Dear Jamat of Spain, Ya Ali Madad and Salgirah Mubarak!
The celebration of Salgirah gives murids a special opportunity to express their love and devotion and to also express their gratitude to Mawlana Hazir Imam for his guidance and tireless efforts, which enable the global Jamat to look forward and plan for the future with hope, faith and optimism, even under difficult circumstances.
Today, December 13th 2022, we launch the eighth issue of the Bulletin of the Jamat of Spain. It features the usual Sufi stories, which in a few lines remind us of important life lessons. You can also learn how to access in digital format, the books of the Teaching Curriculum developed by the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), which are of immeasurable support for the education not only of young murids, but also of adults. The material examines Islam as a faith and as a civilization, historically and today. Its overall aim is to educate Ismailis in the faith, ethics, history and culture of Muslim societies, and of the Ismaili Muslim community in particular. In this regard, another of the articles included in this issue explains why we recite the Salawat.
Also included are the delightful contributions of Ta'lim students from the Jamat of Spain, which prove the commitment and perseverance of parents, students and teachers in ensuring that knowledge of the Ismaili ethics and faith are part of their education.
Undoubtedly the central article is the one dedicated to the ethical transmission of wealth and succession planning. The absence of a will, or a will lacking well-thought-out planning, can give rise to family conflicts. Under the direction of Mawlana Hazir Imam, the International Conciliation and Arbitration Board (ICAB), in collaboration with the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), has conducted a comprehensive study of Ismaili laws, traditions and practices, as well as national laws. This study has served to develop a set of Guidelines for Ethical Wealth Transfer and Succession Planning, which are intended to assist in the reflection and dialogue within each family, coupled with professional advice. The guidelines are not prescriptive - they promote ethical principles in a flexible way for murids to arrive at appropriate conclusions depending on their individual situation, without forgetting that wealth has an ethical value and purpose. As Mawlana Hazir Imam said in his Irshad Mubarak in Shugnan, Tajikistan on September 25, 1998: "Possessions and power are not goals in themselves but should be used for the good of others."
We recommend that you take the time to read this Bulletin no. 8, as its contents can serve as a guide. Once again, our best wishes to all the Jamat of Spain, to your families and to the global Jamat in this 86th Salgirah. Mubarak!
