At the heart of Ismaili philosophy is the idea that there is a hidden meaning within their religious texts.
They will trace the origins of this idea back to the 8th century when Ismailis were creating for themselves something unique, something distinct from mainstream Islam. The Ismaili Imam's philosophers began to see a difference between the outward, literal, 'exoteric' meaning and the inward, spiritual, 'esoteric' meaning of the Qur'an and the law of Islam.
In time, some of the interpretations of the hidden meaning were seen as excessive and heretical. Eventually, it was said that only the Imam could understand and explain the inner meaning.
An Ismaili 'murid' (believer) is not yet enlightened enough to see the hidden meanings himself. Each successive Imam, however, is given the freedom to re-interpret the Law and the Qur'an for today's world, based on the inner, spiritual meaning of the text. This has led to a consistency in the core beliefs of Ismailism with some fluidity on contemporary issues.
Our Ismaili friends are shaped by the idea of hidden, spiritual meanings throughout life. They may well give a lot of thought and expression to the inner meaning of many objects, texts and events.
A strong belief within the Ismaili community is that there is a common, inner spiritual truth within every religion (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). Although the religious laws given by the prophets – Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad – differ in content, the spiritual truths they contain are eternal, unchangeable and common to all.
Originally published 2 years ago