During the period of Imam al-Mustansir billah, Nasir Khusaro was designated as a hujjat of Khorasan and Badakhshan. He came from Khorasan and launched mass conversion in Central Asia. When public pressure against him escalated, he found refuge in Yamghan, in the court of Ali bin al-Asad, an intellectual Ismaili prince in the mountainous region of Badakhshan. Thus Yamghan became synonymous with prison, where he died.
The descendants of Syed Khamush Shah Shirazi entered China soon after the reduction of Alamut in 1256 and spread in Sikiang, Kashgar, Rashkam, western Mongolia and Chinese Turkistan. In the 5th generations of Syed Sohrab Wali was a certain da'i, called Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, who had gone to China. His descendants also entered Russia. In 1930, another da'i called Syed Shah Ghulam from Chitral had gone to China and was killed by the government. The amil represents the office of the Mukhi in every village. They utter Ya Ali Madad by putting their hands on their knees. When the guest departs, they utter Khuda Hafiz by putting their hands on their knees in the same manner. In 1937, Abdul Shah had to go on an official visit to China. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah had told him to deliver waez and impart the Ismailis in China, which he did successfully. The Present Imam also made a tour of China between October 19, 1981 and October 29, 1981.
The Present Imam's visit to Moscow in January, 1995 marked a milestone in the history of the Imamate and a significant new phase in its international development activities. This visit, Imam's first ever to Russia, was organized in response to an invitation extended by the Russian government in 1994. Almost from the moment the official motorcade conveyed Imam from Vnukovo Airport to the State dacha, through Moscow's snow-lined streets, in sub-zero temperature, began five very full days. During his stay in Moscow, the Imam held a series of meetings with officials at the highest levels of federal and local government. His busy schedule included meetings with the Mufti of the Muslims of Central European Russian, Shaikh Ravil Gainoutdin and with the Orthodox Patriarch of All Russia, His Holiness Alexy II at the respective headquarters of the institutions headed by the two religion leaders. In an event unprecedented in the known recorded history of the Imamate, on the 29th January, 1995, the Imam went to grant a didar to members of the jamat of the Central Asian tradition of the Ismaili tariqah. Gathered in Moscow's Olimpiski Stadium, were members of the jamat living in and around Moscow and others who had come from various countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, many of whom traced their origin to the Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan.
Tajikistan belongs to the larger Badakhshani Ismaili constituency and represents vividly the spiritual and cultural heritage of Ismailis. The current Ismaili population is found in the Badakhshan province and other parts of Tajikistan. Many Ismailis have also migrated to Kyrgyzstan (Osh and Bishkek), Kazakhstan (Alma Ata) and Russia (Moscow, Saint Petersberg, Saratov and other cities). The Present Imam became the first Imam in the known recorded history of the Ismailis to have traveled to grant didar in Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic at the invitation of their governments between May 22, 1995 and May 31, 1995. The Imam visited Dushanbe, Khorog, Roshtkala, Murghab, Sijd, Ishkashim, Rushan and in Bishkek.
The foundation stone ceremony of the Ismaili Centre was performed in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on August 30, 2003 in presence of the Imam, President Rahmonov of Tajikistan, the Mayor Ubaidulloev and other distinguished leaders. The Imam launched a landmark cultural center in Dushanbe, marking a milestone in the 1300-year history of the jamat in Central Asia. The landscaped complex that will initiate a revitalization of cultural, educational and contemplative space and urban regeneration in Dushanbe, will also be the first permanent place of gathering and organization for the jamat of Central Asia.
Politically, the Gilgit Agency is sub-divided into various areas like Yasin, Punial, Gupis and Ishkoman. The Ismailis resided thickly in Hunza state, where the Present Imam toured between October 20, 1960 and October 24, 1960. Presently, there are 55 Jamatkhanas in Gilgit Agency, 125 Jamatkhanas in Punial and Ishkoman, 147 Jamatkhanas in Gupis and Yasin and 111 Jamatkhanas in Hunza State.
There are about 1,60,000 Ismailis in Chitral, or its 35% population belongs to the Ismailis. Till 1949, there were no Jamatkhanas in Chitral. Prayers were offered within the houses. In 1949, however, Jamatkhanas were built throughout the area. There are now 264 Jamatkhanas in Upper Chitral and 167 Jamatkhanas in Lower Chitral.
Family in Central Asia starts with match making arrangements. A person who knows well both bride's and groom's family takes responsibility of arranging their marriage. Sometimes up to 3 or 4 people participate in this very important task. Most of the time it is an elder woman who has the wisdom gained from prior experiences of arranging marriages, less commonly it is done by the parents of two young people.
Person who arranges the marriage chooses the bride or groom from two very respectable and educated families. It is a very difficult process, description of the bride to be or groom to be must be accurate, well presented and trustworthy.
In many Central Asian counties those who arrange the marriage visit homes of future bride on behalf of groom and his family and propose marriage. Future of young family depends on groom's character, his parent's and relative's life experiences and the marriage arranger herself. By taking the responsibility of match making person has to know everything about bride's and groom's families and as well as bride and groom themselves otherwise it is considered a big sin to arrange an unhappy marriage for both families. Those people must understand that well being and future of the young family is in their hands.
People of Central Asia have a saying, ?those who have a bride, have the caprices?, marriage arrangers visit bride's homes several times before getting an agreement for the proposed marriage. Then marriage arrangers return to groom's home, they are greeted with a question, ?wolf or fox?? If they brought the good news the answer is ?wolf?, and if the bride has not agreed to the marriage the answer is ?fox?.
Match makers visit the desired bride's home several times in order to obtain her agreement to the marriage. When the bride gives her positive answer to the marriage, the match maker ?breaks the bread? to announce the engagement.
In ancient Central Asia the match makes couldn't come into brides home to propose the marriage without informing the bride's family. The match makes or sometimes mother of the groom came early in the morning when everyone was sleeping to the bride's home and swept the floor near the entrance door to the bride's home that would show the bride's parents that there is a family who is interested in proposing marriage to their daughter. Next bride's family would start to prepare for the visit of the match maker, by trying to find out from which family the groom is and learn more about the groom and his family. Parents of the bride did not agree to the marriage from first visit of the match makes even if they were in favor of it. First bride's family had to show its? pride and give an impressions of their daughter as hard to get bride, which would bring brides? and her family's status higher.
In present time the process of match making became easier in some parts of Central Asia, young women and men meet each other in their own and then ask their parents for permission to the marriage or their parents or immediate family members play the role of match makers. They tell each other about their families, relatives and other background information. A lot of attention is paid to how neighbors describe the bride or groom and references from school or work.
Bride and groom are allowed to have few dates before giving their final agreement for the engagement. Those dates are very important as they give young people an opportunity to find out more information about each other, such as their views on different aspects of life, their personalities and interests. Based on those dates they are able to make a better decision about the possibility of future marriage.
Marriage arrangement is an ancient and well respected tradition of Central Asia.
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Ibrahim Lodhi has sinced written about articles on various topics from Religion, Nutrition and Pets. Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S. Ali is an popular Ismaili Scholar, Written many books on Islam and Ismailism,