Most words are transliterations of the original Arabic, Persian, Urdu or Gujarati and as such may have variant spellings.
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Ab-i Shifa - the 'water of purity' infused with the blessing of the Imam through his touch or breath. The drink is taken during Ismaili meetings for the purification of heart and soul and to achieve symbolic union with the Nur.
Aga Khan – adopted family name of the Ismaili Imam
Ahl al-Bayt - the family of Muhammad
Aimmah - the 12 Shia Imams
Aql - the Universal Intellect, the first of Allah's creation and a perfect representation of the indescribable and unknowable Allah. It emanates the Nur. Through it everything knows and understands God.
Amr - Command. See kalimah.
Asas - Right hand man to the Natiq. Provides the esoteric interpretation of the message of the Natiq.
Bab - lit. 'gate'. Administrative head of the mission/da'wah in the Fatimid era. The chief hujjat
Baraka - blessing
Batin - the interior or hidden meaning of anything (particluarly the Qur'an) that is reserved for the Imam and a special few who are in tune with the Imam. Opposite to zahir.
Bayat - the pledge of allegiance made to the Imam in order to enter the Ismaili faith. Also made as dedication by parents on behalf of an infant.
Bohra - The Bohras do not follow the Aga Khan and are known as Mustalis after they split from the Nizaris in the 11th century over a succession debate. They are subdivided into two branches: Dawoodi and Sulamaini.
Chand raaat – New moon festival
Chanto - a rite or service to ask for forgiveness for past or future sins.
Da'i- missionary, or important religious leaders other than the hereditary Imams .
Da’i al Mutlaq - (Arabic: الداعي المطلق) literally means "the absolute or unrestricted missionary".
Dasond – 12.5% tithe: 2.5% to poor, 10% to the Aga Khan
Dandiya Raas Traditional folk dance from Gujarat, India. Originally Hindu, practised by khoja Ismailis.
Da’wah – Mission. Usually denotes the preaching of Islam. Literally means "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation"
Dawoodi Bohra - see Bohra.
Dhikr - (Arabic: ذِکْر meaning 'remembrance') is the name of devotional acts in Islam in which short phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited silently and rhythmically. Tasbih is a form of dhikr.
Didar - Glimpse or sighting of the Imam, typically at a mulaqat.
Dua - Prayer. From an Arabic word meaning to 'call out' or to 'summon'.
Esoteric - based on the batin, the hidden, spiritual meaning, of the Qur'an, the Shari'a or virtually anything with the potential for spiritual symbolism. Knowledge held only by an initiated or englightened few.
Exoteric - the outward, apparent meaning; observable, empirical, surface level.
Farman - an instruction issued by the Imam with authority equal to that of the Qur'an.
Ghaib – in regular Islam this is the realm of the unseen. In Ismailism it is interpreted as 'the hidden'.
Ghulat Lit. extremists. Those with deviant or exaggerated beliefs in Shia Islam. Often levelled at Ismailis for allegedly seeing the Imam as divine.
Ghuluww See ghulat. Noun.
Ginans - a collection devotional literature in the form of lyrics and hymns that resembles the Christian Psalms. From the Sanskrit word for 'gnosis'
Hazar Imam – lit. ‘everlasting Imam’. A title of the Aga Khan. So called because the line from Ali to the current 49th Imam is believed to be unbroken.
Hazrat - (Also Hadrah or Hadhrat - Hadrah, Arabic: حضرة) is an honorific Arabic title. The literal translation of Hadrah is "Presence". In usage it is comparable to traditional Western honorifics addressing high officials, such as 'Your Honour', 'His Majesty' etc.
Hudud – Ismaili hierarchy
Hujjat – proof (of God), testimony, argument. Used for the Imam who is the person who stands as evidence for mankind of God's will and without which the world could not exist. Also used of those occupying senior positions in the Ismaili hierarchy.
Ibda - lit. 'origination'. God's creative act.
Imam – hereditary leader of the Nizari Ismaili sect of Islam
Imam al-Zaman – Imam of the time
Ismaili – from ‘Ismail bin-Jafar’, the eldest son of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq, the fifth Imam.
ITREB - The Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Boards. More precisely the 'Shia Imami ITREB'. A contemporary term for local and international boards within the Ismaili community, ultimately accountable to the Imam and responsible for religious instruction and supervision over details of the practice of the faith in the localities under their jurisdiction.
Jamat - Ismaili community, whether local or worldwide.
Jamatkhana - literally, a "congregational place" an amalgamation derived from the Arabic word jama‘a (gathering) and the Persian word khana (house, place).
Jism - body.
Jura - Arabic and Persian word meaning 'a gulp'. A tabarruk (benedictory gift) in the form of a sweet, given out at the jamatkhana to the murids as a baraka (blessing) from the Imam.
Kamadia - assistant to the Mukhi of the jamatkhana. Typically the accountant.
Kalimah - the Word. The First Cause, as identified in the Qur'an. Also known as the amr, or 'Command'.
Khoja – a community in India converted from Hinduism to Ismaili Islam in the 14th Century.
Ma'dhun - Assistant to the Da'i; preacher and teacher.
Mahdi (see also Qa'im) - the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will rule for seven, nine or nineteen years (according to various interpretations) before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.
Mandli - a stage/level within the Ismaili faith. Entrance to each level/Mandli is granted on the size of either a monthly tithe or a lump sum; the more that is offered as a dasond, the higher Mandli one can attend.
Mazhar - locus of manifestation. The definition of the Aga Khan relative to God. A mirror image.
Mehmani - meaning entertainment, banquet or hospitality. A private audience with the Imam.
Misbaha - Prayer beads, much like the Catholic rosary. Also known as tasbih.
Mukhi - leader or 'guardian' of the jamatkhana. Derived from 'mukhiya' meaning 'foremost'. Seen as a tangible symbol of the Imam's presence. Primarily lay officials.
Mulaqat - An audience with the Aga Khan.
Mu'min - believer
Murid - believer
Mustali - A separate branch of Ismailis who do not follow the Aga Khan. Named for the second son of the 18th [Imam] al-Mustansir who fought for the title with his brother, Nizar. Separated into two further sects, the Dawoodi Bohras and Sulamaini Bohras
Nafs - soul.
Nandi - From Arabic 'to call' or Hindi 'blessing'. A form of mehmani, whereby food brought to the jamatkhana is symbolically offered to the Imam as a nazar, auctioned off amongst the community, and the proceeds sent to the Imam in return for blessings.
Nass – the process by which the Imam, divinely inspired, appoints his successor.
Natiq - the 'Speaking-Prophet'. The six successive prophets (with the Lord of the Resurrection still to come) who brought a new Book and Law from God and instituted a new cycle.
Niyaz - The ritual associated with drinking the 'water of purity'. See Ab-i Shifa
Occultation - the time(s) throughout history during which taqiya is demanded and the Imam either hides or is very inaccessible to most, relating to his followers by proxy.
Nizari - The branch of Ismailis who follow the line of Imams descending from the eldest son of Imam al-Mustansir, Nizar, the 19th Imam. Separate from the Mustali Ismailis (named for the other son).
Nur - The light of Allah, placed in Mohammad and passed on through the line of Imams. It emanates from the first created thing in the universe, the Aql, a perfect representation of the indescribable and unknowable Allah. Consequently, as the location of the nur, through the Imam it is possible to see a reflection of God.
Pir – (Persian: پیر, literally "old [person]") is a title given to the early missionaries to the Khojas in India. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". The chief Da'i is also called the ‘Pir’.
Qa'im (see also Mahdi) - (Arabic: القائم "He Who Arises") is a messiah-like figure in Shi'a Islam, sometimes referred to as the Mahdi, but distinctly of a Shi'a tradition.
Qasidas - a form of poetry that originated in pre-Islamic Arabia. They include the Central Asian, Arab and Persian equivalent of South East Asian Ginans.
Ruh - spirit.
Sayyidna - Title given to Ismaili teachers and da'is meaning 'our master'.
Shari'a - The Law of Islam.
Sukrit - Derived from Sanskrit words, implying the good deeds conducted by hand. A soft, brown food made from milk, sugar, butter, flour and nectar served during the rites of Ab-i Shifa.
Tabaruk - A gift given out at jamatkhana, usually in the form of jura as a blessing from the Imam.
Tafsir – exoteric exegesis – the interpretation of the Qu’ran on the basis of the exterior, apparent, zahir, meaning
Tajalli - illumination or enlightenment. The transfiguration of the individual through meditative contemplation whereby God is progressively revealed in and through the illumination of the Divine Light.
Taqiya - a doctrine which means to hide one's true religious beliefs if there is a risk of persecution.
Tariqah - path.
Tasbih - Repetitive recitation of short phrases in worship, often counted on prayer beads similar to a Catholic rosary. A form of dhikr. Also used to refer to the prayer beads themselves (see misbaha).
Ta'lim - authoritative teaching on the Qur'an
Ta’wil – esoteric exegesis – the interpretation of the Qu’ran on the basis of the hidden, batin, meaning
Waez - sermon. An address during jamatkhana meetings.
Wilayat – right/authority/power to and in rule.
Zahir – the apparent, exterior meaning of anything (particularly the Qu’ran). Opposite to batin.
Zikr - See dhikr