Historical accounts of Karbala

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Biradar
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Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:13 pm

Historical accounts of Karbala

#1

Unread post by Biradar » Tue Aug 10, 2021 11:58 am

As the new year has stared and it is traditional to recall the martyrdom of Hussain, I recommend a self-study on this and other topics. A good starting point is the following book by Abu Mikhnaf, available to read online:

https://www.al-islam.org/event-taff-ear ... bu-mikhnaf

It is very good and very close to the accounts one hears in the Bohra maqtal. If one so desires one can follow up by reading some of the detailed footnotes and reading the references to various other historical material mentioned there.

Of course, one could also listen to the sermons of the various SXX, depending on one's taste for such things. STF's sermons are online and I believe Muffy is also broadcasting something, though I do not know anything about that. I guess for Muffy followers it an improvement from last year when Muffy did not say a word and instead choose to laze around in his hill-station bungalow in Khandala.

SBM
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#2

Unread post by SBM » Tue Aug 10, 2021 12:55 pm

Muffy is also broadcasting something, though I do not know anything about that.
I am told that upon doing an Araz of Rs 2700, you will be given a link to listen to his waiz.

Biradar
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Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:13 pm

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#3

Unread post by Biradar » Tue Aug 10, 2021 11:51 pm

The first waaz delivered by STF was pretty interesting in that he outlines very succinctly what may be termed as the mytho-history of the Tayyebi-Ismaili community. His sermon was centered around selected questions from the book "Kitab ul-Idah wa'l-Bayan" by the 8th da'i al-mutlaq, S. al-Hussain b. 'Ali b. Muhammad b. al-Walid. This book is a work of esoteric doctrines of the Tayyebis (in the genre of haqaiq literature), and apparently contains answers to twenty-five theological questions. In this waaz STF summarizes seven of these questions and their answers. Incidentally, these type of question/answer treatises are rather common in the Ismaili literature and probably were written in response to real questions posed to the authors.

The choice of this book for the first waaz, I believe, is two-fold. The first, is that the Fatemi Dawaat people claim that the nass on S. al-Hussain was done in secret and only revealed to him and no one else. Hence, to establish his claim to the position of da'i al-mutlaq S. al-Hussain wrote this book and challenged others if they could produce such a work, hence establishing that he was the rightful da'i. Obviously, this otherwise obscure question about the validity of nass in secret known only to the mansoos has taken on central importance after the death of SMB.

STF starts with a narration of a curious incident about a question posed by Syedi Ameenjee b. Jalal to S. Dawood b. Qutbshah: who is the author of the book "Kitab ul-Idah wa'l-Bayan"? Apparently, S. Dawood b. Qutbshah did not give the name (i.e S. al-Hussain), instead said that books are only a "reminder", with the real ilm residing in the heart of the Imam, who imparts it to his da'is and his followers. He then went on to say that this book was written by the da'i to establish his claim that the nass had happened to him in private as only he had the ilham from the Imam to write such a treatise. To be honest, I am not sure why such a person as Syedi Ameenjee b. Jalal would not know the identity of the author. Perhaps in those days the manuscript may not have any author attribution, though STF claims that S. Dawood clearly knew the name.

Second reason for choosing this book is that traditionally, the first waaz is dedicated to the Prophet Adam. STF's selection of questions/answers addresses the nature of prophesy and why specific prophets were chosen; the identity of Adam and his descendants (dhurriya); the question of rebellion of Iblis; the reason and meaning of the fall of Adam; the nature of the Forbidden Tree and why it was placed in the garden in the first place; the reason why the Children of Adam have to suffer also; the meaning of the name Iblis; what were the "names" Allah taught Adam; why Adam is called the "father of Mankind"; and the nature and purpose of the dawaat. All these are themes that occur at multiple places in the Quran and topics that have been addressed by classical exegete over the centuries. However, the Tayyebi interpretation of these themes is quite distinct and is summarized very well in this first waaz.

Connected to the theme of the Prophet Adam is the question and nature of the Justice of Allah and what it means in the context of the Quran and Islam. In fact, one can say that the creation of the natural world itself proceeds due to the Justice of Allah in that the physical world of matter provides a place in which human beings can strive towards regaining what they lost in the Alam al-Ibda, i.e. the failure to do tawheed (the recognition that they were created and did not come-to-be on their own). In fact, in the Ismaili interpretation the physical world of three spatial dimensions corresponds to the "shade with three branches with no shelter from the flame" of Quran 77:30-31. The Prophets are those who have been charged to preach the message of tawheed and bring back humanity to their origins.

Incidentally, the way these questions are posed in this book (Kitab ul-Idah wa'l-Bayan) are done in a manner to cause doubt on the validity of the answers given by classical exegete. This paves the way to the peculiar Tayyebi answer to the question. These answers are rich in mytho-history and a cyclical and multi-level understanding of the Quranic message and Islam itself.

In the Alam al-Ibda (i.e the Realm of Origination where Allah's amr of "kun" acts) all of us were created equal. One of created beings first recognized and understood that he was created and did not exist by himself (i.e. did tawheed) and hence attained the rank of the First Intellect (Aql Awaal). Many others, seeing him also did tawheed and became similarly exalted and become "azali". Some refused to do tawheed and hence were "banished" and a physical world created to provide a stage for them to repent and return to their origins. Hence, in the Ismaili interpretation, the dawaat is Paradise in Potentia and corresponds to the Paradise that exists outside of all space-time in the Alam al-Ibda. This correspondence between the two Realms creates a key to interpreting parts of the Quran to simultaneously speak of both the events in the Alam al-Ibda as well as the physical world of history. I have elaborated on this at various places here already, and it would too tedious to repeat it all.

Hence, the "creation" of Adam and his fall are interpreted both as a creation in Alam al-Ibda and "creation" (i.e. appointment as mustawda Imam of the Dawr al-Satr by his father the final mustaqar Imam of the Dawr al-Kashf). His fall is interpreted as both his "demotion" in the ranks of Intelligences due to his hesitation in doing tawheed as well as his fall due to his naivety in revealing to "Iblis" the identity of his successor. The latter error caused the death of Adam's appointed successor at the hands of his envious brother. This identity is also one of the meanings of the "forbidden tree" that Adam was told not to "eat" from.

In the context of the meaning of the word "Father" STF explained that in Islam the Prophet and then the Imams and in their absence the da'is are the "fathers" of the believers. In fact, the dhurriya mentioned in the Quran, for example in the Primodial Oath on the Day of Alast (see Quran 7:172) are the "followers" of the Prophets and not their physical descendants. With this "raising of the meanings by an octave" one can understand the meaning of the creation of Hawaa (the female companion of Adam) as his wasi and his hujjas. Hence, the saying of the Prophet that he and Ali were the "father and mother" of the believers. In the absence of the Imam, the da'i and mazoon are the "father and mother".

The name Iblis was explained as one who has no father, that is one who is bereft of a guide and is hence astray. Iblis in the physical world is explained as one of the huduud of the last Imam of the Dawr al-Kasf resentful of the appointment of Adam as the Prophet and mustawda Imam. In his envy he refused to accept Adam and hence became the first Satanic Opponent in the Dawr al-Satr.

Somewhat amusingly STF also mentioned the "progressives" and said "they may do good works" but reject the need for a da'i or that misaq is needed or believe that nass came to an end and the da'is are just nazim.

In any case, STF gave a pretty good summary of cosmo-history as understood by the Tayebis. This cosmo-history essentially follows the ideas of S. Hamid al-Din Kirmani, later crystalized in the book "Kanz al-Walad" of the second da'i al-mutlaq S. Ibrahim al-Hamidi. STF's first waaz was dense and at places difficult and needs some background in haqaiq to full understand the various allusions. It was also long, goin on for nearly three hours, though certainly worth listening to.

TalibBhai
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#4

Unread post by TalibBhai » Wed Aug 11, 2021 7:27 am

what is the point of all this haqaiq and ilm when your life style doesnt match to the ahlul bayt. (or even close to it)

I count on characters and not on the bookish knowledge.


scriptwriters are easy to find, the real test is to live the life of preached characters.

kseeker
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:01 am

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#5

Unread post by kseeker » Wed Aug 11, 2021 10:37 am

If there was a 'like' button, this post would have surely deserved it...

What I fail to understand is that why (and more importantly, how) would Kitab ul-Idah wa'l-Bayan prove that the S. Hussain was the Dai because as far as I undesrtand, at that time, this level of knowledge was known by very few... they guarded it with their lives... so why would he show this book to the public to prove merit? If anything, people might have deemed him as a heretic or called him a fool...

Secondly, I (and a couple of others I know) noticed how STF mentioned Molana Hunaid establishing Tehkoom as a Nabi... however STF implied indirectly that Molana Hunaid was not the imaam..who was the Imaam at that time? (I am referring to the Imaam who was the son of Molana Behla)

kseeker
Posts: 208
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:01 am

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#6

Unread post by kseeker » Wed Aug 11, 2021 10:39 am

TalibBhai wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 7:27 am what is the point of all this haqaiq and ilm when your life style doesnt match to the ahlul bayt. (or even close to it)

I count on characters and not on the bookish knowledge.


scriptwriters are easy to find, the real test is to live the life of preached characters.
both ilm and amal are important and have it's own place and value when it comes to the journey of the hereafter.

Biradar
Posts: 1043
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:13 pm

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#7

Unread post by Biradar » Wed Aug 11, 2021 2:05 pm

Very briefly: these types of books were obviously "secret". However, when we say he wrote this book and used it to prove his claim to the nass, it does not mean he showed it to the common public! Remember that most people have no inkling about issues like nass and they will accept whoever the senior huduud accept. Thus witnesses to the nass must be of high trust and typically issues come about only if a credible person makes a counter claim. Hence, this book was only shown to the the ulama of the dawaat (STF says that also) and not the general public. Once the ulama accepted the claim there was no further controversy. Also, names do not matter. Only the fact that the sequence of mustaqar imams, according to Tayebbi theology, is unbroken and perpetual.

anajmi
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#8

Unread post by anajmi » Wed Aug 11, 2021 7:10 pm

It is amazing how the STFs and SMSs and SMBs will not miss an opportunity to glorify themselves or to justify their claims to power. Doesn’t matter if it is on the backs of the martyrdom of Ali (ra) or Hussein (ra).

anajmi
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#9

Unread post by anajmi » Wed Aug 11, 2021 7:11 pm

Forgot to add the Alavi Bohra Dai to the mix. Yeah he claims the exact same thing.

bohra_manus
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#10

Unread post by bohra_manus » Wed Aug 11, 2021 7:26 pm

Thank you Br Biradar for posting a detailed summary. To be honest, this is the first time I am hearing these things. I used to attend the regular waez but never received such information. Kudos to STF for this. Muffy's bayans are pale in comparison.

Biradar
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#11

Unread post by Biradar » Thu Aug 12, 2021 12:53 am

The second waaz is traditionally on the topic of Prophet Nuh (Noah) and the story and meaning of the Ark of Salvation that he built. As everyone knows, the Quran mentions Nuh several times, in fact, there is a whole surah called "Nuh" (Surah 71). However, that is not the only place in which the story of Nuh is described, and the Quran has several other sections in which Nuh and his Ark as well as the flood are described as a warnings towards the wrath of Allah for those who do not do tawheed.

STF's theme for the waaz was based on the Quranic verses Q 29:14 and 29:15. The first states that Nuh was sent to his people and that his era lasted 950 years and the flood seized them while they were of the "zalimeen" (wrongdoers). The next verse states that but Allah saved Nuh and the Companions (wa-ashaba) of the Ark and that this is a sign (ayat) from Allah. A curious point is the phrasing of Q 29:15 in which it is said that Nuh was saved and also the "Companions of the Ark". It does not say "companions of Nuh" but "Companions of the Ark". Further, this salvation is a sign from Allah. The questions that then arise are: What is this sign? Who are are the "Companions of the Ark"", and What does "being saved mean"?

Several other verses in the Quran also outline the story of Nuh. In particular STF said that Nuh was asked to build the Ark "under Our Eyes". However, in contrast the Prophet Muhammad is in fact, being the Beloved of Allah, in front of Allah's Eyes constantly. Nuh pleaded for his son who had rebelled and Allah admonished him not to plead with Him for those who were from the zalimeen. In fact, Allah said rebellion meant that the familial bond was now broken. Amusingly, Allah seems somewhat annoyed at Nuh's pleading and chides him, saying "do not ask Me about what you have no knowledge of! I warn you so you are not from the ignorant (jahils)". Of course, Nuh feels humiliated and immediately begs for forgiveness as he does not want to be amongst the losers ("al-khasereen").

The key to understanding the story of Nuh is to make the following correspondence: the the Ark of Salvation corresponds to the Dawaat and water on which it floats corresponds to "Divine Knowledge" (ilm). Hence, the "Companions of the Ark" are those prophets, Imams and other Friends of Allah who guide and navigate those who seek refuge in the Ark, i.e. the mumineen, towards salvation. Those in the Ark are the ones who are saved. One of Nuh's son says he will take refuge on a mountain top (Q 11:43) and Nuh responds that that will not save him from the waves and the flood.

In one sense the "mountain" is the ulama and self-styled "khalifa" of the zahiri (outward) sharia who have not accepted the Ark and its salvific power. In this sense the "Ark" corresponds to the wasi of a prophet, that is the one who brings the tawil of the sharia. I already discussed this in the thread on Quran in which I pointed out that one of the roles which was uniquely meant for Ali was to bring the tawil of the Quran and the sharia of the Prophet. Contrary to what some claim, this position is actually unique to Ali and no one else. In fact, the Prophet himself has said this in the very famous hadith "I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Door". Ali is mentioned by name in this hadith and no other companion and so it is clear this role is unique to Ali and only him. (Another singular role that only Ali plays is being the wasi and wali of the Prophet and the Foundation of the Imamat. We repeat this phrase after all but one farizat prayers every day).

A connection to the story of Adam discussed yesterday is that these "mountains" which cannot save correspond to the position of Iblis, who being without a genuine and rightly guiding "father" will perish despite his initial noble beginnings.

Building on the expression the "Companions of the Ark" STF then went on to explain five examples of these companions. These examples are examples of the "signs" that are mentioned in the Quranic verse quoted above.

The first, obviously is the dawaat of Nuh himself. The second is the dawaat of "Nuh al-zaman", i.e. the Prophet Muhammad. The era of Muhammad is unique in that with him, came his beloved Companions, i.e. the People of House, Ali, Fatema, Hassan and Hussain. These five are those who are purified by Allah himself, and in a sense, are "azali", i.e. have existed from pre-eternity (as the Prophet says in a famous hadith "I was a Prophet when Adam was between water and clay").

The third are the aimmat tahereen, i.e the Imams from the progeny of Ali and Fatema. The fourth is the dawaat of Imam Tayyeb that is a dawaat of satr and led by the duat al-mutlaqeen. The da'is have "captained" the Ark of Salvation and taken many to the shores of Paradise. The fifth example STF gives is the dawaat established by SKQ, who under difficult circumstances established his nass despite no support from his machinery of what has now become the dawaat of Iblis. In fact, just as the time of the Prophet only a few ansar remained with the dawaat al-haq, that is, the dawaat established by SKQ.

The issue of the permanence of a nass was raised. In fact, as we have all noticed it seems that Muffy is no longer contesting that nass was done on SKQ but claims, absurdly it seems, that nass can be changed willy-nilly. In the context of the work "safina" and its "captain" STF described words from the Ikhwan as-Safa in which the human body is described as the Ark and the soul as the captain. The body worships using physical movements which then illuminates the soul. Knowledge is only useful if accompanied by action. This was also discussed here many times (by me) in which I have contrasted the Tayebi emphasis on both actions and knowledge with the emphasis just on knowledge in the Aga Khani dawaat, in which adherence to the sharia is not needed. (Though no one is actually stopped from praying traditional namaaz amongst the Aga Khanis, I believe).

The waaz was concluded with the recitation of the qasida "Ya Itratal Mustafa" ("Oh Progeny of Mustafa", i.e. the Imams descended from Ali and Fatema who are the Ark of Salvation) and the maqtal of Hussain. I have to say that STF's waaz reminds me of the early phase of SMB in which the sermons were more intellectual and less emotional. Though lasting nearly three hours this waaz was certainly worth a careful listen.

Sceptical
Posts: 261
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#12

Unread post by Sceptical » Thu Aug 12, 2021 2:37 pm

Thank you for sharing.

I have listened to the vaez on both sides.

I learned in 1 day from STF what would have taken me an eternity on the SMS side. What shocks me more and more is the zikr of Shahadat. It's getting worse and worse.

Shahadat by SMS is worthy of the worst Hollywood movie scripts with gory and sordid details, disrespectful of Imam Husain (AS). For example, he explained how the enemies held Imam Husain's (AS) head by putting their fingers in Imam Husain's (AS) mouth or throat... what a horror. There are other examples of such questionable quotes.

On the other hand, the one from STF is a copy of what I used to hear from SMB (RA).

anajmi
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#13

Unread post by anajmi » Thu Aug 12, 2021 2:38 pm

Wouldn't the companions of the Ark be the animals that were loaded on the ark in pairs? They were definitely not companions of Nuh(as). Unless the animals are the taawil for something?

Biradar
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#14

Unread post by Biradar » Fri Aug 13, 2021 12:17 am

Sceptical wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 2:37 pm I have listened to the vaez on both sides.

Shahadat by SMS is worthy of the worst Hollywood movie scripts with gory and sordid details, disrespectful of Imam Husain (AS). For example, he explained how the enemies held Imam Husain's (AS) head by putting their fingers in Imam Husain's (AS) mouth or throat... what a horror. There are other examples of such questionable quotes.
Why would you torture yourself and cause harm to your soul by listening to the rantings of Muffy? I do not know where he comes up with his gory descriptions. Perhaps in his free times he watches too many Hindi films. I guess he is desperate and feels that whipping up hysteria by only focusing on the most grotesque details will he able to control the bohra sheep he so loves to fleece. What I find so strange that none of the brothers of SMB or the other older senior ulema have gotten fed up of this fool's antics. I guess the lure of power and money is such that no amount of ilm they may have possessed helps them see the depths of foolishness this usurper is plumbing. Poor man, Muffy I mean, despite claiming to be a da'i he does not know, by his own admission, if a mumin will obtain the safaqat and najaat of M. Fatema! What a contrast this ignoramus makes with the dignified and learned STF (leave alone SKQ who was even a greater master of ilm). Shame on him and those who follow him.

Biradar
Posts: 1043
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:13 pm

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#15

Unread post by Biradar » Fri Aug 13, 2021 12:18 am

The third waaz is dedicated the Prophet Ibrahim, who is the third major prophet that brings a new sharia, ending the era and sharia of the previous prophet, in this case, Nuh. Ibrahim holds a very special place in the cycle of prophets as he is not only a nabi but also a mustaqar Imam. Adam, Nuh, Musa and Isa are prophets but in the six major prophets only Ibrahim and Muhammad Rasullah are also mustaqar Imams.

STF started the waaz with the description of the death of the infant son of the Prophet, that is his son Ibrahim who was an issue from his wife Mary (Maryam) the Copt. Legend has it that the Prophet loved his son and his grandson Hussain and had both in this lap when Gibraeel came informing that it was the wish of Allah that one of the boys would die. Muhammad choose his own son, despite predicting that if he has lived he would be a nabi, over Hussain. Even at this early stage the Prophet knew the great role Hussain was to play in opposing the factional and satanic people like Yazid (LA) who would have destroyed Islam from within.

The key Pillar of Islam is that of walayaat, i.e. the love of the Prophet and his Household, that is Ali, Fatema, Hassan and Hussain and then the Imams from the progeny of Ali and Fatema. Without walayaat no other amal is accepted. In fact, salvation is not through ilm (knowledge) or amal (acts) but only through love. As Baqir Imam said, "there is no religion except love".

Baitullah was originally build by Adam, however over the centuries it was destroyed and rebuilt many times. Ibrahim and Ismail also rebuilt the Kaaba on four pillars. These represent the four natiqs arranged in two pairs: Musa, Isa and Muhammad Rasullah and Qaim of Qiyamaat.

The central topic of the waaz was an series of explanations of the Quranic verses starting with Quran 6:75 through 6:79. (Surah al-An'am). These verses go as follows:

(6:75) And thus We showed Ibrahim the Kingdom of Heavens and the Earth so that he would be among the ones who are certain.

(6:76) So when night covered him, he saw a star. He said, "This is my Lord" (Hadha Rabbi). But when it set, he said "I do not love ones that set"

(6:77) When he saw the moon rising he said, "This is my Lord". But when it set he said, "If my Lord does not guide me I will surely be among the people who went astray"

(6:78) When he say the sun rising he said, he said "This is my Lord, this is the greater". But when it set, he said, "O my people, indeed, I am free of what you associate with Allah"

(6:79) Indeed, I have turned my face to the One Who created the Heavens and the Earth, as a hanif (true monotheist) and I am not of the polytheists.

These verses have troubled the classical exegete who have a hard time explaining why Ibrahim, who was such an important prophet would repeatedly ascribe divinity to created things. First to a star, then the moon and then the sun. As everyone knows this is shirk and the only sin which can never be forgiven by Allah. Some exegete say that these statements of Ibrahim were questions (so "This is my Lord?" instead of the categorical "This is my Lord"). However the grammar and arrangement of the words do not allow this interpretation.

Some commentators explain these verses by saying that when Ibrahim was born his mother hid him in a cave to protect him from Nimrod, who had ordered all boys born in his kingdom to be killed. She would visit the infant in the cave at times. However, the rearing of the boy was done by Gibraeel and hence he has some idea that there was a Creator Lord. So these statements were made when the boy left the cave and was confused by the appearance of the star, moon and then the Sun. Obviously, this is an absurd story!

The real meaning of these verses was given, amongst others, by Muayyad Shirazi. He said that in reality Ibrahim was already at the stage of risaalat. The word "night" indicates his misaaq that allowed him to climb higher. The star he saw at first and called "Hadha Rabbi" was actually a da'i (missionary) who imparted to Ibrahim nur (light, knowledge) raising him in rank. However, Ibrahim soon gained everything he could from this da'i. that is the star set. In this context the work "rabbi" means "teacher" (not an ordinary teacher, but one who inducts someone into the divine secrets hence raising the student's rank in the dawaat hierarchy).

Then he saw the "moon" rise, which indicates his next stage of initiation at the hands of the Hujja. However, the destiny of Ibrahim was such that even the Hujjat "set", that is not complete Ibrahim's elevation to his destined rank. Hence he says "If my Lord does not guide I will surely be among the people who went astray".

Finally, the "sun" rose, i.e. the Imam himself imparted ilm and nur to Ibrahim. At the sunset of the Imam he was perfected to a place where he could say to his people that he was free of shirk. In fact, his next stage (described in verse 6:79) was of direct intuitive understanding (tayeed) obtained from Aashir Muddabir, the Intelligence responsible for the salvation of the physical world. Hence, Ibrahim says that "I have turned my face to the One Who created the Heavens and the Earth ..."

(I should say that Sufis have also interpreted these verses in a metaphorical manner as the Stations that one who yearns for the Divine Beloved goes through. The three celestial bodies (star, moon and sun) are way-stations which eventually a Sufi can pass to attain to such a rank such that he faces the Divine Presence directly and without any veils, a sort of annihilation (fana) of the individual ego into the Divine.)

STF went on to explain three more levels of this verse. The first, the Prophet is the Ibrahim of the present era, and greater than Ibrahim, though both were mustaqar Imams. The Prophet himself, and Ali and his progeny are the Siraat al-Mustaqeem while Ibrahim was guided towards the Sirat al-Mustaqeem. Further, during the Meraaj (the Heavenly Journey) the Prophet attained a high station and extreme closeness to the Divine Presence. During this Journey everything that is to occur till the time of Qiyamaat was revealed to the Prophet. On seeing two houses, one of green color and another red, the Prophet is informed that these represent the martyrdom of his two grandsons, Hassan (green) through poison and Hussain (red) at Karbala.

The Kingdom of Heaven (Samawati) is the dawaat of zuhur in which the manifest Imam stands for the sky (heaven). The Kingdom of Earth (ardi) is the dawaat of satr in which the duat al-mutlaqeen are the teachers. The first setting of the stars means that the da'is attain to such a level of ilm that they are now on the rank of the hujja of the Imam, i.e. the moon. The moon setting and rise of the sun means that the da'i, for all practical purposes sits on the throne of the Imam and has attained his ismat and infallibility. Finally, the correspondence of 6:79 is to the tayeed that the da'i receives from the Imam, and the divine aid to run the dawaat.

In the next (second) "wajeh" STF described the meaning of the last two words of the Quranic verse Q 37:107, i.e. "dhib'hin azeem" (the great sacrifice). The full set of verses start at Q 37:102 in which Ibrahim describes to his son his dream in which he saw that he was sacrificing him (i.e. his son Ismail). Ismail replies that he accepts whatever Allah commands and Ibrahim should do as he was commanded. When both are ready and Ibrahim is about to sacrifice his son Allah stops Ibrahim and "ransoms" him with a "great sacrifice".

These verses are an indication of the two streams that arose from Ibrahim, that is of mustaqar Imams (Ismail and his progeny) and the mustawda Imams (Ishaq and his progeny). Ismail was Ibrahim's wasi while Ishaq was responsible for the zahiri dawaat. This is the "great sacrifice" mentioned in the Quran.

In the era of the Prophet Muhammad Imam Aamir is homologous to Nabi Ibrahim and Imam Tayyeb to Ismail. The "great sacrifice" are the duat mutlaqeen who are responsible for the zahiri dawaat during the occultation of the Imams from the progeny of Imam Tayyeb.

STF then explained the Quranic verse 21:85 which states that "Ismail, Idris and Dhul-Kifl were of the patient ones". Now, Ismail was the son of Ibrahim (via Saarah) and Idris was a nabi in the era of Adam. So why are these two mentioned in this verse? Also, who is "Dhul-Kifl"? Traditionally, the last is interpreted to mean a just and pious man. However, the Tayebi interpretation is that "Ismail" is homologous to Imam Tayyeb and Idris to Huratul Maleka, the hujja of the Imam who established the chain of duat mutlaqeen. Finally, Dhul-Kifl are the da'is themselves. In the very next verse (Q 21:86) it is said that these were admitted to the Mercy (rehmat) of Allah and were of the saliheen (i.e. the righteous). Here, the meaning of the word "rehmat" is that of the tayeed from Imam as well as Allah, which is the highest form of rehmat.

In the last (third) "wajeh" STF very briefly explained the verse Q 60:12 in which the Prophet is instructed by Allah that if women come to him and promise to abstain from so-and-so (the list is long!) then he should accept their bayaa and ask forgiven for them. The "women" in this verse are interpreted to mean the duat mutlaqeen and the "Prophet" as Huratul Maleka, who obtained from them promise to safeguard the trust that has been placed in them and when they agree, take their ahad (misaaq). He concluded by reading a list of 21 "sifat" of the da'is.

(One of the keys of tawil is that the feminine in the Quran often does not represent gender/sex but the lower hadd of the dawaat hierachy. In this specific case, Hurratul Maleka is the "male" despite being a woman as she is the hujaa and hence higher in rank compared to the the da'is who are hence "female").

I have to say this was probably the most complex waaz of the three. A vast number of themes were discussed and complex and obscure Quranic themes were explained. It is fitting, of course, as Nabi Ibrahim is a very critical part of the Islamic conception of cyclical history and in his story there are many hidden signs and symbols that reveal things that have occurred and will occur. Such is the power of the Quran: it often speaks at multiple levels at the same time and multiple voices too. The centuries of rich Ismaili and then Tayebi theological philosophy has tried to elucidate many of these riches from the Quran. In many ways this is not unique to the Ismailis and Tayebis: even many sunni mystical traditions and sufi tariqas have complex interpretation of the Quran and the prophetic hadith. In this sense, the Quran provides an essentially endless source material to interpret and understand the world around us. Certainly another refreshing and illuminating waaz from STF!

anajmi
Posts: 13506
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2001 5:01 am

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#16

Unread post by anajmi » Fri Aug 13, 2021 1:24 pm

This Brought a smile to my face. Plug in the Dai and the Imam everywhere. See the moon, plug in the Dai, see the women, plug in the Dai, see the river of honey, plug in the Dai :-)

Now we just have to figure out which Dai it is going to be. ;-)
The key Pillar of Islam is that of walayaat, i.e. the love of the Prophet and his Household, that is Ali, Fatema, Hassan and Hussain and then the Imams from the progeny of Ali and Fatema. Without walayaat no other amal is accepted. In fact, salvation is not through ilm (knowledge) or amal (acts) but only through love. As Baqir Imam said, "there is no religion except love".
Allah says in the Quran

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “I am only a man like you, ˹but˺ it has been revealed to me that your God is only One God. So whoever hopes for the meeting with their Lord, let them do good deeds and associate none in the worship of their Lord.”

Modify the Quran like the jews and the Christians did their books. Change his word, plug in the Dai and the Imam and walayaah and control the Bohras!!

anajmi
Posts: 13506
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2001 5:01 am

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#17

Unread post by anajmi » Fri Aug 13, 2021 2:01 pm

Here is another interesting ayah. Beauty of google search

أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَآءَ فَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْوَلِىُّ وَهُوَ يُحْيِـى ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

How can they take protectors besides Him? Allah alone is the Protector. He ˹alone˺ gives life to the dead. And He ˹alone˺ is Most Capable of everything.

Allah is the pillar of Wilayat.

anajmi
Posts: 13506
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2001 5:01 am

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#18

Unread post by anajmi » Fri Aug 13, 2021 2:01 pm

Of course, if you plug in the Dai and the Imam in every ayah, then everything goes.

AbdeYamani
Posts: 81
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#19

Unread post by AbdeYamani » Sat Aug 14, 2021 3:37 am

Kudos to Taher for turning around Grand Sufi Sheikh Moulana Biradar Arif Shah Qadri back to the wilaya of shia Ismaili silsila.

Biradar
Posts: 1043
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:13 pm

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#20

Unread post by Biradar » Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:25 am

AbdeYamani wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 3:37 am Kudos to Taher for turning around Grand Sufi Sheikh Moulana Biradar Arif Shah Qadri back to the wilaya of shia Ismaili silsila.
lol. Also, I guess kudos to me that Shaikh Abde Yamani Saheb, the man who reads too many Fifty Shades of Grey novels, has done zuhur. I missed your sense of humor and of course all the salacious gossip from your grandma.

RedBox
Posts: 301
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2019 12:41 am

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#21

Unread post by RedBox » Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:33 am

AbdeYamani wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 3:37 am Kudos to Taher for turning around Grand Sufi Sheikh Moulana Biradar Arif Shah Qadri back to the wilaya of shia Ismaili silsila.
What happened? Details pls

Biradar
Posts: 1043
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:13 pm

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#22

Unread post by Biradar » Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:34 am

Sadly I am mostly offline through Sunday night, but only a brief reply to friend anajmi. It is true that the Prophet is a man like you and me. He was born and died. He slept at night, needed to eat food to survive, got married and kids. Just like you and me. But that is a pointless and trivial observation. Divine Revelation ONLY came to him. Not you. Or me. Or the other fake pretenders who said they were his successors. Hence he is the Beloved of Allah. He was the one who experienced the Meeraj. Not you. So yes, he is unique and not what some Sunnis claim, just an ordinary man.

Incidentally all Sufi tarikas, including orthodox Sunni tariqas agree that the Prophet was unique and extraordinary. It’s only a few Sunnis who can’t stand the fact that the Prophet, Ali etc can be chosen by Allah but not theirs so called khalifas object.

anajmi
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Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2001 5:01 am

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#23

Unread post by anajmi » Sat Aug 14, 2021 10:13 am

I am not saying that. Allah is saying that in the Quran. And yes, the prophet (saw) is unique and the best human being, but there is a reason why Allah chooses to call out his status in the Quran. So that people don’t do what they did to Isa (as) or what the Bohras did to Ali (ra).

But hey, the followers of Ali have taken all kinds of liberty with the Quran. Can you imagine if Allah hadn’t taken the responsibility of protecting the Quran what the followers of Ali would’ve done to it? They already claim that Ali has the real Quran, but that claim didn’t go anywhere so they claimed Ali had the Taawil of the Quran. Whatever that means. Now plug in the Dai somewhere.

Here is another gem from the Quran, again in reference to what the Jews did to the Torah but applies to what the Bohras are doing to the Quran.

مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

THE PARABLE of those who were graced with the burden of the Torah, and thereafter failed to bear this burden, is that of an ass that carries a load of books [but cannot benefit from them]. Calamitous is the parable of people who are bent on giving the lie to God's messages - for God does not bestow His guidance upon such evildoing folk!

Sceptical
Posts: 261
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#24

Unread post by Sceptical » Sat Aug 14, 2021 11:06 am

Could someone please enlighten me on these two points (according to our ismail tayebi beliefs) :

1) Are Adam (AS) - I mean the first prophet - and Adam-e-kuli the same person?

2) I have often heard that Adam AS was mustadaeen imam. So had a Mustakar Imam existed at the same time?

Thank you.

Biradar
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Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:13 pm

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#25

Unread post by Biradar » Sat Aug 14, 2021 11:59 am

Sceptical wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 11:06 am Could someone please enlighten me on these two points (according to our ismail tayebi beliefs) :

1) Are Adam (AS) - I mean the first prophet - and Adam-e-kuli the same person?

2) I have often heard that Adam AS was mustadaeen imam. So had a Mustakar Imam existed at the same time?

Thank you.
1) No. Each cycle has its own “Adam”. The Adam of our era is not the same as Adam on another era, obviously, and the First Adam is unique and clearly also not the same as the prophet Adam of this era.

2) Yes. According to the Ismaili conception of history a mustaqar Imam is always present, though he may not be manifest.

Sceptical
Posts: 261
Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2013 3:38 am

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#26

Unread post by Sceptical » Sat Aug 14, 2021 2:04 pm

Biradar wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 11:59 am 1) No. Each cycle has its own “Adam”. The Adam of our era is not the same as Adam on another era, obviously, and the First Adam is unique and clearly also not the same as the prophet Adam of this era.
Thanks for your reply.
Could you please develop ?
Adam nabi (AS) is not the first man created by God as commonly admited for example by jews/christians?
The first of all men of the very first era is Adam-e-kuli? Is Adam-e-kuli the first of all Imams?

AbdeYamani
Posts: 81
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Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#27

Unread post by AbdeYamani » Sat Aug 14, 2021 4:43 pm

"The Kingdom of Heaven (Jannat) is the dawat of Satr in which the manifest Imam stands for the heaven. The Dawat on eart is Kingdom of Dai in Satr in which the Duaat are the teachers. The first setting of the stars means that the da'is attain to such a level of ilm that they are now on the rank of the hujjat of the Imam, i.e. the moon. The sun setting and rise of the moon means that the da'i, for all practical purposes sits on the throne of the Imam and has attained his ismat and infallibility."

...
Last edited by AbdeYamani on Sun May 15, 2022 7:48 pm, edited 3 times in total.

AbdeYamani
Posts: 81
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:08 am

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#28

Unread post by AbdeYamani » Sat Aug 14, 2021 4:46 pm

RedBox wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:33 am
AbdeYamani wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 3:37 am Kudos to Taher for turning around Grand Sufi Sheikh Moulana Biradar Arif Shah Qadri back to the wilaya of shia Ismaili silsila.
What happened? Details pls
Aa forum par ek Sufi hazrat je ke Imamat na pan qail nota, teney STF ye apni waaz si mabhur kari nakha.
aney ye sufi saheb hawey STF ni khidmat ma raat aney din aa website par stf ni waaz ne nashar kari rahya chey.

Biradar
Posts: 1043
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:13 pm

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#29

Unread post by Biradar » Sat Aug 14, 2021 7:51 pm

:wink:
AbdeYamani wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 4:43 pm "The Kingdom of Heaven (Jannat) is the dawat of Satr in which the manifest Imam stands for the heaven. The Dawat on eart is Kingdom of Dai in Satr in which the Duaat are the teachers. The first setting of the stars means that the da'is attain to such a level of ilm that they are now on the rank of the hujjat of the Imam, i.e. the moon. The sun setting and rise of the moon means that the da'i, for all practical purposes sits on the throne of the Imam and has attained his ismat and infallibility."

This champion was STFs Dadajisaheb, 51st STS. Infact, the first time when he did this bayan was in Surat, and before he could even finish saying"aaj ni waaz ma je khayr nu kalaam chay ye mara moula ..." all the ulemas of that time gathered around his takht and questioned him without any fear from him from which reference he uttered all this. ,? Shaikh Tayyabbhai and Shk Abdulqadir loudly asked Huzur akhir aa bayan aap kaya kitaab maa si laaya???" He was so embaraased and perplexed that he had to say main joine ne batawis.. then ulema told him that hamne kitab nu naam bataoju.
As usual you seem to be high on some ganja or hasish . Please read the nasihat of Syedi Sadik Ali Saheb, in which da’is are called “as if they are Imam”. In fact, if you read very early texts from the earliest Yameni period you will find numerous qasidas in which da’is are compared to the Imam. My own reading indicates to me that the solidification of the idea of da’i’s infallibility and the acceptance that the satr of the Imam was such that the da’is were essentially in the position of the Imam, occurred in the time of the 19th da’i, S. Idris. A very long time had passed since the occultation of the Imam and clearly new theological developments were needed to cover this occurrence.

Also, what is this insane idea that something must be in some book to be true? How can then any of the concepts in Ismaili literature, specially tawil and haqaiq be justified? I mean they were new at some point! Please pick up S. Hamid al-din Kirmani’s book “Rahat al-aql” and I challenge you to find the previous books in which what he said in it occurs. By your logic, “ulema” would be surrounding him and scolding him, though they were not even worth licking his boots! Or did your dharm guru Ahmak Ali Raj teach you that only books written in the Yemeni period are valid? I have heard him say something to that effect (though not exactly that), BTW, and you can find it on his online recordings also.

As to the so-called ulema. They were in a power struggle with the office of the da’i al-mutlaq since the time of S. Mohammad Badruddin. They tried to take advantage of his early death to get control of the dawaat. They failed miserably and now are in the dustbins of history. As you say, they have become menial servants to the zada class. I am not saying this is a good development, but they were as corrupt as anyone else, lusting for power and prestige. This is evident from their own writings and memoirs in which one learns how they were stabbing each other in the back for small gains. So stay off the high-horse of “ulema”.

BTW: why did you delete all the salacious gossip from your dear dadima? I enjoyed it a lot, laughing at the foolishness of the so-called people who want to bring in “wilayat al-ulema” amongst the bohris. Lol indeed!

zinger
Posts: 2201
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2012 2:40 am

Re: Historical accounts of Karbala

#30

Unread post by zinger » Sun Aug 15, 2021 12:34 am

Biradar wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 12:18 am The third waaz is dedicated the Prophet Ibrahim, who is the third major prophet that brings a new sharia, ending the era and sharia of the previous prophet, in this case, Nuh. Ibrahim holds a very special place in the cycle of prophets as he is not only a nabi but also a mustaqar Imam. Adam, Nuh, Musa and Isa are prophets but in the six major prophets only Ibrahim and Muhammad Rasullah are also mustaqar Imams.

STF started the waaz with the description of the death of the infant son of the Prophet, that is his son Ibrahim who was an issue from his wife Mary (Maryam) the Copt. Legend has it that the Prophet loved his son and his grandson Hussain and had both in this lap when Gibraeel came informing that it was the wish of Allah that one of the boys would die. Muhammad choose his own son, despite predicting that if he has lived he would be a nabi, over Hussain. Even at this early stage the Prophet knew the great role Hussain was to play in opposing the factional and satanic people like Yazid (LA) who would have destroyed Islam from within.

The key Pillar of Islam is that of walayaat, i.e. the love of the Prophet and his Household, that is Ali, Fatema, Hassan and Hussain and then the Imams from the progeny of Ali and Fatema. Without walayaat no other amal is accepted. In fact, salvation is not through ilm (knowledge) or amal (acts) but only through love. As Baqir Imam said, "there is no religion except love".

Baitullah was originally build by Adam, however over the centuries it was destroyed and rebuilt many times. Ibrahim and Ismail also rebuilt the Kaaba on four pillars. These represent the four natiqs arranged in two pairs: Musa, Isa and Muhammad Rasullah and Qaim of Qiyamaat.

The central topic of the waaz was an series of explanations of the Quranic verses starting with Quran 6:75 through 6:79. (Surah al-An'am). These verses go as follows:

(6:75) And thus We showed Ibrahim the Kingdom of Heavens and the Earth so that he would be among the ones who are certain.

(6:76) So when night covered him, he saw a star. He said, "This is my Lord" (Hadha Rabbi). But when it set, he said "I do not love ones that set"

(6:77) When he saw the moon rising he said, "This is my Lord". But when it set he said, "If my Lord does not guide me I will surely be among the people who went astray"

(6:78) When he say the sun rising he said, he said "This is my Lord, this is the greater". But when it set, he said, "O my people, indeed, I am free of what you associate with Allah"

(6:79) Indeed, I have turned my face to the One Who created the Heavens and the Earth, as a hanif (true monotheist) and I am not of the polytheists.

These verses have troubled the classical exegete who have a hard time explaining why Ibrahim, who was such an important prophet would repeatedly ascribe divinity to created things. First to a star, then the moon and then the sun. As everyone knows this is shirk and the only sin which can never be forgiven by Allah. Some exegete say that these statements of Ibrahim were questions (so "This is my Lord?" instead of the categorical "This is my Lord"). However the grammar and arrangement of the words do not allow this interpretation.

Some commentators explain these verses by saying that when Ibrahim was born his mother hid him in a cave to protect him from Nimrod, who had ordered all boys born in his kingdom to be killed. She would visit the infant in the cave at times. However, the rearing of the boy was done by Gibraeel and hence he has some idea that there was a Creator Lord. So these statements were made when the boy left the cave and was confused by the appearance of the star, moon and then the Sun. Obviously, this is an absurd story!

The real meaning of these verses was given, amongst others, by Muayyad Shirazi. He said that in reality Ibrahim was already at the stage of risaalat. The word "night" indicates his misaaq that allowed him to climb higher. The star he saw at first and called "Hadha Rabbi" was actually a da'i (missionary) who imparted to Ibrahim nur (light, knowledge) raising him in rank. However, Ibrahim soon gained everything he could from this da'i. that is the star set. In this context the work "rabbi" means "teacher" (not an ordinary teacher, but one who inducts someone into the divine secrets hence raising the student's rank in the dawaat hierarchy).

Then he saw the "moon" rise, which indicates his next stage of initiation at the hands of the Hujja. However, the destiny of Ibrahim was such that even the Hujjat "set", that is not complete Ibrahim's elevation to his destined rank. Hence he says "If my Lord does not guide I will surely be among the people who went astray".

Finally, the "sun" rose, i.e. the Imam himself imparted ilm and nur to Ibrahim. At the sunset of the Imam he was perfected to a place where he could say to his people that he was free of shirk. In fact, his next stage (described in verse 6:79) was of direct intuitive understanding (tayeed) obtained from Aashir Muddabir, the Intelligence responsible for the salvation of the physical world. Hence, Ibrahim says that "I have turned my face to the One Who created the Heavens and the Earth ..."

(I should say that Sufis have also interpreted these verses in a metaphorical manner as the Stations that one who yearns for the Divine Beloved goes through. The three celestial bodies (star, moon and sun) are way-stations which eventually a Sufi can pass to attain to such a rank such that he faces the Divine Presence directly and without any veils, a sort of annihilation (fana) of the individual ego into the Divine.)

STF went on to explain three more levels of this verse. The first, the Prophet is the Ibrahim of the present era, and greater than Ibrahim, though both were mustaqar Imams. The Prophet himself, and Ali and his progeny are the Siraat al-Mustaqeem while Ibrahim was guided towards the Sirat al-Mustaqeem. Further, during the Meraaj (the Heavenly Journey) the Prophet attained a high station and extreme closeness to the Divine Presence. During this Journey everything that is to occur till the time of Qiyamaat was revealed to the Prophet. On seeing two houses, one of green color and another red, the Prophet is informed that these represent the martyrdom of his two grandsons, Hassan (green) through poison and Hussain (red) at Karbala.

The Kingdom of Heaven (Samawati) is the dawaat of zuhur in which the manifest Imam stands for the sky (heaven). The Kingdom of Earth (ardi) is the dawaat of satr in which the duat al-mutlaqeen are the teachers. The first setting of the stars means that the da'is attain to such a level of ilm that they are now on the rank of the hujja of the Imam, i.e. the moon. The moon setting and rise of the sun means that the da'i, for all practical purposes sits on the throne of the Imam and has attained his ismat and infallibility. Finally, the correspondence of 6:79 is to the tayeed that the da'i receives from the Imam, and the divine aid to run the dawaat.

In the next (second) "wajeh" STF described the meaning of the last two words of the Quranic verse Q 37:107, i.e. "dhib'hin azeem" (the great sacrifice). The full set of verses start at Q 37:102 in which Ibrahim describes to his son his dream in which he saw that he was sacrificing him (i.e. his son Ismail). Ismail replies that he accepts whatever Allah commands and Ibrahim should do as he was commanded. When both are ready and Ibrahim is about to sacrifice his son Allah stops Ibrahim and "ransoms" him with a "great sacrifice".

These verses are an indication of the two streams that arose from Ibrahim, that is of mustaqar Imams (Ismail and his progeny) and the mustawda Imams (Ishaq and his progeny). Ismail was Ibrahim's wasi while Ishaq was responsible for the zahiri dawaat. This is the "great sacrifice" mentioned in the Quran.

In the era of the Prophet Muhammad Imam Aamir is homologous to Nabi Ibrahim and Imam Tayyeb to Ismail. The "great sacrifice" are the duat mutlaqeen who are responsible for the zahiri dawaat during the occultation of the Imams from the progeny of Imam Tayyeb.

STF then explained the Quranic verse 21:85 which states that "Ismail, Idris and Dhul-Kifl were of the patient ones". Now, Ismail was the son of Ibrahim (via Saarah) and Idris was a nabi in the era of Adam. So why are these two mentioned in this verse? Also, who is "Dhul-Kifl"? Traditionally, the last is interpreted to mean a just and pious man. However, the Tayebi interpretation is that "Ismail" is homologous to Imam Tayyeb and Idris to Huratul Maleka, the hujja of the Imam who established the chain of duat mutlaqeen. Finally, Dhul-Kifl are the da'is themselves. In the very next verse (Q 21:86) it is said that these were admitted to the Mercy (rehmat) of Allah and were of the saliheen (i.e. the righteous). Here, the meaning of the word "rehmat" is that of the tayeed from Imam as well as Allah, which is the highest form of rehmat.

In the last (third) "wajeh" STF very briefly explained the verse Q 60:12 in which the Prophet is instructed by Allah that if women come to him and promise to abstain from so-and-so (the list is long!) then he should accept their bayaa and ask forgiven for them. The "women" in this verse are interpreted to mean the duat mutlaqeen and the "Prophet" as Huratul Maleka, who obtained from them promise to safeguard the trust that has been placed in them and when they agree, take their ahad (misaaq). He concluded by reading a list of 21 "sifat" of the da'is.

(One of the keys of tawil is that the feminine in the Quran often does not represent gender/sex but the lower hadd of the dawaat hierachy. In this specific case, Hurratul Maleka is the "male" despite being a woman as she is the hujaa and hence higher in rank compared to the the da'is who are hence "female").

I have to say this was probably the most complex waaz of the three. A vast number of themes were discussed and complex and obscure Quranic themes were explained. It is fitting, of course, as Nabi Ibrahim is a very critical part of the Islamic conception of cyclical history and in his story there are many hidden signs and symbols that reveal things that have occurred and will occur. Such is the power of the Quran: it often speaks at multiple levels at the same time and multiple voices too. The centuries of rich Ismaili and then Tayebi theological philosophy has tried to elucidate many of these riches from the Quran. In many ways this is not unique to the Ismailis and Tayebis: even many sunni mystical traditions and sufi tariqas have complex interpretation of the Quran and the prophetic hadith. In this sense, the Quran provides an essentially endless source material to interpret and understand the world around us. Certainly another refreshing and illuminating waaz from STF!
i have been listening only to the Waaz of Syedna Taher Saifuddin, but to honest, a lot of the Waaz was going quite above my head.

After Ashura, i am going to spend a weekend reading your analysis. so please, as a personal request, please do share your write-up on the Waaz, it helps explain a LOT of things to e