KALĀM-E-MAWLĀ (Hindi – Gujarati Sayings of Hazrat Mawlana Ali A.S)
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KALĀM-E-MAWLĀ (Hindi – Gujarati sayings of Hazrat Mawlana Ali A.S) With the introduction, annotation, transliteration, translation and approximated Arabic sayings and Quranic verses By Dr. Amin Valliani, ITREB (Pakistan), Karachi. 1 Ever-Blessing Words From the very beginnings of Islam, the search for knowledge has been central to our cultures. I think of the words of Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first hereditary Imam of the Shia Muslims, and the last of the four rightly-guided Caliphs after the passing away of the Prophet (may peace be upon Him). In his teachings, Hazrat Ali emphasized that “No honour is like knowledge.” And then he added that “No belief is like modesty and patience, no attainment is like humility, no power is like forbearance, and no support is more reliable than consultation.” Notice that the virtues endorsed by Hazrat Ali are qualities which subordinate the self and emphasize others ---modesty, patience, humility, forbearance and consultation. What he thus is telling us, is that we find knowledge best by admitting first what it is we do not know, and by opening our minds to what others can teach us. Mawlana Hazar Imam, Address at the Commencement Ceremony of the American University in Cairo, dated 15th June, 2006. 2 This book is a humble tribute to my late teacher Itmadi Noor Din H.Bakhsh (d.2000) who inspired me to undertake this research based academic exercise. 3 Acknowledgments Upon completion of this project on Kālām-e-Mawlā, I bow my head and heart to thank the He, who made me able to undertake the academic task. I am also grateful to the office-bearers, scholars and my colleagues at the Shia Imami Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board for Pakistan for their continuous support and encouragement. They deserve my heartiest of thanks for their guidance. During the last several years, I engrossed myself in the torturous process of going through the pages of centuries-old Arabic Books of sayings of Mawlana Ali (A.S) to trace the core messages of different verses of Kālām-e-Mawlā. I am glad to have a sense of accomplishment at this juncture. I also found the relevant verses of Holy Quran which carry more or less the same messages. The Hindi-Gujarati version of Kālām-e-Mawlā has been rendered into English, mostly using American Language Association – Library of Congress - Romanization Tables, which is considered to be a standard for transliterating a variety of scripts accurately into Roman character. However, any error or oversight may kindly be excused. Amin Valliani September, 2014, Karachi, 4 Index Introduction 5 References and notes 32 Kalām-e-Mawlā contents: topic-wise. 1. Dar Bayān Preclude 34 2. Dar Bayān Sachchāī 35 3. Dar Bayān Birādarī 42 4. Dar Bayān Faz̤īlat-e-Adab 47 5. Dar Bayān T‘ārīf-e-Sakhāwat 52 6. Dar Bayān Muzammat-e-Bakhīl 69 7. Dar Bayān Lalāch 74 8. Dar Bayān Dāstān-e-Man 83 9. Dar Bayān Sharam, Halīmī, Inkasārī, Mīṭhiī Zibān 94 10. Dar Bayān Jāhilān wa Be-waqūfī 109 11. Dar Bayān Khūbī-e-‘Ilm 119 12. Dar Bayān Dāstān-e-Ẓulum 143 13. Dar Bayān Khūbī-e-‘Adl 155 14. Dar Bayān Dunyā 165 15. Dar Bayān Bandagī wa Nekī 195 16. Dar Bayān Khūbī-e-Nekī 224 17. Dar Bayān Ṣabar-wa-Shukr 241 18. Dar Bayān Pīrī wa Marg 263 19. Dar Bayān Ṣifāt-e-Nek Ṣuḥabat wa Dostī 281 20. Dar Bayān Neki Mān Bāp 290 21. Dar Bayān Ṣuḥabat-e-Bad 301 22. Dar Bayān Pehachān-e-Ᾱdamī 316 23. Dar Bayān Faz̤īlat-e-Kam Sukhan 325 24. Dar Bayān Ḥasad 336 25. Dar Bayān Himmat 346 26. Glossary 362 5 KALĀM-E-MAWLĀ Introduction This study seeks to address the issues such as origin, compilation, contents, relevance and the religious significance of Kālām-e-Mawlā, a poetic rendition prevalent in the Khojā Ismā‘ilī community. The Khojā Ismā‘ilī community is one of the major segment of globally spread Ismā‘ilī branch of Shi’ah Islam, headed by the hereditary Imām – His Highness the Aga Khan. Other segments include Syrian Arabs, Badakhshani, and Afghani etc. The Khojās are of Indian origin but are now spread out, all over the globe. Their ancestors had embraced the Shī‘āh Imami Ismā‘ilī T̤arīqāh of Islam some five to seven centuries ago through the teachings of Ismā‘ilī Pirs and Syeds deputed by the Ismā‘ilī Imams residing in Iran during this period of time.1 Unlike Sunnis, who considers ‘Alī b. Abī T̤ālib (d.661 C.E) the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) as the 4th pious Caliph, the Shī‘āh Imami Ismā‘ilī T̤arīqāh considers him as the first Imam or spiritual guide. Besides, it also believes that the Imamat has continued through ‘Alī’s progeny till to date with the present Imam, Prince Karim Aga Khan-IV as 49th in the line of Imams. 6 ‘Alī b. Abī T̤ālib being the first Imam in Shi‘āh Islam, occupies a place of fundamental importance in Ismā‘ilī theology. He is the commander of the believers and the friend (walī) of Allah therefore; devotion to him is the cardinal principle of Ismā‘ilī faith. He is also regarded as the intercessor in the Hereafter and is considered to be the root wherefrom all Shi‘āh teachings emerge. Since he possesses divinely endowed knowledge and is mandated to provide spiritual guidance, therefore, his sayings, quotations, speeches, epistles, treatises, letters, sermons and other traditions form the sacred source of eternal knowledge, wisdom and guidance. Further, the Holy Prophet’s famous saying, “ I am the city of knowledge (while) ‘Alī is its gate, whosoever wants knowledge, let him come through the gate, 2 also makes ‘Alī b. Abī T̤ālib’s position central and foundational for spiritual, intellectual and ethical development for all Muslims in general and for the Shi‘āhs in particular.. Over the centuries, the Muslim community in general, and the Shi‘āhs in particular, have drawn inspiration from the aphorisms of ‘Alī. For some, these constitute wise counsels, a key for the evolution of creative and spiritual faculties, leading to spiritual enlightenment, and a road map to an ethical and moral life. Many have engaged themselves in the study of these sayings, interpreting and re-interpreting them, explaining each aphorism from the variety of angles to suit its application according to requirements of time and situation. Volumes have been written on the sayings and the works that study these aphorisms from a variety of perspectives in many languages. The interest in such analytical study has not diminished with time – quite the contrary, scholars continue to be fascinated by these intellectual and moral gems. For more than two centuries, the Khojā Ismā‘ilī community has been cherishing an edifying tradition called Kālām-e-Mawlā – a collection of sayings in verses, attributed to ‘Alī b. Abī T̤ālib. It is a moving poetic rendition, comprising of about 327 verses in a mixture of Hindi and Gujarati languages. These were originally written in Arabic, later translated into Persian and then from that language into a mix of Gujarati and Hindi languages. The name of the compiler is not known, nor the period of compilation is specified, but the 7 contents of the Kālām-e-Mawlā seem to have been intermingled with the local images and ideals of the community who is the primary audience so as to emphasize the eternal messages of ‘Alī in its true perspective. The compiler has not restricted himself to any poetic rules or literary discipline. He seems more concerned with conveying the ideas in its entirety rather than writing poetry. While narrating/rendering the Ali’s messages, he uses the various epithets of ‘Alī b. Abi T̤ālib such as Shah-e-Oliy’ā (verse: 183) Ṣāḥib-e-Dhu‘l-Faqār (verse: 15), Walī-e-Maqbūl (verse: 34), Ṣāḥib-e-Isrār (verse: 98), Kausar-e- Sāqī (verse: 102/107), Shāh-e-Duldul (verse: 113) and Haz̤rat Amīr (verse: 293) to dignify his position, a norm more common in Shī’āh discourses. The Khojā Ismā‘īlī community has a deep attachment to the Kālām-e-Mawlā, and considers it as the unique heritage and holds it in respect and reverence. The Kālām is recited in Jamā‘atkhanās, homes and in private gatherings during normal worship practices, and sometimes on special occasions. Its soft recitation moves the listeners and creates a kind of awe-inspiring environment. Though the rhythm and singing patterns slightly differ from area to area, but its veneration is the same. The Kālām recitation, particularly at the time of funeral ceremonies, gives great comfort and solace to the bereaved families. One of my teachers late Itmadi Nooruddin Hussain Bakhsh (d.2000), who served as a full time professional scholar in Ismā‘ilī T̤ariqāh and Religious Education for Pakistan (ITREB) for about forty years, spent years in trying to locate the origin of Kālām-e-Mawlā. He visited India in 1990s to ascertain the facts and figures, leading to the compilation of Kālām-e-Mawlā and the circumstances, responsible for making it a part of liturgy of Khojā Ismā‘īlī tradition. However, before he could complete his research, he passed away in February 2000. A week before his death, he requested me to carry forward this assignment to its logical end. Realizing the need of systematic study of Kālām-e-Mawlā, I took this assignment anew and consulted many books, relating to the teachings and sayings of ‘Alī b. Abī T̤ālīb. The available literature indicates that over a period of last many centuries, numerous books have been authored, written, composed and compiled on ‘Alī b.