[This special post for the 87th birthday of His Highness the Aga Khan, who is respectfully addressed by his Ismaili Muslim followers as Mawlana Hazar Imam (our lord, the present living Imam) includes a reflective article by France’s Mohez Nato, a beautiful calligraphy to mark the 87th birthday by Toronto’s Karim Ismail, a historic 1978 birthday cake cutting photograph from the collection of Zinat Virani Family, 3 very rare black and white photographs from Mawlana Hazar Imam’s childhood and teenage years, and an exclusive image of a painting of the Imam by Vancouver based artist, Azeez Khanbhai. Please share this article’s link with your contacts around the world — Ed.]

By MOHEZ NATO

On this most auspicious and blessed day of the 87th Salgirah (birthday) of our beloved Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, we stand united as “One Jamat” (community) and offer our sincere prayers and wishes for his good health and a long life.

We express our gratitude to members of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s family for their commitments to concretize the dear wishes and projects of Mowlana Hazar Imam for the spiritual and material well-being of the globalized Jamat.

We, as his spiritual children, thank Mawlana Hazar Imam Hazar Imam for his benevolence, his guidance, and his tireless concern for our security, peace, and progress as well as his continuous blessings for our mushkil-asan (protection from difficulties). Indeed, Mawlana Hazar Imam’s protective hand is on the shoulder of every Ismaili murid (follower) around the world.

Thus, we should all seek to renew and strengthen our allegiance to him. He, like all 48 Imams who preceeded him, is our sole authority on all religious and spiritual matters. Let us be proud and happy of what he solemnly declared in the Canadian Parliament on February 27, 2014:

“Today the Ismailis are the only Shia community who, throughout history, have been led by a living, hereditary Imam in direct descent from the Prophet.”

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Mowlana Hazar Imam very often has reminded us of the importance he places on education, not only for our professional future, but also to understand Allah’s Creation. Mowlana Hazar Imam also wishes us to put our education at the service of others for their material progress through our commitment to the worldwide Time and Knowledge program that was adopted during his Golden Jubilee Year, which was celebrated from July 11, 2007 until December 13, 2008.

Mawlana Hazar Imam, as Chancellor of the University of Central Asia, delivered a profound message to the youth on June 16, 2023. He said:

“In my eyes, you embody promise: the promise of a new generation, alive to new ways of collaborating, communicating, and thinking; and the promise of a new university, alert to emerging problems and eager to identify new opportunities to serve its countries.”

He continued:

“Climate change is altering the relationship between Humanity and the Environment. Advances in Artificial Intelligence are opening new horizons in the interface between Humanity and Technology. Globalisation is transforming relations between countries and communities as knowledge flows ever faster around the world. Your education has prepared you to address these challenges.”

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On this anniversary, let us also remember that Mowlana Hazar Imam attaches particular importance to the concept of pluralism in his global jamat and indeed among humanity at large. He has stressed that pluralism is a strength, not a handicap! In this regard, I once again quote from his remarkable speech made in 2014 in the Canadian Parliament. He said:

“Let me end with a personal thought. As you build your lives, for yourselves and others, you will come to rest upon certain principles. Central to my life has been a verse in the Holy Quran which addresses itself to the whole of humanity. It says: ‘Oh Mankind, fear your Lord, who created you of a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them scattered abroad many men and women.’

“I know of no more beautiful expression about the unity of our human race — born indeed from a single soul.“

As spiritual children of Mawlana Hazar Imam, let us seek to strengthen this concept of unity among the community even further and keep in our hearts the conviction that, despite our diverse origins, we are created from a single soul and that our religious bond is to Mawlana Hazar Imam.

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Finally, let us relive in our thoughts, the year-long exceptional experience we all had with the celebration of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee on July 11, 2017. The fundamental scope of the words spoken by Hazar Imam were: Best practices; integrity; be his dai (missionary); stay united and be like brothers and sisters; learn, learn, learn…be in solidarity; share and offer services of Time and Knowledge both to Ismailis and to other communities…don’t be greedy; and build opportunities for future generations.

And let us keep Mawlana Hazar Imam’s most sublime sentences in our hearts and souls: that he is always with us; that when we set out on our spiritual quest, he is with us, holding our hand, and leading us to the Light.

Oh Mawla,  blessed be the day of our beautiful spiritual encounter!

As we celebrate Mawlana Hazar Imam’s 87th Salgirah in every corner of the world, let us seek to fulfill his Farmans and the aspirations that he has for the Jamat. That would be the best gift we can ever give him. Let us commit ourselves to spiritual progress, a balance between matters of faith and the world, and demonstrate great moral qualities, remain united and show generosity, compassion and tolerance.

Date posted: December 11, 2023.
Last updated: December 21, 2023 (typo).

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ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

Born and raised in Madagascar, Mohez Nato left for France in the late 1960’s. After completing his PhD, he worked as a teacher-researcher in Plant Biotechnology at the University of Paris Sud XI from 1971 to 2011. Now retired, Mohez does voluntary work giving courses in French-speaking universities in countries like Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Benin, Algeria and Tunisia. He has served in the Ismaili community in numerous voluntary positions, for which he was bestowed with the title of Alijah by Mawlana Hazar Imam. We invite you to read his earlier pieces,  Ode to the Imam of the Present Time and Laylat al-Qadr, published in Barakah and Simerg.

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Originally from Uganda, Karim Ismail lived in England before settling in Canada. By profession, he is a Pharmacist (retired).  It was in England, in 1986, that he came across the artwork of a German Muslim, Karl Schlamminger (1935-2017), at the Ismaili Centre London. Karl’s artwork on calligraphy and geometrics, had a profound effect on Karim. He is frequently seen conducting calligraphy workshops for children at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. Karim is also active on the literature counter at the Ismaili Centre Toronto.

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Ismaili artist Azeez Khanbhai began drawing and painting portraits of Mawlana Hazar Imam in 1959. His works adorn many Ismaili homes around the world. His art work is derived from portraits and photographs of Mawlana Hazar Imam that appeared in Ismaili publications around the world. Please visit Barakah’s post Memorable Paintings of Mawlana Hazar Imam by Azeez Khanbhai.

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REVIEW BARAKAH’S TABLE OF CONTENTS AND VISIT ITS SISTER WEBSITES

Before departing this website please take a moment to visit Barakah’s Table of Contents for links to more than 300 pieces dedicated to Mawlana Hazar Imam, members of his family and the Ismaili Imamat. Also visit our two sister websites, Simerg and Simergphotos. Barakah’s editor may be reached at mmerchant@barakah.com.

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