Jamat Khanna Masjid and khanaqah

[mahebubchatur]

Popular Islam in Afghanistan has very strong, though not publicly displayed, Sufi undercurrents, with the Naqshbandiya and Qaderiya the most influential tariqa (orders).

Ninety-nine per cent of Afghans are Muslims, and the current constitution, adopted in 2004, defines Afghanistan as an "Islamic Republic". It also stipulates that Islam is the "the religion of the state" and that "no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam".
The constitution gave the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam dominant status, & it establishes equal rights for the Shia minority for the first time "

Ismailis go to Jamat Khannas for worship & other congregations. Khanaqahs are places of worship and congregation for Sufi schools of interpretations khanaqahs are the same in meaning and essence as Jamat Khannas are for Ismaili Muslims.

(The meaning of khanqah is a living place for Islamic spiritual masters ( Imams), where devotees can seek solace guidance & blessings from "Allah" in a state of material and spiritual purity (under, and through the guidance of their spiritual Imam (master). Devotees give Bayah (Allegiance), to their Imams, who for Ismailis is currently
Aga Khan and earlier included the same Imams as the Sufi Schools of thought.

Ismailis receive worldly and religious guidance from their Imam. This is collectively called " Farmans"


Sufi Shia Naqshbandiya (originally called
Siddiqiyya)

'One of the Four Great Sufi Spiritual Orders'.

Their Foundation is based on interpretations and Teachings of;
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq,
Salman al-Farisi,
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq,
Bayazid Tayfur al-Bistami, Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani
Muhammad Baha'uddin Uwaysi al-Bukhari, known as Shah Naqshband

Introduction
The Naqshbandiya Tariqah is named after Hadrat Baha al-Din Naqshband (Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu)(d. 791/1389)and is a tariqah that is widely active throughout the world today. It is described as the 'Mother of all Tariqah's' by Shaykh Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi (Rehmatullahi alaih) and it also has a very strong presence on the Web.

Together with the Spiritual Order's of the Qadiriya, Chistiya and Suhrawardiya, they are considered as the four main Silsila's of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l Jama'at.
The Titles of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain

The designation of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain has changed from century to century. From the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) to the time of Hadrat Bayazid al-Bistami (radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) it was called as-Siddiqiyya. From the time of Hadrat Bayazid al-Bistami (radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) to the time of Sayyadina Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani (radi Allahu anhu) it was called at-Tayfuriyya. From the time of Sayyadina 'Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawan (radi Allahu anhu) to the time of Hadrat Shah Naqshband (radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) it was called the Khwajaganiyya. From the time of Hadrat Shah Naqshband (radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) through the time of Sayyadina Ubaidullah al-Ahrar (radi Allahu
anhu) and Sayyidina Ahmad Faruqi (radi Allahu anhu), it was called Naqshbandiyya.
Naqshbandiyya means to "tie the Naqsh very well." The Naqsh is the perfect engraving of Allah's Name in the heart of the murid. From the time of Sayyadina Ahmad al-Faruqi (radi Allahu anhu) to the time of Shaykh Khalid al-Baghdadi (radi Allahu anhu) it was called Naqshbandi-Mujaddidiyya. From the time of Sayyidina Khalid al-Baghdadi (radi Allahu anhu) until the time of Sayyadina Shaykh Ismail Shirwani (radi Allahu anhu) it was called the Naqshbandiyya-Khalidiyya. Today there is the Aslamiya, Haqqaniya amongst others who are keeping the spiritual chain going.

About Naqshbandi Sufi Way

The most distinguished Naqshbandi Way is a school of thought and practice that stood in the vanguard of those groups which disseminated truth and fought against evil and injustice, especially in Central Asia and India in the past, in China and the Soviet Union in modern times, and in Europe and North America today. Naqshbandi Shaykhs who took up political, social, educational and spiritual roles in their communities, acting according to the Noble Quran and the Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him).
The most distinguished Naqshbandiya Order is the way of the Noble Companions of the Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) and those who follow them. This Way consists of continuous worship in every action, both external and internal, with complete and perfect discipline according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him). It consists in maintaining the highest level of conduct and leaving absolutely all innovations and all free interpretations in public customs and private behavior. It consists in keeping awareness of the Presence of God, Almighty and Exalted, on the way to self-effacement and complete experience of the Divine Presence. It is the Way of complete reflection of the highest degree of perfection. It is the Way of sanctifying the self by means of the most difficult struggle, the struggle against the self. It begins where the other orders end, in the attraction of complete Divine Love, which was granted to the first friend of the Most Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him), Sayyadina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Radi Allahu Ta'ala anhu).
The First Spiritual Inheritors of the Beloved Prophet
peace and blessings be upon him and his family
Historically speaking, the Naqshbandi tariqat can be traced back to the first of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, Sayyadina Hadrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), who succeeds the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alayhi wa aalihi wa Sallam) in his knowledge and in his role of guiding the Muslim community. Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) said in the Noble Qur'an al-kareem "He was the second of two in the cave, and he said to his friend: 'do not be sad, for God is with us'" [9:40]. Of him the Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said, "If I had taken to myself a beloved friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as my beloved friend; but he is my brother and my companion."
What distinguishes the Naqshbandi school from other Sufi orders was the fact that it took its foundations and principles from the teachings and example of six bright stars in the firmament of the Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him). These great figures were: Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, Salman al-Farisi, Ja'far as-Sadiq, Bayazid Tayfur al-Bistami, Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani, and Muhammad Baha'uddin Uwaysi al-Bukhari, known as Shah Naqshband--the eponymous Imam of the tariqat (May Allah Bless them and keep them in peace).
Behind the word "Naqshband" stand two ideas: naqsh which means "engraving" and suggests engraving the name of Allah in the heart, and bandwhich means "bond" and indicates the link between the individual and his Creator. This means that the Naqshbandi follower has to practice his prayers and obligations according to the Noble Qur'an al-kareem and the Sunnah of the Most Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) and to keep the presence and love of Allah alive in his heart through a personal experience of the link between himself and his Lord.
Besides Sayyadina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), who are these stars in the firmament of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) ? One of them was Hadrat Salman al-Farisi (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu). His origin was Isfahan in Persia and he was the one who advised the Muslims to dig a trench in the battle of Ahzab. After the Muslims seized al-Mada'in, the capital city of Persia, he was made Prince and governor of that city and remained there until his death.
Another star was Hadrat Ja'far as-Sadiq(Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu). A descendant of the Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) on his father's side and of Hadrat Abu Bakr (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) on his mother's, he rejected all positions of honour in favour of retreat and spiritual learning and practice. He was called "The Inheritor of the Prophetic Station (Maqam an-Nubuwwa) and the Inheritor of the Truthful Station (Maqam as-Siddiqiyya).
The oldest recorded occurrence of the term safawas in reference to his student, Jabir ibn ayyan, in the middle of the second Hijri century. He was a mufassir al-Qur'an or master in exegesis, a scholar of hadith, and one of the greatest mujtahids(qualified to give legal decisions) in Madinah. His Tafsir is partially preserved in Sulami's haqa'iq at-tafsir. Layth ibn Sa'd, one of the most reliable transmitters of prophetic traditions, witnessed Hadrat Ja'far's (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) miraculous powers as the latter was able to ask for anything, and God would grant it to him on the spot.
Another star was Hadrat Bayazid Tayfur al-Bistami (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) whose grandfather was a Zoroastrian. Bayazid made a detailed study of the statutes of Islamic law (sharica) and practiced a strict regimen of self-denial. All his life he was assiduous in the practice of his religious obligations. He urged his students (murids) to put their efforts in the hands of God and he encouraged them to accept a sincere and pure doctrine of tawhid, knowledge of the Oneness of God. This doctrine, he said, imposes five obligations on the sincere:
To keep obligations according to the Qur'an and Sunnah;
To always speak the truth;
To keep the heart free from hatred;
To avoid forbidden food (haram);
To shun innovation (bid`a).
Bayazid (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), said that the ultimate goal of the Sufis is to know God in this world, to reach His Divine Presence, and to see Him in the Hereafter. To that effect he added: "There are special servants of Allah who, if Allah veiled them from His vision in Paradise, would have implored Him to bring them out of Paradise as the inhabitants of the Fire implore Him to escape from Hell."
Yet another star in the firmament of the Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) was 'Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani (Radi Allahu anhu), who was born in the village of Ghujdawan, near Bukhara in present-day Uzbekistan. He was raised and buried there. He studied al-Qur'an and the Islamic sciences of both external and internal knowledge until he reached a high station of purity. He then traveled to Damascus where he established a school from which many students graduated and went on to become masters of fiqh and hadith as well as spirituality in their time, both in the regions of Central Asia and in the Middle East.
'Abdul Khaliq (Radi Allahu anhu), continued the work of his predecessors by formulating the dhikr(remembrance of God) passed down from the Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) according to the Sunnah. In his letters he set down the code of conduct (adab) that the students of the Naqshbandiyya were expected to follow.

Imam of Tariqat
Shah Baha'uddin Naqshband

In this constellation, we come finally to Muhammad Bahauddan Uways al-Bukhari (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), known as Shah Naqshband, the Imam of the Naqshbandi Tariqat without peer. He was born in the year 1317 C.E. in the village of Qasr al-'arifan, near Bukhara. After he mastered the shari'ah sciences at the tender age of 18, he kept company with the Shaykh Muhammad Baba as-Samasi (Radi Allahu anhu), who was an authority in hadith in Central Asia. After the latter's death, he followed Shaykh Amir Kulal (Radi Allahu anhu) who continued and perfected his training in the external and the internal knowledge.
The students of Shaykh Amir Kulal (Radi Allahu anhu) used to make dhikr aloud when sitting together in association, and silent dhikr when alone. Hadrat Shah Naqshband (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu), however, although he never criticized nor objected to the loud dhikr, preferred the silent dhikr. Concerning this he says, "There are two methods of dhikr; one is silent and one is loud. I chose the silent one because it is stronger and therefore more preferable." The silent dhikr thus became the distinguishing feature of the Naqshbandiyya among other tariqats.
Shah Naqshband (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) performed Hajj (Pilgrimage) three times, after which he resided in Merv and Bukhara. Towards the end of his life he went back to settle in his native city of Qasr al-'Arifan. His teachings became quoted everywhere and his name was on every tongue. Visitors from far and wide came to see him and to seek his advice. They received teaching in his school and mosque, a complex which at one time accommodated more than five thousand people. This school is the largest Islamic center of learning in Central Asia and still exists in our day. It was recently renovated and reopened after surviving seventy years of Communist rule.
Shah Naqshband's (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) teachings changed the hearts of seekers from darkness to light. He continued to teach his students the knowledge of the Oneness of God in which his precedessors had specialized, emphasizing the realization of the state of ihsan(excellence) for his followers according to the hadith of the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam), "Ihsan is to worship God as if you see Him."
When Shah Naqshband (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) died he was buried in his garden as he requested. The succeeding Kings of Bukhara took care of his school and mosque, expanding them and increasing their religious endowments (awqaf).
Succeeding Shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Tariqat wrote many biographies of Shah Naqshband (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu). Among them are Mascud al-Bukhari and Sharif al-Jarjani, who composed the Awrad Baha' uddan which describes him and his life's works including his fatawa (legal decisions). Shaykh Muhammad Parsa, who died in Madinah in 822 H. (1419 C.E.) wrote Risala Qudsiyya in which he talks of Shah Naqshband's (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) life, his virtues, and his teachings.
Shah Naqshband's (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) literary legacy included many books. Among them are Awrad an-Naqshbandiyyah, the Devotions of Shah Naqshband. Another book is Tanbih al-Ghafilin. A third book is Maslakul Anwar. A fourth is Hadiyyatu-s-Salikan wa Tuhfat at-Talibin. He left many noble expressions praising the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam) and he wrote many legal rulings. One of his opinions was that all the different acts and kinds of worship, whether obligatory or voluntary, were permitted for the seeker in order to reach reality. Prayer, fasting, zakat (paying the poor-tax), mujahadat (striving) and zuhd (self-denial) were emphasized as ways to reach Allah Almighty.
Shah Naqshband (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) built his school on the renewal of the teachings of the Islamic religion. He insisted on the necessity of keeping the Qur'an al-kareem and the teachings of the Sunnah. When they asked him, "What are the requirements of one who follows your way?" he said, "To follow the Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam)." He continued saying: "Our way is a rare one. It keeps the cUrwat ul-Wuthqa, the Unbreakable Bond, and it asks nothing else of its followers but to take hold of the Pure Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and follow the way of the Sahaba (Companions of the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam) in their ijtihad (efforts for Allah).
"The Naqshbandi School is the easiest and simplest way for the student to understand tawhid. It urges its followers to seek a state of complete worship of Allah both publicly and privately by keeping the complete code of conduct of the Prophetic Sunnah. It encourages people to keep to the strictest modes of worship ('azima) and to abandon exemptions (rukhsa). It is also free from all innovations and deviations. It does not demand of its followers perpetual hunger or wakefulness. That is how the Naqshbandiyya has managed to remain free from the excesses of the ignorant and the charlatans (mushacwazan). In sum we say that our way is the mother of all tariqats and the guardian of all spiritual trusts. It is the safest, wisest, and clearest way. It is the purest drinking-station, the most distilled essence. The Naqshbandiyya is innocent from any attack because it keeps the sunnah of the beloved Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam)."
This is a presentation to the general public, by order of Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, fortieth in that Golden Chain of the Naqshbandi Masters, an all-too-brief book filled with the light of these Pure Masters, their aphorisms, their teachings, their way of life, and their examplary saintliness. We hope that it will bring the reader a taste of the lives of these Shaykhs, who light our way to the knowledge of Reality and Truth, to the Love of the Most Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Ta'ala 'alyhi wa Sallam), and to the ultimate goal of all, which is to reach the Divine Presence of our Creator.
"My work is to weep at night in remembering my Beloved;
my sleep is to remain absorbed in thoughts of my Beloved."
"In vain do eyes stay awake if not to behold You.
In vain do tears flow for another than You."
"The lovers die at every moment,
for their dying is not of one kind.
The lover has received two hundred spirits
from the Spirit of Guidance,
and he sacrifices them all at every instant.
For every spirit he receives ten in return
--read the Qur'an al-kareem: Ten the like of it[6:160]."



Qadirya
Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) is Both Hasani and Husayni
The most universally acclaimed saint of all times and the most celebrated in all the aalamin(worlds), among jinn and men as well as among the arwaah (souls), the malaaika (angels), and the rijaal ul ghayb (men of the unseen), the beloved of Allah Ta'ala who throughout history has been showered the titles of Muhiyuddin (reviver of the faith), Qutb Rabbani (the spiritual axis established by the Lord), and Ghawth al-A'zam (the greatest helper, the greatest saint), Sayyadi wa Imami Abu Muhammad Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) was born in Ramadan 470 A.H/1077 C.E in Jilan, Persia.
His father, Abu Salih, was a man of taqwa (piety) and a direct descendant of Sayyidina Imam Hasan ibn Ali (Radi Allahu Anhu). His mother, Ummul Khayr Fatima was a saintly daughter of a saintly father Shaykh Abdullah Sawma'i who was a direct descendant of Sayyad ash-shuhadaa Imam Husayn ibn Ali (Radi Allahu Anhu).
Thus Muhyiddin Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anha)was both Hasani and Husayni, a descendant of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) from his beloved daughter Sayyidatina Fatima az-Zahra (Rady Allahu Anha). For this reason, the Sindhis for example, lovingly call him "putar mithe mahbub jo" (the blessed son of the sweet Beloved Prophet - Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam).
The genealogical roots of Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu Anhu) can be traced to Habib ul-A'zam Sayyaduna Muhammad (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam) as follows:
Gawth al A'zam Sayyadina Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani, son of
As-Sayyad Abu Salih Musa, son of
As-Sayyad Abdallah al-Jili, son of
As-Sayyad Yahya as-Zahid, son of
As-Sayyad Muhammad, son of
As-Sayyad Dawud, son of
As-Sayyad Musa, son of
As-Sayyad Abdallah, son of
As-Sayyad Musa al-Jawn, son of
As-Sayyad Abdallah al-Mahd, son of
As-Sayyad al-Hasan al-Muthanna, son of
Sayyadina al-Imam al-Hasan, Radi Allahu Anhu, son of
Imam ul mashariqi wal magharib, Sayyaduna Ali ibn Abi Talib, (Radi Allahu Anhu),
and of Sayyadatina Fatima az-Zahra, (Radi Allahu Anha) the blessed daughter of
Khaatam an-Nabiyyin Habibi Rabbil aalamin Sayyadina wa Mawlana Muhammad ibn Abdillah, Nurin min Nurillah, Allahumma Salli wa Sallim wa Baarik alayh.
(cited by Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn Shaykh Umar Ali al-Qadiri, in Al-Jawhar un Nafis, The Most Precious Pearls, p. 29).
What better way is there to end this section and indeed all the remaining sections than with this hymn which is full of blessings and mercy of Allah.
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
Yaa Hayyu Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyum
O The Ever-Living, O The Ever-Living, O The Self-Subsisting by whom all subsist
O The Ever-Living, O The Ever-Living, O The Self-Subsisting by whom all subsist

Read more http://www.naqshbandiya.in

Religion centre
http://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/rel ... fghanistan


Best Wishes

On 3 Dec 2015, at 18:07, [email protected]<[email protected]> wrote:

Prince Amyn Aga Khan is the new Non-Resident Personal Representative to Bangladesh of his elder brother Karim Aga Khan.
He presented his credentials to Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Thursday.

The foreign ministry said Ali welcomed him to Bangladesh and felicitated him on his appointment.
He conveyed his appreciation to Aga Khan for the growing interest and involvement of Aga Khan Institutions in sectors that are contributing to institutional development of Bangladesh.
The foreign minister said he looked forward to strengthened relations, recalling the signing of the Agreement of Protocol between Bangladesh and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in September 2013.
Prince Amyn Aga Khan expressed his “personal gratitude” to the government for the accommodation and support extended to the AKDN.
He said the Network planned to “increase its presence” in Bangladesh, having worked here for over five decades in a number of sectors integral to Bangladesh’s development such as early childhood development, pre-tertiary education, and financial services.
They also discussed potential collaboration across wider streams of education, health, culture, tourism, and hospitality sectors in Bangladesh.
Following the presentation of his credentials, Prince Amyn welcomed the State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam to the opening ceremony of the AKDN Office of the Resident Representative in Dhaka.
He said this office opening was both “historic and symbolic”.
“It is historic because it reaffirms His Highness the Aga Khan’s and the AKDN’s continued commitment towards collaboration with the government of Bangladesh and the diplomatic and donor partners,” the foreign ministry said.
Diplomats and representatives of the donor agencies were present, among other, at the ceremony.
http://www.ismaili.net/html/modules.php ... 2529#52529


Best Wishes

[mahebubchatur]

http://instituteofismailistudies.deploy ... 202006.pdf

[kmaherali]

There are related threads:

mosque vs. masjid
http://www.ismaili.net/html/modules.php ... jamatkhana

Masjid and Mosque
http://www.ismaili.net/html/modules.php ... jamatkhana

[dawlatshahchitrali]

http://instituteofismailistudies.deploy ... 202006.pdf

Mr.Chatur,
It looks like you have given sunni version of 4 famous silsilas of sufi order.
It is informative but these have nothing to do with Afghani Ismailis because we have our own Ismaili Tariqa. Though QADIRIYA, CHISTIYA, SUHARWARDIYA, AND NAQSHBANDIYA are sunni sufi sects but they consider Mowla Murtaza Ali their Grand sufi Master and follow spiritual ta'limat of Mowla Ali. Qadri Tariqa is most popular in sunni world but I was told by a missionary saheb that Abdul Qadir Jillani/Gillani saheb was against our Imams, though he himself was a syed from mother and father side.

[dawlatshahchitrali]

It was ABU SA'ID ABUL KHAYR who officially established first Khaniqah or Jamait khana in Nishapur for sufi practice.

[mahebubchatur]

“The word jamatkhana means “the house of the community” and is an amalgamation of the Arabic word jama'a, which means group or community, and the Persian word khana, meaning house. It refers to a place where members of certain Sunni and Shia communities come together for prayers and communal gatherings”. - The Ismaili 24 Sept 2017


“One of the ways in which Ismailis have expressed their identity wherever they have lived is through their places of prayer, known today as the Jamatkhana. Other Muslim communities give their religious buildings different names: from ribat and zawiyya to khanaqa. And, in addition, there are other places where Muslims of all interpretations can come together, such as non-denominational mosques. What we dedicate today is what we identify as an Ismaili Centre – a building that is focused around our Jamatkhana, but which also includes many secular spaces… And soaring above it all is the great crystalline dome that you have observed, through which light from the prayer hall will provide a glowing beacon, symbolising the spirit of enlightenment that will always be at the heart of the Centre’s life.”

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Opening Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, September 12, 2014
Prayer and worship are central concepts in Islam, yet Muslims have always practiced their faith in diverse ways. During the earliest years of Islam, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and the Muslim community living in Mecca had no special place of worship and the arrangements for communal worship were informal. According to a famous hadith, or saying, of the Prophet, the “whole world is a masjid.” Following the Hijra to Medina, specific places of worship began to emerge, such as the courtyard next to the Prophet’s house.

Throughout history, various communities of interpretation of Islam evolved, including the branches of the Shia and Sunni, as well as many Sufi Tariqahs. In addition to the masjid, or mosque, many of these communities developed their own distinctive spaces of gathering in which they performed practices and rituals specific to their Tariqah. Among these diverse spaces is the Jamatkhana.

The word jamatkhana means “the house of the community” and is an amalgamation of the Arabic word jama‘a, which means group or community, and the Persian word khana, meaning house. It refers to a place where members of certain Sunni and Shia communities come together for prayers and communal gatherings. It is commonly associated with the activities of Sufi groups, but has also evolved into the principle space of worship for Shia Ismaili Muslims.

As with other Muslim spaces of gathering, there has been an evolution in both function and form of the Jamatkhanas, reflecting the changing historical and cultural context of these institutions as well as the evolving needs of the community.

The first Ismaili Jamatkhanas were established in South Asia. In the book A Scent of Sandalwood, Aziz Esmail writes that, “Pir Sadardin... is credited with the setting up of the first jamatkhana (communal centre) at Kotdi (in Sind).” In more recent decades, Jamatkhanas have been established in other parts of the world, including Central Asia, East Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and Australia, becoming the principle place of gathering for the Jamat in today’s world.
Jamatkhanas are designated by the Imam of the Time for the use of murids who have given him their bay‘a, or oath of allegiance.

As Mawlana Hazar Imam said at the foundation ceremony of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Khorog, Tajikistan in 2008, “Here, the Jamatkhana will be reserved for traditions and practices specific to the Shia Ismaili tariqah of Islam.”
The Jamatkhana plays a significant role in the lives of the Jamat. We gather as a community to pray together, to build our community, to strengthen our identity, to enable intellectual and social development, and to reinforce our ethics through service. Jamatkhanas can be catalysts for our Jamat's progress, as well as for reaching out to the society around us.

At their heart, Jamatkhanas reflect the core values of the Ismaili community, as Mawlana Hazar Imam emphasized at the foundation ceremony of Dhaka Jamatkhana in 2008:                                                                                          
“We see it as a place of peace and tranquillity, filled with a spirit of humility and prayer. It will not be a place for conceit or self-satisfaction, but rather a place for search and enlightenment. It will be a place where men and women in this pluralist country can help strengthen those common bonds which reflect our common challenges and which will shape our common destiny.”
Below are further resources to learn more about the history of Jamatkhanas:

An Article

http://heritage.ismaili.net/node/1073


1. What Is Shi’a Islam?, Dr. Farhad Daftary and Professor Azim Nanji, The Institute of Ismaili Studies

2. Muslim Spaces of Piety and Worship, Karim Jiwani, The Institute of Ismaili Studies

3. New jamatkhanas opening across Afghanistan seen as catalysts for progress, The Ismaili

4. Glossary, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
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Explore Part 2 - The Ambassadorial Role of Ismaili Centres
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https://the.ismaili/history-jamatkhanas ... gnificance

Another article

One of the ways in which Ismailis have expressed their identity wherever they have lived is through their places of prayer, known today as the Jamatkhana. Other Muslim communities give their religious buildings different names: from ribat and zawiyya to khanaqa. And, in addition, there are other places where Muslims of all interpretations can come together, such as non-denominational mosques.
Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV,
(Toronto Ismaili Centre Opening Ceremony, Toronto, September 12, 2014, Read at NanoWisdoms)

Bay‘ah is the spiritual contract or covenant that every Ismaili Muslim or murid has made with the Ismaili Imam of the Time. Bay‘ah gives the murid the right to access the Imam’s teachings, guidance, blessings, and spiritual medicine, and the Jamatkhanah is the private space where the Imam makes these available to his murids. The bay‘ah, a word which means “buying/selling”, is a two-way contract that includes a commitment from the murid and a commitment from the Imam. Thus, the bay‘ah between the murid and the Imam is a spiritual “transaction” or “contract” in which the murid commits his allegiance, devotion, and obedience (walayah) in exchange for the Imam’s spiritual guidance, intercession, blessings, and purification – in this world and in the afterlife.
You perform bay‘ah, but you must first understand it’s meaning and then offer bay‘ah. When you offer me bay‘ah it means that you extend your hand to me with a promise…He who obeys me and promises to follow me after offering me bay‘ah I also give him my promise that I shall hold his hand in the Hereafter. The trials and tribulations of the Day of Judgment are very frightening and painful. I will keep him away from this.
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III,
(Manjewadi, October 31, 1903, quoted in Kamaluddin Ali, Practices and Ceremonies)

Since bay‘ah is a two-way contract involving both the murid and the Imam, only those who have given bay‘ah to the Imam of the time have access to private discursive spaces and private religious practices offered by the Imam in the Jamatkhanah, while those who do not give this bay‘ah are not privy to them. This only makes logical sense because every single Ismaili ritual practice performed in the Jamatkhanah is an expression and an enactment of the Imam-murid relationship, a relationship that only exists through bay‘ah. The act of bay‘ah indicates that a person accepts the Ismaili Imam as his or her spiritual master and guide and accordingly, only after this acceptance does it become appropriate to access the Imam’s guidance. It simply makes no sense for someone who has not given bay‘ah to participate in the Jamatkhanah practices. Accessing the Jamatkhanah practices without giving bay‘ah to the Imam is similar to walking into a store and stealing products without paying for them, or trying to access prescription drugs from the pharmacy without having the doctor’s prescription.

It is incumbent upon the parents that they should first make their children my murid through the performance of bay‘ah…Those who have not offered bay‘ah they have not signed to accept our faith. Just as you sign on an agreement in your business and in other dealings, similarly, through bay‘ah, I take signature from your soul.
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III,
(Kutch Nagalpur, November 27, 1903)

Bay‘ah as a religious practice goes back to the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad and the Qur’an mentions it in numerous verses (48:10, 16:91, 48:18, and 60:12) in which the believers give bay‘ah to the Prophet Muhammad when they become his followers or reaffirm their loyalty to him. The Qur’an stipulates that the Prophet should only provide guidance, blessings, and intercession to people after they give him their bay‘ah. The Ismailis have continued this Qur’anic protocol of bay‘ah throughout their history:

The custom of meeting in closed sessions, at specially designated places, to learn about and practice their own interpretations of faith, has been part of the Ismaili tradition from pre-Fatimid times. During the Fatimid period, the Ismailis used to participate in majalis al-hikma (sessions of wisdom), which were accessible only to those who had pledged their allegiance to the Imam-of-the-time.
Karim Jiwani, (Muslim Spaces of Piety and Worship, Read at IIS Website)

Meeting in restricted private spaces for learning and worship has been the norm in Ismaili history from the beginning. However, this custom is not an exclusively Ismaili phenomenon; Sufi Muslims throughout the ages have congregated in restricted private spaces for prayer, knowledge discourse, and spiritual practices. Most Sufis require the disciple (murid) to make bay‘ah with the Sufi master (shaykh) in order to participate in certain religious practices:

Naqshbandi Sufis give bay’ah to their Shaykh

Naqshbandi sufis performing the bayah ritual. Urs of Mawlana Cheikh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani in Lefke, Cyprus.
Over the course of many centuries, Sufi tariqas (orders) have multiplied and spread all over the Muslim world, from North Africa to the Indian subcontinent. The spread of these tariqas was accompanied by the construction of specific spaces of gathering and their particular forms and expressions of rituals…Elaborate initiation rituals developed in which the disciple had to pronounce the bay‘ah (oath of allegiance) to the murshid and be invested with symbols of their entrance into the order (e.g., cloak, hat, etc.). As it was common for many Sufi shaykhs to be buried in their ‘place of residence’ (khanaqah), these spaces have become popular pilgrimage sites (ziyarat) to seek barakah and shafa‘a (intercession). Admission to such spaces is usually open to all, but this is not universally true. For instance, khanaqahs of the Suhrawardi Order in India are known to restrict participation to those who have given their bay‘ah, pledge of allegiance, to the pir or shaykh of the Sufi Order. With regard to the issue of the exclusivity of such spaces, Sunni jurists have viewed it to be a matter dependent on custom…Furthermore, in some European and American cities where Sufi tariqahs are emerging and growing, one can find similar institutions (such as zawiyah and khanaqah), often in private, where adherents meet regularly to perform acts of worship that closely resemble tariqah religious practices.
Karim Jiwani, (Muslim Spaces of Piety and Worship, Read at IIS Website)

Sufi Muslim gathering
Similar to the Ismaili Muslims, the Chishti Sufi order in South Asia designates its private spaces of prayer and congregation by the name “Jama‘at-Khanah,” which was usually the residence of the Sufi Chishti Master (shaykh):
The center of activities among the Chishtis was called the jama‘at khāna, literally “the house of gathering.” Unlike the khanqah of Iran and central Asia, which might often be a large establishment supported by endowments, the Chishti jama‘at khana was essentially the residence of the shaykh. Meals were taken there, people slept there, and the basic teaching activities, interviews, and rituals (including sama‘) also took place in central room of the jama‘at khana. Early Chishti masters such as Farid al-Din Ganj-I Shakkar insisted that this was the normal practice of association for the order…Farid al-Din Ganj-i Shakkar’s concept of jama‘at khana was that it be hidden from the people, a retreat rather than a showplace. Nizam al-Din Awliya also maintained a simple jama‘at khāna, and the same organization was followed by Burhan al-Din Gharib and Zayn al-Din Shirazi. The desire for privacy was probably the reason for the selection of Khuldabad, several miles away from the Daulatabad fort, as the site for Burhan al-Din Gharib’s jama‘at khana.
Carl Ernst, (Eternal Garden: Mysticism, History and Politics at a South Asian Sufi Center, 132)

The Sufi private spaces – the ribat, khanaqa, zawiya, etc. – and the Ismaili private space, the Jamatkhanah, are different from the institution of the mosque (masjid). A mosque is a nondenominational space that serves Muslims of the exoteric public domain known as the shari‘ah. Sufi and Ismaili prayer spaces are private denominational spaces and serve specific communities who participate in the esoteric domain of Islam known as tariqah – this is why Ismailism and the Sufi brotherhoods are called “tariqahs” today. Entrance into a tariqah is only by way of the bay‘ah (as explained above).

The Circumference of the Circle is the Shari’ah. The Radius is the Tariqah. The Centre is the Haqiqah.
Tariqah is higher than Shari’ah, and Haqiqah is higher than Tariqah.
The Tarîqah or Spiritual Path which is usually known as Tasawwuf or Sufism is the inner and esoteric dimension of Islam and like the Sharî`ah has its roots in the Quran and prophetic practice. Being the heart of the Islamic message it, like the physical heart, is hidden from external view, although again like the heart it is the inner source of life and the centre which coordinates inwardly the whole religious organism of Islam. The Tarîqah is the most subtle and difficult aspect of Islam to understand at the same time that its external effect is to be seen in many manifestations of Islamic society and civilisation.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, (Ideals and Realities of Islam)

Most importantly, Tariqah-Islam is a higher domain of Truth and practice than Shari‘ah-Islam. This is because Tariqah-Islam is an esoteric spiritual Islam that is explorative whereas Shari‘ah-Islam is an exoteric legal Islam that is prescriptive – so the rules, practices, and norms governing each domain are different. The difference between exoteric legal Islam and esoteric spiritual Islam naturally necessitates separate physical spaces for the people of the Tariqah to practice their forms and levels of Islam. As renowned scholar of Islam, Shahab Ahmed explains:

Those capable of higher truths should have available for them existential spaces where they can meet to discourse and transact and otherwise explore in terms of higher truth. The logic of Revelation necessitates, in other words, separate physical and social domains of public/Seen physical and social space and private/Unseen physical and social space as differentiated spaces for the social elaboration and operation of spatially-differentiated truths and meanings. It cannot be emphasized enough, however, that, as a space for discourse, what I am calling “private discursive space” is very much a social space—that is to say, it is a space not of individual secrecy, but rather a restricted collective space in which for people to gather in private society for discourse (and performance) of Truths not appropriate to unrestricted common and public space and society. As such, it is a sort-of public-private space, or a private-public space. It is, precisely, the communicative space of a more-or-less self-constituting class of persons who mutually recognize the capacity of their peers to entertain and deal with the communication and practice of complex, and often contradictory, exploratory truths.

Thus the act of meaning-making is personal in that it is made in the individual self, public in that it is communicated to others, and private in that it is communicated to a limited and qualified public. This mutual recognition requires, of course, that there be something that makes people mutually recognizable. That something is, by and large, a shared education productive of shared attitudes to the nature of Truth. It is, in other words, “the whole intellectual and spiritual world revealed by education into which an individual is born” that makes the one person recognizable to the other as a partaker in the discourses and practices and meanings…When discourse and actions remain in the space of the private/high/khāṣṣ they are unaffected by the normative truths and values of ʿāmm/lower/public space—and are in that space governed by the normative truths and values of private/high/khāṣṣ space.
Shahab Ahmed, (What is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic, 2015, 378-385)

The Ismaili Jamatkhanah is established by the Imam of the Time as the “House of the Imam” for a specific local Ismaili community. The Qur’an lays out a specific protocol for anyone who wishes to enter into the House of the Prophet or the houses of people in general:

O you who have believed, do not enter the houses of the Prophet except when you are permitted.
– Holy Qur’an 33:53

O ye who believe! enter not houses other than your own, until ye have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order that ye may heed (what is seemly).
– Holy Qur’an 24:27

In conclusion, while the non-denominational masjids or mosques are public places for the rituals of the shari‘ah such as the exoteric namaz (salah), the Ismaili Jamatkhanah is a private space reserved for the practices of the Ismaili Tariqah and therefore only accessible to murids who have given bay‘ah to the Imam.

For many centuries, a prominent feature of the Muslim religious landscape has been the variety of spaces of gathering co-existing harmoniously with the masjid, which in itself has accommodated a range of diverse institutional spaces for educational, social and reflective purposes. Historically serving communities of different interpretations and spiritual affiliations, these spaces have retained their cultural nomenclatures and characteristics, from ribat and zawiyya to khanaqa and jamatkhana. The congregational space incorporated within the Ismaili Centre belongs to the historic category of jamatkhana, an institutional category that also serves a number of sister Sunni and Shia communities, in their respective contexts, in many parts of the world. Here, it will be space reserved for traditions and practices specific to the Shia Ismaili tariqah of Islam.
Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV,
(Ismaili Centre Foundation Stone Ceremony, Dubai, December 13, Read on NanoWisdoms)

https://ismailignosis.com/2016/11/19/wh ... r-prayers/

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Link on wikipedia with some additional references of interest

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jama%27at_Khana

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#Ismaili centres, include the prayer halls -Jamat Khannas JamatKhana, & have a diversity of spaces for social institutional and educational activities- The goal is to actualise inclusion & advancing pluralism within tte community and with - within other neighbouring communities

Links
https://twitter.com/chaturmahebub/statu ... gGVm-9n7FA

https://twitter.com/chaturmahebub/statu ... gGVm-9n7FA

[Admin]

Jamatkhana is not only the prayer hall but the whole space including the space used for social gathering, educational use and other activities. The whole space falls under the jurisdiction of Mukhi/Kamadia. Councils, as administrative body, takes care of the physical building, rent, renovation etc. but the authority for the whole place including the parking belongs to Mukhi Kamadias, not only in prayer hall, the whole place! Sometimes people are confused and think that an administrative body can supersede a spiritual authority.

[swamidada]

Sometimes people are confused and think that an administrative body can supersede a spiritual authority.

Please elaborate the above sentence.

[Admin]

Sometimes people are confused and think that an administrative body can supersede a spiritual authority.

Please elaborate the above sentence.

I was pointing to some places where administrative bodies think they can dictate the size of Juras and Mehmani for example or dictate what would impact conduct of religious ceremonies. For example we had a BK Mukhi who on Imamat Day used to raise the flag with the Jamat and an administrative body ordered him to stop. The administrative body then proceeded to remove the pole so that never again the Ismaili Flag could be hoisted at JK premises. These kind of people who interfere in the prerogative of Mukhis and Kamadias are a black stain on the otherwise excellent work of thousands who work tirelessly in a volunteer manner for the Jamat.

Another example is one Council President was told many years ago to talk to the Jamat about growing opportunities in Eastern Europe and Ismaili businessmen to work together for this. When he was asked if he relayed the message the Council President replied that it was a waste of time talking to the Jamat on these subjects. Hazar Imam told him that then he wanted this person to waste his time talking to the jamat anyway. Later that visit, during Didar he said in his Farman that he was not sure the Council transmit to the Jamat what he tells them to transmit. Of course that part was removed in the printed "official authorised" version however all those present know this happened anyway.

[swamidada]

Sometimes people are confused and think that an administrative body can supersede a spiritual authority.

Please elaborate the above sentence.

Later that visit, during Didar Imam said in his Farman that he was not sure the Council transmit to the Jamat what he tells them to transmit. Of course that part was removed in the printed "official authorised" version however all those present know this happened anyway.

I agree with your above statement.
Years back, in Karachi I asked a top leader, " Why leadership shy to implement Hidayat of Hazar Imam?". The reply was, HE IS NOT GIVING US IN WRITING. HIDAYAT IS VERY SENSITIVE. WE ARE UNABLE TO FACE RAGE OF JAMAIT. I replied humbly, sir if you people have no courage better resign.
ITREB AND IIS are not educating jamaits on sensitive religious issues according to changing times. Result youth and other members of jamaits in frustration are quitting Ismaili Tariqah.

[Admin]

AS RECEIVED:

Announcement regarding the future of Manchester Jamatkhana

We are pleased to inform the Jamat that Mawlana Hazar Imam has most graciously approved the acquisition of a new site for Manchester Jamatkhana, located in Altrincham. The acquisition of the property was completed on Friday 31 March 2023.

On this very happy occasion we would like to convey Mubaraki to the Jamat and offer our humble shukrana to Mawlana Hazar Imam for his grace. We also convey our appreciation to all the many many volunteers and donors who have supported the search and acquisition of the new premises.

To convert the new premises into a conducive Jamatkhana space, we plan to undertake significant refurbishment works, which we estimate may take 12 months to complete. We will keep the Jamat updated on progress.

Prior to the start of the refurbishments, we would like members to have an opportunity to view the premises. We are therefore planning an open day shortly after the completion of Ramadan. Dates for the open day to be confirmed shortly.

With Ya Ali Madad
Manchester Mukhi & Kamadiani

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Mawlana Hazar Imam has remarked that Ismaili Centres have come to be seen as "ambassadorial buildings, which today reflect and illustrate much of what the Shia Ismaili community represents." These centres serve as a bridge between the Ismaili community and the communities where Ismailis live. There are six such buildings around the world, in London, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, Vancouver, and Toronto. Each building is unique both in architectural style as well as functionality. This photo essay depicts the beauty of these buildings, with quotes by Mawlana Hazar Imam on their function and importance TheIsmaili


https://the.ismaili/ismaili-centres/abo ... li-centres

https://the.ismaili/global/ismaili-cent ... -the-world

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Article about Jamat Khannas

http://heritage.ismaili.net/node/1073

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“Unlike non-denominational masjids, or mosques, which are public places, the Jamatkhana is a private space of gathering under the control of the Shia Ismaili Muslim Imam.

The establishment, development and use of the Jamatkhana spaces and the variety of rituals performed in them is based on the authority, prerogative, and guidance of the hereditary Imam of the Time, descended from the Ahl-al Bayt (People of the House) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)”

The Jamatkhana is restricted only to Ismailis during congregational practice times?

“Here, the Jamatkhana will be reserved for traditions and practices specific to the Shia Ismaili tariqah of Islam. The Centre on the other hand, will be a symbol of confluence between the spiritual and the secular in Islam.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre, Khorog, Tajikistan, November 3, 2008
 
Previously, we examined the history and role of Jamatkhanas, the ambassadorial role of the Ismaili Centres, and situated the Jamatkhana within the diversity of Muslim spaces of gathering and worship.
Here, we explore the important and often asked question:
“Why is the prayer space inside the Jamatkhana restricted only to Ismailis during congregational practice times?” 
Like many religious communities and traditions, one important way in which Ismailis have maintained, preserved and transmitted their identity, wherever they have lived, has been through their places of gathering and prayer, including the most widely known space used today, the Jamatkhana.

Unlike non-denominational masjids, or mosques, which are public places, the Jamatkhana is a private space of gathering under the control of the Shia Ismaili Muslim Imam. The establishment, development and use of the Jamatkhana spaces and the variety of rituals performed in them is based on the authority, prerogative, and guidance of the hereditary Imam of the Time, descended from the Ahl-al Bayt (People of the House) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). 

Access to Congregational Worship in Jamatkhanas

A Jamatkhana is designated by the Imam for the use of Ismailis for Tariqah practices. Differentiated as a Tariqah-specific space of worship and gathering, the practices within it are inherently linked to the relationship between the Imam and his murids, or followers, and are thus limited to those who have given their bay‘a, or allegiance, to the Imam of the Time.

The practice of giving bay‘a as an oath of allegiance is rooted in the custom of the Prophet and in several verses of the Qur’an. In many Muslim traditions, it means to offer oneself to a spiritual master in exchange for spiritual knowledge and guidance. For Shia Ismaili Muslims, bay‘a is, “the acceptance of the permanent spiritual bond between the Imam and the murid, uniting all Ismaili Muslims worldwide in their loyalty, devotion and obedience to the Imam within the Islamic concept of universal brotherhood.”

Therefore, the principle of admission to Jamatkhana for congregational worship on the basis of bay‘a to the Imam is one that cannot be compromised.
Throughout history, Ismailis have had private spaces limited to those who have given bay‘a to the Imam. According to the article “Ismaili History” by Dr. Farhad Daftary, during the Fatimid period when the Ismaili Imamat ruled a state based in North Africa and Egypt, “private lectures on Ismaili esoteric doctrine, known as the majalis al-hikma or ‘sessions of wisdom,’ were reserved exclusively for the Ismaili initiates who had already taken the oath of allegiance…”

However, while Tariqah-specific congregational prayers held in the Jamatkhana prayer hall are only for the members of the Ismaili community, many other spaces within Jamatkhana complexes are open to the larger community within which they live. They function as religious, educational and social centres, promoting dialogue, discussion and community building.
Public and Private Spaces of Religious Gathering

The notion of public and private spaces and restricted participation during the performance of specific practices and prayers is not unique to the Ismaili Tariqah and its Jamatkhanas. Beyond Islam, similar restrictions on access to spaces and practices are common across other religious traditions and communities.

For example, in a Synagogue, only members of the Jewish faith are able to participate in all rituals. Similarly, not everyone can enter into Catholic oratories and chapels; nor can everyone enter all the monasteries, nunneries, or retreats of the Jesuits. While Mormon chapels are open to the public, Mormon temples are reserved only for baptized members in good standing. All Buddhist spaces are also not equally accessible to everyone. 

Within Islam, there are many communities of interpretation that also designate certain spaces, times, thresholds, ritual performances and contexts as private and confined to those having provided their bay‘a to the shaykh, murshid or the Imam of that community, particularly those who lean towards an esoteric or batini interpretation of faith, like Ismailis.
Previously, we discussed the Ribat, Zawiya, Tekke and Khanaqah, which are all spaces traditionally associated with Sufi Tariqahs. Some are open to the public and others are reserved for private, Tariqah-specific practices. 
In his article “Muslim Spaces of Piety and Worship,” Karim Jiwani writes,

“Admission to such spaces is usually open to all, but this is not universally true. For instance, khanaqahs of the Suhrawardi Order in India are known to restrict participation to those who have given their bay‘a, pledge of allegiance, to the pir or shaykh of the Sufi Order. With regard to the issue of the exclusivity of such spaces, Sunni jurists have viewed it to be a matter dependent on custom.”

Similar to many diverse practices within and beyond Islam, as Ismailis we also acknowledge that we belong to the larger family of humanity and have non-Ismaili members as part of our families and network of close relations. Therefore, many of our Jamatkhanas, particularly the Ismaili Centres, also include spaces which welcome non-Ismailis to share in our communal home with us. This ethos was emphasized by Mawlana Hazar Imam at the opening of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto in 2014:

“These are places where Ismailis and non-Ismailis, Muslims and non-Muslims, will gather for shared activities — seminars and lectures, recitals and receptions, exhibitions and social events. These meeting halls and lounges, work offices and conference rooms will serve the organisational needs of the Ismaili community. But they will also, we trust, be filled with the sounds of enrichment, dialogue and warm human rapport, as Ismailis and non-Ismailis share their lives in a healthy gregarious spirit!”
Below are further resources to learn more about the congregational practice and privacy:
1. Muslim Spaces of Piety and Worship, Karim Jiwani, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
2. What Is Shi’a Islam?, Dr. Farhad Daftary and Professor Azim Nanji, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
3. Glossary, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
Thank you for visiting this website. In order to improve the quality of the website, please complete a short survey. The data collected will help us to serve you in a more effective and efficient manner. 

https://the.ismaili/jamatkhanas-congreg ... -privacy-0

[mahebubchatur]

Access to Congregational Worship in Jamatkhanas

A Jamatkhana is designated by the Imam for the use of Ismailis for Tariqah practices. Differentiated as a Tariqah-specific space of worship and gathering, the practices within it are inherently linked to the relationship between the Imam and his murids, or followers, and are thus limited to those who have given their bay‘a, or allegiance, to the Imam of the Time.

More about Bayah Bay’a - Allegience http://www.ismaili.net/html/modules.php ... pic&t=9235

[mahebubchatur]

Article

“ One of the ways in which Ismailis have expressed their identity wherever they have lived is through their places of prayer, known today as the Jamatkhana. Other Muslim communities give their religious buildings different names: from ribat and zawiyya to khanaqa. And, in addition, there are other places where Muslims of all interpretations can come together, such as non-denominational mosques.

Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV,
(Toronto Ismaili Centre Opening Ceremony, Toronto, September 12, 2014, Read at NanoWisdoms)

Bay‘ah is the spiritual contract or covenant that every Ismaili Muslim or murid has made with the Ismaili Imam of the Time. Bay‘ah gives the murid the right to access the Imam’s teachings, guidance, blessings, and spiritual medicine, and the Jamatkhanah is the private space where the Imam makes these available to his murids. The bay‘ah, a word which means “buying/selling”, is a two-way contract that includes a commitment from the murid and a commitment from the Imam. Thus, the bay‘ah between the murid and the Imam is a spiritual “transaction” or “contract” in which the murid commits his allegiance, devotion, and obedience (walayah) in exchange for the Imam’s spiritual guidance, intercession, blessings, and purification – in this world and in the afterlife.

You perform bay‘ah, but you must first understand it’s meaning and then offer bay‘ah. When you offer me bay‘ah it means that you extend your hand to me with a promise…He who obeys me and promises to follow me after offering me bay‘ah I also give him my promise that I shall hold his hand in the Hereafter. The trials and tribulations of the Day of Judgment are very frightening and painful. I will keep him away from this.

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III,
(Manjewadi, October 31, 1903, quoted in Kamaluddin Ali, Practices and Ceremonies)

Since bay‘ah is a two-way contract involving both the murid and the Imam, only those who have given bay‘ah to the Imam of the time have access to private discursive spaces and private religious practices offered by the Imam in the Jamatkhanah, while those who do not give this bay‘ah are not privy to them. This only makes logical sense because every single Ismaili ritual practice performed in the Jamatkhanah is an expression and an enactment of the Imam-murid relationship, a relationship that only exists through bay‘ah. The act of bay‘ah indicates that a person accepts the Ismaili Imam as his or her spiritual master and guide and accordingly, only after this acceptance does it become appropriate to access the Imam’s guidance. It simply makes no sense for someone who has not given bay‘ah to participate in the Jamatkhanah practices. Accessing the Jamatkhanah practices without giving bay‘ah to the Imam is similar to walking into a store and stealing products without paying for them, or trying to access prescription drugs from the pharmacy without having the doctor’s prescription.

It is incumbent upon the parents that they should first make their children my murid through the performance of bay‘ah…Those who have not offered bay‘ah they have not signed to accept our faith. Just as you sign on an agreement in your business and in other dealings, similarly, through bay‘ah, I take signature from your soul.

Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III,
(Kutch Nagalpur, November 27, 1903)

Bay‘ah as a religious practice goes back to the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad and the Qur’an mentions it in numerous verses (48:10, 16:91, 48:18, and 60:12) in which the believers give bay‘ah to the Prophet Muhammad when they become his followers or reaffirm their loyalty to him. The Qur’an stipulates that the Prophet should only provide guidance, blessings, and intercession to people after they give him their bay‘ah. The Ismailis have continued this Qur’anic protocol of bay‘ah throughout their history:

muslim-harji-ismaili-prayer-houses_18_b6eb2c

The custom of meeting in closed sessions, at specially designated places, to learn about and practice their own interpretations of faith, has been part of the Ismaili tradition from pre-Fatimid times. During the Fatimid period, the Ismailis used to participate in majalis al-hikma (sessions of wisdom), which were accessible only to those who had pledged their allegiance to the Imam-of-the-time.

Karim Jiwani, (Muslim Spaces of Piety and Worship, Read at IIS Website)

Meeting in restricted private spaces for learning and worship has been the norm in Ismaili history from the beginning. However, this custom is not an exclusively Ismaili phenomenon; Sufi Muslims throughout the ages have congregated in restricted private spaces for prayer, knowledge discourse, and spiritual practices. Most Sufis require the disciple (murid) to make bay‘ah with the Sufi master (shaykh) in order to participate in certain religious practices:

Naqshbandi Sufis give bay'ah to their Shaykh
Naqshbandi Sufis give bay’ah to their Shaykh
Naqshbandi sufis performing the bayah ritual. Urs of Mawlana Cheikh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani in Lefke, Cyprus.
Naqshbandi sufis performing the bayah ritual. Urs of Mawlana Cheikh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani in Lefke, Cyprus.
Over the course of many centuries, Sufi tariqas (orders) have multiplied and spread all over the Muslim world, from North Africa to the Indian subcontinent. The spread of these tariqas was accompanied by the construction of specific spaces of gathering and their particular forms and expressions of rituals…Elaborate initiation rituals developed in which the disciple had to pronounce the bay‘ah (oath of allegiance) to the murshid and be invested with symbols of their entrance into the order (e.g., cloak, hat, etc.). As it was common for many Sufi shaykhs to be buried in their ‘place of residence’ (khanaqah), these spaces have become popular pilgrimage sites (ziyarat) to seek barakah and shafa‘a (intercession). Admission to such spaces is usually open to all, but this is not universally true. For instance, khanaqahs of the Suhrawardi Order in India are known to restrict participation to those who have given their bay‘ah, pledge of allegiance, to the pir or shaykh of the Sufi Order. With regard to the issue of the exclusivity of such spaces, Sunni jurists have viewed it to be a matter dependent on custom…Furthermore, in some European and American cities where Sufi tariqahs are emerging and growing, one can find similar institutions (such as zawiyah and khanaqah), often in private, where adherents meet regularly to perform acts of worship that closely resemble tariqah religious practices.

Karim Jiwani, (Muslim Spaces of Piety and Worship, Read at IIS Website)

Sufi Muslim gathering
Sufi Muslim gathering
Similar to the Ismaili Muslims, the Chishti Sufi order in South Asia designates its private spaces of prayer and congregation by the name “Jama‘at-Khanah,” which was usually the residence of the Sufi Chishti Master (shaykh):

The center of activities among the Chishtis was called the jama‘at khāna, literally “the house of gathering.” Unlike the khanqah of Iran and central Asia, which might often be a large establishment supported by endowments, the Chishti jama‘at khana was essentially the residence of the shaykh. Meals were taken there, people slept there, and the basic teaching activities, interviews, and rituals (including sama‘) also took place in central room of the jama‘at khana. Early Chishti masters such as Farid al-Din Ganj-I Shakkar insisted that this was the normal practice of association for the order…Farid al-Din Ganj-i Shakkar’s concept of jama‘at khana was that it be hidden from the people, a retreat rather than a showplace. Nizam al-Din Awliya also maintained a simple jama‘at khāna, and the same organization was followed by Burhan al-Din Gharib and Zayn al-Din Shirazi. The desire for privacy was probably the reason for the selection of Khuldabad, several miles away from the Daulatabad fort, as the site for Burhan al-Din Gharib’s jama‘at khana.

Carl Ernst, (Eternal Garden: Mysticism, History and Politics at a South Asian Sufi Center, 132)

The Sufi private spaces – the ribat, khanaqa, zawiya, etc. – and the Ismaili private space, the Jamatkhanah, are different from the institution of the mosque (masjid). A mosque is a nondenominational space that serves Muslims of the exoteric public domain known as the shari‘ah. Sufi and Ismaili prayer spaces are private denominational spaces and serve specific communities who participate in the esoteric domain of Islam known as tariqah – this is why Ismailism and the Sufi brotherhoods are called “tariqahs” today. Entrance into a tariqah is only by way of the bay‘ah (as explained above).

The Circumference of the Circle is the Shari'ah. The Radius is the Tariqah. The Centre is the Haqiqah. Tariqah is higher than Shari'ah, and Haqiqah is higher than Tariqah.
The Circumference of the Circle is the Shari’ah. The Radius is the Tariqah. The Centre is the Haqiqah.
Tariqah is higher than Shari’ah, and Haqiqah is higher than Tariqah.
The Tarîqah or Spiritual Path which is usually known as Tasawwuf or Sufism is the inner and esoteric dimension of Islam and like the Sharî`ah has its roots in the Quran and prophetic practice. Being the heart of the Islamic message it, like the physical heart, is hidden from external view, although again like the heart it is the inner source of life and the centre which coordinates inwardly the whole religious organism of Islam. The Tarîqah is the most subtle and difficult aspect of Islam to understand at the same time that its external effect is to be seen in many manifestations of Islamic society and civilisation.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, (Ideals and Realities of Islam)

Most importantly, Tariqah-Islam is a higher domain of Truth and practice than Shari‘ah-Islam. This is because Tariqah-Islam is an esoteric spiritual Islam that is explorative whereas Shari‘ah-Islam is an exoteric legal Islam that is prescriptive – so the rules, practices, and norms governing each domain are different. The difference between exoteric legal Islam and esoteric spiritual Islam naturally necessitates separate physical spaces for the people of the Tariqah to practice their forms and levels of Islam. As renowned scholar of Islam, Shahab Ahmed explains:

muslim-harji-ismaili-prayer-houses_15_b6eb2c

Those capable of higher truths should have available for them existential spaces where they can meet to discourse and transact and otherwise explore in terms of higher truth. The logic of Revelation necessitates, in other words, separate physical and social domains of public/Seen physical and social space and private/Unseen physical and social space as differentiated spaces for the social elaboration and operation of spatially-differentiated truths and meanings. It cannot be emphasized enough, however, that, as a space for discourse, what I am calling “private discursive space” is very much a social space—that is to say, it is a space not of individual secrecy, but rather a restricted collective space in which for people to gather in private society for discourse (and performance) of Truths not appropriate to unrestricted common and public space and society. As such, it is a sort-of public-private space, or a private-public space. It is, precisely, the communicative space of a more-or-less self-constituting class of persons who mutually recognize the capacity of their peers to entertain and deal with the communication and practice of complex, and often contradictory, exploratory truths. Thus the act of meaning-making is personal in that it is made in the individual self, public in that it is communicated to others, and private in that it is communicated to a limited and qualified public. This mutual recognition requires, of course, that there be something that makes people mutually recognizable. That something is, by and large, a shared education productive of shared attitudes to the nature of Truth. It is, in other words, “the whole intellectual and spiritual world revealed by education into which an individual is born” that makes the one person recognizable to the other as a partaker in the discourses and practices and meanings…When discourse and actions remain in the space of the private/high/khāṣṣ they are unaffected by the normative truths and values of ʿāmm/lower/public space—and are in that space governed by the normative truths and values of private/high/khāṣṣ space.

Shahab Ahmed, (What is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic, 2015, 378-385)

The Ismaili Jamatkhanah is established by the Imam of the Time as the “House of the Imam” for a specific local Ismaili community. The Qur’an lays out a specific protocol for anyone who wishes to enter into the House of the Prophet or the houses of people in general:

O you who have believed, do not enter the houses of the Prophet except when you are permitted.
– Holy Qur’an 33:53

O ye who believe! enter not houses other than your own, until ye have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order that ye may heed (what is seemly).
– Holy Qur’an 24:27

In conclusion, while the non-denominational masjids or mosques are public places for the rituals of the shari‘ah such as the exoteric namaz (salah), the Ismaili Jamatkhanah is a private space reserved for the practices of the Ismaili Tariqah and therefore only accessible to murids who have given bay‘ah to the Imam.

For many centuries, a prominent feature of the Muslim religious landscape has been the variety of spaces of gathering co-existing harmoniously with the masjid, which in itself has accommodated a range of diverse institutional spaces for educational, social and reflective purposes. Historically serving communities of different interpretations and spiritual affiliations, these spaces have retained their cultural nomenclatures and characteristics, from ribat and zawiyya to khanaqa and jamatkhana. The congregational space incorporated within the Ismaili Centre belongs to the historic category of jamatkhana, an institutional category that also serves a number of sister Sunni and Shia communities, in their respective contexts, in many parts of the world. Here, it will be space reserved for traditions and practices specific to the Shia Ismaili tariqah of Islam.

Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV,
(Ismaili Centre Foundation Stone Ceremony, Dubai, December 13, Read on NanoWisdoms)

Link
https://ismailignosis.com/2016/11/19/wh ... r-prayers/

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Jamat Khannas cannot be established used or closed without a Farman after a full presentation to Hazar Imam of the correct facts consultations research & reports.

“ the Jamatkhana is a private Tariqah specific space of gathering under the authority of the Imam of the time. The establishment, development, and usage of the Jamatkhana spaces and the variety of rituals performed in them is the sole prerogative of Mawlana Hazar Imam. The Ismaili Constitution defines Jamatkhana as “a place designated as such by Mawlana Hazar Imam for the use of Ismailis for Tariqah Practices”


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“ Jamatkhanas as tariqa spaces

The jamatkhana, meaning “house of the community,” is among the different types of spaces of worship and gathering used by Muslim communities around the world.

Ismaili jamatkhanas are private tariqa spaces. Tariqa is an Arabic word meaning “path” and refers to a path to spiritual enlightenment and union with God. Tariqas are communities of Muslims that follow a path guided by a spiritual leader, such as a Shia Imam or a Sufi murshid. They guide their community’s interpretation and practice of the Islamic faith as part of an inward search for spiritual enlightenment. The Imam-of-the-Time has the sole authority to determine Ismaili tariqa practices in jamatkhana at any time.

Ismaili practices in jamatkhanas are expressions of the spiritual bond between the Imam and his followers, as conveyed in the bay‘a that each Ismaili pledges to the Imam-of-the-Time. Ismailis reaffirm their bay‘a daily in various prayers and jamatkhana practices.

Those who do not pledge their allegiance to the Ismaili Imam are not able to participate in formal congregational prayers and rituals. If they were present, they could only be spectators, which would compromise the private nature of such practices.

Public and private spaces

Just as we keep our homes and families private, religious communities that see themselves as a large family may also seek privacy to allow their members to perform prayers and rituals without the intrusion of spectators. Many religious communities have boundaries between public and private, in which participation in certain spaces, practices, and prayers are restricted to members who are formally initiated into that particular community.

Outside of formal prayer times, many Ismaili jamatkhanas, particularly the Ismaili Centres, welcome multi-faith family members and members of wider society to participate in educational, cultural, and social programmes. This is part of an effort by Ismailis to build bridges with wider society. (TheIsmaili)

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New Jamat Khanna to be built oin Quebec Canada
Post 23 Mar 2024 08:55 am

Aga Khan Foundation Canada is seeking for donations for a new Jamat Khanna to be built in Canada (with artist impressions)

A request has been made to AKF DJI and Council to confirm if the Jamat Khanna and designs have been authorised & approved by Hazar Imam ?
If so to confirm, & provide copies of the related reports to, and Farmans from Hazar Imam regarding this Jamat Khana. Not received so far.

AKF Global and AKF Nationally are the constitutional entities of the Ismaili community. Jamat Khannas and properties are registered in their names and managed nationally and globally by them and national committees who include the Aga Khan Ismaili Councils - President and members of the Council. Ismaili Constitution viewtopic.php?p=70893&sid=d252af5f1a662 ... 3cc#p70893


“ LAVAL JAMATKHANA”
A MAGNIFICENT NEW JAMATKHANA IN QUEBEC.

To Be Built under the New Jamatkhana Development Fund

We invite you to participate in this historic milestone and create a legacy for generations to come. All donations made to the Laval Jamatkhana Development Fund are tax deductible. Please click the button below to be redirected or go to the AKFC (Aga Khan Foundation Canada ) web page where donations can be made.

Bringing together Islamic traditions of the past with a bold vision for the future, this new Jamatkhana will embrace a spirit of openness, inclusion, and dialogue, helping to build bridges of understanding.

The following renderings share the vision for Laval Jamatkhana, creating innovative, empowering Islamic architecture that honours the past while embracing the future.

Advertising on social media https://www.facebook.com/share/p/E9eAkP ... tid=WC7FNe

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By Dr Khalil Andani

https://youtu.be/cgRhfHMdTJs?si=KOiXuT0C1XfM18wZ

Both Sunni and Shia Muslims believe in intercession. Believers ask those considered close to God to intercede with the Lord on their behalf.
Many religious communities around the world, including both Sunni and Shia Muslims, believe in the concept of intercession, which means to plead or intervene on behalf of another. Believers ask those who are considered close to God to intercede with the Lord on their behalf.
In the Shia interpretation of Islam, Allah commanded Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) to appoint Hazrat Ali (peace be upon him) as his successor, and the first in a line of hereditary Imams. The Shia extend the Prophet’s role as intercessor to the Imams descended from him. They therefore invoke the names of Prophet Muhammad, Hazrat Ali, the Imams and other members of the Prophet’s family in their devotional practices and prayers.
Seeking intercession does not mean equating the Prophet or the Imams to God. All Muslims, including Shia Ismailis, believe in the oneness of God (tawhid) as professed in the first part of the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith: la ilaha illa-llah, which means “there is no god but Allah.”
Intercession in Islamic Traditions
In the following verse from the Holy Qur’an, the Prophet is described as having the authority to seek forgiveness for those who had made mistakes:
And if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come to you [Prophet] and asked forgiveness of Allah, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Forgiving, Merciful. (Qur’an 4:64)
According to one hadith, the Prophet suggested to a blind man that he offer the following prayer, seeking God’s help through the intercession of the Prophet:
O Allah, I turn towards You through Your Messenger, the conveyor of Your mercy. O Muhammad, I turn to my Lord through you so that He may grant me what I need…
Based on these traditions, many Muslims throughout history have believed in the intercession of Prophet Muhammad. Shia Ismailis and Ithna’asharis invoke the names of the Prophet and their Imams in prayers and devotional practices to seek help from God.
Sometimes, prayers for help or easing of difficulties (mushkil asan) are addressed directly to the Prophet or Imams. This is based on the understanding that all help and support comes from God, but often that grace is channelled through others.
During an interview in 1985 for Thames TV, His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Ismaili Imam, had the following to say:
Andrew Gardner: One of the myths surrounding you is that some people in the West think of you as a living god. Not only is that not true, it is also blasphemous.
Aga Khan: Absolutely. I mean, as you know the faith of Islam was revealed at a time when the Arabian continent was idolatrous, and idolatry – all forms of idolatry – are totally prohibited by Islam. It is certainly true to say that the Western world doesn’t necessarily understand the theology of Shi‘ism, nor indeed the theology of many mystical sects, whether they are Shia or Sunni or Christian. Mysticism, in its essence, is difficult.
Sources
1. Wensinck, A.J., Gimaret, D. and Schimmel, Annemarie, “S̲h̲afāʿa”, in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs.
2. Nanji, Azim. The Penguin Dictionary of Islam. London and New York: Penguin Books, 2008.
3. Faith and Practice in Islamic Traditions, vol. 1 (Student Reader). London: Islamic Publications Limited for The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2015.
4. His Highness the Aga Khan, “Aga Khan – Talking Personally,” interview by Andrew Gardner, Thames TV, June 5, 1985.

TheIsmaili
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5f9vJVI ... BtNW52ZA==

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The Ismaili Centre, with its prayer hall Jamat Khanna at the core, is a physical embodiment of the Ismaili community’s pluralism values and traditions. The prayer hall is not merely a space for worship; it is the heart from which the Centre’s lifeblood flows, nourishing the various social and cultural spaces that surround it.

Without the Jamat Khanna prayer hall, there would not be an Ismaili Centre and it would not have its essence, much like a tree without its roots.

The Jamat Khanna also serves as a sanctuary where spirituality and community converge, offering a place of solace and reflection. It is here that the community gathers to observe congregational religious practices, reaffirming their faith and shared identity. The centrality of the prayer hall underscores its significance—

it is the primary reason for the Centre’s existence, around which all other activities revolve.

In essence, the prayer hall is the cornerstone of the Ismaili Centre. It is a sacred space that fosters unity, supports the community’s spiritual growth, and anchors the Centre’s multifaceted role in promoting cultural, educational, and social development.

Without the prayer hall, the Ismaili Centre would not fulfill its purpose as a beacon of knowledge, faith, harmony and pluralism of Ismailis and the communities they live with
More at viewtopic.php?p=76663#p76663

viewtopic.php?p=76663#p76663

viewtopic.php?p=75569#p75569

[mahebubchatur]

Jamat Khannas cannot be established used or closed without a Farman after a full presentation to Hazar Imam of the correct facts consultations research & reports.

“ the Jamatkhana is a private Tariqah specific space of gathering under the authority of the Imam of the time. The establishment, development, and usage of the Jamatkhana spaces and the variety of rituals performed in them is the sole prerogative of Mawlana Hazar Imam. The Ismaili Constitution defines Jamatkhana as “a place designated as such by Mawlana Hazar Imam for the use of Ismailis for Tariqah Practices”


https://x.com/chaturmahebub/status/1702 ... hqfO552USg

Mowlana Hazar Imam
"The Ismaili Community has sought to create a building here which is both Islamic in its architectural inspiration and of a quality to enhance the overall distinction of Burnaby.

The Jamat-Khana is designed to be a social and cultural centre, as well as a place of congregation. It expresses the Ismailis' desire to give of their best to the cultural and economic fabric of Canada. They are proud that it symbolizes their commitment both to this country's future and to their ancient heritage. Nor is there any dichotomy in this dual aim. Muslims believe their faith is not for one time, but for all times and so there cannot be conflict between tradition and modernity."

SPEECH: http://ismaili.net/speech/s850823.html


LINK: http://heritage.ismaili.net/node/27516

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What is pluralism & why
viewtopic.php?p=75901#p75901

Role and Authority of Imam - Aga Khan
http://www.ismaili.net/html/modules.php ... pic&t=9224

[kmaherali]

There is a related thread: Jamatkhana Architecture: viewtopic.php?t=6501