The chiragh-i rawshan is also solemnized for the longevity, prosperity and blessing of a person who is alive, known as dawat-i baqa. It also corresponds with the Indian tradition of the hayati majalis. It also exhorts that the Imam is an Everlasting Guide and Epiphany (mazhar) of God on earth. The believers must kindle the lamp of Divine Light in their hearts. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah also said, "The lamp of the Divine Light exists in you and your hands. This is spoken metaphorically.

With the imposition of the New Constitution of the Shi'a Ismaili Muslims in 1986, the Conciliation and Arbitration Board (CAB) came into existence for the first time in the Ismaili world. Previously, the Ismaili Councils executed the judicial activities in the community. The judicial activities of the Council thenceforward consigned to the newly formed Conciliation and Arbitration Board.

Charity, in the sense of giving away one's wealth, is of two kinds: voluntary and obligatory. Voluntary charity is mentioned in the Koran as itfaq (spending benevolently), ihsan (the doing of good) and sadaqa (derived from sidq, meaning truth, and comes to signify a charitable deed). The very words used to denote charitable deeds are an indication of the broadness of its conception.

The word chhanta is an Indian word, means an act of sprinkling (the water). Its synonymous in Arabic is rashash means to sprinkle, and rashash'tun (pl. rashashat) means an act of sprinkle (of water). Its proper word in Persian is pashidan. It is a sin that defiles man and renders him impure. The chhanta is a symbolic rite in Ismaili tariqah to dissipate the sins or forgiveness.

"Tabari (5:267) relates from Ibn Abbas that the Israelites in one of the town of Syria were afflicted by the epidemic of plague. They were 4000 people who left their town fleeing the plague. They said, "Let us go to a land which is free from death." They arrived at Dawardan near Wasit in Iraq. As they reached the place, God said to them, "Die!." They were so badly afflicted by a calamity that death struck them.

The Koran says: "(Receive) the baptism (sibghah) of God, for who is better than God to baptize (sibghatan)?" (2:138).

"The Persian word didar is derived from didan means meeting, beholding or seeing. In Ismaili terminology, it denotes the beholding the Imam of the age. It is a means to strengthen the heart, cooling the eyes, refresh the faith and earn guidance and blessings of the Imam. When one is graced with the didar, he feels that he is newly born, and acts what the Imam imparted. The didar does not mean mere an act of looking the Imam.

Syed Dadu, or Pir Dadu was a gifted vakil in Sind. He was born in 879/1474. He was an efficient scholar of Arabic and Persian and acquired high command in Indian languages.

"The word dawa (pl. du'at) is derived from du'a means to call, invite or summon, and thus the term da'i denotes one who summons. The word dawa is also used in the sense of prayers, such as dawat al-mazlum (prayer of the oppressed), or dawa bi'l shifa (prayer of the health). The word dawa virtually coined in the time of Imam Jafar Sadik and Abdullah bin Maymun founded the Ismaili dawa organization in Basra.

The term da'i al-duat means the summoner of the summoners, or the head of the da'is or chief da'i.

The Arabic word dajjal likely comes from the Syriac daggal means liar or lying. Hence, al-dajjal literally means one who conceals the truth with falsehood, the liar or a great deceiver. The word al-masih al-dajjal means to cover (a mangy camel) with tar, because the dajjal will in like manner cover the earth with his adherents. One another view suggests that dajjal is derived from dajala meaning to gild because he will deceive the people by covering up the truth.

"Amid the surging splendour, Imam al-Hakim emerges as an unusual personality judged by any standard. He founded Dar al-Hikmah (House of Wisdom), also known as Dar al-Ilm (House of Knowledge) in 395/1004, where the sciences including astronomy, logic, philosophy, mathematics, history, theology, languages and medicines were taught. Qadi Abul Aziz bin Muhammad bin Noman was its first supervisor.

The Persian word darkhana, is composed of two syllables, dar and khana. The preposition dar means in, and khana means house. Thus, the darkhana means in the house. Any specific thing in the house is also called darkhana. Another view suggests that it is derived from darb-i khana means chief place of residence, or dari khana, a residence with big windows being used for the royal meetings. In Ismaili terminology, it represents specific abode of the Imam, or Imam's headquarters.

"Based on the consensus of the exegesis Jama al-Bayan, 17:16-25, Hilyat al-Awlia (3:251), al-Mustadrak (3:172), Usd al-Ghabah (5: 367) and al-Sawa'iq al-Muharaqah (p. 101), the following verse was revealed about the members of the Household of the Prophet:

"Sixty Christian priests of Najran, headed by Abu Harith bin Aqamah, the grand bishop of Najran, Abdu Massih and Ayham arrived in Medina on 9/631 to clarify their religious and political stance, which had spread over the Arab peninsula and to engage in discussions with the Prophet to realize the essence and truth of Islam.

""... And God only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you a thorough purifying (33:33)"

"The Koran (4:59) says: "O you who believe, obey God, and obey the Messenger and those of you who holds authority (ulul amr)"

""Only God is your Wali (guardian) and His Apostle and those who believe, who perform prayer and pay alms while they bow" (5:55)

The word azan is derived from izn which means anything that is heard (uzun meaning the ear), and azan or ta'dhin means a making known or an announcement of prayer. According to Bukhari (10:1-2), when the Muslims came to Medina, they used, at first, to have a time appointed for prayer, thus a consultation was held at which suggestions for ringing a bell or blowing a horn having been rejected. It was proposed that a man should be appointed who should call out for prayer. Ibn Hisham (p.

"Her Excellency Madame Suzanne Mubarak inaugurated the 30-hectare (74-acre) al Azhar Park in the presence of the Present Imam in Cairo on March 25, 2005. The al-Azhar Park Project is a catalyst for social, economic and cultural renewal and improvement and will have far reaching consequences for the 200,000 residents of the neighbouring Darb al-Ahmar district.

"Close by the palace rose the mosque, extending to the foot of Jabal al-Muqattam, named Jam-i Azhar, on 24th Jamada I, 359/April 4, 970, where a big library and school were erected. Since the title of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet and the wife of Ali, was Az-Zohra (the bright) and in her honour, it was named Al-Azhar, being the masculine form of Az-Zohra. Philip K. Hitti writes in Capital Cities of Arab Islam (London, 1973, p. 114) that, "It took two years (970-972) to build.

"He was born on 14th Muharram, 344/May 10, 955 in Mahdiya. His name was Nizar Abu Mansur, surnamed al-Aziz bi-llah (August by the grace of God). He assumed the Imamate and Caliphate on 14th Rabi II, 365/December 21, 975. He was tall, broad shouldered, with reddish hair and large eyes having a dark blue colour.

The word bab mean gate, referring to the administrative head of the mission under the Fatimids. The word bab al-abwab means gate of the gates, referring to the highest rank after the Imam in the mission hierarchy of the Fatimids.

"The first battle fought between the Muslims and the Meccans about 80 miles from Medina was that of Badr, lying on the Arabian Peninsula near the Read Sea coast. The date given for the battle is 17th, 19th or 21st Ramzan, 2 A.H./March 13, 15 or 17, 624 A.D. Badr is mentioned explicitly once in the Koran (3:123), but there are allusions to it in at least 32 other verses.

Syed Ruknuddin, the son of Pir Hasan Kabiruddin had a daughter, called Bibi Jeval or Bibi Jivan Khatoon. She married to Pir Hasan Kabiruddin and had five sons and a daughter, called Bai Budhai. The biography of Bai Budhai is not found in early or later sources. We have very brief scrap of the traditions. She is referred simply as the daughter of Pir Hasan Kabiruddin or the sister of Syed Imam Shah (d. 926/1520) and nothing else.

The word baiyat, occurring 14 times in the Koran is derived from ba'ya meaning sale and purchase, bargain or transaction. In Arabic the word yabi'u means to sell, ba'a means he sold, al-bai'u means sale and al-baya means sale and purchase. In Islamic terminology, the term baya refers to an agreement or undertaking between the master and his followers. Other synonymous expressions appearing in the Koran are al-ahd (13:19-20) and al-mithaq (33:7, 5:14).

"The Hunza valley, a region within the Northern Areas of Pakistan, close to the border with China, reflects the dramatic terrain of the Karakoram Mountain Range, is inhabited by the Ismailis. Hunza was an autonomous feudal kingdom ruled by the Mir until 1974, when it became part of Pakistan's Northern Areas. The history of the Baltit Fort is not precisely known.

The word baraka means abundance or plantitude of blessings and favour with perpetuity and continuity. It occurs six times in the Koran, such as tabaraka'lladhi (Blessed is He Who) and tabaraka'llah (Blessed is God), tabaraka'smu rabbika (Blessed is the name of your Sustainer).

The state between death and resurrection is called barzakh, which literally means a thing that intervenes between two things, isthmus or an obstacle or a hindrance. A. Jeffery suggests that it is a loan word of Persian, farsakh or parasang means a measure of land that fits the description of a physical barrier. The word barzakh occurs thrice in the Koran (23:100, 25:53, 55:20). It is used (25:53 and 55:20) in the sense, where a barrier between two seas is spoken of as barzakh.

Beej is one of the most important rites in the Indian tradition of the Ismailis.The Hindi word beej means crescent. When the new moon falls on Friday, the Ismailis keep a fast

"The title beglarbegi means "Governor General", a term derived from Turkish beylerbeyi means chief of the chief. In Iran, the Beglarbegi governed three sub-ordinate governors of a province, including deputy governor and lesser officials. Karim Khan Zand (d. 1193/1779) had a friendly relation with Imam Abul Hasan Ali and his brother Pir Mirza Muhammad Bakir. Later on, Karim Khan Zand appointed the Imam as the Beglarbegi of Kirman in 1170/1756.

The word Berber is derived from Latin barbari, an appellation equivalent to the English barbarian, which the Romans used to call peoples who spoke neither Latin nor Greek. The social organization of the Berbers or Katama Berbers had been tribal from the earliest known period of their history. Ibn Khaldun distinguished three major divisions among the Berbers, i.e., the Zanata, Sanhaja and Masmuda.

"The Hindi word bhagat is a corrupt form of bakt means a devotee. According to hadith al-kudsi, God said, "The most blessed of my friends is a man of faith who has few possessions and delights in the prayer, who performs well the service of his Lord, and obeys Him in secret. He is unnoticed among men: they do not point to him with their fingers.

The word bid'a is derived from bada'a, means to invent something new, the like of which has not existed. In technical sense, it means newness or invention in reference to the religion. It refers to an innovation, which cannot be vindicated by authoritative precedent, or pernicious innovation (hawa wa-bid'ah), which is far removed from normal and established practice.

The invocation bi-smillahi l-rahmani l-rahim (In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate) occurs 114 times in the Koran at the head of every sura except ninth, which is entitled Surat al-Tauba or Surat al-Bara'a, and also once in 27:30 as the opening of Solomon's letter to the queen of Sheba.

The word aswad derived from swd means black, occurring seven times in the Koran (2:187, 3:106, 35:27). In the sense of an original black colour, the word aswad occurs only twice: "When you can tell a white thread from a black on in the light of the approaching dawn" (2:187) and "black mountains" (35:27). The word muswadd (dark-faced) is used in 16:58 and its parallel (43:17) to suggest the darkening of the face in the light of bad news as reflection of grief.

Lack of material does not enable to give a detailed account of the Ismaili influence after the death of Shah Tahir Hussain Dakkani on 956/1549 in Ahmadnagar, India. We do not have explicit details, whether his descendants continued the Ismaili mission in the cloak of Shi'ism or not. There are however certain strong indications that a lady ruler, named Chand Bibi was secretly an Ismaili, but her faith is shrouded in her political activities.