What is the difference between ismaili and sunni

The main difference between the Nizari Ismaili and Mustaali Ismaili is who should have led as the Imam. The name Bohra is a reinterpretation of the Gujarati word vahaurau "to trade". The Shia and the Ismaili are quite similar in their beliefs and cultures, as the Ismailis are a part of the Shia sect.

All of the sects share the same belief regarding Allah and Muhammad. Allah is believed to the one and true God, with Muhammad being the last prophet of God. Difference between Shia and Ismaili. Key Difference: Shia is one of the two major sects of Islam, the other being Sunni. Ismaili is a division within the Shia sect. They believe that Muhammad intended that the Muslim community choose a successor, or caliph, by consensus.

Sunnis base their religion on the Quran and the Sunnah as understood by the majority of the community under the structure of the four schools of thought madhhabs. The four Sunni madhhabs - Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and the Hanbali - are sometimes mistakenly understood as different sects, but they are not. These four schools of law only differ in minor issues of application.

These madhhabs continue to seek to find Islamic solutions to the answers posed by evolving societies, regardless of time or place. Shi'ites believe that after the Prophet Muhammad's pbuh death, Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law and cousin, should have been elected as caliph. Crossing the frontiers of knowledge through scientific and other endeavours, and facing up to the challenges of ethics posed by an evolving world is, thus, seen as a requirement of the faith.

How does the Prince knows about Quran or Islam. Where he received religious education from? Horward university? Their imam is a walking talking quran and allahs mazhar just like vishnu brahma and shiva.

They are more closer to Hindusism. This book traces the history and doctrines of the Ismaili movement from its origins to the present time, a period of approximately twelve centuries. In time, Shia Islam, the minoritarian view, became subdivided into different groups, many of which proved short-lived.

But Imami Shiism, providing the common early heritage for several Shia sects, notably the Twelvers and the Ismailis, was a major exception. In mediaeval times, they twice established states of their own and played important parts for relatively long periods on the historical stage of the Muslim world.

During the second century of their history, the Ismailis founded the first Shia caliphate under the Fatimid caliph-imams. They also made important contributions to Islamic thought and culture during the Fatimid period. Later, after a schism that split Ismailism into two major Nizari and Mustalian branches, the Nizari leaders succeeded in founding a cohesive state, with numerous mountain strongholds and scattered territories stretching from eastern Persia to Syria.

The Nizari state collapsed only under the onslaught of all-conquering Mongols. Thereafter, the Ismailis never regained any political prominence and survived in many lands as a minor Shia Muslim sect. By the second half of the eighteenth century, however, the spiritual leaders or imams of the Nizari majority came out of their obscurity and actively participated in certain political events in Persia and, then, in British India; later they acquired international prominence under their hereditary title of Agha Khan Aga Khan.

Because of political developments in Iran in the late s and early s the 46th Imam, Aga Hasan Ali Shah, emigrated to the Indian subcontinent. He settled in Bombay in where he established his headquarters, a development that had an uplifting effect on the community in India and on the religious and communal life of the whole Ismaili world.

It helped the community in India gain a greater sense of confidence and identity as Shia Ismaili Muslims, and laid the foundations for its social progress. It also marked the beginning of an era of more regular contacts between the Imam and his widely dispersed followers.

In the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Ismailis from the Indian sub-continent migrated to East Africa in significant numbers. Numerous institutions for social and economic development were established on the Indian sub-continent and in East Africa.

Ismailis have marked the Jubilees of their Imams with public celebrations, which are symbolic affirmations of the ties that link the Ismaili Imam and his followers. During his 72 years of Imamat , the community celebrated his Golden , Diamond and Platinum Jubilees. To show their appreciation and affection, the Ismailis weighed their Imam in gold, diamonds and, symbolically, in platinum, respectively, the proceeds of which were used to further develop major social welfare and development institutions in Asia and Africa.

They included institutions such as the Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Platinum Jubilee Investments Limited which in turn assisted the growth of various types of cooperative societies. Diamond Jubilee Schools for girls were established throughout the remote Northern Areas of what is now Pakistan.

In addition, scholarship programmes, established at the time of the Golden Jubilee to give assistance to needy students, were progressively expanded. In East Africa, major social welfare and economic development institutions were established. Those involved in social welfare included the accelerated development of schools and community centres, and a modern, fully-equipped hospital in Nairobi. Among the economic development institutions established in East Africa were companies such as the Diamond Jubilee Investment Trust now Diamond Trust of Kenya and the Jubilee Insurance Company, which are quoted on the Nairobi Stock Exchange and have become major players in national development.

Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah also introduced organisational forms that gave Ismaili communities the means to structure and regulate their own affairs. In he ordained the first Ismaili Constitution for the social governance of the community in East Africa.

The constitution also set out rules in such matters as marriage, divorce and inheritance, guidelines for mutual cooperation and support among Ismailis, and their interface with other communities. Similar constitutions were promulgated in the Indian subcontinent, and all were periodically revised to address emerging needs and circumstances in diverse settings. Following the Second World War, far-reaching social, economic and political changes profoundly affected a number of areas where Ismailis resided.

In , British rule in the Indian subcontinent was replaced by the two sovereign, independent nations, of India and Pakistan, resulting in the migration of at least a million people and significant loss of life and property.

Africa was also set on its course to decolonisation, swept by what Mr. By the early s, most of East and Central Africa, where the majority of the Ismaili population on the continent resided including Tanganyika, Kenya, Uganda, Malagasy, Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire , had attained their political independence.

This was the world in which the present Aga Khan acceded to the Imamat in The period following his accession can be characterised as one of rapid political and economic change. Planning of programmes and institutions became increasingly difficult due to the rapid changes in newly-emerging nations. This rapidly evolving situation called for bold initiatives and new programmes to reflect developing national aspirations.

The educational facilities of the Community tended to emphasise secondary-level education. In , under the regime of the then President Idi Amin, Ismailis and other Asians were expelled, despite being citizens of the country and having lived there for generations. The Aga Khan had to take urgent steps to facilitate the resettlement of Ismailis displaced from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and also from Burma.

Owing to his personal efforts most found homes, not only in Asia, but also in Europe and North America. Most of the basic resettlement problems were overcome remarkably rapidly. This was due to the adaptability of the Ismailis themselves and in particular to their educational background and their linguistic abilities, as well as the efforts of the host countries and the moral and material support from Ismaili community programmes.

Spiritual allegiance to the Imam and adherence to the Shia Imami Ismaili tariqah persuasion of Islam according to the guidance of the Imam of the time, have engendered in the Ismaili community an ethos of self-reliance, unity, and a common identity.

The present Aga Khan continued the practice of his predecessor and extended constitutions to Ismaili communities in the US, Canada, several European countries, the Gulf, Syria and Iran following a process of consultation within each constituency.

In , he promulgated a Constitution that, for the first time, brought the social governance of the world-wide Ismaili community into a single structure with built-in flexibility to account for diverse circumstances of different regions. Served by volunteers appointed by and accountable to the Imam, the Constitution functions as an enabler to harness the best in individual creativity in an ethos of group responsibility to promote the common well-being.

These obligations discharged not by passive affirmation but through responsible engagement and active commitment to uphold national integrity and contribute to peaceful development. The Aga Khan has encouraged Ismaili Muslims, settled in the industrialised world, to contribute towards the progress of communities in the developing world through various development programmes.

In recent years, Ismaili Muslims, who have come to the US, Canada and Europe, mostly as refugees from Asia and Africa, have readily settled into the social, educational and economic fabric of urban and rural centres across the two continents.

These initiatives form part of an international network of institutions involved in fields that range from education, health and rural development, to architecture and the promotion of private sector enterprise and together make up the Aga Khan Development Network.

This article contains false information about Ismailis. This is why we are so behind. Kaleema Toheet. Hi i would like to clear something. Ismailis are not muslims because they do not follow the Quran as simple as that. Stop lying. I performed 3 years ago and my wife reejcted it and didnt went to me perform for hajj as she belives that her hajj is only seeing his imam and as imam is a walking talking quran and mazhar of allah.

Bohra Muslims can be found in the region of Najran, in Saudi Arabia, where they number 1 million souls, in the State of Gujrat, in India, where they number thousand souls, a small comunnity in Yemen.

Now, neither the Bohras, nor the Agha Khanis, have a different Quran. This affirmation of mine is based on Knowledge and Observation. In this, they resemble Catholic Christians who do not observe the Bible at all and claim that faith in Jesus in enough for the attainment of Salvation. The Agha Khanis do the same. They say that blind faith in Agha Khan is enough to attain salvation; — they donate huge sums of money to Agha Khan, every month; — they do not pay Zakat. While the Catholic priests have to study for 5 years before being ordained as priests, the Agha Khani Priesthood have no Knowledge at alm about Islam, nor are they required to have a degree in Islamic Theology.

Their priesthood are nominated by the Agha Khan and normally are people with money; — the Agha Khan himself does not lead an Islamic Life. He has Wine at his home, is a Playboy and has very little Knowledge of Islam. His speaches barely contain elements of Islamic Shariah and are only advices on how to live a good worldly life. This small group look at the Agha Khan just like any normal person and blend with Sunni Muslims attending Sunni Mosques to perform the 5 Daily Salat, hearing Islamic Speeches, and so on.

Anything else is Not not Islam. Wahabi interpretation of Quran is different from other sect of Suna. Wahabi now has money they acting loco. I witness that Mohammad P. I witness that Ali A. This article is based on false and malafied knowlege, what is said is wrong and he has lack of knowledge, I am and Ismaili and proud to be and Ismaili….

We follow the real teachings of Islam…. Asslam o alikum brother i want to know something about agha khanis Does you people tie knot marry in your own agha khani community or can marry in other firqa like sunni ahle sunnat? Plz show some light on it its important thanku. There is only ONE caste: The caste of humanity! However, whatever the differences between the Shia and the Sunni or among their sub-divisions, they never amounted to such fundamental a divergence over theology or dogma as to result in separate religions.

On the other hand, in the absence of an established church in Islam and an institutionalized method of pronouncing on dogma, a proper reading of history reveals the inappropriateness of referring to the Shia-Sunni divide, or to interpretational differences within each branch, in the frame of an orthodoxy-heterodoxy dichotomy, or of applying the term "sect" to any Shia or Sunni community.

This true, spiritual meaning can never be fettered by the bounds of time, place or the letter of its form. It is to be comprehended through the guidance of the Imam of the time, who is the inheritor of the Prophet's authority, and the trustee of his legacy.

A principal function of the Imam is to enable the believers to go beyond the apparent or outward form of the revelation in search of its spirituality and intellect. A believer who sincerely submits to the Imam's guidance may potentially attain the knowledge of self. The tradition attributed to both the Prophet and Imam Ali: "He who knows himself, knows his Lord", conveys the essence of this relationship between the Imam and his follower.

The Shia thus place obedience to the Imams after that to God and the Prophet by virtue of the command in the Quran for Muslims to obey those vested with authority.

The succession of the line of prophecy by that of Imamat ensures the balance between the shariah or the exoteric aspect of the faith, and its esoteric, spiritual essence. Neither the exoteric nor the esoteric obliterates the other. While the Imam is the path to a believer's inward, spiritual elevation, he is also the authority who makes the shariah relevant according to the needs of time and universe.

The inner, spiritual life in harmony with the exoteric, is a dimension of the faith that finds acceptance among many communities in both branches of Islam. The intellect plays a central role in Shia tradition. Consonant with the role of the intellect is the responsibility of individual conscience, both of which inform the Ismaili tradition of tolerance embedded in the injunction of the Quran: There is no compulsion in religion.

In Shia Islam, the role of the intellect has never been perceived within a confrontational mode of revelation versus reason, the context which enlivened the debate, during the classical age of Islam, between the rationalists who gave primacy to reason, and the traditionalists who opposed such primacy without, however, denying a subordinate role for reason in matters of faith.

The Shia tradition, rooted in the teachings of Imam Ali and Jafar as-Sadiq, emphasizes the complementarity between revelation and intellectual reflection, each substantiating the other. This is the message that the Prophet conveys in a reported tradition: "We the Prophets speak to people in the measure of their intelligences". The Imams Ali and Jafar as-Sadiq expounded the doctrine that the Quran addresses different levels of meaning: the literal, the alluded esoteric purport, the limit as to what is permitted and what is forbidden, and the ethical vision which God intends to realise through man, with Divine support, for an integral moral society.

The Quran thus offers the believers the possibility, in accordance with their own inner capacities, to derive newer insights to address the needs of time. An unwavering belief in God combined with trust in the liberty of human will finds a recurring echo in the sermons and sayings of the Imams. Believers are asked to weigh their actions with their own conscience. None other can direct a person who fails to guide and warn himself, while there is Divine help for those who exert themselves on the right path.

In the modern period, this Alid view of Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith continues to find resonance in the guidance of the present Imam and his immediate predecessor.