READ & KNOW
[ PART TWO ]
CREED OF NASIRUDDIN HUNZAI OR NASIRISM
Thanks God that a large galaxy of the faithful in the Ismaili community enthused their interest quick as a flash to my first leaflet, partly exercising a tool to foil the mission of Nasiduddin Hunzai or Nasirism. Our efforts wielded great influence over the masses. We unveiled secret mission of Nasirism what induced in my conscience. This news is a tremoring challenge and would possibly rattle the faith of new generation. It provoked and stimulated the faithful, but they will have to maintain peace otherwise the community discipline would be paralyzed. The crying need of the time however is that the readers must share and circulate its copies everywhere to guard the faith of the innocent Ismaili brothers and sisters.
What should we do when one promulgates against the concept of the Imamate? Let the Institutions do their own work, which cannot announce anything in the Jamatkhanas or take direct actions. Individually, however, it is our right to inform one another an emergence of a secret creed within the jamat. The root of the Nasirism is not thickened, rather not so easy to enroot them at once. They do not reveal their actual creed to the new comers or outsiders through literature. A more important reason for the privacy is the keeping the secrecy from the reach of those who, being unprepared to accept their message, could corrupt it. Thus, their creed is inserted in gradual process in the minds of advanced pupils after the training of three years.
His books have nothing to do with the policy of the Tariqah Board or any other known Ismaili Institutions, and nothing to do with the guidance of the Imam. It is an opinion of an individual for his group. Hunza is the native soil of Nasiruddin Hunzai’s family tree, where he was born in 1917. He joined the Tariqah Board (then known as Ismailis Association) in 1959. Nonetheless, he was a gifted man of literary genius and gained opportunity to carry on his literary pursuits. He left Tariqah Board in 1968. In 1990, a crowd of fantastic, rather pathetic thoughts revolved in his mind that Prince Aly Khan was the successor of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah and he was the hujjat between 1957 and 1960 and successor of Prince Aly Khan since 1960. He curiously claimed that the spark of his ethereal self was kindled and a flame of inspiration had taken its birth in his bosom. Cradled under the shadows of his new theory, he boldly preached to his adherents. His fantastic vision reached its climax through his lectures, but feared to mention it in his literature. The Afghan migrants and few Ismailis of the Northern Area of Pakistan provided him benign climate to hatch his theory in 1996. He planted his new concept in the hearts of his advanced pupils. The reason for being successful among his handful pupils is that he has in his nature an invaluable gift of the art of hypnotism to captivate the listeners. He extracted his concept of the Imamate from the forged mathematical calculation of Nasir Khusaro. Firstly, he made Prince Aly Khan as the successor of Imam Sultan Muhammad and himself became the hujjat of Prince Aly Khan, making Mawlana Hazar Imam as 50th Imam, and then he further elaborated his theory that he was the successor of Prince Aly Khan, making Mawlana Hazar Imam as 51st, which is gleaned from his book, “Qaim Shanashi.” There are several layers of misunderstanding in the portrait of Nasiruddin Hunzai as depicted in his psalm, “Qaim Shanashi,” sounding a true index of his inner motive. It seems that it dawned upon him that he has begun to waste the most precious period of rest of life in vain claim. Apprehending lest it would resort to the split in the community, his son, Mr. Izhar stopped its printing. Inshallah, we will reproduce his theory from his original writings very soon.
The Ismailis are asking, what are the measures of Tariqah Board for Pakistan in this context? It is absolutely difficult to reply. From the inquiries we have instituted that the leaders of the Tariqah Board and the Regional Board are engrossed in their ceaseless meetings and it seems that the series of their meetings will continue till 13th December, 2005. Nonetheless, the Tariqah Board can do one thing, which is within its power and that they must stop recitation of the qasida of Nasiruddin Hunzai in the Metrovile Jamatkhana, Karachi and few Jamatkhanas in Northern Area of Pakistan. Is it difficult for them?
Our informants told us that his adherents are in search of the biography and photos of Prince Aly Khan in Karachi. When asked, the reply is that “We want to highlight the achievement of Prince Aly Khan.” The female adherents are reported to have written a letter to the Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi to display the photo of Prince Aly Khan in the premises. It is curious that an “idea of highlighting” struck in Nasirism about 45 years after the death of Prince Aly Khan. Why not the achievements of Prince Sadruddin too? They also contacted Mr. Fakir Muhammad, the future imam of the Nasirism, who assured to furnish the materials very soon from the library of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. The readers are urged to concentrate, what is their aim? It ensues that they want to highlight Prince Aly Khan in view of their own sense of propriety.
The principal sign of a pious person is that he dislikes public appearance, while Nasiruddin Hunzai enjoys in his publicity to its extreme, and his each book contains his coloured photo, sometimes group photos with his adherents. Look at his eyes, and those among you who have a little knowledge of hypnotism will easily trace out his close association with such art and skill.
Mawlana Hazar Imam visited Canada in June, 2005, when Nasiruddin Hunzai was in Chicago and advised his followers that he would shower reward of didar provided they postponed to visit Canada. He also made a trip of Dallas and forbade his pupils not to go Canada, and said, “I will bring him (the Imam) with my spiritual power in Dallas.” Imam didn’t come in Dallas. It rests upon his adherents to decide the futile prediction based on his so called spiritual power, which he claims to have inherited from Prince Aly Khan in 1960. He and his heir apparent, Mr. Fakir Muhammad resided in the old musafarkhana of Kharadhar, Karachi. In 1960, Mawlana Hazar Imam visited Pakistan and it is reliably reported that Nasiruddin Hunzai was in the pendol for didar and since then he never took the didar of the Imam or visited the Jamatkhana.
At this juncture, we deem it necessary to bring forth trenchant and rational evidence that Prince Aly Khan never succeeded Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah. The Imam however deputed Prince Aly Khan on several occasions in India as his Valiahad, prompting the Ismailis to consider that he would succeed to the Imamate.
The matter came to a head when David Burk, of the London Daily Express, ran into Prince Aly Khan in the lounge of the Cataract and bluntly confronted him with the rumors about his future. “Had there been a quarrel?” “There has never been the slightest disagreement between me and my father on this subject,” Aly told Burk. “I know there are rumors but someone must have dreamt them up.” When Burk mentioned that some people doubted whether he, Prince Aly, would succeed his father as head of the Shia Ismailis, Ali restored: “Why should there be any doubt?” He said he had regularly visited Ismaili communities and loyally performed his religious duties as his father’s representative” (vide Willi Frishchauer’s “The Aga Khans,” London, 1970, p. 198). Willi Frishchauer further writes, “The Aga Khan had made no secret of his premonition that his son’s life would not be a long one. The clear implication was that he would not wish to entrust the welfare of the community to someone who seemed to court an early death” (p. 198).
In consultation with English and Swiss lawyers, Maitre Ardoin prepared a final text of the Will of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, which was signed in 25th May, 1955. It was deposited in the vaults of Lloyds Bank, London. On July 13, 1957, the Noorani Family gathered at the Barkat Villa in Geneva to hear the Will of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, brought down from Lloyd’s Bank in London by Otto Giesen, a solicitor with the London firm of Slaughter and May. It revealed the words of the Imam: “I appoint my grandson Karim, son of my son Aly Salomone Khan, to succeed to the title of Aga Khan and be the Imam and Pir of all my Shia Ismaili followers.” Prince Aly Khan was the first to take oath of allegiance from Mawlana Hazar Imam. The Ismaili leaders gathered in the room where 48th Imam breathed his last. Mata Salamat entered the room with Prince Amyn Muhammad in first appearance. Prince Karim as the next 49th Imam followed them with a radiant face at 10.30 a.m. and sat on the chair. The leaders recited “Amen.” Late Mukhi Pirbhai of Paris Jamatkhana related that the first words sprang from the mouth of Mawlana Hazar Imam were: “According to the Will of my beloved grandfather, I am your Hazar Imam. I am your 49th Mawla Mushkil Kusha.” The room echoed with the loud voice of Amen, Amen.
Mawlana Hazar Imam sent following message to the world Ismailis:
Geneva : July 13, 1957
On my ascension to the holy Imamate according to absolute will and nomination of my late beloved grandfather of reverend memory, I send my best maternal paternal blessings all dear spiritual children all over the world.
Mata Salamat, Umm Habibeh also sent following message:
Geneva : July 13, 1957
According to Ismaili traditions and in accordance with late beloved Hazar Imam’s explicit will and nomination, Prince Karim has been installed as Hazar Imam of all Ismailis at Barkat Versoix, Geneva in presence of Ismailis from all parts of the world when all Ismailis here paid bayat, homage and offered loyalty and devotion.
The Syrian Ismailis appear to have taken it for granted that Prince Aly Khan would succeed his father as Imam. He visited Salamia, Syria soon after Hazar Imam acceded the throne of Imamate. When he made his appearance there was a burst of cheering from the tremendous rush of the Ismailis. To greet him on arrival, they surrounded him and gave warm ovation. There was a natural gaiety and thrill in their manner. He warded off the suspicion of the Ismailis in his speech. Willi Frishchauer writes in “The Aga Khans” (London, 1970, p. 214) that, “By horse and mule he made his way to remote village, talked to the elders and addressed the rank and file proclaiming that his father has chosen his son Karim al-Huseini as Imam and that he, for one, accepted the choice. Karim had asked him to say that he would come and visit Syria as soon as possible. Aly’s charm and powers of persuasion restored the situation.” Leonard Slater writes that, “Aly spoke of the unity of the Ismailis and the prosperity and prestige it had brought to the community. He praised Karim and quoted Karim’s words, ‘I dedicate my life to the well-being and uplift of Ismailis all over the world.’ He promised to remain the Syrians’ spokesman in community affairs but told them firmly: ‘The succession has passed from my father to my son.” (vide Aly, London, 1965, p. 252)
It is related that the Syrian Ismailis expressed their wish to make his last resting place in Salamia. Prince Aly Khan promised and made a will to bury him in Salamia. The tragic death of Prince Aly Khan took place in a car accident near Paris on the night between May 12 and 13, 1960. His body was put to rest in the temporary grave in the grounds of the Chateau de l’Horizon. The final burial ceremony took place in Salamia on July 10, 1972. When Mawlana Hazar Imam visited Salamia on July 29, 1959, he was accorded a warm welcome, and the Ismailis took their oath of allegiance.
There were similar rumblings at Sargodha and Kasur in the Punjab, home of some fifteen hundred Ismailis, mostly owners of small businesses. One group led by Dr. Aziz Ali, a homeopathic doctor in Chiniot, went into opposition, refused to acknowledge Shah Karim and claimed Prince Aly Khan as the new Imam. As soon as he heard of the trouble, Amirali Fancy, the President of the Federal Council for Pakistan traveled to the Punjab to put the malcontents to rights. Willi Frishchauer writes in “The Aga Khans” (London, 1970, pp. 214-5) that, “A few weeks later, when Aly arrived in Karachi, Fancy informed him of the incident: “Let me talk to those people,” Aly volunteered at once. Fancy arranged a meeting between Aziz and Aly, who was staying at the President’s house. Once more, Aly made his position perfectly clear: “My son is the rightful Imam,” he insisted.” Hence, the revolt fizzled out.
We have mentioned in our first leaflet, why his disciples do not attend the Jamatkhana. In our interview with their disciples, we have known one more reason with great shock. They boldly said that the present Dua recited in the Jamatkhana is incorrect because its sixth part contains names of 49 Imams, not 51 Imams!! May Mawlana Hazar Imam guard the Ismailis and their children even from the slightest shade of Nasirism, Amen. Ya Ali Madad & Eid Mubarak.
IQBAL SURIYANI [Karachi ]
November 2, 2005
