Amid the stunning autumn colours at Waterton Lakes National Park, I finished reading 237 pages of 40 beautiful Farmans made by Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, since the beginning of his Imamat
“All my Farmans are for you, and I want you to read them and reflect on them” — Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, Dallas, USA, November 10, 2025.
I had not originally planned to visit Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta, Canada, to see the fall colours in 2026. However, after seeing the incredible foliage at Baker and Bowness Parks in Calgary on October 5, I spontaneously called the Waterton Visitors Centre and Aspen Village. The people I spoke with told me the fall colours were at their peak and that temperatures were expected to be in the high teens for the rest of the week. Because Waterton can be quite windy, they cautioned that the colours might not be as vibrant in the days ahead. This prompted me to drive three hours to Waterton without delay!
For those unfamiliar, Waterton and the neighbouring Glacier National Park in Montana were united in 1931 to form the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. This was the world’s first park of its kind, designed to promote peace and goodwill between Canada and the USA while highlighting the international nature of wilderness and the collaboration necessary to protect it. On December 6, 1995, UNESCO designated both parks as Biosphere Reserves and recognized them as World Heritage Sites.
Two aspects of the visit were important to me, aside from driving through the mountains and taking pictures: to take with me the officially printed Farman books containing guidance that the 50th Hereditary Ismaili Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, had delivered to his community during the Takhtnishini or inauguration ceremony (Lisbon, February 11, 2025) and his Didars in France (July 12-13, 2025), Kenya (August 27, 2025), Uganda (September 12, 2025), the USA (November 7-10, 2025), Portugal (December 3-4, 2025), the UK (February 2-3, 2026), Eastern Canada (March 26-31, 2026), Pakistan (May 22-25, 2026), Germany (July 5, 2026) and Western Canada (July 24 and 26, 2026) since he assumed the Imamat on February 4, 2025, and to read them at a suitably stretched out time.
I arrived in Waterton late in the evening, after dusk, because I had decided to have Chinese food in Pincher Creek, where one of my favourite restaurants is on Main Street. The chicken in garlic sauce was incredibly tasty, and I took away chicken in black bean sauce for the following day. After checking in, I walked a short distance to Peace Park Plaza by the marina. Above me, hundreds of light-years away, billions of bright stars filled the sky, and I could see the Milky Way stretching across the entire expanse. Waterton is designated as a Dark Sky Park and recently hosted the Dark Sky Discovery Days from September 10 to 13, 2026, coinciding with the new moon. For those interested, Jasper is hosting a special 10-day Dark Sky Festival from October 16 to 25, 2026. If you haven’t attended yet, you won’t want to miss it! I participated in the festival in 2022.
“Remember that even in difficulty, Allah’s blessings are upon us. Give thanks for the gifts in your lives. Give thanks for the mountains and the sky, and the water, and remember the glory of Allah. Allah is All-Merciful, All-Bountiful. He is All-Compassionate. Make gratitude your way of being. Give thanks in good and in challenging times. Allah is always with you.” — Mawlana Hazar Imam, Passu, Hunza, Pakistan, May 22, 2026, page 3.
The following morning, I excitedly drove the entire 14 km Akamina Parkway, surrounded by stunning foliage. By the time I arrived at Cameron Lake, at the end of the Parkway, it was evening, and I was alone. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t take the 1.7 km trail along the lake because of earlier grizzly bear activity.
The next day, on another bright day, I drove the scenic 15 km Red Rock Canyon Parkway across the Blakiston Valley to the Canyon, the final stop. I picked a bench with the Red Rock Canyon in front of me, the sun behind me, and the mountains all around. I laid out the Farman books and sat for more than six continuous hours, reading every Farman Hazar Imam issued from his Takhtnishini in Lisbon on February 11, 2025, through his visit to Western Canada, which concluded on July 26, 2026.
The Farmans that were given to the Jamats in India had not yet been printed. However, I had ten Farman books in front of me, containing 40 beautiful Farmans across 237 pages. I highlighted unique excerpts so I could return to them later, much like the Precious Gems and Precious Pearls excerpts that our parents would read to us or ask us to read at bedtime when we were young.
The “good” thing about me is that nothing can take me away from a task I undertake — hunger, tiredness, or whatever. During those hours at the picnic table reading Farmans, a small red gala apple and a couple of sips of water satisfied me! I came across excerpts on the importance of reading Farmans and reading in general, such as:
“My Farmans will cover different issues, and I would like you to read them all. The issues I will address in my Farmans are relevant not only for my US Jamat, but also for all my Jamats around the world.” — Mawlana Hazar Imam, Houston, USA, November 7, 2026, page, morning session, page 2.
Other important and insightful messages related to reading were:
“Our 48th Imam was a great lover of books. He was also an author. And so, it is a tradition of ours to read. But the science today also tells us that (the following is translated from French) reading books leads to empathy, and I deeply believe that in the future, in the future of artificial intelligence, empathy will be a unique quality for those who know how to develop it, and our community is empathetic. Reading will accentuate this empathy, and it will be a rare quality in the future, so pick up books, read books. Get into the habit of reading. It is something that is really fundamental for us.” — Mawlana Hazar Imam, Paris, France, July 13, 2026, Youth Mulaqat, page 19.
“So, put down your phones and pick up a book. Read books for learning and for pleasure. Reading books develops the pathways for deep thinking and for empathy. And I believe that in a future with Artificial Intelligence, empathy will be a rare and precious quality.” — Mawlana Hazar Imam, Dallas, USA, November 10, 2026, Youth Mulaqat, page 31.
“This is the first Farman I have given to my youth in Canada. I will be making two more on this visit. I have made many to my youth in other parts of the world. I would like you to understand all of them, not just this one. I have discussed many things relevant to you in these Farmans, as Ismailis and as Ismaili youth. So read them, and if you do not have them, maybe you can find them.” — Mawlana Hazar Imam, Montreal, Canada, Youth Mulaqat, March 26, 2026, page 6.
Considering all the scenery I witnessed during my stay in Waterton, as well as while seated on the bench at Red Rock Canyon, the following messages brought me immense joy, happiness, and courage:
“This is my first didar in Pakistan – in this beautiful place, with the beautiful welcome that you have written on the mountains, with this beautiful Jamat, with your beautiful children. My heart is full of joy and happiness and emotion. This is not a day I will forget….When I see these mountains and I see the moment that I am sharing with you, I feel the closeness of Allah.” — Mawlana Hazar Imam, Passu, Hunza, Pakistan, May 22, 2026, page 1.
“For this very, very warm welcome that you have given me, I feel the love of the Jamat and I love each and every one of you. Since the beginning of this visit, I see the messages on the mountains. But here in Gilgit, | see them at night, also, from my room – and I thank you for putting up these messages that I can see from my window and for this welcome.” — Mawlana Hazar Imam, Gilgit, Pakistan, May 24, 2026, page 26.
I encourage everyone in the Jamat, especially the youth, to read the Farman books that Mawlana Hazar Imam has graciously made available to us and which he wants us to read. Carry the Farman book(s) in your backpacks, portfolios, and computer cases, and read them anytime. If you don’t have your own copy of the Farman books and are sharing a single copy with your family members, ask your Jamatkhana’s Farman book distributors for your own personal copy!
Enjoy the photos from my October 2026 visit to Waterton Lakes National Park.
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“Our respect for pluralism is rooted in our understanding that we are all created by Allah, and that He created us different so that we could learn to know each other. I have told my Jamat that it is not enough to simply talk about respecting the values of pluralism whilst reaping the benefit of living in a country which espouses it. We must live by these values and act in accordance with them” — Toronto, Canada, March 31, 2026, page 49.
Date posted: October 17, 2026.
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