I’m not Shia or Ismaili but I know some.  As far as I know, the Aga Khan is their imam and they’re simply bound to veneration and support of him. 

I have a very hard time understanding it myself, especially when it looks as though the generations of Aga Khans have been (in my opinion) exorbitantly rich and while most of his followers are in the "third world", I believe they still have to "pay" him.  So I hope an Ismaili can explain it better.

Aga Khan’s promotion of moderate Islam is a very positive thing for the world.  :-)

GustavoMustafa, do you find something uncomfortable or confusing about the Aga Khan?

His family is "white" due to intermarriage with women of European descent.

That is what I find interesting, the first Aga Khan was given the title "Great Commander" in 1818 by the shah of Iran, the first Aga Khan revolted against his successor, and was forced to leave Iran for India. 

The third Aga Khan was influential in the creation of Pakistan or the "Muslim Indian commonwealth" after the British departed and partitioned the subcontinent.  However, Ismailis are now subject to periodic persecution in Pakistan, subject to some of the same hostility that faced Sikhs, Jews, and Hindus who are now largely non-existent in Pakistan.

I’m anti-royalist, my family being originally from Afghanistan originally, as Shia they were persecuted by the Pushtun Sunni monarchy there.
 
So I have a distrust of all Muslim royals.  They make me feel uncomfortable, even if they promote a more moderate image of Islam.

Ismailis are Shia Muslims, but in Shia Islam, the majority are Twelver Shia, which is the majority sect practiced in Iran. 

Salaams

Well, the Aga Khan University does lots of interesting things Muslim wise: http://www.aku.edu/index.asp . You can do an MA in Muslim Cultures… http://www.aku.edu/ismc/academic.shtml ...an award validated by the prestiguious School of Oriental and African Studies, and looking at the curriculum, I’d say it’s a pretty damned impressive course – very broad, incorporating contemporary academic methodologies as well demonstrating a deep respect for Muslim cultures.

So whatever the Aga Khan’s religious credentials, he certainly seems to use at least some of his mucho dosh for the benefit of humankind in the broadest sense, and not simply to promote his own partisan perspective. Surely, an example to other Muslims and unless I hear evidence to the contrary, he’ll be getting the Julaybib gorgeous human award for being an top notch dude.

As a recent convert to Ismailism from Twelver Shia Islam, I can explain the veneration of the Aga Khan by the Ismaili Community. The Aga Khan is a direct descendant of Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) through Hazrat Ali and Bibi Fatima. He is the 49th hereditary Imam to the 20 million Ismaili Muslims dispersed across 25 countries of the world. As you know, Shia Islam believes the Imam has Divine Knowledge passed on from the Prophet and is the appointed spiritual leader of the Ummah. As a note, Ismailis are not "required to pay" the Imam. Our 12% zakat can be paid to the non-profit institutions of the Ismaili Imamat (www.akdn.org) which accomplish all those ethical goals delineated in the Qu’ran (respecting intellect, upholding human dignity, and empowering the poor through community level development to rise and fulfill their duties as vicigerents of God on Earth). If you’d like to know more, please visit the official Ismaili website: www.theismaili.org.

Thanks for your response.

The Ismailis seem to espouse some rather progressive forms of Islam, it is unfortunate, that some Muslims are so tied up with the concept of doctrinal purity, that they dismiss the Progressive Nature nature of Shia Islam in all its various manifestations be it Twelver, Ismaili, or Ahmadiyya.

To a person who understand what the phrase "Twelver Shia" means, i would explaini like this:

Aga Khanis are Nizari Islamili Shia, just as you are Ashna Ashari. [Not all Ismaili accept the Aga Khan; there is another branch, the Musta’iliya, of which the commenst group is the Bohris.] The Ismailis branched off after a disagreement on who the right Seventh Imam was.

The Aga Khanis just happen to think that the line of Imams was not broken and Prime Kareem Al Hussaini is the current holder of the post/title/position.

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aga_Khan

[and, if you care: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizari  and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustaali]

What we think of the current holder of the position (the community calls him "Hazar Imam", or "Present Imam") and his policies are another story.

iFaqeer
http://iFaqeer.blogspot.com

I dislike when any branch of Islam seems too much like a cult of personality around a central figure, especially based on heredity. This is true with a lot of Sufi orders, Natiopn of Islam, the Shia veneration for (alleged) members of the ahul-l-bayt, or the Ulemocracy so prevalent in some areas of the Sunni world, etc etc. As far as a benign guru type, the Aga Khan seems alright, but I don’t really put much stock in that. I have no real problem with the Ismailis, Ahmadiyya, etc but it’s not my bag.

The Agha Khan is for us  Ali, he is not deified in Isma’ilism. Instead he is seen as proof of God’s continued belief in humanity, we refer to him as "Hazar Imam" the present Imam, who offers interpretation of Islam for the challenges that face us today.

He is also on a more theological level viewed as the link between humanity and the ultimate reality which exists beyond the Great Hijab (veil) which acts to separate our faulse perception of reality, from the true divine reality that is vastly beyond the limitations of the human mind to comprehend, yet draws us.

There is a beautiful saying “the Love of a women, is in reality the Love of God”.

Thru Ali we believe that we move toward comprehending God in our own reality, at his core is the primordial spark; "the Noor Din Muhammad", the Noor (light) has always linked humanity to God, and has been carried by every prophet, interpreter, and conveyor of revelation as long as humans have walked the earth.

Isma’ili see the essence of the noble prophet alive and speaking in the world, providing guidance, justice, and provoking thought within those who have given him their bayah the containers change yet the essence remains, as long as we remain.

Hope this helps,
                              Zahra

Well certainly I can understand when one doesn’t like centralized authority.  Especially in todays day and age where we all like freedom and democracy, and we all want to have a say in who the leader should be.  But this practice doesn’t work when religion comes into equation.  If you look at the history, this is how the concept of Caliphat came about.
Caliphs were elected by the people of the time (though their authority was limited to worldly matters only)—As to the concept of Imamat, Imam was more through an appointment rather than election.

Ismailis believe that Hazrat Ali (a.s) was appointed by Allah through Prophet Mohammad (sawa)

Also, doesn’t having a single authority solve the problem what the rest of the Muslim Umma is facing now a days.  Any one can twist and turn the words of Quran and issue a so-called Fatwa, be it against their own Muslim brother of different school of thought. (This is another topic on its own)

As an Ismaili, this is solely my take:

Islam started from the day one, hence Hazrat Adam being the first prophet.  Allah didn’t reveal the whole Quran on to him.  Allah guided Adam based on Adams needs.  You think Adam would’ve benefited from what Allah had to say in Holy Quran about scientific breakdown of an atom? Or the seven layers of Earth’s core?  I think not.  Allah guided his creatures according to the time/place/etc.  As humans matured and became more complex so did their needs and ability to comprehend.  Humans were thought Islam from the time of Adam, just like a student being educated grade by grade to become an engineer/doctor/etc at the end.

You don’t start reading/writing, unless you learn your a b c’s first.

In my understanding Allah’s first 3 Books were just the stepping stones to what was Islam to be.  Allah declared the Holy Quran and Prophet Mohammad (sawa) the final book and prophet.  Not to say that the books and the teachings of the all the prophets prior Prophet Mohammad (sawa) were wrong.  They were just part of the whole curriculum.  All rightful and legit in their own time.

Allah completed the Islam only after the “Event of Ghadir Khumm”, and as an Ismaili I believe that an Imam (The chosen one — not elected like the Imam of the neighborhood mosque) is what any prophet was to their own time.  A leader, a guide, chosen by Allah not the people.  One who can guide the people according to Holy Quran. Please don’t mis-quote me; I am by no means trying to say that an Imam is a prophet.  No.  Like all the rest of the Muslims, Ismailis believe whole heartily on the Shahada (Oneness of God, and Prophet Mohammad (sawa) being the last Prophet.).  Ismailis are Muslims first and Ismaili second.

So why the need of an Imam?

Prophets were the messenger, who brought Allah’s message to human kind in the form of Holy book Quran.  Quran is Allah’s word.  It was good in the past, it is good in present, and it will be good in future.  No doubt about that.  Obviously to understand and make sense of such a complex book, it’s not possible by ordinary person.  Heck, it’s not even possible to truly understand the writings of mortal writer William Shakespeare without any external help!!!  How can one ordinary mind understand the words of Allah, the Almighty.  Therefore when Allah’s message was completed(Holy Quran), there was a need for someone capable who can guide Allah’s mankind onto the straight path on on-going bases.

Simply put; if you believe in the Ghadir Khumm events and surahs that were reviled upon Prophet Mohammad (sawa) (which I think above link does a good job of explaining) then you can see why ismailis give so much importance to their Imam and the concept of Imamat.