In his daily life the focus of our Ismaili friend is on the Aga Khan, the tangible representation of God on earth. Almighty God Himself is harder to comprehend.
God – Allah, as he'll call him – is, in Ismaili theology, essentially unknowable and very literally indescribable. He can't be seen, heard, touched or experienced. He's beyond all positive and negative qualities and consequently beyond comprehension. For this reason Ismaili philosophers have called Allah the “Black Light” or “Luminous Night” - something that's all-encompassing and yet not really understandable.
Ismailis will still say Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing and, above all, the creator. Ismaili theology draws heavily on Greek philosophy, describing Allah as the one true, perfect reality from which all other 'forms' have come.
This God sustains his creation through waves of radiations that come from himself and move out through creation.
The third Aga Khan, using the Qur'anic metaphor of Light, said, “the consequence of light as seen in the universe, is the nearest we can imagine or hope to believe about the person of our Creator.”[^1]
Since Ismailis believe this about God, it's natural to refocus on their Imam, the Aga Khan. He is believed to be the Light of God, in whom resides the Divine Spark – the first of all Allah's creations. Seeing him then is the only way of getting a glimpse and understanding of the Divine.
[^1] Amaana.
Originally published 2 years ago