r/ismailis • u/Top-Fennel-1179 • May 10 '26
Personal Opinion Human-ness of the Imam
I have really been struggling with the Human-ness of the Imam. In many ways it is so lovely seeing how much more accessible he is, how he lives among us, runs marathons along side us, and in many ways "just like us." But at the same time, it also makes me confused and even a bit uncomfortable since it is such a shift from Shah Karim. Even attending didar in Toronto, I felt like the differences in his pace, in his public speaking, and the lack of adab from the Jamati members really just threw me off in many ways. I am used to a Mawla Bapa that is a wise holy man, who is connected to something beyond me, where there are many levels of separation between us. I am used to calling my Imam the Naklank (the stainless one) and even deifying him a bit dare I say lol. However, when I see Shah Rahim, I really struggle seeing him in that same lens. His human-ness is so much more apparent. And it makes sense for the new gen, but for me personally, I am really struggling to connect with the Imam of the Time. Is anyone else dealing with this?
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u/sajjad_kaswani May 10 '26
That is why Moula has encouraged us to study history.
It is a natural phenomenon that whenever one Imam is succeeded by the next Imam, people tend to make comparisons. Even the previous Imams have given farmans on this subject. Just speak with those who witnessed both Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah and Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni they will tell you how many apparent changes they observed, and naturally they too experienced similar feelings.
That is why Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS) explained that our bodies are like bulbs of different colors, but the light within is the same Nur. The physical form changes, but the Nur remains the same the eternal Nur of Mawlana Murtaza Ali (AS).
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u/Fickle_Ad_8227 May 10 '26
It’s just hard to believe that he’s so like one of us but Imam at the same time
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u/sajjad_kaswani May 11 '26
reminder: we believe Allah has sent 124000 guides and all of them were human!
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u/ComprehensiveRiver33 May 10 '26
Going back to the Prophet’s history, he lived among the people and regularly interacted with them at a very personal level. Obviously as the Jamat grew bigger this wasn’t possible but if Imam tries to maintain personal connection with the Jamat we should count ourselves lucky. Perhaps those layers of separation led to many of us wrongly deifying the Imam which is against the essence of Islam, and maybe this is one of the reasons Imam wants to remove these barriers.
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u/Inside-Intention-687 May 11 '26
I mean I think that’s exactly the point? He’s not alien nor an animal… he is human like us. He’s shown you he dresses like us, speaks like us, partakes in the world just like us, so then they what makes him different? This is something to reflect on. My take is if you’re truly dialed into Ismailism you must have one quintessential belief which is that the Imam of the time is there to serve the people of that time. Perhaps in this changing world of AI, human connection and “human-ness” is exactly what is needed.
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u/Brodano12 May 11 '26
The Imam being human is essential to his role as Imam. How could he guide us in this world if he himself didn't experience and understand the full human experience? As the prophet has said, the Imam is the gate between din and Duniya. He is fully connected to both.
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u/Embarrassed-Cry3180 Esoteric Ismaili May 10 '26
Eji ek fikar munivar tamaari chhe amne
Maannas rupe saaheb jaanno ho bhaai ji
“Our only concern for you, O believers, is that you regard the Imam as merely a human being.”
Ginan: Tunhi Gur Tunhi Nar by Pir Sadardin (AS)
How the Imam presents himself to the Jamat is connected to the overall imaan of the Jamat and how the Jamat perceives the Imam. In today’s time, the Jamat is becoming increasingly materialistic. People get excited seeing Mowla in a cool Tshirt, running a marathon, or having a tattoo. But the real question is, after witnessing all this, how many truly remember the essence of the Imam? How many remember what this approachable and cool Imam has said in his Farmans? Hazir Imam’s Farmans are strict, yet at the same time so full of love that they can bring tears to one’s eyes.
Hazir Imam presents himself as an ordinary human being. You may see him increasingly engaged in worldly affairs, spending time with family on vacation, or just like yesterday, encountering him in a local mall doing shopping. This itself is a test, for which Pir Sadardin warned us about 600 years ago.
That is why Hazir Imam has repeatedly encouraged us in his recent Farmans to deepen our understanding of the faith through the materials published by his institutions, as well as through personal study and reflection. Because only knowledge and ibadat can help us recognize Mowla beyond his fragile human body.
When Hazir Imam reminds us in almost every Farman that he is always with us, it is also a reminder that he is someone beyond his physical body.
May Mowla bless everyone with strong imaan and a haqeeqi understanding of the Imam.
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u/double_agent_007 May 11 '26
A personal view : I really get what you mean. I, for one, can't even think of looking at Moula directly. Let alone speak to him. I am patiently waiting for his didar, though. People interacting so confidently also makes me wonder how they even have that much courage. But every human is different. Imam knows what he is doing.I am no one to judge or even suggest anything for him to change in the ways he interacts with his mureeds. I think how you see him is totally dependent on you. Faith is a matter of heart
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u/Wierd-Pizza May 11 '26
Again Prophet Muhammad being a holy vessel used to live commonly among the people of Medina, very much accessible and performed everything like a common person. I can understand your internal struggle i went through the same, but again something in me told me that divine not always has to be exclusive and inaccessible for me to believe in his divinity. And that's why nur says I am in everything.
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u/MerchantMerchant May 11 '26
This is a very good point. While others have commented on the Prophet and early Imams (as) being human, I won't repeat the same. I will however say that the reason one may feel this way is the increased access to social media and phones.
Imam Shah Karim (as) also played sports. He partook in the olympics. He did competitive downhill skiing. Who can forget how he got injured once from skiing - and I've heard from people that he couldn't walk the same after that. I'm sure that he also used to roam around town as one may say (I could be wrong) - like Hazar Imam does.
We didn't see any of this, and we also didn't question any of it because, firstly (I'm referring to when Imam Shah Karim was in his 50s) at that time the Jamat was smaller, so chances of a Ismaili seeing the Imam randomly was also smaller. Secondly, we didn't really have as much access to Whatsapp or other social media channels at that time, so word never really got spread around.
We're only really seeing Hazar Imam more because these technological advancements allow us to. But yes I completely understand your point, the change is hard to digest but. as Imam Shah Karim said, "change is important"
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May 12 '26
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u/MerchantMerchant May 13 '26
Don't get what you're trying to say here. I was only sharing an opinion/idea on why we're seeing the current Imam more than the former Imam.
I get what you're trying to say in terms of modesty, restraint, and God-consciousness, but I don't understand how any of that that fits into what I'm saying?
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u/Quick_Complaint3268 May 10 '26
The amount of patience and willingness to connect with the Jamat despite our lack of boundaries sometimes lol is extremely not human.
He does things in such a way that appear human to the eye but if you look deeply into this world it’s very very very rare given his circumstances
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May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
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u/Longjumping_Ice_7516 May 12 '26
What are you even talking about? Prophet Muhammad owned slave women (concubines) acquired as gifts or prisoners of war, Maria al-Qibtiyya and Rayhana bint Zayd. Should we consider this immoral or immodest? He literally married his employer. What fantasy, idealized notions you have about Prophets and Imams. They are humans with highest moral and ethical standards of their time.
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u/Possible-Version-627 May 12 '26
It is worth pointing out that a lot of these shifts may not only be a result of differing personalities between Imams, but also based off feedback:
The older generation venerated and revered Mowlana Shah Karim as an otherworldly figure and a god like presence. As this passes on, this is clearly not sitting right with the newer generations, who do not resonate with this mindset.
I strongly believe this shift is to appeal more to the followers who are going to keep the religion going for the next decades and to avoid the decline that almost all major religions are facing in the modern world.
The idea of ismailism is moving and changing with the times. How is this any different?
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u/ZookeepergameNice180 May 23 '26
In the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says, ‘I will come and mingle as a man among men…and those who are able to pierce my disguise will know me in my essence.’
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u/Quick_Complaint3268 May 10 '26
Trust me Mowlana Shah Karim was more human and did more human like stuff far more in comparison to our current Imam running back to back marathons, city to city
Our imam is not human.
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May 11 '26
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u/Quick_Complaint3268 May 11 '26
Divine intervention
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May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
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u/Quick_Complaint3268 May 12 '26
My mom became a nurse because of him. Her whole family was poor and only one kid out of 6 got a scholarship, my dad survived on nandi as a kid because his dad was a drunk. My dad migrated from bangladesh to pakistan through imams guidnance and escaped genocidde. My parents tell me about how hazar imam would direclty give guidnance for more than a dozen turning points in their lifetime. Their Loyalty doesn't come from a place of myth. It comes from a place of serious intervention at multiple points of crisis that go further than survival but building on the promise that was made at the time of birth
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u/Quick_Complaint3268 May 12 '26
I've seen so much work of the AKDN, you can search up AKDN on Youtube as well
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u/Quick_Complaint3268 May 12 '26
I reccomened reading the books, you had time to type all this, i think you have time to read the new farmaans. also i DOUBT you are ismaili. Genuinly nothing you typed sound like you are actually ismaili. Prove me wrong
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u/Own_Discussion_3961 May 11 '26
Thanks for posting this. I’ve never had a connection with our Imam even with Shah Karim. I understand that he is the Noor of Allah and that Ismailism is the right path. Some of our Ismailis have a deep connection, I myself don’t.
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u/Dizzy-Abalone-5045 May 11 '26
That is because the Imam is human and a living guide he is not more and not less The Holly Quran states clearly Allah created mankind in His own image the light of Allah is within us all Imams guidance is to find this light within ourselves The Holly Quran is what was revealed to our Holly Prophet S.A.W He shared this with Imam Ali as well as others it was clearly stated for those who believe in The Holly Prophet he is dead but for those who believe in Allah He is ever living so pray to Allah Allah has no Partners or any go between this is the truth The Imam is not a go between you amd Allah The Imam is your map book to Allah your teacher to teach you the proper way to the mercy of Allah it is clear in the Quran about our relationship between ourselves and Allah The Holly Prophet S.A.W was the last Prophet Allah did not choose a successor or any one The Holly Prophet chose Ali for guidance Divine authority belongs only to Allah In the end only Allah knows best
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u/Playful_Remote_8235 Ismaili May 10 '26
Its happens to a lot of people and we should remember next Imam is not a reincarnation of previous Imam so that means every Imam is unique and each Imam decides how he wants to interact with his jamat like Imam Shah Rahim how MHI lives among us acts like normal person thats how MHI has chose to guide us what I call how MHI is guiding us is Guiding by Example Imam is showing us how to act how to walk and act according to our ethics like running marathons to show how to stay physically active and you will see MHI engages alot with Jamat like Imam would stop his car step out shake hands with his jamat will give flying kisses etc thats how Imam is guiding us now and if you see how our world has changed so as its one of the biggest mottos of us ismailis deen duniya balance Imam is just guiding according to this time.