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Dr. D.S. Merchant's Articles in Religion

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  • Ayat Al-Ghadir
    "The succession to the Prophet is the key question in Shi'ite Islam, and a principal factor separating them from the Sunni majority. It is seen that the Prophet had nominated Ali bin Abu Talib as his successor by rule of nass (investiture) and nass wa-ta'yin (explicit investiture). During the period of the Prophethood, the designation was made by nass from time to time, whose main term was wali (helper, lover, guardian or attorney), as it is said in Arabic: wali amru'l raiyya (the guardian of the subject), or wali ahad (one who succeeds to the office). Different terms were also used on different occasions for the succession of Ali bin Abu Talib in the Koran, such as Noor, Imam-i Moobin, Rasikhul fi'l Ilm, Ulul Amr, Ilmul Kitab etc. While the most frequent words used in hadiths, denoting Ali's succession were Hujjatullah (God's proof), Sayedu'l Muslimin (leader of the Muslims), Shabih Harun (like Aaron), Sahibu'l lawa (the master of the standard), Sahibu'l hanz (master of Kawthar pool), Babu'l Ilm (gate of the knowledge) etc.
  • Ayat Al-Dhurriya
    According to the Koran: "God chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of Imran above all (His) creatures. Offspring, one from the other"(3:33-34). The word dhurriya means direct descendants, family or lineage. It occurs 32 times in the Koran in the context of the prophets, indicating that their mission was assigned to their direct descendants to carry on.
  • Ayat Al-Dhurriya
    According to the Koran: "God chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of Imran above all (His) creatures. Offspring, one from the other"(3:33-34). The word dhurriya means direct descendants, family or lineage. It occurs 32 times in the Koran in the context of the prophets, indicating that their mission was assigned to their direct descendants to carry on.
  • Asma Al-Sifat
    The word sifa'a (pl. sifat) is not found in the Koran, but the verbal noun wasf does appear once in 6:139, and the imperfect of the first form of the verb occurs 13 times in the sense of "to ascribe or uphold a description or to attribute."

    God has made Himself known to mankind by His Most Beautiful Names (asma al-husna), and it is through these that the believers seek knowledge of God. The Koran says: "And Allah's are the most excellent names, therefore call on Him thereby, and leave alone those who violate the sanctity of His names" (7:180), and "Say: call upon God or call upon al-Rahman, by whichever Name you call, to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names" (17:110). Hence, calling on God by His excellent names merely means that only those high attributes should be ascribed to Him which befit His dignity. The particular attributes of God mentioned in the Koran are:
  • Ashad Ali Haji
    Period: (1885-1958)

    Virji Kamadia, known as Vira Bhagat was Mukhi of the Junagadh Panjibhai Club. His family’s profession was to cut the stones to be sold in the market. He sustained a close relationship with Wazir Ismail Gangji (1788-1883), from whom he acquired religious knowledge, and he gradually became a missionary. Jamal Megji, the son of Virji Kamadia was a brilliant orator. He delivered his first waez in Junagadh and won the hearts of the jamat, including Varas Ismaili Gangji, who said, “Your status will become too high.”
  • Asbab Al-Nuzul
    The word sabab (pl. asbab) means reason or cause, and nuzul means revealed. The term marifah asbab al-nuzul is the knowledge about the reason of the revelation, i.e., knowledge about the particular event and circumstances that are related to the revelation of particular passage from the Koran. The Koran revealed piece by piece in the period of 22 years, 5 months and 24 days. The Muslim exegetes maintained that pieces of it were revealed in response to, or as reflections of, certain situations in the life of the Prophet. The Koran says, "And no question do they bring to you, but We reveal to you truth and the best explanation thereof" (25:33).
  • Arab
    The word arab or arabah is probably derived from a Semitic root related to nomadism. In the Arabic language, the word arab (derived from i'rab), means those who speak clearly as contrast with ajam (those who speak indistinctly). In Koran, the word arab has never used for the country of Arabia, but characterized the residence of Ismael, the son of Abraham as an "uncultivated land." In the time of Ismael his place of residence had no name, therefore, it was given the name of an "uncultivated land." In the Old Testament, the word midbar is used for Ismael's home, meaning a desert or a barren land, which closely corresponds to the Koranic description.
  • Alkab
    "The term lakab (pl. alkab) was also termed nabaz (pl. anbaz), and by form labaz, and later on it became lakab. The ancient Arabs excelled in inventing nasty alkab for their enemies, but the Koran (49:11) forbade them not to use pejorative sobriquets: "Do not scoff at each other or give each other derisory nicknames" (wala talmizu anfusakum wala tanabazu bi 'l-alkab).
  • Alijah Datoo Meru
    Period: (1868-1939)

    Lakhpat, an oldest port of Kutchh, lying near the Indus river was a native soil of his family tree. The population dropped from 15000 to 2500 persons in 1851 due to severe famine, and the area became almost desolated. His grandfather, Thavar walked down to Badin, Sind with some Ismaili families. Later on, Thavar is reported to have gone to Muscat, located on the Gulf of Oman coast and isolated by a hill range. Thavar is believed to have worked with Baledina Asani (1802-1896), the Estate Agent of Imam Hasan Ali Shah in Muscat. He made Gwadar as his next home, where he died. He was survived by three sons, and Mehr Ali was a famous figure among them, who was also called Meruani or Meru and he had three sons, Muhammad, Datoo and Bana.

    Datoo, the son of Meru of great talent and merit and striking calibre was born probably in 1868. Religion was a deep and abiding place in his heart since childhood. Born and bred in Gwadar, he took little education at home. He however knew Kutchhi, Sindhi, Gujrati and English to some extent. He could also speak Persian soon after his journey in Iran in 1923. He married to Kaisarbai, the sister of Varas Muhammad Remu (1860-1924). He was an ordinary fish and cotton merchant, and associated for a long time in the business of Varas Muhammad Remu as a partner. Soon after the death of Varas Muhammad Remu in 1924, his business remained to the extent of fish.
  • Alijah Datoo Meru
    Period: (1868-1939)

    Lakhpat, an oldest port of Kutchh, lying near the Indus river was a native soil of his family tree. The population dropped from 15000 to 2500 persons in 1851 due to severe famine, and the area became almost desolated. His grandfather, Thavar walked down to Badin, Sind with some Ismaili families. Later on, Thavar is reported to have gone to Muscat, located on the Gulf of Oman coast and isolated by a hill range. Thavar is believed to have worked with Baledina Asani (1802-1896), the Estate Agent of Imam Hasan Ali Shah in Muscat. He made Gwadar as his next home, where he died. He was survived by three sons, and Mehr Ali was a famous figure among them, who was also called Meruani or Meru and he had three sons, Muhammad, Datoo and Bana.

    Datoo, the son of Meru of great talent and merit and striking calibre was born probably in 1868. Religion was a deep and abiding place in his heart since childhood. Born and bred in Gwadar, he took little education at home. He however knew Kutchhi, Sindhi, Gujrati and English to some extent. He could also speak Persian soon after his journey in Iran in 1923. He married to Kaisarbai, the sister of Varas Muhammad Remu (1860-1924). He was an ordinary fish and cotton merchant, and associated for a long time in the business of Varas Muhammad Remu as a partner. Soon after the death of Varas Muhammad Remu in 1924, his business remained to the extent of fish.
  • Alarakhia Sumar
    Period: (d. 1880)
    Mukhi Alarakhia Sumar was originally of Mulla Katiar, Sind, but his family came to settle in Bombay. He was an eminent merchant of cloth and sugar. He became Mukhi of the Bombay Jamatkhana soon after the death of Mukhi Alibhai Padamsi in 1848.

    The Ismailis possessed a graveyard near Dongri, Bombay since 1790, measuring 12706 sq. yards. He and Kamadia Khaki Padamsi extended the site by purchasing an adjoining plot of 6978 sq. yards from Nilaji Lakshamji for Rs. 11500/- in September 1856.
  • Alarakhia Sumar
    Period: (d. 1880)
    Mukhi Alarakhia Sumar was originally of Mulla Katiar, Sind, but his family came to settle in Bombay. He was an eminent merchant of cloth and sugar. He became Mukhi of the Bombay Jamatkhana soon after the death of Mukhi Alibhai Padamsi in 1848.

    The Ismailis possessed a graveyard near Dongri, Bombay since 1790, measuring 12706 sq. yards. He and Kamadia Khaki Padamsi extended the site by purchasing an adjoining plot of 6978 sq. yards from Nilaji Lakshamji for Rs. 11500/- in September 1856.
  • Alamut
    "Alamut is a historical fortress of the Nizari Ismailis. Its location in mountainous terrain lies about 100 km. Northwest of Tehran, and situated in the high peak of Elburz mountain. Alburz generally was pronounced as Elburz, is the name given to great mountain range, dividing the high plateau of Iran from the low lands of Caspian Sea. The original Iranian word Alburz is derived from two Zand words, signifying the high mountain. The fortress of Alamut is 600 feet high, 450 feet long and 30 to 125 feet wide and is partly encompassed by the towering Elburz range. The rock of Alamut is known at present as Qal'ai Guzur Khan.
  • Ahl Al-Kitab
    "The word ahl means those who occupy with one the same tent, the family or inmates, relative, folk, kin, kinfolk, family, people, members, followers, etc. Under these meanings, the word ahl occurs 31 times in the Koran. According to another view, it is derived from ahala, meaning to demonstrate (the family). The word kitab, comes from the root word kataba, meaning to write down. The word kitaba occurs in the Koran for the Divine Books revealed to various prophets. Thus, the term ahl al-kitab means the possessors of the scriptures or the people of the Book. This term in Koran denotes the Jews and Christians, the repositories of the earlier books, al-Tawrat (the Torah), al-Zabur (the Psalms), and al-Injil (the Gospel).
  • Ahl Al-Dhimma
    "According to Islamic law, the non-Muslims inhabited in the Islamic state were called ahlu dh-dhimmati (people of protection) or simply al-dhimma or dhimmis. They included the Christian, Jewish, Magian, Samaritan and Sabian. Ahl al-dhimma were prohibited in the Muslim state from holding public religious ceremonies, from raising their voices loudly when praying and even from ringing their church bells aloud. All schools agree that it is not allowed to build new churches, synagogues, convent, hermitage or cell in towns or cities of Dar al-Islam (Muslim lands). When these injunctions were disobeyed, the Muslim leaders were authorized to treat the offenders as dwellers in Dar al-Harb (non-Muslim lands) and not as ahl al-dhimma in Dar al-Islam (Muslim lands), vide Subh al-A'asha fi Sina'at at al-Insha (Cairo, 1922, 13: 356) by Qalaqashandi (d. 821/1418).
  • Ahl Al-Bayt
    "The word ahl al-bayt occurs twice in the Koran: "The mercy of God and His blessing are on you, O people of the house, ..." (11:73). This verse refers to the people of the house of Abraham (Kashf al-Asrar wa Uddat al-Abrar, 4:416), and to the house of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "God desires only to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you a (thorough) purifying (33:33)".
  • Aga Khan Museum
    Museums in the contemporary world have expanded their missions to become viable educational institutions, actively seeking to broaden their constituencies. Collections and exhibitions have become dynamic tools for instruction, debate and reflection, and for attracting large numbers to the cultural life of societies. They also act as catalysts for cultural exchange and communication, contributing to the development of civil society. It is with this perception of the new role of museums that The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has moved forward to include their establishment in its Education and Culture Programme. To this end, two museum projects were launched in 2003 with a mandate to oversee and co-ordinate the conceptualization, design, building and operation of the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto and the Indian Ocean Maritime Museum in Zanzibar.
  • Abu Yaqub As-Sijistani
    "Abu Yaqub Ishaq bin Ahmad as-Sijistani, nicknamed "cotton-seed" (Iranian, panba-dana, Arabic khayshafuj) was born in 271/883 in Bandan, a district in north of Sijistan and was trained in Yamen. He was a great philosopher and scholar and considered to be one of the major Ismaili thinkers whose share in the development of the Ismaili system of thought is considerable. Paul E. Walker writes in Abu Yaqub al-Sijistani: Intellectual Missionary (London, 1996, p. 13) that, "Yet, from the prominence of his books and the profoundly impressive intellectual contribution they (Ismailis) represent, we discover a truly significant mind and voice - one that deserves recognition as an outstanding figure in the Ismaili past and as a major force in Islamic thought in general."
  • Abu Aly Alibhai Aziz, Dr., Missionary
    Varas Amir Chand (1837-1911) sprang from a noble family of gupti Ismailis in Punjab. He was employed in a governmental department in Amritsar and retired in 1880. He inherited land from his forefathers, and became one of the most famous landlords in Punjab. In 1882, Imam Aga Ali Shah appointed him Kul Kamadia for Punjab, Frontiers and few regions near Afghanistan. He performed his duties with such marked distinction that during his first visit to Amritsar in 1897, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah appointed him Mukhi on January 1, 1897 with a title of Varas for Punjab and Frontier province, including the regions lying on the borders of Afghanistan. He also travelled with the Imam in Sialkot between January 2, 1897 and January 11, 1897. Varas Amir Chand visited Bombay several times. His last visit took place in the middle of 1908 and gave valuable and informative statements twice in court during the Haji Bibi Case on July 28 and July 29, 1908. He is also credited to have converted a portion of the depressed class to Ismailism, as well as helping them financially to run their cottage industry.
  • Abu Ali Sina
    "Abu Ali ibn Sina, Ibn Sina or Avicenna, known in the West as Prince of Physicians, was born in 370/980 in the village of Afshana near Bukhara. He was an encyclopeadist, philosopher, physiologist, physician, mathematician, astronomer, logician and poet. He gained the titles of Shaikh al-Ra'is (leader among the wise men) and Hujjat al-Haq (proof of God), displayed a remarkable aptitude for learning from an early age. His father Abdullah hailed from Balkh and was in the service of the Samanid court. During the rule of Nuh bin Mansur (366-387/976-997), Abdullah was posted to Bukhara as a revenue collector. Ibn Sina can be described a very gifted child prodigy and learnt the Koran at the age of 10 years, and also mastered the logic and mathematics. Next he embarked upon the fields of physics, metaphysics and medicine, and at the age of 16 years he was well steeped in all the sciences of his days.
  • Abdullah Hashim Gangji, Count
    Hashim Gangji was a native of Bhuj, Kutchh but migrated to East Africa in 1871. His son Abdullah was however born in Zanzibar in 1906, where he did his early schooling and subsequently went into business. He was an eminent clove merchant.
  • 101 Ismaili Heroes Volume 1
    This book represents the first known attempt to prepare a comprehensive and well-researched collection of biographies of one hundred and one eminent individuals who have helped to shape the Ismaili Community during the last two centuries. The table of contents, which lists the names of these individuals in alphabetical order, includes such giants as Alidina Visram, Laljibhai Devraj, Major Lakhpati, Fidai Khorassani. The author has also included many less well-known individuals, whose contributions have not been widely recognised, but are as important if not more so. These biographies are preceded by a foreword and preface.

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