Members of the Jamat from the UK, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden gathered for the historic Darbar at ExCel London. Hazar Imam recognised the contributions of the volunteers, thanking them for making the Darbar such a happy occasion for him.

Delivering a Loyalty Address on behalf of the UK jurisdiction Jamat, Ismaili Council for the UK President Liakat Hasham expressed gratitude to Mawlana Hazar Imam, and congratulated him on the occasion of his Diamond Jubilee. Gifts were presented to Hazar Imam, including a lacquer casket made during the time of the Qajar monarch, Fath Ali Shah, as well as a manuscript titled Munajat.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Qajar dynasty was established and ruled Persia for over 125 years. The lid of the casket depicts Fath Ali Shah seated on his throne in full regalia. It was Fath Ali Shah who had granted the honorific title of Aga Khan to Mawlana Hasan Ali Shah.

The Munajat (‘Confidential Talks’ or ‘Whispered Prayers’) of Hazrat Ali, takes the form of prayers to Allah in simple but expressive verses. Comprising seven folios, the first folio gives the chain of transmission (isnad) of the prayers, followed on subsequent folios by the prayers themselves.

Together, the two artefacts encompass both our spiritual and historical heritage.

Following the Darbar, Mawlana Hazar Imam was given a warm send off by leaders of the Jamat and young volunteers before departing the venue, concluding his Diamond Jubilee visit to the UK.

While in the UK, Mawlana Hazar Imam hosted His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales at the inauguration of the Aga Khan Centre, a place for education, knowledge, cultural exchange, and insight into Muslim civilisations. He also met with the British Prime Minister and senior government officials.

Following this visit, Mawlana Hazar Imam will travel to Portugal to attend events marking the conclusion of the Diamond Jubilee year.