Bayyat
Bayyat is the most important ritual of Ismaili Tarikah. It has come down from the time of Prophet Mohamed. In our fourth part of the Dua we recite the following Quranic Aayat 3 times a day:
“IN-NAL LADHINA YUBA YIUNAKA …. FA SAYUTHIHI AJRAN AZIMA.
In this ayaat Allah says to Prohpet Mohamed “Verily, those who give Thee their allegiance they give it but to Allah (Himself). Allah’s hand is upon their hands. Then he who breaks it, he certainly breaks it against himself, and he who fulfils what he has pledged with Allah, HE shall in return reward him in plenty. (Sura Fatah – Sura 48 ayat 10.)”
Now Prophet Mohamed gave 2 weighty instructions to the Muslims of the time to follow. One was to follow the Quran and the other was to follow the Ahlul Bayt (The family of the House). This included Hazrat Ali, Bibi Fatima, Hazrat Hassan and Imam Husain and their Progeny. Following them will guide you till the end of time and keep you on the TRUE PATH (Siraatal Mustakim). Since the time of Hazrat Ali, our first Imam the progeny continues from father to son. At present we have the 49th Imam “Shah Karim Al Husaini” who is the great great ….. grandson of the FAMILY OF PROPHET MOHAMED” (also known as Aale Nabi and Awlade Ali).
Every person who is born in an Ismaili family does the Bayyat of the Imam of the time. Usually it is 6 days after the baby is born. Hence we also use the word CHATTHI for the same ceremony. In the absence of the Imam the Mukhi of the area is appointed by the Imam of the time to give bayyat on his behalf.
In the olden days in India Pir Shamsh used to perform the bayyat on behalf of the Imam of the time. The words used for the same ceremony were Kaankan and Kaangwa. He used to tie a silk thread on the wrist of the murid which was considered the commitment of the murid to the Imam that he will obey the firmans of the Imam and live his life within the context of the firmans. I will explain Kaankan and Kaangwa below.
In one ginan Pir Shamsh writes "eji baandhi baandhi hiraliya ni gaath, eto tute pun re chute nahin". Hiraliya means a thread of silk. Once you tie up a knot with a silk thread it is impossible to untie the knot. It can only be broken. The message here is "once you do the bayyat of the Imam you cannot undo the bayyat, it can only be broken". It is irrevocable promise from both sides.
Kaangwa is the promise of the murid to the Imam. There was a ritual performed in front of the Pir or Imam as the case would be. Seven food items were kept in a tray or a bowl. The seven items were rice, wheat, sugar, cloves, cardamom, raisins and almonds. These represented your sustenance. The murid then picked up with both hands these food items 3 times and put them back in the container. This represented that the murid swore on his sustenance three times and submitted his BODY, MIND AND WEALTH respectively to the Imam of the time till the time the murid was alive. This was the allegiance of the Murid to the Imam which meant everything owned by the murid belonged to the Imam.
Kaankan is the promise of the Imam to the Murid that He will give total protection and barakah to the Murid in this world and the Next world.
This ritual went till the time of Imam Mowlana Ali Shah (46th Imam). Later on at the time of Sultan Mohamed Shah, instead of going thru these ceremonies He dipped his fingers in water and put it on the wrist of the murid. This represented the same offerings. The process changed but the ESSENCE remained the same. As time changes the Imam guides us accordingly. Today Hazar Imam accepts the bayyat in group of children. There are more murids in the world today and the Imam has to look after the welfare of all the murids. The time allocation for bayyat ceremony and also several other ceremonies have reduced. The spiritual benefits are the same. These are the wishes of the Imam and only THE IMAM OF THE TIME CAN DO SO.
This is what bayyat means.
YAM.
Amirji
Share with friends and families.
I hope it helps in some way.
“IN-NAL LADHINA YUBA YIUNAKA …. FA SAYUTHIHI AJRAN AZIMA.
In this ayaat Allah says to Prohpet Mohamed “Verily, those who give Thee their allegiance they give it but to Allah (Himself). Allah’s hand is upon their hands. Then he who breaks it, he certainly breaks it against himself, and he who fulfils what he has pledged with Allah, HE shall in return reward him in plenty. (Sura Fatah – Sura 48 ayat 10.)”
Now Prophet Mohamed gave 2 weighty instructions to the Muslims of the time to follow. One was to follow the Quran and the other was to follow the Ahlul Bayt (The family of the House). This included Hazrat Ali, Bibi Fatima, Hazrat Hassan and Imam Husain and their Progeny. Following them will guide you till the end of time and keep you on the TRUE PATH (Siraatal Mustakim). Since the time of Hazrat Ali, our first Imam the progeny continues from father to son. At present we have the 49th Imam “Shah Karim Al Husaini” who is the great great ….. grandson of the FAMILY OF PROPHET MOHAMED” (also known as Aale Nabi and Awlade Ali).
Every person who is born in an Ismaili family does the Bayyat of the Imam of the time. Usually it is 6 days after the baby is born. Hence we also use the word CHATTHI for the same ceremony. In the absence of the Imam the Mukhi of the area is appointed by the Imam of the time to give bayyat on his behalf.
In the olden days in India Pir Shamsh used to perform the bayyat on behalf of the Imam of the time. The words used for the same ceremony were Kaankan and Kaangwa. He used to tie a silk thread on the wrist of the murid which was considered the commitment of the murid to the Imam that he will obey the firmans of the Imam and live his life within the context of the firmans. I will explain Kaankan and Kaangwa below.
In one ginan Pir Shamsh writes "eji baandhi baandhi hiraliya ni gaath, eto tute pun re chute nahin". Hiraliya means a thread of silk. Once you tie up a knot with a silk thread it is impossible to untie the knot. It can only be broken. The message here is "once you do the bayyat of the Imam you cannot undo the bayyat, it can only be broken". It is irrevocable promise from both sides.
Kaangwa is the promise of the murid to the Imam. There was a ritual performed in front of the Pir or Imam as the case would be. Seven food items were kept in a tray or a bowl. The seven items were rice, wheat, sugar, cloves, cardamom, raisins and almonds. These represented your sustenance. The murid then picked up with both hands these food items 3 times and put them back in the container. This represented that the murid swore on his sustenance three times and submitted his BODY, MIND AND WEALTH respectively to the Imam of the time till the time the murid was alive. This was the allegiance of the Murid to the Imam which meant everything owned by the murid belonged to the Imam.
Kaankan is the promise of the Imam to the Murid that He will give total protection and barakah to the Murid in this world and the Next world.
This ritual went till the time of Imam Mowlana Ali Shah (46th Imam). Later on at the time of Sultan Mohamed Shah, instead of going thru these ceremonies He dipped his fingers in water and put it on the wrist of the murid. This represented the same offerings. The process changed but the ESSENCE remained the same. As time changes the Imam guides us accordingly. Today Hazar Imam accepts the bayyat in group of children. There are more murids in the world today and the Imam has to look after the welfare of all the murids. The time allocation for bayyat ceremony and also several other ceremonies have reduced. The spiritual benefits are the same. These are the wishes of the Imam and only THE IMAM OF THE TIME CAN DO SO.
This is what bayyat means.
YAM.
Amirji
Share with friends and families.
I hope it helps in some way.