kmaherali wrote:
Through out history individuals have always interpreted or done the ta'wil of the Qur'an. The ta'wil done by our Hujjats and Pirs are considered as being authoritative. During the Fatimid period our Dais such as Nsir Khusraw, Al Muyyad Shirazi and Qadi Numan provided the authoritative ta'wil. During the Alamut Period the tafsir was provided by our Pirs and Dais including Tusi and Hassan bin Sabbah.
Indeed the practice of tawil/tafsir is not only restricted to Ismailis. Various Sufi Tariqahs also practiced it.
At present the IIS under the direction of the Imam has established the department of Qur'anic Studies. Amongst its activities, is the study of all the historical tafsirs of the Qu'ran to demonstate the diversity of approaches to the Qur'an through out history.
Hence Qur'an is not only approached by rote or through literal interpretation. You need to apply your intellect.
So, you do adhere to the teaching of our Hujjat and Dais of Fatimid era, such as Nasir-Khusraw, Tusi, Sayyina Hassan-e-Sabah. Then, let me quote Nasir-e-Khusraw on this notion of Ali Allah, and I hope you adhere and understand our Hujjat and Dais position. There's no teaching of Imam or Hujjat to say Imam is Allah.
It is on account of this that those people who said Muhammad is God or the group who said Ali is God fell into error. The Prophet and the legatees
(wasi) are disgusted with them, and those with whom the Prophet is disgusted, God is also disgusted. These people are called the Mimiyya and the Ayniyya, who thought that unless [Muhammad and Ali] were one with God their sender, they would not have been able to accept His message.
Read the Paradise of Submission of Tusi that explains the Doctrine and religious philosophy of Ismaili in a very detailed and beautiful manner, and no where Tusi implies Ali[Imam] is Allah.
kmaherali wrote:
Pir Sadardeen through his tafsir of the Qur'an concluded that the Imam was Allah. Hence you should accept that as authoritative.
Please quote Pir Sadardeen where did he imply Ali[Imam] is God?
kmaherali wrote:
In a Farman MSMS says that Imams are the Ocean to which all souls return to.
I mentioned a reference to the Ginan in my earlier post.
Qasida:
There is a book called The Noor En Allah Noor which can be accessed online at:
http://ismaili.net/heritage/node/15495
On page no 11 there is reference to Kalame Pir by Nasir Khusraw on Imamat. He says: "The Imam is the Hujjat or Proof of God and it is for this reason some Imams have said, "What is said about God refers also to us.".
On page 108/9 there is a Qasida by Khaki Aleyma Rahema. Please read it.
How do you conclude when Imam says "We are the ocean to which all souls return to"? Do you know the notion of creation from Ismaili perspective, God->Command->Intellect->Soul->Matter->Universe?
In this heirarchy, Imams don't mean they are the Supreme/transcendent, but the Command or Intellect, where the [individual] souls should return to.
Again, what Nasir-Khusraw says about the Imam doesn't at all imply Imam is Allah, should you correctly understand the Doctrine that Hujjat is explaining.