Mawlana Hazar Imam's Key Messages on Faith and Ethics

1
Mawlana Hazar Imam's Key Messages onFaith and
Ethics
A presentation byKamaluddin Ali Muhammad
2
Future Practice of Tariqah-1

• Much work has been done, in particular by the
  Institute of Ismaili Studies, to research our
  diverse traditions in literature, folklore and
  religious practices. My Jamats around the world
  have strong sentiments on these matters. Careful
  analysis has been made of the theological and
  historical authenticity of our pluralistic
  heritage.

3
Future Practice of Tariqah-2

• The same careful enquiry is being applied to
  the wide body of Tafsir across the Ummah and
  across time, in order to achieve a thorough
  comprehension of the multiple schools of
  interpretation of the Holy Quran, including
  those of Fatimid times.

4
Future Practice of Tariqah-3

• When these endeavours will have been completed
  to my satisfaction, I will make available to the
  Jamat worldwide my thoughts and reflections in
  regard to the future practice of the Shia Ismaili
  Tariqah of Islam.
• (Golden Jubilee Irshad, Aiglemont, 11-07-2007)

5
Understanding of the Quran

• There are thousands of interpretations
• To seek correct understanding of the Quran under
  the guidance of Imam
• Guidance on ongoing basis
• Role of intellect
• Happiness from the books of Talim curriculum.
• (Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, 17-08-2007)

6
Freedom of interpretation-1

• "This programme is also an opportunity for
  achieving insights into how the discourse of the
  Quran-e-Sharif, rich in parable and allegory,
  metaphor and symbol, has been an inexhaustible
  well-spring of inspiration, lending itself to a
  wide spectrum of interpretations.

7
Freedom of interpretation-2

• This freedom of interpretation is a generosity
  which the Qur'an confers upon all believers,
  uniting them in the conviction that All-Merciful
  Allah will forgive them if they err in their
  sincere attempts to understand His word.

8
Freedom of interpretation-3

• Happily, as a result, the Holy Book continues
  to guide and illuminate the thought and conduct
  of Muslims belonging to different communities of
  interpretation and spiritual affiliation, from
  century to century, in diverse cultural
  environments.

9
Freedom of interpretation-4

• The Noble Quran extends its principle of
  pluralism also to adherents of other faiths. It
  affirms that each has a direction and path to
  which they turn so that all should strive for
  good works, in the belief that, wheresoever they
  may be, Allah will bring them together.
• (13-10-2003, London, UK)

10
Qur'an on freedom of interpretation

• "For each We have appointed a divine law and a
  traced-out way. Had Allah willed He could have
  made you one community. But that He may try you
  by that which He has given you (He has made you
  as you are). So vie for one another in good
  works. Unto Allah you will all return, and He
  will then inform you of that wherein you differ".
  (548)

11
True Nature of Islam (London, October 19, 2003)
Yes
No

• Fluid,
• Progressive
• Open-ended
• Intellectually informed
• Spiritually inspired

• Hardened,
• Monolithic
• Absolutist
• Obscurantist

12
Freedom of religion vs. freedom from religion-1

• A deepening sense of spiritual commitment-and
  the ethical framework that goes with it-will be a
  central requirement if we are to find our way
  through the minefields and the quick sands of
  modern life. A strengthening of religious
  institutions should be a vital part of this
  process.

13
Freedom of religion vs. freedom from religion-2

• To be sure, freedom of religion is a critical
  value in a pluralistic society. But if freedom of
  religion deteriorates into freedom from
  religion-then societies will find themselves lost
  in a bleak and unpromising landscape-with no
  compass, no roadmap and no sense of ultimate
  direction.
• (Evora, Portugal,12-02-2006)

14
Sunless day of despair

• The day we no longer know how, nor have the
  time nor the faith to bow in prayer to Allah
  because the human soul that He has told us is
  eternal is no longer of sufficient importance to
  us to be worthy of an hour of our daily working,
  profit seeking time, will be a sunless day of
  despair.
• (Peshawar University, 30-11-1967)

15
Unity and diversity of human race-1

• Our spiritual understandings, like those of
  your Academy, are rooted, of course, in ancient
  teachings. In the case of Islam, there are two
  touchstones which I have long treasured and
  sought to apply. The first affirms the unity of
  the human race, as expressed in the Holy Qu'ran
  where God... says the following

16
Unity and diversity of human race-2

• O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your
  Lord, Who created you from a single soul and from
  it created its mate and from the twain hath
  spread abroad a multitude of men and women. (41)

17
Unity and diversity of human race-3

• This remarkable verse speaks both of the
  inherent diversity of mankind - the multitude -
  and of the unity of mankind - the single soul
  created by a single Creator - a spiritual legacy
  which distinguishes the human race from all other
  forms of life.
• (Tutzing, Germany 20 May 2006 )

18
Sayings of Hazrat Ali (a.s.)

• No belief is like modesty and patience, no
  attainment is like humility, no honour is like
  knowledge, no power is like forbearance, and no
  support is more reliable than consultation.
  (Tutzing, Germany 20 May 2006)

19
Spiritual roots of tolerance

• The spiritual roots of tolerance include, it
  seems to me, a respect for individual conscience
  - seen as a Gift of God - as well as a posture of
  religious humility before the Divine. It is by
  accepting our human limits that we can come to
  see The Other as a fellow seeker of truth -- and
  to find common ground in our common
  quest.(Tutzing, Germany 20 May 2006)

20
Spirituality not escaping from world

• Let me emphasize again, however, that
  spirituality should not become a way of escaping
  from the world but rather a way of more actively
  engaging in it.
• (Tutzing, Germany 20 May 2006)

21
Cosmopolitan Ethic

• But societies which have grown more pluralistic
  in makeup, are not always growing more
  pluralistic in spirit. What is needed -- all
  across the world -- is a new cosmopolitan
  ethic-- rooted in a strong culture of
  tolerance.
• (Tutzing, Germany 20 May 2006)

22
Arrogance vs. humility

• "In the ethical realm-as in the educational
  realm-one of the great stumbling blocks is
  arrogance. Even the resurgence of religious
  feeling-which should be such a positive
  force--can become a negative influence when it
  turns into self-righteousness. All of the worlds
  great religions warn against this excess-yet in
  the name of those same religions too many are
  tempted to play God themselves-rather than
  recognizing their humility before the Divine.
• (Evora, Portugal,12-02-2006)

23
Personal Humility

• A central element in a truly religious outlook,
  it seems to me, is the quality of personal
  humility-a recognition that strive as we might,
  we will still fall short of our ideals, that
  climb as we might, there will still be unexplored
  and mysterious peaks above us. It means
  recognizing our own creature hood-and thus our
  human limitations. In that recognition, it seems
  to me, lies our best protection against false
  prophecies and divisive dogmatism.
• (Evora, Portugal,12-02-2006)

24
Ethics in the society-1

• Let me reflect for a moment on the matter of
  ethics - and the importance of ethical
  commitments not only in government but throughout
  society. Competent civil society is a major
  contributor to development particularly where
  democracies are less well established, or where
  governmental efforts are inadequate.

25
Ethics in the society-2

• The absence of corruption or fraud in
  government is not enough. Fraud in medicine,
  fraud in education, fraud in financial services,
  fraud in property rights, fraud in the exercise
  of law enforcement or in the courts, are all
  risks which can have a dramatic impact on social
  progress.

26
Ethics in the society-3

• This is especially true in rural environments,
  where fraud is often neither reported nor
  corrected, but simply accepted as an inevitable
  condition of life. This is why the serious and
  sustained ethical formation of students and
  teachers is an essential dimension of the
  Academies program.
• (Dhaka, Bangladesh, 22-05-08)

27
For KamalZar Collections Please visit
www.kamalzar.com
28
THANKS

• Special thanks to
• Mr. Amir Ali Kasim Ali
• (HRD, Itreb for Pakistan) for his help in
  preparing the presentation