Holy Du'ā is the mandatory Nizari Ismaili prayer read three times a day, at dawn, midday and evening. Only Nizari Ismailis are permitted to enter the Jamatkhana in order to perform the Holy Du'a, however it can be performed in one's home. Holy Du'a consists of 18 Raka'ahs as opposed to the 17 of Sunni or Ithna'ashari Salah. It can be said facing any direction as God is said to not be confined to any one place. Whilst Du'a is being recited in the Jamatkhana the row of religious leaders (Mukhi/Mukhani and Kamada/Kamadi) face the congregation, and the whole du'a is said in either a sitting down position or in prostration (during which one recites "Allahumma laka sujoodi wa ta'ati" :"Oh Allah, to you is my prostration"). Tasbih is used at various points during the Du'a and is kept in front of the person during the remainder of the Du'a. At the end of prayers one turns to one's neighbour and says "Shah jo Deedar" (may you see the lord). A major difference with other forms of Islamic prayer is that a male or female of any age who knows their Du'a may lead the ceremony, this emphasises the utter equality of male and female in Nizari Ismailism. Since 1956 Holy Du'a has been recited in Arabic, prior to that it was in one's mother tongue, Aga Khan III changed this at that time and the current Aga Khan IV has maintained this. Towards the end of the Du'a a list of all the Nizari Ismaili Imams is read beginning with Ali and ending with the current Imam. All Imams are believed to be incarnations of Ali, therefore the present Imam is called the "Ali of our time". Holy Du'a part one - Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim (in the name of God, the most Beneficient, the most Merciful)
- Surat ul-Fatiha
- Sajada wajhi ilayka wa tawak kaltu alayka, minka quwwati wa anti ismati ya rabb al 'alamin (I prostrate before thee and I rely upon thee, from thee is my strength and thou art my protection, O lord of the worlds)
- Salwat upon Muhammad, Ali, the Imams, and upon the Aga Khan, presently Aga Khan IV, who is referred to in Du'a as Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni (our Lord the King Karim al-Husayni)
- The person prostrates and says "Allahumma laka sujudi wa ta'ati" (O Allah to Thee is my prostration and obedience)
Holy Du'a part two - Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
- Surat un-Nisa Ayah 59
- Person raises their hands in invocation saying "Allahumma ya Mawlana anta s-salam wa minkas salam, wa ilayka yarji'us salam, hayyina rabbana bis salam, wa adkhilna dar as salaam. Tabarakta rabbana wa ta'alayta, ya dhal jalali wal ikran. Allahumma ya mawlana minka madadi wa 'alayka mu'tamadi; iyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in, ya Ali bilutfika adrikni, La ilaha il Allahu, Muhammadur Rasulullah, Aliyun Amirul Mu'minin, Aliyullah Mawlana Shah Karimul Husayni al imam hadirul mawjud" (O Allah, O our Lord, thou art peace and from thee is the peace, and to thee returns the peace. O our Lord give us a life of peace and usher us into the abode of peace, Blessed art thou, our Lord, the Most High, O the Lord of Majesty and Reverence. O Allah our Lord, from thee is my help and upon thee is my reliance, Thee alone we worship and from thee alone we seek support. O Ali help me with thy kindness. There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, Ali, the master of the believers is of God. Our Lord the King Karim al-Husayni is our present living Imam)
- In prostration the person says "Allahumma laka sujudi wa ta'ati"
Holy Du'a part three - Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
- Surah Ma'ida Ayah 67.
- La ilaha illallahul hayul qayyum, La ilaha ilallahul malikul haqq ul mubin, La ilaha ilallahul malikul haqq ul yaqin, La ilaha ilallahu maliku yawm iddin. (there is no god but Allah, the sovereign, the Ultimate Truth, the Evident, there is no god but Allah, the sovereign, the Ultimate Truth, the certainty, there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Day of Judgment)
- La fata ila Ali, la sayfa ila Dhulfiqar. Tawas salu indal masayibi, bi Mawlakumil Hadiril Mawjud, Shah Karim al -Husayni. (There is no hero except Ali, there is no sword except (his sword) the Dhulfiqar. Seek at the time of difficulties, the help of your Lord, the present living King, Karim al-Husayni)
- In prostration the person says "Allahumma laka sujudi wa ta'ati"
Holy Du'a part four - Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
- Surah Fatah Ayah 10.
- Allahumma maghfir lana dhunubana, warzuqna warhamna bihaqqi rasulikal muqar rabin. Wa a'immatikal mutahharin wa bihaqqi Mawlana wa Imamina, Shah Karim ul-Husayni. (O Allah, forgive us our sins, and give us our bread, and have mercy upon us, in the name of Thy closest messengers and thy Holy Imams, and in the name of our Lord and our Imam, the King, Karim al-Husayni)
- In prostration the person says "Allahumma laka sujudi wa ta'ati"
Holy Du'a part five - Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
- Surah Anfal Ayah 27.
- Raising hands in invocation, the person says "Rabbanaghfir lana dhunubana, wa sahhil umurana, warzuqna warhamna, innaka ala kulli shayin qadir" (O our Lord, forgive us our sins and make our tasks easy, and give us our bread, and have mercy upon us, thou art the Omnipotent)
- Picking up the Tasbih the person says "Ya Ali Ya Muhammad, Ya Muhammad Ya Ali" (O Ali, O Muhammad, O Muhammad, O Ali)
- Raising hands in invocation the person says "Ya Imamaz Zaman, Ya Mawlana, anta quwwati wa anta sanadi, wa alaykat tikali, Ya hadir ya Mawjud, Ya Shah Karim ul-Husayni, antal Imamul Haqqul Mubin" (O Imam of the time, O our Lord, Thou art my strength and thou art my support and on thee I rely. O present O living, O King, Karim al-Husayni, thou art the true manifest Imam)
- In prostration the person says "Allahumma laka sujudi wa ta'ati"
Holy Du'a part six - Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
- Surat ul-Ikhlas
- Allahumma bihaqqi Muhammadinil Mustafa wa Aliyyinil Murtada wa Fatimat az-Zahra, wal Hasani wal Hussayn (O Allah in the name of Muhammad the chosen, and Ali the favourite, and Fatima the radiant, and Hasan and Hussayn)
- Allahumma bihaqqi
- The 48 previous Nizari Imams are listed starting with "Mawlana Ali", finishing with "Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah".
- Raising hands in invocation the person says "Wa bihaqqi Mawlana wa Imaminal Hadiril Mawjud Shah Karim al-Husayni irhamna waghfir lana innaka ala kulli shayin qadir, wal hamdu lillahi rabbil 'alamin" (And in the name of our Lord and our present living Imam the King Karim Al-Husayni, have mercy on us and forgive us our sins. Verily thou art the Omnipotent and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds)
- While joining hands with the person next to them, the person says "Shah jo Deedar" (May you be blessed with the vision of our Lord)
- In prostration the person says "Allahumma laka sujudi wa ta'ati".
[edit] References - Khan IV, Aga. Holy Du'a English text with translation. HH Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismailia Association for Canada.
- Ali Muhammad, Kamaluddin; Zarina Kamaluddin (translator) (2008). Practices and Ceremonies. Ismaili Tariqah Board.
[edit] External links - [1] Site for learning Holy Du'a
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