Introduction

The objective of this book is broad in scope. This work does not only look at the Ismaili community as a distinct religious institution of Islam. Instead, the Ismaili community here represents an amalgamation of social structures that pertain to all material aspects of people’s lives, as well as to their religious faith. As their present Imam, the Aga Khan IV, states: “One of the central elements of the Islamic faith is the inseparable nature of faith and world.” ¹ This saying of the Aga Khan IV regarding the relationship of dīn (faith) and dunyā (material world) is the principle guidance for this work. Thus, this book examines both the religious faith and the political affiliation of Ismailis, and analyses the involvement of Ismaili religious leaders in politics, on the one hand, and the obedience of the political leaders to the Ismaili faith, on the other.