Barakah is dedicated to Mawlana Shah Karim al Hussaini, His Highness the Aga Khan, members of his family and the Ismaili Imamat – a Hereditary Divine Institution from the Time of the Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali
The photographs of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, and members of his family appearing in this post were shared with me by Late Sultan Jessa (Order of Canada, OC) during my visit to his home in Montreal a few years ago. Jessa passed away in Montreal on Thursday, August 22, 2019.
Pieces such as this that were previously published in Barakah’s two affiliated websites, Simerg and Simergphotos, are being transitioned to Barakah, which was launched in 2017 as a dedication to Mawlana Hazar Imam. Thus, over time, Barakah will become a comprehensive source of visual and textual material on Mawlana Hazar Imam and his family as well as the Ismaili Imamat. Currently, Barakah has more than 170 informative and interesting posts, with hundreds of photographs.
Sultan Jessa with Her Excellency Adrianne Clarkson, the former Governor General of Canada, at the event in 2005 marking the presentation to him of Canada’s highest honour, the Order of Canada. Photo: Sultan Jessa Collection.
In publishing Jessa’s collection in Barakah at this date and time, we honour the memory of an outstanding Ismaili who served as a journalist in two continents for more than 50 years, and also richly contributed to the society in Canada, leaving an indelible imprint wherever he served. As he mentioned in an interview with me, his active involvement with communities across Canada was one way to meet the pledge of his beloved 49th Imam who had said in a speech that his Ismaili followers would become contributors to Canadian society.
Originally from Tanzania, Jessa’s love for his adopted new land and his contributions to Canadian society led him to be recognized in 2005 with the country’s highest honour, the Order of Canada (OC).
We mourn the loss of Sultan Jessa, OC, and pray that he may rest in eternal peace.
Photographs of His Highness the Aga Khan taken by Azhar Chaudhry
Azhar Chaudhry was the chief photographer of Kenya’s major daily, Daily Nation. Sultan Jessa was a colleague of Azhar, and provided these photographs to the editor of this blog for publication with the photographer’s permission. We proudly present these pictures, for which we are greatly indebted to both Azhar Chaudhry and Sultan Jessa.
Before departing this page please take a moment to visit Barakah’s Table of Contents for links to more than 170 pieces dedicated to Mawlana Hazar Imam and his family.
Barakah welcomes your feedback. Please complete the LEAVE A REPLY form below or send your comment to simerg@aol.com. Your letter may be edited for length and brevity, and is subject to moderation.
This website, Barakah, is a special project by http://www.Simerg.com and is dedicated to the textual and visual celebration of His Highness the Aga Khan and members of his family, as well as the Ismaili Imamat.
Thank you for sharing these timeless pictures. I remember the day Sultan invited my family into his home when we first arrived to Canada, greeting us with his usual warm smile. In his life’s work, he embodied the spirit and faith of the Ismaili community. He lives on by inspiring others to do the same.
Wah!! These are most memorable moments and Sultan Jessa’s collection of photos will live for generations. He lives behind a family of whom we can all be proud of. He has been a great mentor and an example to everyone. We thank Barakah for producing Sultan’s inspiring collection.
Thanks for sharing this article. I knew Azhar Chaudry very well in the 80’s. He had a good restaurant just across from my work and made the best steaks and shared some good stories of our beloved Imam.
Barakah 
Thank you for sharing such an amazing collection of rare photos of our Beloved Hazar Imam.
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What a collection! Thanks for the trouble that you have taken to collect and preserve the photos.
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Thank you for sharing these timeless pictures. I remember the day Sultan invited my family into his home when we first arrived to Canada, greeting us with his usual warm smile. In his life’s work, he embodied the spirit and faith of the Ismaili community. He lives on by inspiring others to do the same.
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Beautiful photographs from the collection of Late Sultan Jessa. May his soul rest in eternal peace, ameen.
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Wah!! These are most memorable moments and Sultan Jessa’s collection of photos will live for generations. He lives behind a family of whom we can all be proud of. He has been a great mentor and an example to everyone. We thank Barakah for producing Sultan’s inspiring collection.
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Thank you very much for these beautiful photos.
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What an amazing collection! Priceless!
Thank you !
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Thanks for sharing this article. I knew Azhar Chaudry very well in the 80’s. He had a good restaurant just across from my work and made the best steaks and shared some good stories of our beloved Imam.
LikeLike