Ginans

The Ginans (Urdu: گنان, Gujarati: ગિનાન) are a vast corpus of devotional literature in the form of lyrics and hymns worshiping and praising God, and has been the living tradition of Nizari Ismailis particularly from the South Asia . The word is Hindustani , and derived from the Sanskrit word jñāna "knowledge, wisdom, gnosis ". See Works of Pir Sadardin It was an oral rendition mostly by Pirs , first among whom to come to South Asia was Pir Satgur Nur in the 12th century. Ginans are composed in many languages of the South Asia, especially Gujarati , Urdu , Punjabi , Sindhi and many more. Similar religious traditions exist in the form of qasīdas (قصيدة) amongst Nizaris of Arab , Persian and Central Asian origins authored by likes of early Muslim duˤāt such as Qadi Noman , Nasir Khusraw and others.

Ginans (Urdu: گنان, Gujarati: ગિનાન) (Derived from Sanskrit: Gnana /(ज्ञान)) are devotional hymns or poems recited by Shia Ismaili Muslims . It was originally an oral rendition mostly by Pirs , first among whom to come to South Asia was Pir Satgurnoor in the 12th century. Ginans are composed in many languages of South Asia, especially Gujarati , Urdu , Punjabi , Sindhi and many more. They are based on Verses from the Quran . Like Ginans, Qaseedas are recited in Arabic , Persian or Tajik by Ismailis in Central Asia, Iran and Syria. Ismailis from the subcontinent recite these as well as Arabic and Persian qusidas which are recited before or after the prayer in the mosques. Example Translation of a Ginan (Other examples available here ): Sahebaji tun more man bhave: Verses I-VIII My lord, My heart is fond of you. I think of no-one else. My lord, My heart is fond of you. So readily, my lord, You give me Whatever I ask of you. You indulge me In so many ways, My lord. In all four ages, I went about, Looking hard. I found none To match you, my lord. My lord, my heart Is fond of you. Come, come, My maiden friends, Let us go To view the groom. He's the one, the beloved I've attained. He comes to my home, The beloved, He but for whom A minute is hard to pass. How should we call him Unhappy - He whose lord Is one such as this? How should we find fault With the merciful? What's written In our karma Is what we shall have. Ram and Raheman Are but one Deity. Of this mystery, The fool is quite unaware. Says Saiyad Mohamadshah: I am bonded to you, My lord. Leaving you, At what other door Am I to knock? My lord, My heart is fond of you. I think of no-one else. My lord, My heart is fond of you. (London: Curzon in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2002), 128-9.

Ginans ( , ; derived from jñana, meaning "knowledge") are devotional hymns or poems recited by Shia Ismaili Muslims . It was originally an oral rendition mostly by Pirs , first among whom to come to South Asia was Pir Satgurnoor in the 12th century. Ginans are composed in many languages of South Asia, especially Gujarati , Urdu , Punjabi , Sindhi , Burushaski and many more. They are based on Verses from the Quran . Like Ginans, Qaseedas are recited in Arabic , Persian or Tajik by Ismailis in Central Asia, Iran and Syria. Ismailis from the subcontinent recite these as well as Arabic and Persian qasidas which are recited before or after the prayer in the Jamatkhana . Ginan Central is a web portal developed at the University of Saskatchewan Library to safeguard ginans and promote research and education. Ginans are devotional hymns recited by the Nizari Ismaili communities in South Asia. The recitation of ginans is not restricted to just Nizari Ismailis evidenced by the recitation of ginans by many established non-Nizari Ismaili singers such as Abida Parveen who recited the ginan Ya Ali Khub Majalis in the presence of the 49th present and living Imam of the Nizari Ismailis, His Highness Prince Aga Khan IV , the accessibility to view current transcripts and translations of ginans, and the academic literature written on ginans which is made accessible to the larger public. Although ginans can be recited, studied, and listened to by non-Nizari Ismailis, ginans hold a special role in the cultural practice and rituals of Nizari Ismailis, specifically the community of Khojas, a caste of South Asians of whom the majority now identify as Nizari Ismaili. The Khojas, contextualized by the history of these Ismaili Pirs and Sayyids, came to follow the Satpanthi tradition; Satpanthi means the “true path”. "Ginan Central: A Portal to the Ismaili Muslim Community's Ginanic Literature" . ginans.usask.ca . kandjee (20 January 2009).

Shia Ismaili Muslim hymns Ginans ( Urdu : گنان , Gujarati : ગિનાન ; derived from Sanskrit : ज्ञान jñana, meaning "knowledge") are devotional hymns or poems recited by Shia Ismaili Muslims . Literally meaning gnosis, ginans are the devotional literature of the Nizari Ismailis of South Asia, spanning topics of divine love, cosmology, rituals, eschatology, ethical behavior and meditation. Ranging from three verses to hundreds of pages, ginans are attributed to the Pirs , who were second only to the Imams in the Ismaili hierarchy. It was originally an oral rendition mostly by Pirs , first among whom to come to South Asia was Pir Satgurnur in the 12th century. Ginans are composed in many languages of South Asia, especially Gujarati , Urdu , Punjabi , Sindhi , Burushaski and many more. They are based on verses from the Quran . Like Ginans, Qaseedas are recited in Arabic , Persian or Tajik by Ismailis in Central Asia, Iran and Syria. Ismailis from the subcontinent recite these as well as Arabic and Persian qasidas which are recited before or after the prayer in the Jama'at Khana . Ginan Central is a web portal developed at the University of Saskatchewan Library to safeguard Ginans and promote research and education. Ginans are devotional hymns recited by the Nizari Ismaili communities in South Asia. The recitation of Ginans is not restricted to just Nizari Ismailis evidenced by the recitation of ginans by many established non-Nizari Ismaili singers such as Abida Parveen who recited the ginan Ya Ali Khub Majalis in the presence of the 49th present and living Imam of the Nizari Ismailis, His Highness Aga Khan IV , the accessibility to view current transcripts and translations of ginans, and the academic literature written on ginans which is made accessible to the larger public. Although ginans can be recited, studied, and listened to by non-Nizari Ismailis, Ginans hold a special role in the cultural practice and rituals of Nizari Ismailis, specifically the community of Khojas, a caste of South Asians of whom the majority now identify as Nizari Ismaili. The Khojas, contextualized by the history of these Ismaili Pirs and Sayyids, came to follow the Satpanthi tradition; Satpanth means “True Path.” Virani, Shafique N. "Ginan Central: A Portal to the Ismaili Muslim Community's Ginanic Literature" . ginans.usask.ca .