IOverview
The Ismailis are the second largest Shia branch after the Twelvers. They take their name from Isma'il, the eldest son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, whom they recognise as his designated successor. Their most distinctive belief is that there is always an Imam, present or represented, to interpret the inner meaning of the faith for each age.
Today the Ismailis have two main branches. The Nizari, the largest, follow a living Imam who bears the title Aga Khan. The Musta'li, whose largest community is the Dawoodi Bohra, believe their Imam is in concealment and that the community is led by a Da'i al-Mutlaq, a missionary with full authority. The library presents both as each community describes itself.
IIHistory
Isma'il died before his father. When Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq died in 765, one group followed Musa al-Kazim and became the Twelvers. Another held that the imamate still passed through Isma'il to his son Muhammad ibn Isma'il, and became the Ismailis. During the 9th century a missionary network, the dawa, spread across the Muslim world. In 909 the Imam al-Mahdi founded the Fatimid caliphate in North Africa. The Fatimids built Cairo in 969 and founded al-Azhar.
- 765Parting from other ShiasRecognition of Isma'il and his line as successors.
- 909 to 1171The FatimidsAn Ismaili state in North Africa and then Egypt, which built Cairo in 969.
- 1094The Nizari and Musta'li splitAfter Imam al-Mustansir died, the community divided between his sons Nizar and al-Musta'li.
- 1090 to 1256AlamutThe Nizari held fortresses in Iran and Syria until the Mongols took Alamut in 1256.
- 1130Concealment of Imam al-TayyibThe Tayyibi Musta'li began their era of leadership by a Da'i, first in Yemen and later in Gujarat.
- 1592Dawoodi and Sulaymani splitA dispute over succession to the Da'i divided two Bohra communities.
- 4 February 2025The 50th Nizari ImamAga Khan IV died in Lisbon. Under his will his eldest son, Rahim Al-Hussaini, became Aga Khan V.
IIIBeliefs and Distinctives
Ismailis distinguish the outward meaning of scripture and law, the zahir, from its inward meaning, the batin. Interpreting the inward meaning, ta'wil, belongs to the Imam of the age. For the Nizari, the present Imam guides believers in applying the faith to new circumstances. For the Dawoodi Bohra, the Da'i fills that role on behalf of the concealed Imam.
The Ismailis have a rich philosophical tradition shaped by Neoplatonic thought, seen in the works of Fatimid era scholars such as Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani and Nasir-i Khusraw. Nizari communities in South Asia also keep devotional hymns called ginans, composed in local languages. The Bohras follow the law set out in the Da'a'im al-Islam, a Fatimid era compendium.
The European word assassin grew out of Crusader era stories about the Nizari of Alamut and Syria. Historians now regard many of those stories as legends spread by enemies and outsiders, and Ismailis do not use the name for themselves.
IVPractice, Ritual and Daily Life
Nizari Ismailis gather in the jamatkhana, the community house, where they recite the du'a prayer three times a day and take part in ceremonies and social life. They give a share of their income to the Imam, known as dasond. The community is organised under the Constitution of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims issued by Aga Khan IV in 1986.
The Dawoodi Bohra pray in mosques, keep a calculated Fatimid calendar, and use their own language, Lisan al-Dawat, written in Arabic script. During the first ten days of Muharram, Ashara Mubaraka, they gather to hear the Da'i preach and to mourn Husayn. Every adult member takes an oath of allegiance, the misaq.
VOrganisation and Distribution
The Nizari Imam heads the Aga Khan Development Network, a set of agencies working in health, education, culture and economic development in many countries. The seat of the Imamat is in Lisbon, Portugal. Nizaris live in large numbers in Pakistan, the Badakhshan region of Tajikistan and Afghanistan, India, Syria and East Africa, with sizeable diaspora communities in Canada, the United States and Britain.
The Dawoodi Bohra are concentrated in Gujarat and Mumbai, India, with their centre in Mumbai. The 53rd Da'i, Mufaddal Saifuddin, took office in 2014. His succession was challenged in court by Khuzaima Qutbuddin and then by his son Taher Fakhruddin. On 23 April 2024 the Bombay High Court dismissed the suit, with the judge stressing that the court ruled on evidence, not on faith. Fakhruddin's followers, known as the Qutbi Bohra, remain a separate community.
Wikipedia puts all Ismailis at about 12 to 15 million without a clear year, so the library treats a branch wide figure as unavailable. For the Dawoodi Bohra, an India TV report of 23 April 2024 gives more than 500,000 in India and more than one million worldwide.
VIIn Vietnam
The library has found no source for an organised Ismaili community in Vietnam. No Ismaili body appears among the Muslim organisations recognised by the state. The mosques built by South Asian traders in Saigon and Hanoi are recorded as Sunni, and no source mentions Bohra or Nizari congregations.
VIISymbol of the Branch
Ismaili flag
My Flag
VIIISub-branches
- Nizari
- Musta'li, including Dawoodi Bohra, Sulaymani, Alavi Bohra
IXOther Branches of Islam
Sunni Islamأهل السنة والجماعة Ahl al-Sunna wa al-JamāʿaThe largest branch.Uses the common symbol of the path
Twelver Shia Islamاثنا عشرية Ithnā ʿAshariyya, also Imāmiyya or JaʿfariyyaThe largest Shia branch.Zaydi Shia Islamالزيدية al-ZaydiyyaA Shia branch named after Zayd ibn Ali (d.Uses the common symbol of the pathIsmaili Shia Islamالإسماعيلية al-IsmāʿīliyyaSeparated in 765 by recognising Isma'il, son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, as successor.Ibadi Islamالإباضية al-IbāḍiyyaA third branch, neither Sunni nor Shia.Uses the common symbol of the path
Sufismتصوف TaṣawwufNot a third branch beside Sunni and Shia but an inner, devotional dimension present in both.
Cham IslamIslam, termed Hoi giao Islam in official documentsCham Muslims in Vietnam following Sunni Islam of the Shafi'i school.Cham BaniBani, Awal. Termed Hoi giao Bani in official documentsA distinct form among the Cham of former Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan, rooted in Islam and blended with Cham tradition.Uses the common symbol of the pathXSources
The library cross-checks the sources below. Where they disagree, the page gives both.
?Quick Questions
Who is the Aga Khan?
Aga Khan is the title of the Imam of the Nizari Ismailis. Since 4 February 2025 the 50th Imam has been Aga Khan V, Rahim Al-Hussaini, who succeeded his father Aga Khan IV.
How do the Dawoodi Bohra differ from the Nizari?
Both are Ismaili, but they parted in 1094. The Nizari follow a living Imam. The Dawoodi Bohra believe their Imam has been in concealment since 1130 and follow the Da'i al-Mutlaq.
Are Ismailis Shia?
Yes. The Ismailis are a Shia branch that parted from the Twelvers at the seventh Imam, when the two groups recognised different successors to Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq.