Prepared and compiled by MALIK MERCHANT
Latest update: December 10, 2025, 02:29 EST: Finding Hope: My Didar Experience with Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan
Anchor Links: His Highness the Aga Khan’s visit to Portugal
Please visit this page frequently for updates on His Highness the Aga Khan’s visit to Portugal from December 1-4, 2025. For quick access to our stories posted on this page, please click on the following anchor links:
- December 10, 2025: Finding Hope: My Didar Experience with Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan
- December 4-5, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan thanks volunteers as he concludes his visit
- December 4, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan graces Ismaili youth with a Didar and meets multifaith members
- December 3, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan graces Ismailis with a Didar in Portugal
- December 3, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan arrives in Portugal for the key Ismaili moment of Didar
- October 31, 2025 His Highness the Aga Khan announces official visit to Portugal
- Ginan: Supplication to the Imam-of-the-Time
_________________
December 10, 2025: My Didar experience with His Highness the Aga Khan
This is a standalone piece. Please click HERE or on the image above to explore a heartfelt account of a refugee’s transformative journey to meet Mawlana Hazar Imam, one that embodies resilience, hope, and community.
_______________
December 4-5, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan conveys his appreciation to the ismaili volunteers for organizing a successful visit, as he departs Portugal
As Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, departed Portugal on December 5, 2025, coinciding with International Volunteers Day, we are pleased to share his heartfelt message of thanks to the volunteers of the Ismaili community conveyed at the institutional reception hosted in his honour on December 4. The reception followed his earlier Didar with Ismaili youth and a meeting with multifaith members.
In thanking the volunteers for helping to arrange his successful visit, and for their ongoing service to the Jamat, Mawlanna Hazar Imam said:
“I’d like to acknowledge the commitment of time and effort of all the volunteers. It’s a big tap on your time and on your family time as well, and so I’d just like to thank you for your service. I’m very grateful, full of admiration, and full of thanks.”
~~~~~~~~
Mawlana Hazar Imam departed Portugal on the morning of December 5. To bid him farewell at the airport were Ambassador Francisco Vaz Patto, Head of State Protocol, and Prof. Francisco Proença Garcia, Chairman of the Portuguese Delegation to the Seat Agreement Joint Committee. They were both present to greet him when he arrived on December 3 to commence his visit. A delegation of Ismaili leaders was also present to bid him farewell.
External links: Please click on the following link(s) for related coverage about the institutional reception held in Mawlana Hazar Imam’s honour, before his departure on Friday, December 5, 2025.
~~~~~~~~
YouTube
In this final episode of The Ismaili Update 3, about events of December 4-5, viewers will learn about the art installation titled Journey Home presented to Mawlana Hazar Imam, see highlights of an institutional reception, where he appreciated the volunteers’ work for a successful visit, and his departure on December 5 after a three-day visit.
________________
December 4, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan meets with Ismaili youth, members of multifaith families and sees a fantastic art installation
“…whilst our ritual practices and specific words and prayers may differ, I find that most faith communities share common values and principles and in many cases share stories and prophets, books, angels and God. These are humanistic values.” — His Highness the Aga Khan, multi-faith session, Lisbon, December 4, 2025.
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the second day of his visit to Portugal, Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, met with the youth of the Ismaili community in the intimate setting of the Ismaili Centre Lisbon’s Darkhana prayer hall.
He later addressed multifaith couples in the social hall. “I would like our community to treat non-Ismaili spouses the same as they treat Ismaili spouses, the same as they treat anyone as part of the family,” Hazar Imam said. “I think we have an opportunity in this country as a community — and that’s also thanks to our spouses — to really thrive. We have a responsibility to keep the country strong, to serve this country as well.”
“Our faith is rooted in a set of values and principles, which include a code of conduct and behavior that comprise kindness, generosity, tolerance, helping those in need, service, looking after each other. I think these values are universal. For Ismailis, living according to these ethical principles is an expression of our faith. So whilst our ritual practices and specific words and prayers may differ, I find that most faith communities share common values and principles and in many cases share stories and prophets, books, angels and God. These are humanistic values.”
Multifaith family member Raquel Fonseca thanked Hazar Imam on behalf of the guests: “This visit brought us closer to the Ismaili community,” she said.
“We are especially grateful for your spiritual leadership, which inspires our spouses, our children, and our families with values of service, integrity and compassion. Your Highness, thank you for your vision, your generosity, and for welcoming us with such heartfelt warmth.”
Hazar Imam then observed an art installation, titled Journey Home, co-created by the Portugal and Spain Jamats, made from sustainably sourced materials. The artwork depicts hundreds of drops of water, each with a hand-written message to the Imam, flowing toward a sculpted sea.
Inspired by Portugal’s deep cultural connection to the sea, the installation celebrates water as a symbol of each murid’s spiritual journey. Each drop follows a unique voyage, yet all merge into the vast ocean — a metaphor for Allah, the source of nourishment and light.
~~~~~~~~
As Hazar Imam departed the Ismaili Centre, young volunteers and Jubilee Games medal winners gathered to bid him farewell.
Later in the afternoon, Hazar Imam returned to the Centre to meet with Jamati leaders at an institutional reception.
External links: Please click on the following link(s) for related coverage about Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Didar in Portugal to the youth and meeting with multifaith members:
~~~~~~~~
Post(s) on X
~~~~~~~~
YouTube
The official Ismaili Update Part 2 video below highlights Hazar Imam’s Didar to the Jamat on December 3, 2025, and Didar to the youth and meeting with multifaith members on December 4, the second day of his visit.
__________________
December 3, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan graces his spiritual children with a Didar
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, who arrived in Lisbon earlier in the day on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, graced his Ismaili spiritual children from Portugal and Spain with a Didar, fulfilling their heartfelt wish since the visit was first announced on October 31, 2025. This was the first time that the Jamats of Portugal and Spain experienced the Didar with Mawlana Hazar Imam since his appointment as the 50th Imam on February 4, 2025, succeeding Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, to the Hereditary Throne.
Didar, which means ‘glimpse’, ‘seeing’ or ‘vision’, refers to occasions when Ismailis have the opportunity to see and be in the presence of their Imam-of-the-Time. The Didar, as a physically uplifting event, is also a spiritually enriching experience, filled with emotions that resonate deeply, strengthening the bond and love for the Imam. The Imam’s presence helps the audience feel a sense of reverence and spiritual closeness, reinforcing their connection and bond with him at the Didar, which ensues in the years ahead.
The bay’a (oath of allegiance) to the Imam was submitted on behalf of the Jamat by the Mukhi of Darkhana. The President of the Aga Khan Ismaili Council, Yasmin Bhudarally, delivered a loyalty address.
In his Farman (guidance), Mawlana Hazar Imam expressed concern about the ill health of Portugal’s President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and said that he has extended best wishes for the President’s speedy recovery on behalf of the Jamat and his family.
Mawlana Hazar Imam shared important news about reforms to the merit-based undergraduate scholarship, including forgiving all outstanding loans and shifting to a grant-based system for current and future awardees. This change, he explained, is part of his desire to help remove the barriers to accessing quality higher education. The scholarship programme was established by Mawlana Shah Karim in the 1990s and has enabled thousands to access undergraduate degrees. Further details will be provided by the Education Boards in due course.
A gift was presented to Hazar Imam on behalf of the Jamat, consisting of two 19th-century works on the Islamic architecture of Al-Andalus. The region of Al-Andalus in the Iberian Peninsula was home to diverse communities between the 8th and 13th centuries, and a place where different skills and ideas were valued as sources of strength.
The Islamic architectural heritage of al-Andalus includes iconic landmarks in the Spanish cities of Granada, Córdoba, and Seville, as well as more recent discoveries in the Portuguese cities of Lisboa, Mértola, Silves, and Sintra. Together, these texts — among the most significant publications documenting the region’s historic architecture — evoke a landscape that championed tolerance, creativity, and pluralism.
The Jamats around the world look forward to hearing the full Farman of Mawlana Hazar Imam in their respective Jamatkhanas in the coming days and to receiving the printed version in the coming weeks.
External links: Please click on the following link(s) for related coverage about Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Didar in Portugal:
~~~~~~~~
Post(s) on X
~~~~~~~~
YouTube
The official Ismaili Update Part 2 video below highlights Hazar Imam’s Didar to the Jamat on December 3, 2025, and Didar to the youth and meeting with multifaith members on December 4, the second day of his visit. We have already provided the YouTube link under December 4 and are repeating it here, as it includes December 3.
________________________
December 3, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan arrives in Portugal to grace his community with Didar
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, arriving in Portugal on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, highlights a moment of pride and unity for the Ismaili community worldwide as he visits his Ismaili followers in Portugal and Spain. The key moment, his Didar (lit. a glimpse), will take place later in the day at the FIL – Feira Internacional de Lisboa, in Parque das Nações, where community members will join in a unique and beautiful gathering of rejoicing, spiritual renewal, and happiness.
During his three-day visit, Mawlana Hazar Imam will also grace the youth of the Ismaili community aged 15-25 with a Didar and meet with members of multi-faith Ismaili families. Both these events will take place at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon.
The visit was first announced in a Talika — a holy written message — read out on October 31, 2025, and has since generated anticipation and excitement for this special occasion.
External links: Please click on the following link(s) for related coverage about Mawlana Hazar Imam’s arrival in Portugal:
~~~~~~~~
YouTube
~~~~~~~~
Post(s) on ‘X’
________________________
October 31, 2025: Announcement of His Highness the Aga Khan’s visit to Portugal, Registration, Fund raising, Auditions and other Important Information
Announcement of THE visit of Mawlana Hazar Imam
In a Talika Mubarak (holy written message) read in Jamatkhanas in Portugal and Spain, on October 31, 2025, and in other Jamatkhanas worldwide on the following day, Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, informed his Ismaili community (Jamat) that he will undertake an official visit to Portugal in December at the invitation of the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The Ismaili, the official website of the Ismaili community, then confirmed that the visit will take place between December 1 and 4, during which he will bestow the Jamats with Didar (lit. a glimpse). The Spain Jamat falls under the jurisdiction of the Aga Khan Ismaili Council for Portugal. To focus his attention on the Jamat in this jurisdiction, Hazar Imam does not wish members of the Jamat from other parts of the world to travel to Portugal during the visit.
~~~~~~~~
Portugal visit details
Following the announcement, the Ismaili Institutions in Portugal published essential details and programs related to the visit. Please visit the following pages on the Ismaili website:
- Mother’s Room – Family Comfort and Well-Being
- Multifaith Families Session – Key Information
- Youth Mulaqat – Key information
- Didar Day — Key information
- Youth Retreat & Rehearsal
- The countdown begins: Mamero and Mehndi Party
- Music Night: The Sufistics
- Portugal Visit Fund
- Portugal Visit Registration
- Portugal Visit Volunteer Enrollment
- Portugal Visit Auditions
- Portugal Visit Frequently Asked Questions, FAQs
We also recommend that you click on the following links to learn about the special status of the Imam, and to participate in a collective art installation
- Special status of the Imam
- My Journey to Didar
- Journey home — creating a collective art installation
The visit to Portugal will be the Aga Khan’s fifth to his spiritual children since becoming the Imam on February 4, 2025, following his recent visits to France, Kenya, Uganda, and the USA (click on the links for Barakah’s special coverage of the four trips).
We heartily congratulate the Jamat of Portugal and Spain, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Aga Khan Ismaili Council for Portugal, on the highly anticipated visit of Mawlana Hazar Imam. We share their excitement for this event. We are fully committed to providing comprehensive coverage of the visit, ensuring that our readers worldwide are well-informed, as we did with Mawlana Hazar Imam’s visits to France, Kenya, Uganda and the USA. We also had special coverage of his visit to Kyrgyzstan for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture ceremony.
________________________
Ginan: A perennial supplication to the Imam-of-the-Time and from all his spiritual children worldwide
Transliteration
Eji, Aash Karine Ya Ali hun tere dar ubhi,
Kar jodine em mangu Ya Shah;
Dejo didar tusi mahavar datar Shah,
Hama tere charane lagu.
Translation
With hope I stand at Thy door,
O Ali! And sincerely beg of Thee;
Bless me with Thy Holy Didar,
O Great Lord and Benefactor!
At Thy Feet I fall to prostrate
and
O Exalted Islam Shah [Imam-of-the-Time]
Our Lord and Master of the Age,
To you our hearts devoutly supplicate,
O the Eternal King and Lord of our souls!
Grace us with your visit to the Indian Subcontinent
[The Imam’s base at the time was in Iran.]
O Ali! You are Eternal,
You are the Lord of Eternity.
You alone are the Knower of the End,
Of the End that has no End
(Verses from Venti Ginan and Anant Akhado composed by Pir Hasan Kabirdin)
Date posted: November 17, 2025.
Last updated: December 10, 2025
Please also read: Didar of the Imam-of-the-Time: Life’s ultimate goal by Mawlana Mustansir bi’llah, 15th Century
________________
Free subscription, feedback, TABLE OF CONTENTS AND SISTER WEBSITES
Please click SUBSCRIBE and enter your email address to receive update notifications from Barakah. Before you leave, remember that Barakah’s editor, Malik, is here to assist you. If you have any questions or feedback, please scroll down to leave a comment or send an email to mmerchant@barakah.com. Also, don’t miss the opportunity to explore the diverse and extensive content on Barakah’s Home Page or Table of Contents, with over 350 pieces dedicated to Mawlana Hazar Imam, members of his family and the Ismaili Imamat. And don’t forget to visit our sister websites, Simerg and Simergphotos. You can stay updated by following Malik on @Facebook, @X and @LinkedIn and by subscribing to Barakah.
Barakah 