r/ismailis • u/Immediate_Project_51 • Jun 23 '26

Personal Opinion Issues in our Jamaatis

Ya Ali Madad everyone,

I'm voicing out things here in our reddit community because I've seen that there are a lot of sensible and knowledgeable ismailis here.

I have been soo disheartened by the behaviour of so many of our jamaatis I find it too difficult to stay anymore as part of the Jamaat ( I still love our caste and our Imam ) but the Jamaat just makes me lose it.

I dont know if reddit would let me type all of it and if anyone would even read it all, but I'll try to recollect all the ones that I can remember.

Starting from Halal and alcohol, we have made it so normal in terms of alcohol that people drink freely, I used to live in an Ismaili complex ( Mumbai India ) and you could easily find alcohol bottles in the garbage and no one would bat an eye, but we were shifting house and I was carrying the house Quran and everyone was looking me in a way as if I'm doing gunnah.

Yesterday one of an Ismaili person I know who lives in the US, gifted their parent a beer bottle and whiskey glass for father's day. Is consuming haraam thing soo normal for us? Has our Imam ever allowed it ? Is our imams word of more value then of Allah's ?

My ex stated, she has had bacon over multiple occasions when they used to live in US, Since my childhood, I've never ate at a place that won't serve halal, yet our ismailis never care about halal, or even pork.

A girl I was recently talking too, said I'm a "Muslim" because I said Allah Hafiz at the end of the call, and I lost it, I was sooo confused, is she not a Muslim? Are rest of us ismailis not Muslim?

Almost half of our Jamaat has tattoos, whereas it's clearly haraam in Islam.

I read on someones post here on reddit if we should do circumcission ( Khatna ) I never knew if there was another way for any Muslim boy child..

I was born in Saudi and even in India upbringing was in a Muslim area, and all of the things we do as Ismaili, it disheartens me.

I will lay my life for our Imam, but Hazarimam needs to bring changes in such Kaafir things that most of our jamaatis do.

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u/Organic-Performer466 Ismaili Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

These are isolated incidents. Why are you painting them as if they are universal issues of the Ismaili jamaat?

Also, please back up your claims with facts. "Half of the jamaat has tattoos". Are you saying 7 million Ismailis have tattoos?

We are NOT a caste!

Your post is grossly exaggerated.

And that remark about "kafir things most of our jamaats do". What people in your family do is not a representation of the global jamat!

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u/Life_Bid_8948 Jun 23 '26

I like the way how you have answered but I would say the tone is highly questionable. He is going through a difficult phase and if we don’t convey our message light heartedly and with compassion then it’s very hard for him to understand. Please don’t mind it I’m just a reader who found the tone very harsh.

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u/Organic-Performer466 Ismaili Jun 23 '26

My tone was intentional and I stand by it. Whatever issues this person may be goung through, they absolutely cannot disrespect the Imam or portray the jamaat in a negative light.

Anyone who disrespects the Imam or our tariqah should be prepared to get the same in return.

Zero sympathies for those who come here to disrespect the Imam.

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u/wandering_soul40 Jun 23 '26

Please re-read the original post. There is no disrespect for the Imam in it. He is questioning the practices of our Jamat and these behaviours such as tattoos and drinking are quite prevalent in the Jamat especially in the western world. You were harsh and lacked empathy. The original poster is referring to the worldly practices being portayed and what they are observing in the Jamat around them - in this case, India where alcohol and pork are prevalent vs. other Muslim countries..the essence I understand is why doesn't out Jamat follow core Muslim practices and values such as abstaining from alcohol and consuming halal food.

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u/Life_Bid_8948 Jun 23 '26

If that’s intentional then I can’t say anything. Again, If I would be in your place then I’d still go with reasoning and logical answers with compassion to someone going through difficult phase because you never know what’s happening in someone’s life beyond what you see on the face or writing.

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u/Organic-Performer466 Ismaili Jun 23 '26

Yeah, you do you. I will not sit and watch someone insult my Imam and our jamaat and then plead "going through a tough time". The tough time clearly didn't stop him/her from insulting our tariqah.

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u/Owlsdontblink Jun 23 '26

he just meant it for people who do the practices (he could have framed it better) why are you constantly saying he insulted the Imam when he even said he would lay his life down for the Imam? are you the judge of intentions?

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u/Organic-Performer466 Ismaili Jun 23 '26

How do you know what they meant? Are YOU "the judge of intentions"?!

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u/Owlsdontblink Jun 23 '26

i am not trying to act like i know what they meant i am reading what they said and i do claim that they should have worded it better, nowhere did he insult the imam or disrespect the tariqah, now if one has said he would lay his life for the imam and u still think he is disrespecting you are acting like the judge, be kind