Shii News – “From Haridâs to ‘Alîdâs” (Tokyo, 1.5.15)

Lecture of Dr.Iqbal Surani, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris
“From Haridâs to ‘Alîdâs”

Date and Time 17:00-19:00, 1st May, 2015

Venue:  Hongo Satellite Office, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo

Abstract
Je koi âvse satpanth dharam mân, te hoche harina dâs, gur shams kahe
tche re ma,
Guru Shams says: Whoever will join the religion of Satpanth will be the
servant of Hari [g.21:18]
Jene râkhio tche dradh visvâs, te to hose alî na dâs; je koi gâye ‘Alî
na dâs, te to pâmase vaikuntha vâs,
Whoever has kept a strong faith will be the servant of ‘Alî ; if any
servant of ‘Alî sings will attain the abode of Vaikuntha (Heaven of Lord
Vishnu)  [g.28 :9 ; 10].

The figure of the Imâm is central in Shi‘ism, particularly for the Khoja
Ismailis, for whom the Imâm is physically present in the person of Shâh
Karîm al-Husaynî, Aga Khan IV. He is considered as the 49th Imâm
descendant of the Prophet Muhammad from his daughter Fâtima and his
cousin and son in law ‘Alî (d. 661). As an emblematic and historical
figure, the Imâm has received two heritages: One is that of Abrahamic
tradition vested by the interpretation of the Qur’an, and the other is
that of Hindu tradition, which is presented in the devotional texts of
ginân and du‘a as the 10th avatâr of Vishnu.

Through an analysis of two ginân and of some selected verses of Kalâm-i
Maulâ which are examples of the devotional literature of the community
we shall try to understand the construction of religious identity of the
Khoja Shi‘i Imâmî Ismailis in South Asia.