“When one gives bay’ah to a tariqah, one is actually entering into a contract”
Mr Andani, a PhD candidate at Harvard and unofficial spokesperson for the Ismaili community, gives us a look into the pillars of Ismailism and their differences from traditional Muslim orthopraxy.
Here are some highlights:
Tariqah
Andani explains that whilst sharia is the outward aspect of Islam, tariqah describes the inward practices. Whilst there is only one Muslim sharia, there are many tariqahs, many esoteric paths within Islam.
It's this understanding that allows Ismailis to see jamatkhanas not as rivals to the mosque but complements, a place for them to practice their particular tariqah rituals.
Five, Six, or Seven Pillars?
Traditionally there are five pillars within Islam. Mr Andani asserts that Ismailis hold to the same pillars, but mentions six. In an earlier article, we suggested there are seven.
Some differences are explained in the video. Each pillar of the external, exoteric sharia also has an internal, esoteric tariqah (essentially, interpretation). The traditional pillars and their counterparts are as follows:
- Shahadah (statement of faith) & Walayah (devotion to the Imam)
- Salat (prayer) - prayed three times a day, not five, with the addition of the recitation of the 49 Imams to finish the prayers
- Zakat (alms/tithe) - paid directly to the Imam to distribute to the poor
- Sawm (fasting) & an internal abstention from everything evil all year
- Hajj (pilgrimage) & a much coveted audience with the Imam
Andani also mentions a sixth, Taharra (ritual purity). Although important in Islam, it is not traditionally considered a pillar. The Ismaili tariqah is to highlight the importance of inner purity, not just bodily cleanliness. This is achieved, in much the same way as in Christianity, by washing oneself in the Truth.
The seventh, not touched on by Andani, is jihad, seen as an internal struggle against personal and social vices, not the violence we often associate with terrorism.