By MALIK MERCHANT

A beautiful photograph of love, joy and happiness as well as togetherness has just been released on the.Ismaili website showing Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, with his beloved grandchildren, Prince Irfan, aged 7, and Prince Sinan, aged 6, both children of Prince Rahim.

This represents for me the importance of the very young ones being able to bond with their elderly grandparents, and a solid example that as parents we should encourage the relationship to grow between our children and our own parents. Throughout the past 10-15 years, and especially since his Golden Jubilee in 2007-2008, Mawlana Hazar Imam has reminded the Jamat about our responsibilities and care for older members of the Jamat; the heartwarming portrait serves as a reminder of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s recommendation for his every spiritual child. In this regard, we also present a historic photograph from 81 years ago of our beloved 48th Imam, Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, pictured with his grandsons, Prince Karim — our present Imam — and Prince Amyn when they were 6 and 5 years old respectively.

As a personal observation of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s photos with the two Princes, Prince Irfan is seen wearing a t-shirt printed with a message “SHARKS DO BETTER….”, an ocean animal that is among the favourite animal species of his beloved uncle Prince Hussain, a marine diver, who wishes us to consider his exhibitions of sea animal photographs not only a work of art but, more than that, for people to get “a close look at how extraordinary these animals are and how our actions are endangering them.”

Also, on this very auspicious occasion of Navroz, March 21, 2023, we would like to relive a moment of blessing that Mawlana Hazar Imam conveyed to the worldwide Jamat on the occasion of Navroz 2021 during the difficult time of Covid-19. He said in his Talika:

“In these troubled times, it is my prayer that Navroz will herald a new beginning, with greater resilience, strength and unity in my Jamat to overcome all forms of difficulty. While the Jamatkhanas will continue to be re-opened as the situation improves, I wish my Jamat to keep in mind the importance I attach to our historic tradition of personal, private prayer.

“I send my most affectionate loving blessings for mushkil-asan, and for my Jamat’s wellbeing, good health, safety and security. I also give my best loving blessings for barakah in your spiritual and material lives, and for the fulfilment of all your wishes.”

There are numerous messages for Navroz.

During his visit to Burma (now Myanmar) that coincided with Navroz in 1960, Mawlana Hazar Imam said to the Jamat:

“On this day of Navroz, I say to each and everyone of you Eid Mubarak and I pray that in this New Year your worldly and your spiritual happiness should progress tenfold and that this should be the case every year.”

Then he asked the Jamat “to try and think a little bit ahead in the future, and at each Navroz say to yourselves. ‘Have we done our work?’ If you have then I will be very happy indeed.”

As beloved murids of Mawlana Hazar Imam, let each task in the work we need to do represent for each of us a beautiful flower and let us during the year ahead start putting together a garland of beautiful flowers that we collectively present to our beloved 49th Imam, Mawlana Shah Karim Al Hussiani Hazar Imam, that he can happily feel in his heart — Malik Merchant

Among countless recommendations that Mawlana Hazar Imam has made during his 65 years of Imamat are: to educate ourselves and develop our intellect and use the education in the Islamic spirit of humility; for Jamati and family unity, for good health and in this repect also to forego bad and damaging social habits, to stay on the path of siratal mustakim (the straight path), to maintain a balance between the world of the spirit (din) and the world of matter (duniya), to carry a tasbih and take a few precious moments in the remembrance of Allah, to practice our faith regularly, to learn English and to be able to communicate well in the language, to help each other, to seek unity across communities, to be peaceful, to be loyal to the countries of adoption, to be grateful with our wealth and acquired knowledge and to share them for the betterment of others, to seek to grow spiritually to come closer to the light of Imamat.

In recent years, his Imamat institutions have become more cognisant of the impact of climate change on the environment and natural disasters and this is where the youth of the Jamat can play an active role both within and outside the Jamat to reverse the trend.

Again, Mawlana Hazar Imam’ emphasis on the care of the elderly is something that must be cultivated in the hearts of the very young, the youth and the professionals of the Jamat.

There are of course many many messages that need to be fulfilled for the desirous work to be completed, and yet these tasks are all within our rich. May we all have the strength to fulfill the tasks that will ensure our own betterment as well as countless other people around the world. There is no better service and joy than serving others in our society.

As beloved murids of Mawlana Hazar Imam, let each task in the work we need to do represent for each of us a beautiful flower and let us during the year ahead start putting together a garland of beautiful flowers that we collectively present to our beloved 49th Imam, Mawlana Shah Karim Al Hussiani Hazar Imam, that he can happily feel in his heart.

We urge each Ismaili family to acquire the holy Farman books (containing Farmans made from 1995 – 2018, with a combined total number of approximately pages 725 pages) that have been printed in the last 2-3 years, and for youths and professionals of the Jamat to read the Farmans avidly, one at a time, 3 pages a day (300-325 words per page, taking up 3 minutes of your time.)

Navroz Mubarak with best wishes and prayers for Barakah — happiness — in all walks of your life.

Date posted: March 21, 2023.
Last updated: March 22, 2023 (several typos.)

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