Abba Yahiyya

Abba Yahiyya or Abu Yahiyya leader of a sect of Alenzar (Nizariun Hagarenes) with an independent Ishmaili Sufi tradition of Herat in Afghanistan, was introduced to the west through Omar Michael Burke in his book "Among the Dervishes" in 1976. The traditions of Isa having lived in India are known by some thousand Nizariun devotees of Isa, son of Maryam, who live within several scattered villages in northwestern Afghanistan, centered around Herat. This has been brought out by O. M. Burke, who personally interviewed their spiritual leader, Abba Yahiyya (Father John), while researching Ishmaili Sufism in this area of the globe. [Omar Michael Burke, Among the Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1976) 107.] . Alenzar also lived in South India and Kenya and were an inspiration for the Ansar nation of islam movement placing Mesiah over mahomed. [Istawa M. Angevine, I'm a Muslim and Jesus is my Lord: Muslims for Jesus, Bloomington: 1stBooks, 2003] Alenzariun are the followers of the non-hagarene Arab group who settled Medina from the 72 southist Ansar Havariun families and their Azwajrasul priesthood.

Overview

In 'Among the Dervishes', author Omar Michael Burke says that in Herat he encountered about a thousand Sufis who follow the teachings of "Isa, son of Maryam." The chief of these Nizariun named Abba Yahiyya or Father John, was able to recite to Omar a succession of Mages through sixty generations back to the Rock and finally "Isa, son of Mary, of Nazara, the Kashmiri." These clerics were partnered to "sadiqin" in India of the house of Amram and Harun's line (perhaps a reference to Aga Khan?) all the way back to Jakub Assadiq, Yahiyya and Zakariya -Isa's maternal relatives. According to their tradition, their Magian ancestors had been seduced by the anti-namus dualism of Nasiruta until the Rock's missionaries came to guide their apostasy from Nasiruta back towards the siratulmustaqim considering themselves a direct continuation of the pre-islamic Sabiah Hunafa. The essential differences from other Ishmaelis are that they regard mahomed as nothing more than a title for the chief Mages (the آبائ who oddly enough may be male or female) in their magisterium of إخوان (which continues the roles of the nabi and observe a sabbath from Friday nights) whose responsibility it is to protect the identity of the 36 pairs of Zealot families and their priestly kahan Azwajrasul, from general laity through a system of social eligibility rules concerning courtship.

The 'Traditions of the Masih' (arranged and translated by Harvard University Press) is the holy book of the community which they say complete the injeel, the Gospels being only part of the truth. Omar describes Abba Yahiyya as "a towering figure with the face of a saint," an erudite man who knows his own scriptures and the Jewish writings. Father Yahiyya considered the various sects of Christians known to us today, as heretics

Every celebratory occasion is marked by a festive meal called Al-Maeda, always commenced with a breaking bread blessing, and concluded with a thanksgiving toast but the fruit of the vine is not consumed among them. They carry daggers which are never drawn, use bathing garments, and grow their hair long wearing turbans like the sikhs. Ramadaan and Hajj are considered to occur at the right time (winter and spring respectively) for three years in a row in intervals of 33 years. At such a Hajj, Alenzar vows are fulfilled with sacrifices, headshaving, free-association and edible vine products.

References

External links

* [http://www.proaxis.com/~deardorj/ecumensm.htm A New Ecumenism]
* [http://www.tjresearch.info/legends.htm Legends of Jesus]
* [http://essenes.net/conspireindex.html Origins of Christianity]