Twenty Spiritual and Luminous Nazranas Gems

:: Post No. 15: The Ismaili Ethos of Spiritual Enlightenment and Service to Humanity ::

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Ya Ali Madad! This post has two parts:

1. Knowledge Section;
2. Angelic Salwat Dhikr.

Part 1: Knowledge Section

Ethos means the fundamental and distinctive character of a group, social context, or period of time, typically expressed in attitudes, habits, and beliefs. The two pillars of Ismaili ethos are higher spiritual enlightenment and service to humanity. These were characterized by NOOR Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah (a.s.) in his Platinum Jubilee Message as follows:

"In these 70 years of my Imamat, man's material condition has totally changed. There has been immense increase in power over nature but, as we see, with strifes everywhere spiritual power has not increased.

It is my hope that my Spiritual Children, the Ismailis, will, by the example of their own higher enlightenment and helpful cooperative movements amongst themselves, set to the world an example of better fraternity and brotherhood which alone can free men from the fear and dangers of moral and mental discord which leads to disaster for all."

Our 49th Imam spent more 60 years to expand the pillar of service to humanity. The ethos of service to humanity is described on the official site of the Ismaili Muslim community as follows:

"In consonance with this vision of Islam and a long-standing tradition of service to humanity, the Ismailis have elaborated a well-defined institutional framework to build capacity and improve the quality of life within the communities in which they live. Under the Aga Khan's leadership, this framework expanded and evolved into the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of institutions working to improve living conditions and opportunities in specific regions of the developing world. In every country, these institutions work for the common good of all citizens regardless of their origin or religion. Their individual mandates range from architecture, education and health to the promotion of private sector enterprise, the enhancement of non-government organisations and rural development."
[Source: https://the.ismaili/his-highness-aga-khan]

In his Irshad Mubarak to the global Jamat on July 11, 2007, NOOR Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussani (a.s.) encouraged each murid to use the mechanism of spiritual enlightenment for continual internal guidance. Spiritual enlightenment is a powerful, integrative and life-long process which enables a murid to advance through the four stages of religion (Shariat, Tariqat, Haqqikat and Marifat).

In his message to students in Bombay, NOOR Mowlana Shah Sultan Muhammad Shah Al-Husayni (a.s.) explained about the principle of spiritual enlightenment as follows:

" ... While the material conditions of life change, the spiritual conditions which are not only limited to this life but go beyond, are based on one fundamental principle, namely search for enlightenment by the right spiritual contact with the light of your holy faith." [Source: Precious Pearls No. 43]

In his message to Count Paroo on May 7, 1953, NOOR Mowlana Shah Sultan Muhammad Shah Al-Husayni (a.s.) also explained about the balance between din and duniya as follows:

" ...Islam has many forms of prayers. Ismailis in prayers go a higher and higher spiritual life till the supreme spiritual life immediately reached after death by union, as soon as the day comes, when the real calls the apparent to itself. But Islam first and Ismailism much more so insists on action; without action faith is useless; without action prayer becomes pride. With entire absorption in the work during the day and then higher prayers at night (i.e., bandagi in the small watches of the night), a new life may come provided the two occupations are total. So concentrate all your free time and thought to this end." [Source: Precious Pearls No. 41]

In his memoirs, NOOR Mowlana Shah Sultan Muhammad Shah Al-Husayni (a.s.) also described the extent to which a human being can advance in the field of spiritual enlightenment as follows:

"Islamic doctrine goes farther than the other great religions for it proclaims the presence of the soul, perhaps minute but nevertheless existing in an embryonic state in all existence in matter, in animals, trees, and space itself. Every individual, every molecule, every atom has its own spiritual relationship with the All-Powerful Soul of God. But men and women, being more highly developed, are immensely more advanced than the infinite number of other beings known to us. Islam acknowledges the existence of angels, of great souls who have developed themselves to the highest possible planes of human soul and higher, and who are centres of forces which are scattered throughout the universe. Without going as far as Christianity, Islam recognizes the existence of evil spirits which seek by means of their secret suggestions to turn us from good, from that stait way traced by God's finger for the eternal happiness of the humblest as of the greatest -- Abraham, Jesus, Mohammed." [Source: Memoirs of Aga Khan, p.177]

Let us now reflect on an excerpt of a Baitul Khyal firman of NOOR Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini (a.s.) made at Chittagong, Bangladesh on 4th December 1964:

"If you read history you will come to know how Muslims could do so much in Prophet's time. This is because they used to perform Ibadat (bandagi)."

The mechanism of spiritual advancement is ardent practice of faith culminating in the practice of bandagi with ism-i azam. The ism-i azam (bol) is in its potential form when it is bestowed to a murid by the Holy Imam. When the murid follows all the practices of the faith and practices bandagi, i.e., the luminous prayer with a luminous word at a luminous time in the small watches of the night, the ism-i azam becomes actualized. The enlightened murid witnesses that the ism-i azam (bol) has become the light of Holy Imam in his/her forehead. A murid who achieves this loft status becomes a real spiritual and luminous child of the Holy Imam!

Our Holy Pirs, our Dais, our great scientists and artists all used the luminous energy of ism-i azam bestowed upon them by the Imam of the time to advance humanity. In this day and age, the ethos of spiritual enlightenment and service to humanity needs to be expanded exponentially so the Ismailis can fulfill the vision of our present and living Hazar Imam. Our Holy Imams have nurtured each one of us in the realm of spirituality and luminosity. Therefore,it is not impossible for us to execute the ethos of Ismailism, al-hamdulillah!

May NOOR Mowlana Hazar Imam inspire us to follow the Right Path and be blessed with many Batini Noorani (spiritual and luminous) Didars in this life time. Ameen.

Part 2. Angelic Salwat
Let us recite angelic salwats to invoke Divine grace and mercy.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Allâhumâ salli alâ Muhammadin wa âle Muhammad:
O Allah! Bestow Peace on and through Muhammad and his Descendants

33 beads recited by Noorallah Juma

101 beads recited by Noorallah Juma

Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil 'alamin.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!

Haizinda — Qayampaya
(Our Present Imam is Living and His NOOR is Eternal)

Twenty Spiritual and Luminous Nazranas Gems

Article by Dr. Noorallah Juma