Gulshan Khakee вЂ“ one of the IsmДЃКїД«lД« pioneers of Ginanic research, who graduated in teacher training in Nairobi where she taught at the Aga Khan Girls School and at the Kenya High School. One such speech by Al-Waez Rai AbЕ« Aly in Toronto JamвЂ™ДЃtkhДЃna on Das Avatar is below: IsmДЃКїД«lД« missionaries have taught DaЕ› ДЃvatДЃr (daЕ›ДЃvatДЃra) through many sermons in JamвЂ™ДЃtkhДЃnas across the world.

Enthoven (Bombay: Government Central Press, 1921), 5. вЂњA curious custom followed on the approach of death is that of samarchanta or the sprinkling of holy water to the reading of Das-Avatar.вЂќ вЂњKojaвЂќ in The Tribes and Castes of Bombay Vol. When that chapter is commenced, the congregation of the people rises and remains standing till it is concluded, making profound reverences whenever the reader pronounces the name of the вЂMost Holy AliвЂ™ (Mowla Motizir Ali).вЂќ Justice Arnould, Bombay High Court Reports, 358-360ДЄlso, in EnthovenвЂ™s entry on вЂњKojahвЂќ in 1921 he explains that: вЂњWhen the book is read in the jamatkhana of the khojas, it is the tenth chapter (as appears in the evidence) which is along now-a-Дays seriously attended to. This fact is also proven from the Bombay High Court documents when Justice Arnould noted that both parties agreed that Dasavatar was вЂњinvariably read over khojas who are at the point of deathвЂќ and therefore concluded it was the text of вЂњreligious observanceвЂќ among Khojas.

The verses of вЂњDas AvatarвЂќ communicate that listening to this ginДЃn rewards the listener with eternal salvation. Until the 1960s, the verses from вЂњDas AvatarвЂќ were invariably recited during the final moments of a dying Ismaili and thereafter at funeral ceremonies. Recitation of Das Avatar over Deceased Ismailis The book of вЂњDas AvatarвЂќ in Gujrati and English, published by the religious institutions of the Aga Khan, was sold throughout the world. The recitation of a ginДЃn called DaЕ› ДЃvatДЃr (daЕ›ДЃvatДЃra) by an upstanding congregation, once a month on chДЃndrДЃt, used to be a ritual strictly observed in all the IsmДЃКїД«lД« JamвЂ™ДЃtkhДЃnas of the world. Here is a link for to that duвЂ™ДЃ used in the 1950s: Khoja IsmДЃКїД«lД«s living in India and Africa recited in their duвЂ™ДЃ the names of all the major and minor incarnations of Vishnu, the names of characters from the Hindu scriptures and epic tales. Das Avatar in the old Ismaili Dua (prayer) Official court record from Bombay High Court website: He set forth the argument that DasavatДЃr was an IsmДЃКїД«lД« text that facilitated the conversion of the Khojas, and in doing so, confirmed a theological link between the Khojas and the Aga Khan.ДЄfter reviewing the history of the community, Justice Arnould gave a definitive and detailed judgement against the plaintiffs and in favor of Aga Khan. The hearing lasted several weeks, and included testimony from Aga Khan I himself. The case, commonly referred to as the Aga Khan Case, was heard by Sir Joseph Arnould. It was in 1866, that a group of Khojas filed a suit against Aga Khan, claiming that the Khojas had been Sunni Muslims from the very beginning and the Aga Khan had no authority over them or over the Khoja community property. Aga Khan approved Das Avatar and presented it in Bombay High Court

These court papers are preserved at the official website of the Bombay High Court and can be retrieved for any IsmДЃКїД«lД« brother or sister to see, read and decide for themselves.

Before any IsmДЃКїД«lД« starts dismissing DaЕ› ДЃvatДЃr (daЕ›ДЃvatДЃra) or ШЇШі Ш§Щ€ШЄШ§Ш±, and saying that it is not approved by the IsmДЃКїД«lД« ImДЃm, it should be known that DaЕ› ДЃvatДЃr was presented by the first Aga Khan, бё¤asan вЂAlД« ShДЃh himself in the Bombay High Court as evidence of his authority over the Khojas and the Khoja community property.

Ismaili dua part 6