and love the world as well. We pray for them that their love towards the world may lessen and love towards us may increase.

The people who are of the third category do not entertain love for us and love the world exclusively. They do not trouble us. When they do not worry about us, even we do not worry about them.

Those people who belong to the fourth category love the world and do not love us and trouble us. Then we also, concerning them, pray that God keep us away from them. (Gwadar, 10 December 1894)

******
Month of Ramadhan

Now we give you the Farman concerning Ibadat (prayer). Always pray to God. In this month of Ramadhan also pray much. Every moment, every hour, God is to be remembered. He should not be forgotten. (Mumbai, 27 April 1891)
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

.....IN ABSOLUTE CONTRADICTION

"Formalism and verbal interpretation of the teachings of the Prophet are in absolute contradiction with his whole life-history. We must accept his Divine Message as the channel of our union with the 'Absolute' and the 'Infinite' and once our spiritual faith is firmly established, fearlessly go forward by self-sacrifice, by courage and by application to raise the scientific, the economic, the political and social positions of the Muslims to a place of equality with Christian Europe and America."

********

"....But now is the time to build up that free Islamic state mentality of toleration, mental and spiritual charity, forgiveness towards each other, on one side, and what Qur'an and the Tradition both insisted on, namely, that nature is the great daily book of God whose secrets must be found and used for the well-being of humanity."

Hazarat Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

TIME FOR SERVICE

People say they have no time. Time is not theirs. They did not earn it, like they earned their wealth and education. Only Allah can bestow time to an individual, so it is not theirs in the first place, and must be shared for the benefits of others.

Murids have to find time. The tradition of service is intrinsic to our Tariqah and intrinsic to Islam. It is a source of strength. Protect it, articulate it, strengthen it, give it the sense of quality and recognition that it should have. (US Leadership Mulaqat - 1994)
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Excerpted Sayings of Imam Zayn al-Abidin

If you are content with what is difficult for you of Allah’s decree, you are in the highest station of certainty.

The world is insignificant if you value your own soul.

Do you know when you are in the gravest of danger? It is when you don’t see the world as a danger to your soul.

If you receive with humility what has been apportioned to you by Allah, you will be among the wealthiest of people.

Be conscious of lying, whether small or great, in every serious and trivial situation, for if you lie about small matters, you will find the audacity to lie about great matters.

All goodness is in the care for your soul.

O my son, stay away from five types. Never befriend a liar for they are like a mirage, making what is far appear near and what is near appear far. Never befriend one who is corrupt for they will sell you out for a mere morsel. Never befriend the miserly for they will abandon you at the time of your greatest need. Never befriend a fool, for they will try to benefit you but will cause you harm. Never befriend one who severs the ties of the womb for they are cursed in Allah’s book.

Gnosis and completeness of your faith is in staying away from what does not concern you, and in not doing things in order to be seen, and in your gentle forbearance, and in your patience, and in the beautification of your character.

If you take five things from me their blessing would appear in you and there is nothing like them. Fear nothing but your sins, seek nothing but your Rabb, do not be ashamed to learn if you do not know, and be patient for patience is to faith as the head is to the body, for there is no faith for one that has no patience.

Beware! So many have been conceited by the good things said about them, so many have been deluded by the covering of their faults, and so many have been misled by the goodness they receive.

If you have these three characteristics then you are in Allah’s protective care, secure in the shade of His Throne on the Day of Rising, and safe from the turmoil of the Great Day. That you give to people of yourself what you ask of them for yourself. That you not take any action without knowing whether it is done in obedience or defiance of Allah. That you not criticize someone for any fault until you remove this fault from yourself. Remember, it is sufficient to be preoccupied by your faults rather than the faults of people.

Do what is good to everyone who asks of you. If they are worthy of it, you have correctly bestowed it, and if they are unworthy of it, you are worthy of it. And if a person insults you on the one hand, and then turns around and apologizes to you on the other hand, accept their apology and pardon them.

There are those who worship Allah out of fear, this is the worship of the slaves. There are those who worship Him out of desire for reward, this is the worship of merchants. There are those who worship Him out of gratitude, and this is the worship of the free.

I wonder at the arrogant, proud one who yesterday was just a sperm and tomorrow will be a corpse. I wonder at the one who doubts Allah while seeing the wonders of His creation. I wonder at one who doubts the other emergence (resurrection) while seeing their first emergence. And I wonder at the one that works for the perishing abode and neglects the eternal abode.

https://thecorner.wordpress.com/2018/10 ... al-abidin/
aatimaram
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Post by aatimaram »

Understand Allah's creation first and foremost.

March 17,2018. Atlanta Darbar, USA.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Attitude towards understanding Allah's creation

The West has much to learn from Islam. I repeat that: “the West has a lot to learn from Islam!” So I would like my murids to represent our faith in the way it should be represented: respecting ethics, living with integrity, living in an honorable environment and a happy environment, using the intellect better to understand Allah’s creation. That is what is required of Muslims in terms of their education. It is not education for a university degree – although I’m sure you all want a university degree, and I went through the same thing – but when all is said and done we have to try to understand Allah’s creation.

Fortunately, science is teaching us more and more about Allah’s creation, every day. But I do not believe that the miracle of humanity is one that will ever be totally understood. And why should we pretend to have the intellectual vanity to understand everything which is around us. Let us be intellectually respectful, intellectually humble, intellectually curious, intellectually well-directed, but let us not pretend that the dimension of human knowledge has no limits.(ACCEPTANCE OF JAMATI MEHMANIS, TORONTO, EASTERN CANADA, 17TH NOVEMBER, 2017 (Afternoon))
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Ethics and best practice

First, we need to live a life of ethical behavior. Ethics is a personal matter. Each murid makes his own judgment, in his own good time – or her, she makes judgment, in her good time as to what is right or what is wrong. But what is extremely important is that the institutions of the jamat should be seen to be exercising what we call “best practice,” that is, our institutions perform to the highest level of their respective value systems. And this is true for our schools, it is true for our financial institutions, it is true for our early childhood education. So, this notion of best practice, I entrust to you – I entrust that to you. And seek to make best practice the way you think, the way you work, the way you live, the way you work with your families, the way you educate your children, the way you look after your good health. (ACCEPTANCE OF JAMATI MEHMANIS, HYDERABAD, INDIA 27th FEBRUARY, 2018)

******
Building brotherhood and sisterhood

And at the end of this Farman, I remind my spiritual children, here in India and around the world, that you are brothers and sisters. Help where help is needed, be generous where generosity is needed, be strong where
strength is needed, be kind where kindness is needed, so that you build within the jamat a sense – a strong sense – of brotherhood and sisterhood, so that no murid feels isolated, feels lost. Every murid should know that he or she has thousands of brothers and sisters around the world. So no murid is alone and, in addition to which, I am with all my murids around the world. I give to each and every one of you again, my warmest, my most affectionate, and my best loving blessings. (DIAMOND JUBILEE DARBAR, MUMBAI, INDIA 1st March, 2018)
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Post by shivatrivedi »

(at present) As you are near to me INSHA ALLAH ( God Willing ) you will be near to me in Akhirah. Those who do good deeds will get 1000 fold reward in Akhirah. MSMS (Karachi- 6 May, 1920).
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Post by kmaherali »

Community wisdom, the wisdom of the Jamat

”And you should express your needs to these institutions. There should be dialogue between the Jamat and our institutions, and this dialogue should be an ongoing process of thinking together, of what will best serve the Jamat in Pakistan and in other parts of the world. So we are seeking community wisdom, the wisdom of the Jamat, as to what are its needs, and how best we can meet those needs.”

MHI DJ Farman: Karachi Pakistan, 19 December 2017
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Post by kmaherali »

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Post by swamidada_1 »

We are established in 22 countries and we do not have the necessary number of trained missionaries, it is the duty of the local people to see that EVERY WORD OF OUR PRAYER (DUA) is understood by every momin of the jamait such as for instance KUL HU WALLAHU AHAD. This should be done without hurting the feelings of my elderly spiritual children.

Karachi- 1964.

Note: Around 1964 the jamaits were settled in 22 countries but at present they are visible in 35+ countries. In 60's there was acute shortage of trained missionaries which Imam pointed out.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

I think in future our Dawa activities will be driven by technology. It will not be necessary for the traditional methods of propagating faith. Knowledge and wisdom will be more and more available online and other technical means.
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Post by swamidada_1 »

It might take long time. There is majority of jamaits who do not know how to use computers and related technologies. Still majority do not know English for instant Afghan jamaits, Central Asian Jamaits, Chinese jamaits, the jamaits belong to interior of sub continent or jamaits living in remote areas where there is no electricity. Language problems, many don't know Gujrati, Khojki, Persian or Arabic then in which medium jamaits will be guided and taught religion?
Jamaits take interest and pay attention towards a live teacher/preacher/lecturer. It is seen when a person reads 4/5 pages with eyes down jamaits do not take interest in such tape recorders, and start looking here and there to kill the time. A waiz is effective when a live communicator is present before jamaits.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

It can happen very rapidly. Technology is evolving very fast. Mobile phones are becoming accessible even to rural populations with the aggressive marketing. Acquisition of English language has been emphasized by MHI over the past decades. The youth are getting very technology savvy. Translations from one language to another are becoming more and more accurate technologically.

The emphasis will be more on personal initiative as opposed to being spoon-fed to to speak.Knowledge will increasingly meet the needs of individuals as opposed to groups.
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Post by kmaherali »

Imamat Day 2019 - "4 Precious Moments"

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... T6U2kDOIFo
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Post by kmaherali »

150 Most Frequently Used Words in Farmans (1957-1998)

Pdf file:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fbAzZ_ ... ILFRH/view
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

English - Common Global Language

I believe it is also important that the Jamat should have a common global language, and I believe that that common language should be the English language. We could have chosen many others, but my Jamat is bilingual, trilingual, quadrilingual...after that I think it must be quantilingual. In any event , my Jamat is multilingual, and therefore, your knowledge comes from many different civilizations. Use it, draw energy from it, draw thoughtfulness, wisdom, intelligence, ideas, creativity-- draw from wherever you can, to build the knowledge society amongst your families, for this generation, and for all the generations in the future. (Vancouver, 6 May 2018)
swamidada
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Post by swamidada »

3 themes underlined by Hazar Imam for youth;

1. Intellectually Alert
2. Ethically Sound
3. Spiritually Enlightened
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

swamidada wrote:3 themes underlined by Hazar Imam for youth;

1. Intellectually Alert
2. Ethically Sound
3. Spiritually Enlightened
But I am certain that if you are strong educationally, if you are strong morally and spiritually, there will always be a correct and a sound place for My spiritual children here on this earth. And it is My greatest concern that My Jamat should always be able to find happiness, strength, good health and success. (Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, December 13,1973, To the University Jamat)
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Post by swamidada »

My Farmans in years to come will be quite different from the present ones, The whole world will change. Therefore you should obey the Farmans of the Imam of the time. AS THE TIME CHANGES SO DO THE FARMANS CHANGE. MSMH

Cutch Mundra Nov 22,1903.
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Aga Khan III on waezins - quotes

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Aga Khan III on waezins - quotes Page 6 of "Platinum"



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swamidada
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Post by swamidada »

If you desire the emancipation of your soul, then keep your soul in the love and affection of God. Never forget God even for one moment but always think of Him.

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah
Bagamoya - Sep 20, 1899
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