Perhaps at this juncture it is worth mentioning that we also teach our children the three Daily obligatory prayers (referred to as D’ua).

This is also learnt parrot-fashion through transliteration as the prayer is in Arabic introduced in 1955 by the late Imam and only a few Ismailis world over understand it. At Bait-ul Ilm the children are taught the meaning but since they finish training by the age of 14, majority of them have forgotten by the time they reach adulthood. If they remembered the meaning, surely they would note the contradictions.

The first section of the Part of the D’ua consists of Surah Al Fatiha

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent,

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds;
The Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent.
The Lord of the Day of Judgement;
You (alone) we worship;
And (from you alone) we seek help.
Show us the Straight Path;
The Path of those whom You have favored.
Not the path of those who earn Your anger, nor who are lost.

As a part of the daily ritual in congregation in Jamatkhana we recite the following, supplications (Giryazari Tasbih):

Again, it being in Gujarati, we learn it parrot-fashion in our child-hood. Ironically we are not expected to learn the translation but some explanation of what is being recited is given whilst we are learning – before the age of 14 when most of even the English words are unfamiliar!

1. Let us recite the tasbih (prayer) of supplication.
2. O Ali, O Noor Mawlana Shah Karim Al-Husayni Hazar Imam, ease all the difficulties of the Jamat.
3. O Ali, ease the difficulties of those who are offering extra supplication and fulfill their good desires.*
4. O Ali, have mercy upon us, O our Lord, be bountiful (gracious).
5. Ali is from Allah. O our Lord Noor Mawlana Shah Karim Al-Husayni Hazar Imam, accept in your presence our request and entreaty of supplication which we have made to you.
6. O Ali, O Noor Mawlana Shah Karim Al-Husayni Hazar Imam, ease all the difficulties of the Jamat (Community).
7. O Ali, maintain the faith of the Jamat safe and secure.
8. O Ali, make the Jamat your obedient believers.
9. O Ali, keep the Jamat duty bound in fulfilling the obligations of Dasond (Tithe), doing good deeds and prayers.
10. O Ali, bestow true understanding to the Jamat.
11. O Ali, have mercy upon the Jamat and forgive all the sins of the Jamat.
12. O Ali, increase unity, oneness, affection and love within the Jamat.
13. O Ali, give abundance to the Jamat in their daily bread and earnings.
14. O Ali, ease the difficulties to those who are offering extra supplication and fulfill their desires.
15. O Ali, save all the Ismailis of the world from every difficulty, and hardship and always keep them happy and prosperous.
16. O Ali, remove unrest from the world and spread happiness, peace prosperity.
17. O Ali, bless the Jamat with your zaheri and batuni Noorani Didar.
18. O Ali, O Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Husayni Hazir Imam, accept in your presence (by your Kindness and Mercy), our request and entreaty of supplication which we have made to you.
19. I bear witness there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that Ali, the Master of believers, is from Allah.
20. Hazir Imam is ever-living – we have Hazir Imam for ever.

NOTE:

The testament : “I bear witness that Ali, the Master of believers, is from Allah” was never recited by the Prophet (pbuh) nor Hadrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) nor any of the companions and none of those who subscribe to the Sunnah of the Prophet.

Everything/everyone is from Allah, so it says nothing new but of course it is designed to mislead that Hadrat Ali’s appointment to lead the Muslims after the death of the Prophet was ordained by Allah which it never was as evidenced by the fact that Hadrat Ali himself acknowledged and gave Allegiance to the three rightly guided Khalifs namely Hadrat Abu Bakr, Hadrat Umar and Hadrat Othman ( may Allah be pleased with each of them) before accepting the position of the Fourth Khalif!