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Women of the Ismaili sect are part of Shia Islam. Some subsects have women's rights issues, others observe a relatively progressive environment within their sects, which is also dependent on the laws in the countries practicing this sect. [1]
Ismailism is a sect within Islam that reveres a living Imam, who is a direct descendant of Ali and Fatima, the son-in-law and daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, respectively. His hereditary connection to the Prophet offers him the authority to serve as the spiritual (and non-spiritual) guide of the community. The Imam is the head of the Ismaili community and plays a role in interpreting the Quran with a special ability to understand the batin, the esoteric meanings of the religion. [2]
The Nizari Ismaili Imams (known as the Aga Khans since the 18th century [2] have instituted reforms in the status and treatment of women in the community. Aga Khan III, the 48th Nizari Ismaili Imam, [3] was active in this movement. He came into his role at an early age, due to his father’s early death, so his mother, Lady Ali Shah, played a role during his early years. [2] The influence of women during his rule continued in his later years with his wife Umm Habiba. [2] Imam Aga Khan III ruled from 1885 to 1957 and the current 49th Imam, his grandson, Imam Aga Khan IV commenced his rule in 1957.[ citation needed ] A majority of Aga Khan III’s efforts sought to reform Islamic marriage contract laws, which have contributed to improving the status of women within the Nizari Ismaili community.
The focus of Imam Aga Khan III’s message was to promote the idea that women were free and independent. In a message to his followers in 1926, he proclaimed that:
I do not want Ismaili women dependent on anyone—their parents, husbands, or anyone except God…I have no doubt that the whole spirit and teaching of my ancestor the Holy Prophet encouraged the evolution of all legitimate freedom and legitimate equality before men and women. [2]
He encouraged women to participate in social and political affairs and criticized veiling as well as gender segregation, including the acts of pardah (masking of oneself from the public) and zenana (restraint on women from leaving the home). [2]
Aga Khan III believed economic independence was key to achieving this equality and freedom. By becoming educated and earning their own livelihood, women would no longer be seen as a burden on their parents or spouses. He proclaimed:
I am trying to guide our young women’s lives into entirely new channels. I want to see them able to earn their livings in trades and professions, so that they are not economically dependent on marriage, nor a burden on their fathers and brother[s]. [4]
In effect, marriage would no longer be imposed on women due to economic necessity. The Aga Khan III realized that education was at the forefront of this reform and encouraged parents who only had enough money to send one child to school to send their daughters. [2] This advocacy for education was not limited to elementary literacy. [4] To ensure girls had access to education, there was a minimum marriageable age instituted (for both boys and girls) and child marriage was banned. [2] Marriage against the will of the bride was outlawed, as brides were to sign their marriage contracts according to their choice. [2] Other reforms in marriage laws included decisions on polygamy and divorce. In 1905, polygamy was permitted, with the condition of the "maintenance of the first wife" and later that was changed to only be allowed for specific reasons. [2] In 1962, polygamy was outlawed within the Nizari Ismaili community. [2] Women were allowed to divorce their husbands, and for a husband to divorce his wife, he was required to stand before a council which ultimately decided whether the divorce was granted or denied. [2] Aga Khan III took efforts to eliminate and mitigate the stigma around divorces and divorced women.
In prayer spaces, Ismaili men and women stand side by side (in other Muslim prayer settings, the men stand in front of the women) and are not separated by any physical barrier, as is the case in most Muslim mosques. [2] Ismaili women are also permitted to lead the congregations (consisting of both men and women) in prayer. [2]
The Imam Aga Khan IV takes a different approach to addressing the issue of women’s rights than his grandfather. While Imam Aga Khan III instituted direct legal and religious laws, the Aga Khan IV focuses on communal development in educational and social affairs. [2] His style addresses his followers and encourages them to take initiative in achieving the desired results. His daughter, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, is engaged with working on policies relating to the development of women. In 1997, she hosted the first ever International Conference of Ismaili Women in Toronto. [2]
A discrepancy exists between the rights offered to women through these reforms and the actual realization of the practice of those rights. Cultural norms and views continue to guide many members of the community who criticize the reforms as being influenced from western values. [2] The Aga Khan responded to this critique by claiming that:
While the words of the Koran remain the same, every generation, every century, every period must have a new and different interpretation of the past, otherwise Islam will die and will not survive the competition of some healthy less rigid competitors. [2]
Additional barriers to practice of reforms include the fact that the councils implementing the forms are often majority male who may still adhere to patriarchal norms. [2] The laws of the countries in which Ismaili women reside also impact the implementation of reforms. Sharia law, common in most Sunni majority countries, is often in contrast to the Ismaili reforms and so residents of these countries must adhere to the country’s rules and regulations. The situation of Ismaili women depends on factors including their government and its laws, economic ability, resource availability, and global conditions. [5]
Hasan Ali Shah, known as Aga Khan I, was the 46th imam of the Nizari Isma'ilis. He served as the governor of Kirman and a prominent leader in Iran and later in the Indian subcontinent. He was the first Nizari imam to hold the title Aga Khan.
Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, known as Aga Khan III, was the 48th imam of the Nizari Ism'aili branch of Shia Islam. He was one of the founders and the first permanent president of the All-India Muslim League (AIML). His goal was the advancement of Muslim agendas and the protection of Muslim rights in British India. The League, until the late 1930s, was not a large organisation but represented landed and commercial Muslim interests as well as advocating for British education during the British Raj. There were similarities in Aga Khan's views on education with those of other Muslim social reformers, but the scholar Shenila Khoja-Moolji argues that he also expressed a distinct interest in advancing women's education for women themselves. Aga Khan called on the British Raj to consider Muslims to be a separate nation within India, the famous 'Two Nation Theory'. Even after he resigned as president of the AIML in 1912, he still exerted a major influence on its policies and agendas. He was nominated to represent India at the League of Nations in 1932 and served as President of the 18th Assembly of The League of Nations.
Isma'ilism is a branch or sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept Musa al-Kadhim, the younger brother of Isma'il, as the true Imām.
Aga Khan is a title held by the Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias. Since 1957, the holder of the title has been the 49th Imām, Prince Shah Karim al-Husseini, Aga Khan IV. Aga Khan claims to be a direct descendant of Muhammad, the last prophet according to the religion of Islam.
In Shia Islam, the Imamah is a doctrine which asserts that certain individuals from the lineage of the Islamic prophet Muhammad are to be accepted as leaders and guides of the ummah after the death of Muhammad. Imamah further says that Imams possess divine knowledge and authority (Ismah) as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of Muhammad. These Imams have the role of providing commentary and interpretation of the Quran as well as guidance.
Prince Karim Al-Husseini, known as the Aga Khan IV since the death of his grandfather in 1957, is the 49th and current imam of Nizari Isma'ilis. He has held the position of Imam and the title of Aga Khan since 11 July 1957 when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Aga Khan III. The Aga Khan claims direct lineal descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, who is considered an Imam by Nizari Isma'ilis, and Ali's wife Fatima, Muhammad's daughter from his first marriage. Aga Khan IV is also known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Isma'ili followers.
Nizari Isma'ilism are the largest segment of the Ismaili Muslims, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasize independent reasoning or ijtihad; pluralism—the acceptance of racial, ethnic, cultural and inter-religious differences; and social justice. Nizaris, along with Twelvers, adhere to the Jaʽfari school of jurisprudence. The Aga Khan, currently Aga Khan IV, is the spiritual leader and Imam of the Nizaris. The global seat of the Ismaili Imamate is in Lisbon, Portugal.
Jamatkhana or Jamat Khana is an amalgamation derived from the Arabic word jama‘a (gathering) and the Persian word khana. It is a term used by some Muslim communities around the world, particularly sufi ones, to a place of gathering. Among some communities of Muslims, the term is often used interchangeably with the Arabic word musallah. The Nizārī Ismā'īlī community uses the term Jama'at Khana to denote their places of worship.
The Khoja are a mainly Shia tribe of people originally from the western Indian subcontinent. Khojas once predominantly resided in India, Pakistan and eastern Africa but now form a global diaspora. They are known by many names such as the Lawatia in the Gulf and Karana in Madagascar.
Aqa Ali Shah, known as Aga Khan II, was the 47th imam of the Nizari Isma'ili Muslims. A member of the Iranian royal family, he became the Imam in 1881. During his lifetime, he helped to better not only his own community, but also the larger Muslim community of India. He was the second Nizari Imam to hold the title Aga Khan.
Satpanth is a Sanskrit term, given to a diverse group of individuals who follow Pir Sadardin. Pir Sadardin Imamshah Bawa, was a Shia Ismaili Da'i who founded the Satpanth Tariqa around 600 years ago, and taught tolerance, perennialism and syncretism of all religions, putting a particular emphasis on the syncretism of Islam and Hinduism.
Shia Islam in Africa is the continent's second most widely professed sect of Islam behind Sunni Islam.
The Nizari Isma'ilis around the globe are governed by one universal constitution known as "The World Constitution".
The History of Nizari Isma'ilism from the founding of Islam covers a period of over 1400 years. It begins with Muhammad's mission to restore to humanity the universality and knowledge of the oneness of the divine within the Abrahamic tradition, through the final message and what the Shia believe was the appointment of Ali as successor and guardian of that message with both the spiritual and temporal authority of Muhammad through the institution of the Imamate.
Jalāl al-Dīn Ḥasan III (1187–1221), son of Nūr al-Dīn Muḥammad II, was the 25th Nizari Isma'ili Imām. He ruled from 1210 to 1221.
The Imamate in Nizari Isma'ili doctrine is a concept in Nizari Isma'ilism which defines the political, religious and spiritual dimensions of authority concerning Islamic leadership over the nation of believers. The primary function of the Imamate is to establish an institution between an Imam who is present and living in the world and his following whereby each are granted rights and responsibilities.
The Aga Khan Case was an 1866 court decision in the High Court of Bombay by Justice Sir Joseph Arnould that established the authority of the first Aga Khan, Hasan Ali Shah, as the head of the Khoja community of Bombay.
In Nizārī Ismāʿīlism, the qiyāma was ceremoniously proclaimed at the mountain fortress of Alamūt in 1164 CE by the Nizārī imām Ḥasan ʿAlā Dhikrihi al-Salām. According to standard narratives of Islamic eschatology, the Yawm al-Qiyāmah is to take place at the end of time, at which point people will be called to account for their actions, and then be rewarded or punished accordingly. The Nizārī proclamation of qiyāma, however, is distinct in that it takes place within history, and, as such, assumes a special significance.
Haji Bibi v. His Highness Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah, the Aga Khan, often referred to as the Haji Bibi Case, was a 1908 court case in the Bombay High Court heard by Justice Russell. The case was fundamentally a dispute over the inheritance of the estate of Hasan Ali Shah, a Persian nobleman with the title Aga Khan I and the hereditary leader of the Nizari Ismailis. A number of the properties and other monetary assets had been passed down to Aqa Ali Shah, Aga Khan II and then to his grandson, Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah, Aga Khan III. The plaintiffs included Haji Bibi who was a widowed granddaughter of Aga Khan I and a few other members of the family that all claimed rights to the wealth. The decision is notable as it confirmed the Aga Khan III's exclusive rights to the assets of his grandfather and to the continued religious offerings by his followers, including some Khojas, as the 48th Imam of the Nizaris.