Succession of Imamat: Q&A on Nur, Nass and Nasab (Lineage)
Theological & Historical Answers about the Succession of Imamat in 2025
The recent passing of our 49th hereditary Imam, Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV⁽ᶜ⁾ and the succession to the Imamat of our 50th Imam, Mawlana Shah Rahim al-Husayni Aga Khan V⁽ᶜ⁾ has evoked many theological questions among Ismailis and non-Ismailis alike.
In his seminar on Feb 15, 2025, Dr. Khalil Andani (Ph.D. Islamic Studies – Harvard, Assistant Professor of Religion) answered the Jamat’s questions from a theological and historical perspective:
We present below some brief responses to these frequently asked questions based on Dr. Andani’s webinar with links to articles containing further details on key theological and historical concepts.
Click on a question to jump to the answer:
Q1: How do we prove the Imamat of Mawlana Shah Rahim al-Husayni?
Q2: What is the Nur (Light) of Imamat?
Q3: How is the Nur of Imamat present in the Imam of the Time?
Q4: How does the Nur of Imamat continue in the next Imam?
Q5: What is the nature of Nass (designation)?
Q6: Does the succeeding Imam know that he is the Imam before the Nass is declared?
Q7: Why does the Imamat continue in a male hereditary lineage?
Q8: Can there be a female Imam?
Q9: What happens to the departed soul of Imam Mawlana Shah Karim?
Q10: Why is the present Imam’s name followed by “al-Husayni”?
Q1: How do we prove the Imamat of Mawlana Shah Rahim al-Husayni?
The Imam of the Time claims to be a divinely-appointed leader, the authoritative interpreter of Islam, and the spiritual guide (pir, murshid), in direct succession to the Prophet Muhammad⁽ᶜ⁾, the final messenger of God, with a divine mandate to guide humanity towards both spiritual and material well-being. In the present time, Mawlana Shah Rahim al-Husayni is the the only living claimant to the hereditary Imamat of Shi‘i Islam.
The present Imam’s claim to the Imamat is premised on Tawhid (the absolute oneness of God), the Prophethood of Muhammad and the historical succession of the Ismaili Imams. These claims can be verified through the following sequence of arguments for which Ismaili Gnosis has published articles:
a) There is one God or Ultimate Reality who creates and sustains all other realities – read “The Strongest Argument for the Existence of God” / listen to the Podcast.
b) God continuously provides divine guidance for all beings including humanity by inspiring Prophets (Messengers) and Imams (Leaders) with His guidance – read “Proof of Prophecy: A Logical Argument for Muhammad’s Prophethood.”
c) Prophet Muhammad was both a Messenger (Warner) and the Imam (Leader/Guide) of his time, responsible for representing God’s authority on earth and serving as an intermediary between God and humanity – read “The Prophet Unveiled” / Listen to the Podcast.
d) God has appointed an uninterrupted succession of hereditary Imams (Leaders/Guides) on earth to guide by His Command – read “Where is Imamat in the Qur’an” / Watch the Video.
e) Prophet Muhammad, by God’s command and inspiration, appointed his cousin and son-in-law Hazrat ‘Ali b. Abi Talib⁽ᶜ⁾ as the first Imam to succeed him as the interpreter of God’s final message – read “Imam Ali Declared the Successor of Prophet Muhammad.”
f) Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾, by God’s command and inspiration, designated his eldest son Isma‘il b. Ja‘far⁽ᶜ⁾ by the rule of nass as his successor to the Shi‘i Imamat – read “Seven Proofs for the Imamat of Isma‘il.”
g) Imam al-Mustansir billah⁽ᶜ⁾, by God’s command and inspiration, designated his eldest son Nizar by the rule of nass as his successor to the Shi‘i Ismaili Imamat and the line of Nizari Ismaili Imams continued in Alamut – watch Dr. Khalil Andani’s presentation at the Institute of Ismaili Studies.
h) The lineage of Nizari Ismaili Imams has continued historically without interruption from the first Imam, Hazrat ‘Ali⁽ᶜ⁾, to the present living Imam Shah Rahim al-Husayni⁽ᶜ⁾ – as documented in the below article. Read “The Aga Khan’s Direct Descent from Prophet Muhammad”:
Q2: What is the Nur (Light) of Imamat?
The Nur of Imamat (“the Light of Imamat”) or the Nur of ‘Ali (“the Light of ‘Ali”) is a term used by modern-era Ismaili Muslims and the recent Ismaili Imams to refer to the inner, spiritual, or metaphysical reality of the Imam. This “Light” is a singular, eternal, and spiritual reality that transcends the individual personalities of the historical Imams and has existed from eternity. The single “Light of Imamat” illuminates, inspires, and manifests in each Imam of the Time.
Learned Ismailis may describe the Nur of Imamat as the Universal Intellect (‘aql-i kull), the First Intellect (al-‘aql al-awwal), and the Logos (Word, Command; kalima, amr) of God – which is God’s first origination, first creation, and first self-manifestation. The Nur of Imamat is not identical to God; the Nur is the eternal and most perfect creation of God and is the greatest of all beings. The difference between God and the Nur of Imamat is as follows: God is the sole independent and unconditioned reality; the Nur of Imamat is the highest dependent and conditioned reality that is eternally and directly dependent upon God for its existence.
The Nur of Imamat as the Universal Intellect is manifested throughout all of creation, within every particle of the spiritual and physical worlds. The great Ismaili philosopher Abu Ya‘qub al-Sijistani explains:
“…think of Intellect as being the ‘Mercy of God’ (rahmat-i khuday) which was poured out upon the creatures in such a way that every thing had a glitter from the light (nur) of the Prime Intellect in accordance with its own ‘measure’ (miqdar), be this a corporeal or a spiritual being, or a naturally generated composite… Thus, Intellect is a light (nur) poured forth upon creation, shining in every thing, and its luminosity is in accordance with the measure of the substance of [each] thing, depending on the wide or narrow range of that substance.”
– Abu Ya‘qub al-Sijistani, (Unveiling the Hidden, tr. H. Landolt, Anthology of Philosophy of Persia Volume 2, ed. Nasr and Aminrazavi, 97)
The Nur of Imamat is an intellectual and spiritual self-aware being who worships God in the most complete manner and has the inner recognition (ma‘rifah) of God. God Himself or God’s Essence is absolutely transcendent, ineffable, beyond descriptions and beyond being according to Ismaili Muslim teachings, which Mawlana Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ repeatedly emphasized when he referred to God as “He who is above all else” throughout his esoteric farmans.
Twelver Shi‘i Muslims and Sunni Muslims believe in a nearly identical doctrine of Nur, which they call the Nur of Muhammad (“Light of Muhammad”) or the Muhammadan Reality (al-haqiqah al-Muhammadiyyah) – as explained in Dr. Khalil Andani’s Journal Article on the Light of Muhammad. People of other religious traditions also refer to the Nur of Imamat through their own theological vocabulary such as: God’s Logos (Christianity), Keter (Jewish Kabbalah), Ta’i Chi (Taoism), and Saguna Brahman / Sri Vishnu (Hinduism).
In Ismaili philosophy and in Islamic mysticism more generally, the Nur of Imamat (Muhammadan Light) is the first, highest, and most perfect of God’s spiritual creations and all subsequent creations including the Universal Soul, the Angels, Prime Matter, particular souls, and the physical Universe are created by God through the Nur of Imamat. Likewise, human souls in their spiritual journey towards the recognition of Tawhid seek to attain the Nur of Imamat and through the Nur of Imamat may come closer to God.
Sayyidna Nasir-i Khusraw referred to the Nur of Imamat as the Universal Intellect from which all things are generated and to which all things must return:
“The return of humankind is to the [Universal] Intellect and the judgment (reckoning) of the human being has become necessary because of the Intellect… The [Universal] Soul is the effect of the [Universal] Intellect and the subsistence of every effect is due to its own cause. The subsistence of the particular souls is through the Universal Soul. Thus, the particular souls must return to their Universal [Soul] and that Universal [Soul] must return to the [Universal] Intellect because of whom it exists. As God said: ‘Verily, to Us is their return and upon Us is their reckoning’ (Qur’an 88:25-26).”
Nasir-i Khusraw, (Zad al-Musafir, Tehran: Miras-i Maktub 2015, 177-178)
In numerous farmans, Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni⁽ᶜ⁾ has spoken of the Nur of Imamat or the Nur of ‘Ali as the means by which a murid may attain closeness to God: “The Imam of the Time shows you the way thereby to bring you closer to the Nur of Imamat, and through the Nur of Imamat, near to He who is above all else” (Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni 1972, quoted in Khalil Andani, “Divine Unicity”, St. Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology 2024).
Q3. How is the Nur of Imamat present in the Imam of the Time?
In modern times, the Ismaili Jamat and the contemporary Imams speak of the Imam of the Time as the “bearer of the Nur (Light)” (Mawlana Shah Karim, Sunday Times Interview, Dec 12, 1965). However, this term should not be understood in a material sense as if the Nur of Imamat physically indwells or is spatially located within the Imam’s body. Rather, the Imam as a human being, possessing a material body and a perfect soul, is the perfect mirror of the Nur of Imamat. This means that the Nur of Imamat, which transcends space and time, is reflected and manifested within the perfect soul of the Imam and expressed through the Imam’s thoughts, words, and deeds; without this Nur being contained or constrained inside the Imam’s physical form. The Ismaili philosophers al-Shahrastani and Nasir al-Din Tusi explain that the Imam is the mazhar – the “locus of manifestation” – of the Nur of Imamat in the manner of a mirror in which the Nur is reflected and present without being physically incarnated in the substance of the mirror. Imam Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ explicitly approved the explanation of the Imam as mazhar in the 1975 Paris Conference.
Thus, the individual person of the Imam may be described as the bearer, mazhar, or mirror of the Nur of Imamat, which is God’s most perfect creation and highest self-manifestation. Thus, the Imam in his perfect soul displays the reflections of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah, which are fully manifest in the Nur of Imamat – since God in His transcendent Essence is beyond all names and attributes. Accordingly, the Imam’s pure humanity, expressed through his thoughts, words and deeds, reflects the Divine Names in the form of his wisdom, knowledge, virtues, character traits, and his creative endeavors.
There is a spiritual connection or “outflow” from the Nur of Imamat to the individual human soul of each Imam through which the Nur of Imamat constantly emanates knowledge, guidance, wisdom, blessings, and illumination upon the Imam’s pure soul, thereby enabling the Imam to fulfil his mission on earth. This spiritual connection is variously called ta’yid (“divine support / inspiration”), jari (“stream”), maddah (“spiritual assistance”), and the “Holy Spirit” (al-ruh al-quddus) in Ismaili works. Mawlana Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ explains in a published farman how the Nur of Imamat guides the Jamat “through” the personal mediation of the Imam of the Time:
“For hundreds of years, my spiritual children have been guided by the Rope of Imamat. You have looked to the Imam of the Age for advice and help in all matters and through your Imam’s immense love and affection for his spiritual children, his Nur has indicated to you where and in which direction you must turn so as to obtain spiritual and worldly satisfaction.”
Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV⁽ᶜ⁾,
(Karachi, December 13, 1964, in Ilm Magazine, July 1975, Vol. 1, No. 1, 7)
Q4: How does the Nur of Imamat continue in the next Imam?
Technically speaking, the Nur of Imamat does not literally “transfer” from one Imam to the next Imam in the sense of a material asset or “baton” being transferred from one body to another. This is because the Nur of Imamat is a spiritual or metaphysical reality; it is not a physical object. Physical things are confined to a particular space, place and time; when they move to a new place or location, they depart their original location and are no longer present there. But this is not the case with the Nur of Imamat. Spiritual realities such as the Nur of Imamat, the Universal Soul, the Angels, and even human souls are not confined to one place or another and can be omni-present. Therefore, the Nur of Imamat does not literally “transfer” to the next Imam; the next Imam already bears the Nur of Imamat in his pure soul. What actually “transfers” and is “handed over” upon the death of one Imam to the next Imam is the “authority” or amr of the Office of Imamat.
The truth of this matter is that the Nur of Imamat is present, reflected, and manifested within all of the Holy Imams simultaneously – past, present, and future – by being reflected within their perfect souls. The pure souls of the Imams were created before the creation of the physical world. The perfect souls of the Imams, by their very nature, are the mirrors or loci of manifestation (mazahir) of the Nur of Imamat, even prior to their births in the physical world. This is explained by our 23rd Imam, Mawlana Hasan ala-dhikrihi al-salam⁽ᶜ⁾ as follows:
“The Imams, both outwardly and inwardly, both exoterically and esoterically, issue from the pure line and loins of the Imam, one after another. The Imam is perfect when still in the form of sperm in the loins of his father and the pure womb of his mother. An Imam is always an Imam and always perfect. Otherwise, why should he say, ‘The Imam knows from drop of sperm the Imam after him will come?”
Imam Hasan ‘ala-dhikrihi salaam⁽ᶜ⁾,
(Nasir al-Din Tusi, The Paradise of Submission, 125)
The special tasbih – recited by Ismailis on the 80th birthday and Diamond Jubilee of Mawlana Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ and on the Takht-nishini day of Mawlana Shah Rahim⁽ᶜ⁾ – invokes the salawat upon the “Pure Imams” of the past, present, and the future:
“O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad the chosen, and upon ‘Ali the favored, and upon the Pure Imams and those among them who are waiting to come until the Day of Judgment (wa ‘ala l-a’immati l-tahirin wa l-muntazirin minhum ila yawm al-din), and upon our Present and Living Imam, Mawlana Shah Rahim al-Husayni⁽ᶜ⁾.”
The above salawat refers to the future Imams as “those among them [the pure Imams] who are waiting to come” – which means the future Imams already exist as pure souls and as Imams before they are born in the physical world. The future Imams are already the bearers or mazhars of the Nur of Imamat; but their status as Imams is not known to the public.
The future Imam during the lifetime of the present Imam is called a “silent Imam” (imam samit) while the Imam of the Time, his father, is called a “speaking Imam” (imam natiq). The Imam of the Time – the speaking Imam – has the sole authority or command (amr) to exercise the office of Imamat and lead the Jamat while the silent Imam remains under the authority of the speaking Imam. However, both the speaking Imam and silent Imam are bearers or mirrors of the Nur of Imamat; even when the status of the silent Imam is not known to the Jamat or the public.
There are numerous examples in Ismaili history where the speaking Imam, the Imam of the Time, was accompanied by one or more silent Imams. Ismaili sources always refer to the silent Imams – the future successors – as “Imams” in their own right. Imam al-Mahdi⁽ᶜ⁾ and his son, Imam al-Qa’im⁽ᶜ⁾, were always accompanying one another and were “co-rulers” of the Fatimid Caliphate. During this time, Imam al-Qa’im⁽ᶜ⁾ was the silent Imam and Ismaili Da‘i Ibn al-Haytham referred to al-Qa’im⁽ᶜ⁾ as “the shining moon and the glittering light” and the “light of the world” (tr. Wilfred Madelung and Paul E. Walker, Advent of the Fatimids, 166-7).
In one famous account, Mawlana Imam al-Mahdi⁽ᶜ⁾ – who was the speaking Imam – gathered three silent Imams, his son Imam al-Qa’im⁽ᶜ⁾, his grandson Imam al-Mansur⁽ᶜ⁾, and his great grandson Imam al-Mu‘izz⁽ᶜ⁾, with himself under a cloak and proclaimed that “there is not a majlis more illustrious on earth than this one, as four Imams are gathered here” (Jiwa, Towards a Shi’i Mediterranean Empire, 29). In another moving account, Imam al-Mahdi⁽ᶜ⁾ confided to al-Qadi al-Nu‘man that his son al-Qa’im⁽ᶜ⁾ and grandson al-Mansur⁽ᶜ⁾ were also Imams: “He (al-Nu‘man) said: ‘O Commander of the Faithful, three Imams in one age?’ the [number] astounded him. Then Imam al-Mahdi bi’llah showed him al-Mu‘izz li-Din Allah⁽ᶜ⁾ who was a babe in his cradle and said, ‘And this is the fourth of us, O Nu’man!’ (Imad al-Din, tr. Shainool Jiwa, The Founder of Cairo, 52).
When the Imam of the Time passes away, what “transfers” to the next Imam is only the authority (amr) of the office of Imamat, not the Nur of Imamat. The Nur of Imamat is already present in the next Imam and is always present in every Imam – the Imams of the past, present and future.
Q5: What is the nature of Nass (designation)?
“…I am convinced that it is in the best interests of the Shi‘a Muslim Isma‘ilian Community that I should be succeeded by a young man who has been brought up and developed during recent years and in the midst of the new age and who brings a new outlook on life to his office as Imam. For these reasons, although he is not now one of my heirs, I appoint my grandson Karim, the son of my son Aly Salomone Khan to succeed to the title of Aga Khan and to be the Imam and Pir all my Shi‘a Isma‘ilian followers…”
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III,
Last Will and Testament, in Frischauer, The Aga Khans, 208
The term nass refers to the Imam of the Time's explicit designation and appointment of the next Imam as his successor to the office of Imamat. Each Imam pronounces the nass upon the next Imam by divine inspiration (ta’yid). The nass is not a personal choice of the Imam, but the Imam’s disclosure of God’s pre-ordained command.
The act of nass does not “transfer” the Nur of Imamat to the next Imam; since the next Imam already bears the Nur of Imamat. Rather, the nass confers spiritual authority (amr) upon the next Imam and declares the next Imam’s status to the Jamat and the public. Mawlana Hasan ala-dhikrihi al-salam⁽ᶜ⁾ explains that the nass (“designation”) that the Imam of the Time confers upon his successor is merely a “declaration” to inform the community of the next Imam’s identity, so the Jamat may recognize the Imam. The pronouncement of nass does not make the successor into an Imam – for he is already an Imam even before the nass is declared:
“The essential nature of the Imam will never change, even when he is a drop of sperm in the loins of his father or a fetus in the womb of his mother… In reality, it is impossible for any past or future Imam to be better or more powerful than another, or to be better at one time than at another time. For example, it is wrong to suppose that he should be better when he reaches maturity than when he was a drop of sperm, or better when the Nass (designation) was made than before it was made. The Nass (designation) which is made is NOT in order to make him an Imam; it is only made so that people should recognize him as such – otherwise, from his standpoint and perspective, all such different states are one and the same.”
Imam Hasan ‘ala-dhikrihi salaam,
(Nasir al-Din Tusi, The Paradise of Submission, 123)
Q6: Does the succeeding Imam already know he is the Imam before the Nass is declared?
“I hereby designate my eldest son, Prince Rahim Aga Khan, on my death to be the Imam and Pir of all Shi‘a Imami Ismaili Muslims, thus becoming my successor to the Imamat as the 50th Imam and to succeed me to the title of Aga Khan.”
Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV,
Last Will and Testament,
From Leaders International Forum, Feb 11, 2025
The practice of nass (designation) whereby the current Imam appoints the next Imam is done only to inform the community of the next Imam’s identity. The nass is not made to inform the future Imam about his own Imamat. The future Imam already knows that he is to be the next Imam based on the following reasons.
Firstly, the future or succeeding Imam is already the bearer or mirror of the Nur of Imamat before he is designated by the nass of the Imam of the Time. Therefore, the future Imam always knows through the ta’yid (inspiration) of the Nur of Imamat at level of spiritual realization that he is to be the Imam.
Secondly, the Imam of the Time always prepares the future Imam to assume the office of Imamat during his lifetime through a process of initiation through spending private time together. This type of preparation and initiation is well-documented in Ismaili history: the Fatimid Imam-Caliphs used to nurture and prepare their successors for the Imamat: “Al-Mu‘izz mentioned a similar instance to his situation, saying that al-Mahdi bi’llah used to nurture him (al-Mansur) with wisdom and prepare him for the Imamat, just as al-Qa’im did so with him” (tr. Shainool Jiwa, Anthology of Isma‘ili Literature, 62).
It is also well-documented in the case of the 48th and 49th Imams that Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah⁽ᶜ⁾ spent much private time with Mawlana Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ to prepare him for the Imamat. Imam Shah Karim’s mother, Princess Joan, reported that: “An extraordinary relationship developed between my father-in-law and my elder son…K always talked to his grandfather as if they were contemporaries. There was a powerful bond between them” (Frischauer, The Aga Khans, 152). Frischauer, the Imam’s biographer, reported that “Karim spent most of his time with grandfather or one of his secretaries, Mademoiselle Gaetane Beguel, research and acquainting himself with the Imam’s affairs, both personal and religious” (ibid., 182-183).
Likewise, Mawlana Shah Rahim⁽ᶜ⁾ was highly involved in the work of the Imamat, including both Jamati and AKDN affairs, especially in the final years of Mawlana Shah Karim’s life. In many instances, Shah Rahim was deputized by Mawlana Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ to represent him on various occasions including presiding at the Institute of Ismaili Studies, attending international events, meeting Presidents and World Leaders, and meeting Pope Francis. In fact, there is strong precedent in Ismaili history where the future Imam designated by nass was already leading the Jamat and performing the functions of the Imamat when the Imam was physically ill or incapacitated and on his deathbed. This was the case with Imam al-Mahdi⁽ᶜ⁾, Imam al-Qa’im⁽ᶜ⁾, Imam al-Mansur⁽ᶜ⁾, Imam al-Mu‘izz⁽ᶜ⁾ and Imam al-‘Aziz⁽ᶜ⁾.
Thirdly, throughout Ismaili history, the Imam of the Time usually designated and announced his nass upon the next Imam during his own lifetime. This has been the case with every Imamat succession until the time of the 48th Imam. In modern times, however, the 48th and 49th Imams had elected to disclose their nass is a Sealed Will which is only unsealed and announced publicly after the Imam’s passing. This is a new practice of conferring nass suited to modern conditions.
Some people observe that when Mawlana Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ was asked in public interviews about his appointment to the Imamat by his grandfather, he remarked that he had no idea about his own appointment. They interpret this as evidence that the Imam does not know about his own Imamat until the Will of the prior Imam is read. However, such a conclusion is theologically contradictory and fails to take into account that the Imams do not disclose the nature of their spiritual knowledge and divine inspiration in public interviews. This conclusion also ignores other statements by the Imam. For example, Mawlana Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ also said that “officially as soon as one Imam passes away, his successor takes on from the very minute the Imam has passed away” (Interview, Oct 19, 1957).
The Will of the 48th Imam and the Will of the 49th Imam were unsealed and read out one day after their respective passings - on July 12, 1957 and on Feb 5, 2025 respectively. Hypothetically speaking, if the new Imam never knew about his own appointment until the disclosure of the nass in the unsealed Will, it would follow that Mawlana Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ and Mawlana Shah Rahim⁽ᶜ⁾ did not know about their own Imamat for some 24 hours after the prior Imam passed away. However, the Imam takes over the office of Imamat at the very moment the prior Imam passes away. Mawlana Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ has also said in a farman made at the Silver Jubilee Homage Ceremony:
“Twenty-five years ago, this day, close to midday, my grandfather passed away, bequeathing to me the Imamat, which was passed over to him by the previous Imam, representing the Nur of ‘Ali, which today is in me as I stand before you.”
Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV,
(Silver Jubilee, Aiglemont, July 11, 1982)
This means that the office of Imamat is bequeathed to the new Imam at the very moment the prior Imam passes away. Thus, Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ acceded to the office of Imamat on July 11, 1957 and Mawlana Shah Rahim⁽ᶜ⁾ acceded to the Imamat on Feb 4, 2025 - which the Jamat rightly observes as Imamat Days. It is impossible and contradictory that the true Imam was unaware that he is the Imam for 24 hours until the Will was read out while also functioning as the Imam of the Time during that same period. According to Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni (Moscow, January 29, 2000), “the fundamental principle is the recognition of the Imam of the Time” and it is impossible that the Imam of the Time is ignorant of the fundamental principle for the Ismaili Tariqah of Islam.
The main purpose of disclosing nass in a Sealed Will by the recent Imams is to inform the Jamat and the public of the identity of the next Imam in the most secure and certain way. The Will is not read to inform the new Imam of his own Imamat; rather, the Will is read to inform the Jamat and the public of the identity of their new Imam.
Q7: Why does the Imamat continue in a male hereditary lineage?
“Ever since the time of my ancestor ‘Ali, the first Imam, that is to say over a period of thirteen hundred years, it has always been the tradition of our family that each Imam chooses his successor at his absolute and unfettered discretion from amongst any of his descendants whether they be sons or remoter male issue…”
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III,
Last Will and Testament, in Frischaur, The Aga Khans, 208
“Ever since the time of my ancestor ‘Ali ‘alayhi as-salam was designated as the first Imam, that is to say over a period of nearly 1400 years, it has always been the custom that in accordance with the Shi‘a Imami Ismaili interpretation of Islam, each Imam designates his successor at his absolute discretion from amongst any of his male descendants, whether they be sons or remoter male descendants.”
Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV,
Last Will and Testament,
From Leaders International Forum, Feb 11, 2025
The Imam of the Time at any given time in human history must be recognizable to his community and humanity so people may actually find the Imam and be guided by him. The only way for the Imam at any given time to be recognizable to people is if every Imam possesses verifiable objective relationships to the prior Imams. These two relationships comprise:
1) an objective spiritual relationship which is signified by the historical explicit designation (nass) that each Imam confers upon his successor;
2) a objective physical relationship connecting all of the Imams in the chain of Imamat throughout history by way of unbroken lineal descent in a patrilineal genealogy.
The principle of succession being restricted to male patrilineal descent was clearly reiterated by Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni⁽ᶜ⁾ in his Last Will and Testament.
The Ismaili philosopher Nasir al-Din Tusi (d. 1274) explains how both the nass and lineal descent together make the Imam recognizable to the Jamat and humanity at large at any given time:
“Since it is necessary in the world of similitude that human beings should succeed one another through a recognized relationship (‘alaqa), once this relationship which indicates continuity and succession is disregarded, the means of knowing him will also be closed to the people. The relationship can only be of two kinds, spiritual and physical. The spiritual relationship is clear appointment (nass) of one by the other, and the physical relationship is that of the child to father by way of succession. Through these two relationships, the close affinity between these individuals becomes known… By testifying to these two proofs, all the inhabitants of the world have access to the individual who is the locus of the manifestation (mazhar) of that light (nur).”
Nasir al-Din Tusi, (Contemplation and Action, 43)
Thus, the sole purpose of the Imamat continuing through nass and male patrilineal descent is to make the Imam of the Time recognizable to humanity by restricting the number of possible candidates to the Imamat at any given time, so people may come to know the identity of the Imam of their time.
It is important to note that the divinely-ordained hereditary Imamat of Islam did not start with Prophet Muhammad and Imam ‘Ali. The Office of Imamat has existed since the very first human being, the Universal Adam⁽ᶜ⁾, approximately several hundred thousand years ago. Since the first human Imam, the Imamat has continued by nass in an uninterrupted hereditary lineage of Mustaqarr Imams through countless generations. This lineage has continued from the first Imam Adam⁽ᶜ⁾ through the Biblical Prophet Adam⁽ᶜ⁾ and his son Mawlana Seth⁽ᶜ⁾, Prophet Noah⁽ᶜ⁾ and his son Mawlana Shem⁽ᶜ⁾, Prophet Abraham⁽ᶜ⁾ and his son Mawlana Ishmael⁽ᶜ⁾ and their lineal descendants through Mawlana ‘Abd al-Muttalib⁽ᶜ⁾ and his son Mawlana Abu Talib⁽ᶜ⁾ (‘Imran). Meanwhile, a lineage of Trustee Imams (mustawda) continued from Isaac⁽ᶜ⁾ son of Abraham⁽ᶜ⁾ through Jacob⁽ᶜ⁾, Joseph⁽ᶜ⁾, Moses⁽ᶜ⁾, Aaron⁽ᶜ⁾, various Israelite Prophets and Kings including Jesus⁽ᶜ⁾ and his successors from his family.
Mawlana ‘Ali⁽ᶜ⁾ was bequeathed the office of Imamat from his father Mawlana Abu Talib⁽ᶜ⁾ while Prophet Muhammad⁽ᶜ⁾ functioned as the Trustee Imam (imam mustawda) during his prophetic mission. Finally, the Imamat of Mawlana ‘Ali⁽ᶜ⁾ was publicly declared by Prophet Muhammad⁽ᶜ⁾ at Ghadir-i Khum.
Q8: Can there be a female Imam?
Mansoor Ladha:
“Is it possible for your daughter Princess Zahra to succeed you if you don't have a male heir?”
Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni:
“No. It is not.”
Mawlana Shah Karim⁽ᶜ⁾ was asked several times in public interviews whether there could ever be a female Imam and the Imam stated clearly that a woman cannot be an Imam. The reason for this has nothing to do with the spiritual capacity of women. Spiritually speaking, it is possible for both men and women to become mirrors of the Nur of Imamat. There have been many important women in Ismaili history who ascended to the rank of Bab (Gate) of the Imam - a spiritual rank comprising men or women who mirror the Imam’s perfect soul, reflects the Nur of Imamat in the rank of the Universal Soul, and serves as a gateway to the Imam’s spiritual knowledge for the Jamat. These great Ismaili women include Hazrat Khadijah, Hazrat Fatimah al-Zahra, Hazrat Zaynab, Pir Sarkar Mata Salamat, Lady Aly Shah, and Begum Mata Salamat. Thus, the restriction of the Office of Imamat to a male lineage does not entail a limitation on the spiritual rank of women.
Antonio Marujo / Faranaz Keshavjee: “In that case, we can never see a woman as Imam?”
Mawlana Shah Karim: “Absolutely not. However, women in our society are capable of developing a leadership role. Zahra studied at Harvard, has worked in the sense of helping to create capacities in various parts of the world. She is the first woman in my family with a university education, and I would hope that the future generations will refer both to men and women. I do not want you to perceive that women are not valued. Women are very, very valued. If you look at the history of Islam, Khadija, the Prophet's first wife, had an extremely important role, both in his spiritual life, as in his worldly life.”
His Highness the Aga Khan's 2008 Paroquias de Portugal interview with Antonio Marujo and Faranaz Keshavjee (Lisbon, Portugal) [Translation]
Modern genetics shows us that only a Male Lineage of direct descendants can guarantee, preserve, and perpetuate an objectively traceable genetic continuity of Y-chromosomes connecting the entire lineage of Imams in the physical world. The Male Lineage of Imamat allows the physical identity of the true Imams at any given time to be objectively recognizable and verifiable.
According to modern genetics, a patrilineal (father to son) lineage passes on a unique Y-chromosome without any genetic recombination. A male-only Imamat lineage genetically preserves a unique Y-chromosome serving as biological sign or genetic signature of the present Imam’s physical relationship and continuity with all previous Imams.
“The Y-chromosome is inherited more or less unchanged from father to son to grandson, indefinitely. Chromosomes contain the DNA that determines our inherited characteristics, and the Y-chromosome is one of the 46-chromosomes in the nucleus of each of the cells of all human males. Most chromosomes, including the two X-chromosomes possessed by females, get recombined or shuffled each generation before being passed down to offspring. But the Y-chromosome is unique in remaining more or less unchanged when passed from father to son. Thus while most chromosomes will contain a random mixture of genetic codes from one’s grandparents and great-grandparents, a male’s Y-chromosome will be identical or nearly identical to that of his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and beyond for countless generations.”
Dr. Philip Ritter, Ph.D., Department of Medicine, Stanford University
“The Y-Chromosome and Genetic Genealogy,” Stanford University, 2005
“For most of its length the Y-chromosome is male-specific and effectively haploid, since it is exempt from meiotic recombination. This region is transmitted from father to son unchanged unless a mutational event takes place. The Y-chromosome contains a record of all the mutational events that occurred on its ancestors, reflecting the history of the paternal lineage.”
Leonor Gusmao, Maria Brion and Anabel Gonzalez-Neira, “The human Y-chromosome. Male-specific polymorphisms and forensic genetics,” in Forensic Science, Vol. 2, ed. M.J. Bogusz, 2000, 721-735: 723.
Meanwhile, a female never passes on any of her original X-chromosomes; instead, the mother passes on a modified X-chromosome, which is a genetic recombination of her own two X-chromosomes, to her offspring.
“The X chromosome a woman inherits from her mother is, like any other chromosome, a random mix of genes from both of her mother's Xs, and so does not correspond as a whole with either of her mother's X chromosomes. By contrast, the X a woman inherits from her father is his one and only X chromosome, complete and undiluted. This means that a father is twice as closely related to his daughter via his X chromosome genes as is her mother.”
Christopher Badcock Ph.D., “The Incredible Expanding Adventures of the X Chromosome,” Psychology Today, September 6, 2011.
Thus, a mixed lineage of male and female Imams would fail to preserve the genetic continuity and genetic signature that connects all of the Imams together in a physical sense. Only a Male Lineage of Imams throughout time and space preserves the genetic continuity connecting all of the Imams from the past, present, and future in the physical world.
If, hypothetically speaking, the Imamat was designated to a female Imam (“Scenario #1”), then that woman Imam would neither possess the unique Y-chromosome of the Male Imam Lineage nor would she possess a unique X-chromosome from the Male Imam Lineage; furthermore, the future female Imams would possess neither the Y-chromosome nor the X-chromosome of the prior Imams in the lineage. Thus, if the Imamat was ever designated to a female Imam, the lineage of Imams would no longer have the genetic continuity or the biological signature that makes it possible to trace the lineage of the Imams back to all of the prior Imams. Thus, the existence of a Female Imam absolutely nullifies the objective status of the Imam as a verifiable direct descendant of the prior Imams and makes the Imam of the Time practically unrecognizable in future periods.
Furthermore, if hypothetically speaking, the Imamat was designated to a female Imam and subsequently, the Imamat was designated back to a male Imam who is the female Imam’s son or descendant (“Scenario #2), the future female and male Imams would possess neither the Y-chromosome nor the X-chromosome of the prior Imams in the lineage. To make matters worse, the male Imam who succeeds to the Imamat after a female Imam would possess the Y-Chromosome of his non-Imam father and this non-Imam Y-Chromosome would be transmitted to the future Male Imams.
Thus, if the Imamat was designated to a Female Imam (even if for a time) and later returned to a Male lineage, there would still be no verifiable genetic continuity or genetic signature of the Imam’s relationship to all of the previous Imams. However, it must be borne in mind that the necessity of a Male Lineage of the Imamat pertains to the recognizability of the Imam and not the capacity to bear the Nur of Imamat. The Nur of Imamat and its manifestation within the human soul is not dependent upon genetics.
In summary, modern genetics demonstrates that the existence of a Female Imam absolutely nullifies the objectively verifiable status of the Imam as a direct descendant of the prior Imams and makes the Imam of the Time practically unrecognizable in future periods.
Q9: What happens to the departed soul of Mawlana Shah Karim?
The soul of Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni⁽ᶜ⁾ is and remains the bearer of the eternal Nur of Imamat, even after his physical departure from this world. The Imam’s soul is always pure, always perfect, and always at peace, no matter the worldly circumstances and physical difficulties the Imam has endured. The physical death of an Imam simply means that the Imam’s perfect soul disassociates from his physical earthly body. The funeral and 40th Day (Chihilum) recitations associated with Imam Shah Karim’s passing are not for his soul’s benefit but rather for the spiritual benefit of the Jamat.
Our twenty-third Imam, Mawlana Hasan ‘ala dhikrihi al-salaam⁽ᶜ⁾ has taught: “An Imam is always an Imam and always perfect” (Tusi, Rawda-yi Taslim transl. S.J. Badakhchani, Paradise of Submission, 125). The Imam being perfect means that he is sinless, his soul possesses the perfect virtues, and his knowledge of God’s guidance and spiritual mysteries is always complete.
The pure soul of Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni - upon leaving this physical world - does not undergo the questioning of the Day of Judgment. All of the Imams belong to the eschatological category of souls known as “the Foremost” (al-sabiqun) who immediately enter Paradise and are exempt from being questioned about their deeds.
“First are the foremost (sabiqan) and the people of the greatest Height (aʿraf), that is, those who are above reckoning and accountability. It is reported in a tradition (dar khabar ast): ‘When Dervishes are brought to the place of Reckoning (hisabgah), the angels will demand their accounts. In reply they say ‘What have you given us that makes us accountable to you?’ Then the commandment of the Exalted Lord will be heard: ‘they are right, their account is not any concern of yours.’”
Nasir al-Din Tusi, (“Origin and Destination,” in Shi‘i Interpretations of Islam, 69-70)
Upon death, there is no spiritual “journey” for the Imam’s soul to complete since the Imam’s soul is always at the summit of spiritual perfection. This means that the Imam’s soul is already in Paradise and united with the Nur of Imamat even while the Imam’s soul is manifest in his physical body during his earthly life. Mawlana ‘Ali has said: “Our hearts are in Paradise, while our bodies are occupied here with doing good” (Nahj al-Balagha, tr. Tahira Qutbuddin, 461).
According to Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah: “Where there is Didar, there is Paradise” (Kalam-i Imam-i Mubin, Vol. 1, 45). To be in Paradise is to be in the huzur pur-nur (luminous presence) of the Imam. Therefore, Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni’s perfect soul, as the mirror and bearer of the Nur of Imamat, is a living and actual Paradise in himself.
Although he has left this world physically, Mawlana Imam Shah Karim continues to inhabit his imaginal (astral) body and his higher bodies - such as his celestial, luminous, or paradisical body - through which the Imam remains ever-present to the inhabitants of the spiritual world and the physical world. Therefore, the murids of Mawlana Shah Karim continue to have a spiritual bond with him as he remains ever-present and ever-living. This is the case for all of the departed Imams; they remain present with all of us through their souls and continue to glow with the Nur of Imamat even after their physical deaths. Shortly after the passing of Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah, Mawlana Shah Karim said:
“You have lost the finest Imam we have had and I have lost a grandfather who was more devoted than any grandfather a man has ever had. I hope you do not think that because he is not physically with us, that he won't watch over you.”
Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni,
London, July 26, 1957
Q10: Why is the present Imam’s name followed by “al-Husayni”?
The name al-Husayni is a family name or designation known in Arabic as a nisbah - an adjective which indicates a family’s history, descent, tribe, region, etc. For example the name Gilani indicates “Gilan” as the origin of the family. The family name al-Husayni indicates that a person is both ‘Alawi and Fatimi, as a direct lineal descendant of Imam al-Husayn b. ‘Ali b. Abi Talib, Prophet Muhammad, and Hazrat Fatimah.
All of the Imams after Mawlana al-Husayn can technically be called al-Husayni. But the al-Husayni nisbah came into wider use in the post-classical period of Islam where many ‘Alid families were widely acknowledged with the al-Hasani or al-Husayni designations to indicate their Sayyid lineage to the Prophet. Some prominent ‘Alids whose families carried these titles are Ibn ‘Inaba al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din Ahmad b. ʿAli b. al-Ḥusayn al-Hasani al-Ḥusayni (d. 1424-25) and Sayyid Damin b. Shadqam al-Ḥusayni al-Madani (fl. 1600s) among many others.
The Nizari Ismaili Imams were publicly acknowledged by the Jamat and the broader Muslim societies as having the family name al-Husayni since at least the 1600s. Dr. Karim Javan of the Institute of Ismaili Studies has documented rock inscriptions in the villages of Iran bearing the name of the Nizari Imams - Imam Nur al-Din ‘Ali [Nur al-Dahr al-Husayni], Imam Hasan ‘Ali [Sayyid Hasan al-Husayni] and their family members [Nizar al-Husayni, ‘Arif al-Husayni, ‘Ali Asghar al-Husayni] were using the family name al-Husayni in the 1600s and 1700s.
Below are images of these inscriptions courtesy of Dr. Javan’s 2021 presentation at the Third International Ismaili Studies Conference:
In modern times, the recent Imams have used the family name al-Husayni as their legal surname. Mawlana Hasan ‘Ali Shah Aga Khan I was known in British legal records including the Aga Khan Case legal documents as Mahomed Hoosein Hoosanee (Husayni) as below:
In his autobiographical memoir, Mawlana Hasan ‘Ali Shah referred to himself as “Muhammad Hasan al-Husayni”:
Today, the Jamat recites the family name al-Husayni after the present Imam’s name: “Mawlana Shah Rahim al-Husayni”. This practice bears witness to the present Imam being the direct lineal descendant of Imam al-Husayn. Furthermore, the very act of attesting the Imam of the Time as al-Husayni equally affirms that all of the prior Imams including Mawlana Shah Karim, Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah, etc. all the way back to Imam Zayn al- ‘Abidin are also al-Husayni because they are the descendants of Mawlana al-Husayn.
“Feel your Imam’s presence!
He is with you now and forevermore.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam
Takht-Nishini Farman
February 11, 2025
Hayy Zinda
Qa’im Paya
He is Alive;
The Qa’im has been found
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