Inside Ismailism

Aly Khan, legendary playboy son of the Aga Khan, prowled the Riviera in relentless pursuit of speed, sport, and women. In 1948 he set his sights on Hollywood’s “Love Goddess,” Rita Hayworth, who was being pursued by Ari Onassis and the Shah of Iran after her marriage to Orson Welles disintegrated. In an excerpt from Throne … Continue reading →

I would like to bring up a topic that has been in heavy discussion for a while, mainly relating to the clash of beliefs held by Ismaili Gnosis and others about the notion of God and the Aga Khan. I would specifically like to address something that has been on my mind for the past … Continue reading →

Over the past many years of writing on the Inside Ismailism blog, I have received a number of acknowledgments from ex-Ismaili Muslims the course of whose lives were changed by the Inside Ismailism blog, and they left Ismailism to embrace the light of Islam. There were Muslims too, who read about the practices of Ismailism on the … Continue reading →

When the news of Aga Khan moving his headquarters to Portugal was broken to the Ismaili community, no one exactly knew why the move was made. However, the only thing which each and every Ismaili was taught to say was how ‘great’ Portugal was, and that it was now the new ‘home’ to Aga Khan’s … Continue reading →

Sometimes, too much is celebrated and too little is known about Navroz (or Nowruz) in Ismailism. We analyze this festival in the light of history and evidence available through Ismaili thought leaders as follows: About Nowruz Nowruz in Zoroastrianism Nowruz in Shia Islam Nowruz in Nizari Ismailism Exposing Nizari Ismaili Lies about Nowruz Nowruz Did Not Start at 10:20 … Continue reading →

During the Crusades, the Ismailis, then known as the Assassins, tamed more powerful enemies using a shocking means: murder. The ancestors of Ismailis are still remembered and honored today as ‘fidais’ (فدائی) in the Ismaili Jamatkhanas. Continue reading →

Recently there has been some feeble propaganda attempts by Ismailis to convince Muslims living the in the West and the ‘liberal’ Muslims living in Muslim lands about how ‘philanthropic’ is Aga Khan and how humanitarian are his projects for everyone and not just Ismailis. Nothing can be further from the truth. All of Aga Khan’s … Continue reading →

Ismailis celebrate birthday of Aga Khan as known as “Salgirah Mubarak” as a Ismaili religious ceremony with intention of getting hasanaat (thawab or reward). Ismailis celebrate Salgirah (سالگرہ) day by playing dandiya, raas, dancing with blaring music being played in the background, intermingling of sexes etc. are unislamic practices whose impermissibility  needs no elaboration. Ismailis adopt … Continue reading →

Some say that anyone who testifies – says the kalimah ‘lā ilāha illā -llāh, muḥammadur rasūlu -llāh (There is none worthy of obedience and worship except Allāh and Muhammad is the final Messenger of Allāh), makes them a Muslim and we have no right to question that. Sincerity, however, is subject to proof. First of … Continue reading →

Aga Khan-led institutions are operated and managed by anti-Muslim Ismaili and Hindus who have deep prejudice against Islam and Muslims in general. There should be no doubt that what their actions reveal is just the tip of the iceberg and what their hearts conceal is far worse than what their actions and tongues reveal. On … Continue reading →

Out of the many unsubstantiated claims of Ismāʿīlism is a one that Aga Khan interprets the Qurʾān for them. It is interesting that Aga Khan has never publicly or privately within his followers, interpreted any part of the Qurʾān. He has claimed to believe in the Qurʾān in interviews and has claimed descent from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through his cousin ʿAlī bin Abi Ṭālib, but actions speak far louder than words and his actions are nowhere close to the teachings of the Qurʾān. Continue reading →

The Fatimid Empire of North Africa is one of the most controversial empires in Islamic history. They are misrepresented by Ismailis and some orientalists as enlightened leaders that brought a new golden age to the Muslim world. However, scholars and historians from the Muslim world have shown a different side to this 10th century dynasty. The story … Continue reading →

Nizari Ismailis recite the Ismaili Holy Du’a (called Du’a) instead of the Muslim prayer (called salāt in Arabic and namaz in Persian and Urdu). In Urdu-speaking countries, Ismailis insist that since the word namaz does not appear anywhere in the Quran, the namaz which is recited by the Muslims is never commanded by the Quran … Continue reading →

The father of Karim Aga Khan, Aly Aga Khan along with his wife, the hollywood sex symbol Rita Hayworth, starred in Champagne Safari – a box office flop featuring the coverage of their African honeymoon including visits to Ismaili communities in Africa where Ismailis are seen worshiping their God, the future Aga Khan. Watch the movie … Continue reading →

Ismāʿīlism is based on the abrogation of the Islamic law – which means that ever since their imām made a historical declaration at Alamut in 1164, Ismāʿīlis have absolved themselves of all Islamic practices including ṣalāt (prayer), wuḍūʼ (ablution), ṣawm (fasting), hajj (pilgrimage), zakāt (charity), abstinence from ribā (interest) and other obligations placed upon a … Continue reading →

In the last of our series of episodes on esotericism, we will analyze the mentions of the word taʾwīl in the Qur’ān and explore the exegesis and tafsīr of these verses, and look at how bāṭenists have been promoting their false interpretations. The word taʾwīl means: to return, or to revert. The allusion is those … Continue reading →

Christians pay ten percent (or ‘tithe’) to the church every time they visit. This is exactly where the name ‘dasond’ comes from. By definition, dasond means ‘tenth’. Ismāʿīlīs pay anything but 10% on their savings. They actually pay at least 12.5% on their income, not knowing what the background of this payment towards their Imām … Continue reading →

Every Ismāʿīlī child is made to believe that Fatimid period was a glorious one when sciences, arts, social justice and tolerance reached their peak and after the decline in Fatimid rule, ʾIslām has been on the decline and never recovered its glorious past. In this article, we discuss publication by the Institute of Ismāʿīlī Studies … Continue reading →

Those who have tried to bring this practice of the Ismailis out in the open had either been silenced, or their voice had been disregarded as rumor, heresy and attributed to unreliable sources. However, TIME Magazine came out with the facts behind this practice of the Ismailis and is available now in the TIME Magazine … Continue reading →

What is Pluralism? Pluralism says that every belief out there in the world is equally legitimate and has truth to it and we should blindly embrace it – no matter if an individual’s belief is in the divinity of a cow, or a monkey or any pagan god. To define pluralism in Rodney King’s simplistic … Continue reading →

In 1991, Sadruddin Kabani was caught red-handed smuggling more than a million dollars in cash along the US-Canadian border. The money was destined for Aga Khan through Tajuddin Kurji of Aga Khan Foundation Canada and was collected from the Ismāʿīlī community in the name of dasond, mehmani, majlis memberships and various other religious contributions. The … Continue reading →

For the first time in history, Nizari Ismāʿīlīs are actually now “deeply concerned” about being dragged in court if they do not listen to Hazar Imām. In an unprecedented move, Aga Khan IV sued Alnaz Jiwa and Nagib Tajdin in Canadian courts ignoring his own Ismaili International Conciliation and Arbitration Borad (ICAB) and National Conciliation … Continue reading →

Credit: The below has been taken from the article “From Lollypops to the World’s Biggest Hunk of Sugar” which appeared in the November 28, 1943 edition of “The American Weekly” and is reported on by Lowell Morrill. The original article can be found here and is only reproduced below for ease of reading. His Most Serene Highness, … Continue reading →

Lately, I have noticed Ismaili missionaries picking up Quranists’ arguments and defending Aga Khan and in turn, modern-day Ismailism, on the basis of these Quranists’ arguments. For the average Ismaili brother who doesn’t know, Quranists are a small group of people who reject the prophetic traditions (called sunnat al-Nabi or just “sunnah” for simplicity) and … Continue reading →

  Aga Khan, who claims to be a Muslim leader and a self-proclaimed direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), owns a chain of luxury 5-star hotels known as Serena Hotels (www.serenahotels.com) where alcohol is openly sold in the bars of these hotels. For a list of hotels owned by Hazar Imam where alcohol is sold openly, … Continue reading →

While only one aspect of Ismāʿīlī Imamat’s Guidance Against Drinking Alcohol is played repeatedly in front of the Ismāʿīlī community when Hazar Imām’s and his family’s pictures surface where they are consuming alcohol. In the age of internet, it is no secret that not only does Hazar Imām run a chain of Serena Hotels where … Continue reading →

Nizari Ismailis claim that they are the ‘second-largest’ branch of Shia Islam. This claim however, is widely and almost unanimously rejected in the Shia circles and by all of the Shia scholars. Shia Islam consists mainly of the following: Twelvers (Athnā‘ashariyyah or Ithnā‘ashariyyah)l, also known as Jafaris Seveners (Shish Imimeyyah), also known as Ismailis Dawoodi … Continue reading →

When the flamboyant Aga Khan, regarded as a ‘living god’ by his 15 million Islamic followers, collided with a snowboarder on the slopes of Courchevel last year, and was flown to hospital in Boston with serious injuries, the incredibly delicate issue of his succession was raised for the first time. As a result, the accident … Continue reading →

The mention of the word waseela in the Quran has been a major excuse for Nizārī-Ismāʿīlīs calling upon, and seeking help of their Hazar Imam instead of the Almight Allah (swt). This is a concept drilled into their minds by the Ismāʿīlī missionaries. Ismāʿīlīs themselves have never laid their hands upon a copy of the the Qur’an. A … Continue reading →

1. Significance of Nowruz in Ismailism Nowruz (also spelled nauroz or navroz or navroze) is celebrated by Nizari Ismailis on March 21. In the evening, packets filled with raw sugar and raw rice are distributed in Jamatkhana and families decorate boiled eggs to mark the occasion. The significance of this festival in Nizari Ismailism is … Continue reading →

Ismailis, the followers of Karim al-Husaini or the “Aga Khan”, govern their religious practices in accordance with the ginans (religious hymns) of their pirs and the farmans of their Imams. As with all other doctrines of Ismailism, some Ismailis today might claim that they fast throughout the month of Ramadhan, or otherwise depending on who … Continue reading →

Aga Khani Ismaili missionaries drill into the mind of average Ismaili from childhood that “Ulil Amr” is Aga Khan himself, including his predecessors and successors. The basis of this claim is Chapter 4:Verse 59 of the Qur’an: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ … Continue reading →

by venkyhyundai The complete prohibition of intoxicants was established through the following verse of the Quran: O you who believe! intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shaitan’s work; shun it therefore that you may be successful. The Shaitan only desires to … Continue reading →

Ismalism is based on the belief that Aga Khan possesses ‘noor’ of Allah (light of God) which is sole reason that Ismailis worship him in their Jamatkhanas (or Ismaili Centers) and believe he is all-powerful and possesses attributes that Allah alone is entitled to possess. Lets look this concept of noor on basis of Qur’an … Continue reading →

Aga Khan claims to his followers that he brings an esoteric (baatini or hidden) meaning of the Quran which has not been understood by anyone else in the Muslim ummah. However, Aga Khan’s esoteric interpretation of Quran is drastically opposite to teaching of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and goes against the understanding of all scholars of … Continue reading →

One of the severest blows against Aga Khani Ismailis’ efforts to disguise themselves as the ‘second-largest’ group of Shia Muslims was when the Shia Grand Ayatollah Allama Shaykh Muhammad Hussain Najafi clearly declared them outside of the fold of Shia Islam and Islam altogether. Allama Muhammad Hussain Najafi is known in the Twelver (Athnā‘ashariyyah or … Continue reading →