Sweet Anecdotes of Four Beloved Imams

“This is an end of the age, and those who are faithful will behold power and miracle of their Imam of the Age, but those having imperfect hearts will however behold miracle publicly, but falsify them. Those who don’t trust in the powers and supernatural events of the Prophet, Apostle and the Imam; their resemblance is that of the stone-blind person. If the mirror and a piece of an earthen vessel are given to the stone-blind person - both of them are alike for him.” - Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, Bombay, 1st September, 1885 201 - Sweet Anecdotes of Four Beloved Imams By: Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S.Ali [email protected] 1. Imam Hasan Ali Shah : 16 2. Imam Aga Ali Shah : 21 3. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah : 152 4 Mawlana Hazar Imam : 36 Total : 225 This write-up is dedicated in loving memory of late Vazir Ghulam Hussain Mohammad Ali Dharas (1903-1973) Sponsor by Kamadia Salim Dharas, Albuqurque, USA. It will be a part and parcel of my life to remember the outstanding co-operation of Kamadia Salim Dharas, who indeed remained a driving force of my study during last 15 years. I owe a special debt of gratitude to him for his humble sponsorship, assistance and encouragement. (Rai Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S. Ali) 1 Imam Hasan Ali Shah (1)In 1838, Rai Ramumal came in Karachi from Punjab with a box of the karsazi (religious dues). He was also accompanied by some ladies for the didar of Imam Hasan Ali Shah in Mahallat, Iran. They had to go Port Abbas from Karachi by sea, thence they were to proceed to Kirman by highways. They embarked at Karachi seaport, and at a distance of three miles, a heavy storm burst out and their ship was on the verge of sinking. When Rai Ramumal felt that there was no chance of survival, he at once put the karsazi in the bag and informed the ladies that he had resolved to throw the bag into the sea. The ladies told him that their ornaments should also be included therewith. All ornaments were collected and put in the bag, which was thrown in sea. Suddenly, the storm became calm and they were rescued. Their ship reached Port Abbas and thence they proceeded towards Mahallat. Rai Ramumal related the story of the storm to the Imam and the throwing of the karsazi in the sea. Imam Hasan Ali Shah said, “Neither earth nor sea or river can devour Imam’s money.” Then the Imam asked him to take out a bag from that cupboard. He stood and took out that very bag. The Imam opened and returned the ornaments to each and every lady by their names. They also were delightful. The Imam asked, “Ramumal, let me know who rescued the ship?” He said, “Mawla no one except you.” Then the Imam took off his half portion of the shirt and said, “Look, can you see?” He saw that there was a wound below the neck. (2) In 1841, Imam Hasan Ali Shah migrated from Iran and reached Afghanistan, and then came in Sind. While leaving Afghanistan, he reached Kalat, the subdivision of Quetta on 28th November, 1841. The snow had coated the mountains in the freezing winter. The Imam and his 3000 soldiers pitched their tents in a safe place. The lunch was being prepared, but unfortunately, the cooks failed to ignite fire by rubbing two wet stones. Only a piece of wood could hardly be ignited. The matter was referred to the Imam, who said to bring that burning brand. It was brought and the Imam tied the conflagrant wood with an arrow and hurled it with a bow in the air. The Imam said to his servants to search out that brand, and there they would find fire. The servants went to search it and came near a deep pit wherein the arrow fell. Here they found blue colored fire, and by whose help the food was prepared. This place in Kalat is known as Sui, where a largest deposit of the natural gas field was discovered by Pakistan in 1953. (3) In 1843, Imam Hasan Ali Shah built his residence, called Mahallat in Jerruk, Sind. On those days, many Ismailis from different parts of India came in Jerruk for the didar. Some Ismailis from Gujrat with their families also came. One person among them presented two sealed boxes as a nazrana and implored, “Khudavind, I have brought exclusively special gift for your retinue, containing pure ghee made of my own buffalo’s 2 milk.” The Imam laughed and said, “You have brought kerosene, not ghee. Well, it will be useful for lightening the lamps.” The person was surprised and when the boxes were opened, kerosene was found therein. Then, another person presented a nazrana of a box and said, “Khudavind, I have brought pure sweet oil for you.” The Imam smiled and said, “You have brought Peshawari honey, not oil.” It was also opened in which was found the Peshawari honey. The Imam said, “Well, I accept choice of your wife.” The person was greatly surprised. The Imam cast mercy upon the person whose boxes contained kerosene instead of ghee and said, “Don’t be afraid. Actually, your boxes have been changed, which we will receive just now.” Meanwhile one camel-man came with two boxes and told, “In unloading the goods, your boxes were wrongly given to another person, who returned me and his boxes are with you. Please take it and return my boxes.” These boxes contained pure ghee. Later it was also known about another person that when he put sweet oil in the box in his house in Gujrat, his wife being a faithful thought that presenting oil to the Imam was inappropriate, and she secretly replaced the box of oil, and put Peshawari honey in the box. (4) The Akhund’s family was an origin of Jerruk, who migrated from Kutchh. They transcribed old copies of the ginans and distributed in plausible rate. The best known among them was Akhund Ghulam. Once the Ismailis of the Sind went to have the didar of Imam Hasan Ali Shah in Bombay, the Imam told them that when they returned to Sind, they must go to Jerruk and tell Akhund that, “You are weeping and longing in love for me, which is needless, because I am happy with you.” The Imam also said, “Verily, the fire of hell is unlawful for you. You are mine and I am thine.” When the Ismailis came in Jerruk and submitted Imam’s message, he began to weep profusely. Looking it, the Ismailis also wept and told him, “You must be mirthful that the Lord is delightful with you.” He said, “Imam is a carefree king. Today he is joyous with me. Who has seen the next day? Who can claim that how the last breath will pass? Many persons remain faithful in the world, but waste their faith at last moment of their lives. Likewise, I cannot claim whether the mercy of the Imam will last with me till my last breath?” Certainly, the abiding faith (iman) and fidelity of Akhund burned with steady flame in his heart till his last breath. (5) In Jerruk, one old lady from the village of Sind had brought gruel (ra’b or ra’badi) made of red rice in an earthen pot and stood at a little distance. She said something in the Sindhi. The Imam called for her and asked in Sindhi, “What do you want?” (chhato gur’e). She reverently said that she had brought gruel for him. The Imam happily accepted it, but she said, “Ya Mawla, you eat it” (Ya Mawla tu’n kha). The Imam tasted and ordered one servant to distribute its little bit to the jamat as a jura. The people took and ate, but some didn’t eat and put it beneath the mattress and some threw at the wall. 3 Imam Hasan Ali Shah watched it and tried those disobedients by saying, “Those who have tasted the jura will never be accountable in the day of resurrection. Their souls will be annihilated in my Noor.” After listening the Imam, the people began to lick the mattress and wall. The Imam said, “The time is over. Now it is worthless to lick the mattress and wall.” (6) In 1853, Imam Aga Ali Shah (not yet became the Imam) visited Junagadh on a hunting expedition. On those days, Ismail Gangji (1788-1883) was the head of the department of the Treasury and Mint of the Junagadh state. He rendered invaluable services to the son of Imam Hasan Ali Shah. He did not make snag in his hospitality. On departure, Imam Aga Ali Shah was extremely satisfied and joyful in the princely entertainment of Ismail Gangji. On next year, Ismail Gangji came in Wadi, Bombay for the didar of Imam Hasan Ali Shah. When the Imam came down from his bungalow (Aga Hall) to grace didar to the jamat, Ismail Gangji appeared in his first sight and said in burst of anger, “Ismail, you have bothered my son Aga Ali Shah last year in Junagadh. You have misbehaved with him. O’you impudent.” The Imam returned without granting didar to the jamat. Ismail Gangji was dumb founded and did not ask the Imam to confirm it from his son, but bowed his head in humility. The jamat was confused and had tears in their eyes. On the second and third day, same incident repeated and the Imam rebuked with severe and harsh words, but Ismail Gangji spoke nothing.

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