SHUKARWARI BEEJ
By: Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S.Ali
mumtaztajddin@yahoo.com

Beej is one of the most important rites in the Indian tradition of the Ismailis.The Hindi
word beej means crescent. When the new moon falls on Friday, the Ismailis keep a fast
– a tradition that came down since the period of Pir Shams, known as shukarwari beej
(Friday’s crescent). Later, Pir Sadr al-Din and Pir Hasan Kabir al-Din elaborated
importance of the beej.