A BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO EPOCHS 2 translation of calligraphy surah of qadr 97 VERILY WE REVEALED IT IN THE NIGHT OF QADR . AND WHAT MAKES YOU KNOW WHAT THE NIGHT OF QADR IS ? THE NIGHT OF QADR IS BETTER THAN A THOUSAND MONTHS . THE ANGELS AND THE SPIRIT DESCEND IN IT BY THE PERMISSION OF THEIR LORD , CONCERNING EVERY WORK . [ IT IS ] PEACE UNTIL THE BREAK OF DAWN . HIS HIGHNESS AGA KHAN III , MOSAIC PORTRAIT IN LAPIS LAZULI ismail gulgee reproduced by kind permission of amin gulgee 4 A BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO EPOCHS CREATIVE DIRECTOR rashida noormohamed-hunzai PHOTOGRAPHS RESEARCHERS nizar habib, yasmin p. karim DESIGNER yasmin p. karim 2 0 1 4 6 A BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO EPOCHS rashida noormohamed-hunzai 8 GLORIOUS LIFE OF HAZRAT MAWLANA SULTAN MUHAMMAD SHAH C - AL-HUSAYNI, ALAYHI’S-SALAM, HIS HIGHNESS AGA KHAN III 04 ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION 12 SAYINGS OF HAZRAT MAWLANA SHAH KARIM AL-HUSAYNI, HIS HIGHNESS AGA KHAN IV, RELATED TO HIS GRANDFATHER 14 HONOURS 26 SPECIAL EVENTS 54 INVENTIONS CONTENTS 70 SAYINGS RELATED TO WOMEN 102 MESSAGES TO THE ISMAILIS OF AFRICA 108 STATUS OF WOMEN 118 THE CONCEPT OF MONOREALITY 132 CORRESPONDENCE 136 PHOTO CREDITS 137 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS bout his u b l i c a ti o n ABrave indeed wouldT be a person toP undertake a book on Hazrat Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah al-Husayni, calayhi’s-salÀm! It would take much more than an ordinary literary talent to do justice to a life crammed with so many unprecedented events and achievements, a life which he himself describes as being so full that he was never for an instant bored! This publication therefore has very different objectives. It attempts to focus on selected aspects of Hazrat Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah’s life and times in order to motivate the readers to reflect on the reasons for what happened during his long Imamat. The first two sections on his titles and decorations and a calendar of the main events in his life serve as a backdrop as well as an easy reference. He was the first Imam in Ismaili history to play such an outstanding role in international politics. Born in the east, he publicly acknowledges his beloved mother’s role in receiving a thorough education both of the east and the west. During his long life he travelled all over the globe. His impact on the political, social and educational aspects of his time is indelible. He was the most indefatigable champion of Islam in epo chs TWO the west and also the most outspoken about the shortcomings of Muslims in the east. BETWEEN BRIDGE A ••• • ••• 0 41 0 By his active and multi-faceted life, he demonstrated that there is no dichotomy in Islam between the material and the spiritual dimensions of life. Echoing the life of the holy Prophet Muhammad, ÊallallÀhu calayhi wa Àlihi wa sallam, he was a spiritual leader, a politician, both national and international, an educationalist, a social reformer, a champion of human rights, a writer, a great sportsman and he played many other roles. His followers, the Ismailis, celebrated his Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilees, the economic, educational and social impact of which are evident even today in their lives. These Jubilees also served another purpose. Through the intense media exposure of these events the Imamat became known across the world, fulfilling the Qur’anic prophecy: “Wa ashraqati’l-arÐu bi-nÆri rabbihÀ” – “And the earth shall shine with the light of its Lord” Surah of Zumar 39:69. See also the speech of Mawlana Hazir Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni at the Asia Society in New York on 25th September 1979 where concluding his speech on Islamic Architecture – A Revival, he said “We are to give this light to all”. Although Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah wrote about it in his Memoirs and mentioned in his speeches that he was a ‘Bridge between Two Epochs’, it appears that readers and listeners have accepted this description either superficially or literally. The reason for including the section on the scientific discoveries that took place during his Imamat is to ask: Is there any connection between his Imamat and the unprecedented advance in science during it? Never before in recorded human history had this leap from candlelight to atomic power and horse carriages to supersonic airplanes in a matter of a mere sixty years taken place. The title page of this publication has highlighted the Surah of Qadr 97 of the holy Qur’an, which describes the blessings of the Night of Qadr. Esoteric or bÀÌinÄ Islam interprets the six days of creation as the six great Prophets, the seventh as the Qa’im, and the nights as their Èujjats. Should the same principle not apply to the Night of Qadr? Further, if the tremendous acceleration of scientific discoveries in the light of the verse of Surah of HÀ-MÄm Sajdah 41:53 is God’s demonstration of His signs in the external world, what about the manifestation of His signs in the inner world of human beings? Moreover, according to the Qur’an Surah of Hajj 22:47 each day of God is a thousand years of human reckoning, therefore each of the six great Prophets had a period spanning approximately one thousand years. epo chs TWO Should we therefore not ask when the period of the holy Prophet Muhammad is going to end? BETWEEN BRIDGE A ••• • ••• 0 6 1 2 The section on the guidance of Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah regarding women, answers many questions about the status of women in Islam. His efforts to bring the Ismaili community out of the darkness of conventional behaviour imposed on them by their social contexts is not duly recognised or appreciated. By including the translation of extracts of his guidance, it is hoped to create greater awareness of his vision and far-sightedness. What he said about the status of women in Islam is all the more extraordinary when one witnesses the struggle of Muslim women in our contemporary world. Additionally, the granting of equal rights to women should also be seen in the context of the many transformations brought about by the end of imperialism and the two world wars during his time and the continuing trend towards the eradication of all kinds of inequalities in our globalised and inter-connected world, a vision in the holy Qur’an of an “ummatun wÀÈidah” or a single community. The final section in this booklet is Hazrat Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah’s Concept of Monoreality in his own words. He coined this particular word, which to date is not in the English dictionaries. He elevated the common understanding of the oneness of God or TawÈÄd to a sublime level that demands greater intellectual engagement. His is the time in Ismaili history of research and publications on the Ismaili Tariqah of Islam. In his Platinum Jubilee speech in Cairo in 1955 he said: “But, as I have explained in my Memoirs for the whole world to understand, 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 Ismailis that we firmly believe that the world of spiritual enlightenment has come as a truth 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.” 0 8 1 4 He encouraged huge numbers of his followers to search for this spiritual enlightenment. It was during his Imamat that the office of PÄratan merged with the office of Imamat. Cannot this be the esoteric interpretation of ayat 9 of Surah of QiyÀmah 75: “Wa jumica’sh-shamsu wa’l qamar”, that is, “And the sun and the moon will be united”. Should this portent not be reflected upon more and more? What about the guidance of Hazrat Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni on Friday, 26th July 1957 in London just a fortnight after becoming the 49th Imam, where he said: “You have lost the finest Imam we have had”. How should this be understood? In short, his life exemplifies his own profound words: “Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.” With these motivating words resounding in our ears, let us reflect on the contents of this publication to understand the glorious personality and the unique role of the 48th Imam, Hazrat Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah. 1 0 1 6 His time is a mere half century away from our own time, in terms of history very close to us. The sincere intent of this publication is to avoid a presbyopic or a myopic view of history and to motivate the readers to study the entire span of the history of religion and to understand the unique position of Hazrat Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah’s period within it. Insha’a’llÀh this will not only contribute to a ta’wÄlÄ or esoteric understanding of faith, but will help to duly understand the role and achievements of the present Imam, Hazrat Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni Hazir Imam. H azrat M awlana S hah K arim A l-H usayni , H is H i gh n e s s ga han IV AThis is a sad Kand a very happy occasion for me.