Spirit & Life

In terms of form or architecture of the Ismaili jamatkhanas, again as with other Muslim spaces of gathering, there is no single ‘monolithic’ type or required norm. Rather, the forms vary depending on the cultural context, geography, materials available, technology and, of course, varieties of functions required. Reflecting this last criterion (of function), the larger jamatkhanas contain not only prayer halls, but also meeting areas, classrooms, libraries, recreation and social spaces, etc.

To conclude, beginning with the revelation of the Holy Qur’an and the historical experiences of Muslims over 1400 years (cumulative traditions), the devotional life of Muslims has consisted of a rich variety of expressions, forms, interpretations and spaces. As a result, a pluriform rather than uniform culture has been characteristic of the reality of Muslim societies throughout history. Moreover, this cultural pluralism, rather than being a weakness, remains a source of strength and inspiration for millions of Muslims around the world.

Source: Institute of Ismaili Studies

Earlier related:
Contemporary Role of Jamatkhana
Ismaili Jamatkhanas
The custom of meeting in ‘Jamatkhana’
The meaning of ‘Jamatkhana’ and its use

In the Shia Ismaili community today, the jamatkhana represents the physical space in which the community gathers in a shared process of communal worship and expressions of piety. The Ismaili Constitution defines jamatkhana as a place designated by the Imam-of-the-time for Ismaili tariqah practices.

Consonant with the ethos of Islam, which welds together the ‘worldly’ and the ‘spiritual’, the jamatkhanas (like other Muslim spaces of piety and worship) are multifunctional and act as the religious, educational and social centres for the Ismaili community. These functions (and forms) have evolved, as in the case of all other Muslim spaces and institutions, reflecting the changing historical and cultural contexts of these institutions as well as the evolving needs of its users. Speaking on the occasion of the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon, His Highness the Aga Khan suggested that among the programmatic dimensions of the Ismaili Centre will be “lectures, presentations, conferences, recitals, and exhibits of art and architecture.”

The recently built high-profile Ismaili jamatkhana and Centres are ‘representational’ buildings. As His Highness the Aga Khan stated at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Ismaili Centre in Dushanbe:

“These Centres serve to reflect, illustrate and represent the community’s intellectual and spiritual understanding of Islam, its social conscience, its organisation, its forward outlook and its positive attitude towards the societies in which it lives…Like its counterparts elsewhere, the Ismaili Centre in Dushanbe will stand for the ethics that uphold the dignity of man as the noblest of creation. It will bring down walls that divide and build bridges that unite. ..It is my prayer that, once it has been built, the Ismaili Centre in Dushanbe will be a place of order, of peace, of hope, of humility and of brotherhood, radiating those thoughts, and attitudes which unite us in the search for a better life.”

Source: Institute of Ismaili Studies

Next related:
Architecture of Jamatkhanas
Earlier related:
Ismaili Jamatkhanas
The custom of meeting in ‘Jamatkhana’
The meaning of ‘Jamatkhana’ and its use

Community tradition, based on passages from Ismaili ginans, suggests that the earliest Ismaili jamatkhanas were established in the Indo-Pak Subcontinent during the 14th and 15th centuries.

Situating the jamatkhana within the tradition of Muslim piety, His Highness the Aga Khan made the following remarks on the occasion of the foundation laying ceremony for the Ismaili Centre in Dubai:

“For many centuries, a prominent feature of the Muslim religious landscape has been the variety of spaces of gathering co-existing harmoniously with the masjid, which in itself has accommodated a range of diverse institutional spaces for educational, social and reflective purposes. Historically serving communities of different interpretations and spiritual affiliations, these spaces have retained their cultural nomenclatures and characteristics, from ribat and zawiyya to khanaqa and jamatkhana. The congregational space incorporated within the Ismaili Centre belongs to the historic category of jamatkhana, an institutional category that also serves a number of sister Sunni and Shi‘a communities, in their respective contexts, in many parts of the world. Here, it will be space reserved for traditions and practices specific to the Shi‘a Ismaili tariqa of Islam.”

Source: Institute of Ismaili Studies

Next related:
Contemporary Role of Jamatkhana
Earlier related:
The custom of meeting in ‘Jamatkhana’
The meaning of ‘Jamatkhana’ and its use

The custom of meeting in closed sessions, at specially designated places, to learn about and practice their own interpretations of faith, has been part of the Ismaili tradition from pre-Fatimid times. During the Fatimid period, the Ismailis used to participate in majalis al-hikma (sessions of wisdom), which were accessible only to those who had pledged their allegiance to the Imam-of-the-time.

Source: Institute of Ismaili Studies

Next related: Ismaili Jamatkhanas
Earlier related: The meaning of ‘Jamatkhana’ and its use

The term ‘Jamatkhana’ literally means ‘a house of assembly or gathering’. Specifically, it has come to designate a gathering space for community activities and for devotional practice among a variety of Muslim groups such as the Musta‘lian and Nizari Ismailis in certain parts of the world. In the predominantly South Asian Chishti order, the institution for Sufi activity was called jamatkhana and was centred on the residence of the shaykh. The Shi‘i Bohra and Sunni Memon communities of India also have private places of gathering called jamatkhana.

Source: Institute of Ismaili Studies

Next related: The custom of meeting in ‘Jamatkhana’

From the official website of the Ismaili Muslim community:

At the heart of the port city of Maputo, capital of Mozambique, stands a building that testifies to the long history of the Ismaili Muslim community in the region. The Maputo Jamatkhana is located a short distance from the heart of the old city’s baixa (commercial area). Flanked by two intricately carved glass-wall minarets, the concrete structure is easily identified by the words Edificio Sua Alteza Aga Khan (The Building of His Highness the Aga Khan) that adorn the central clock tower.

Complete at the source

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