There was a time when Ismailis were known as the 'Batiniyah', those who followed the batin, the inner, esoteric truths. Today, that tradition of delving beneath the outward meaning persists. Ismailis, led by the Aga Khan in their pursuit of the secret, deeper truths, acknowledge outward acts of devotion but give precedence to both inner symbolism and inner purity.
But just what is inner purity? What does it mean to be holy in the sight of the Almighty?
Gnostic Purity
Ismailism is a Gnostic religion, an Islamic tangent to a philosophical tradition that traces its roots through Greek philosophy. It bears several of the hallmarks of Neo-Platonic thought with many of its Gnostic tropes re-interpreted in the light of the Divine, the indescribable Progenitor.
This reinterpration has modified the original Gnostic eschewing of the physical. The body is not entirely written off as irrelevant. Indeed, the mind and its pursuits – altogether very fleshy, tangible expressions of the physical, though arguably occupying some kind of half-way house - are prized very highly.
Nevertheless, this esoteric Islamic tariqah necessarily sends Ismailism on lines divergent from traditional Islamic practices, something particularly evident in its approach to ritual purity.
Pillars
Islam often has very visual associations. The tapestry of prayer is colored with injunctions on form, direction and dress. We imagine Muslim men bearded and Muslim women covered because of the Qur'an, the hadith (the sayings of the Prophet) and the sunnah (the traditions of Muhammad) . All of these spell out a plethora of ways in which devotees should honor Allah through their lifestyle and worship. In many ways the mainstream Islamic tariqah redirects the worship of the faithful back to the legalism of the Old Testament and the Jewish manner of approaching YHWH.
The Ismaili tariqah, however, is typically less concerned with these outward forms of devotion. For Ismailis, such forms are simply symbols of a deeper truth, a deeper truth that can be better observed when better understood. Thus, the guiding principles of Islam – its 5 pillars – are reinterpreted and reapplied through an esoteric lens on life.
Indeed, Ismailism holds that there are 3 levels of meaning to each Pillar. The first is the exoteric meaning and revealed as the sharia, or law. The second is the esoteric meaning and revealed as the tariqah, or the path of interpretation. The third is the esoteric of the esoteric and revealed as the haqiqah, or the ultimate reality.
Stage one, the exoteric, is practiced by the physical body and is expressed through the different laws of each religion. Stage two, the esoteric, is practiced by the first stage of the mind, reason, imagination and reflection and is colored by each religion's understanding of symbolism. Stage 3 depends on the intellect ('aql), located in the soul of each person, and is universal. It's at this level that all religions are united under the banner of Ultimate Truth.
Our article on the 7 pillars of Ismailism and review of Khalil Andani's lecture on Ismaili rituals provides a focussed look at some of these issues. Two pillars deserve another mention. Whilst the 30 days of Ramadan is one of the defining marks of Islam, Ismaili Muslims practice the discipline of fasting in an entirely different manner. The deeper goal is to refrain not from food but from evil, and not just for 30 days but for 365. As a tool to remind them of this goal, Ramadan is useful. It is not, however, a 'must' to incur the favour of Allah.
Even more symbolic is taharra, ritual purity, a pillar unique to the Ismaili tariqah. For Sunni Muslims, wadu, the practice of cleaning one's head, arms and legs before praying often transcends symbolism. It is, in and of itself, necessary for cleansing the soul. For an Ismaili, however, it retains its symbolism. Just as the body needs to be washed, the soul too must be washed. Ismailis hold that their soul should be washed with truth, a process that occurs through various rites at the Jamatkhana.
Jesus' Instruction
In our article on Ismaili Christology we touched on Jesus' emphasis on inner purity. Rebuking the religious leaders of the day, Jesus criticized them for caring more about outward expressions of devotion which weren't matched by an inner belief. His message emphasised the heart.
Perhaps Jesus' most famous teaching is found in what is commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5:17-48. This a treasure trove of wisdom and guidance for the murid.
Six times Jesus spoke out against the legalistic, performance based approach of the religious leaders of the day. He taught them, saying “You have heard … but I say to you ...” He taught them that, though they knew adultery was wrong, yet to have lust in one's heart is the same as committing adultery. He taught them that though they knew murder was wrong, yet to be angry with someone is like murdering them in your heart.
Jesus taught people that what happens on the inside, in the heart, the seat of one's self, is key.
Jesus was building on the wisdom of Suleyman, found in the book of Proverbs (our series on which can be found here). Suleyman writes,
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life”
The heart is the real you, the seat of the self. As Suleyman writes, "As in water face reveals face, So a man's heart reveals the man" (Proverbs 27:19). And so Jesus teaches "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Matthew 15:19).
Suleyman's father, the prophet Dawud recognized that doing good is not enough. Rather, God desires that "truth be in the inward parts" (Psalm 51:6). In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus concurred, explaining, it is only the "pure in heart" that shall "see God" (Matthew 5:8). As God explained to the prophet Samuel, "God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
How then does a murid attain the purity of heart that the Almighty looks for? The Bible gives an astonishing answer. It promises that God will write His law on the hearts of those who enter into a covenant with him (Jeremiah 31:33). Those who have made bayat to Jesus will be given a new heart, one of flesh not stone, one which is primed to follow its Creator.
A way forward
Here at Ismaili Friends we try not to make light of our differences. Differences are what mark us out as Ismaili and as Christian. They shape our past, present and future. They are part of our identity and they govern our interactions even with each other. It would be damaging to minimise them.
However, there is also significant overlap. Created from one man and one woman by the same God to the same end, we are each of us on a journey towards better understanding the Divine and being molded into His image. Christians and Ismailis alike can find common ground in our desire to move beyond mere ritual and concentrate on the heart.
To that end, we'd like to recommend the following short book, written by a Christian pastor named John Piper.
Titled 'A Godward Heart: Treasuring the God Who Loves You', it is a series of 50 meditative passages to begin each day with an attempt to perceive the Divine, hear from our Creator and develop our heart in line with God's will. You can see his 2 minute promo here.
As Christians we believe the work of shaping the heart is started and strengthened by the Holy Spirit in us. We pray for our Ismaili friends that this will be the case for them too, that they will know God's power and revelatory presence in them.
We believe this short book will give joy and enlightenment to Christian and Ismaili alike.