The word jubilee is derived from the Hebrew yobel, meaning ram’s horn. In the ancient time, the jubilee was announced by the blowing of the shofar, a trumpet of ram’s horn, and as a result, the occasion came to be known as yobel, or jubilee. The Arabic word for jubilee is also yobel, and Turkish ellinci. Jubilee is a momentous occasion, denoting the celebration of a period of time, anniversary or other special occasions.

The 11th July, 2007 is going to mark historically an inauguration of the Golden Jubilee of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the 49th Hazar Imam. This is the glorious historical era when the Ismailis are scattered all over the world, not confined to East Africa and British India. The splendor, magnificence and the fidelity with which the Ismaili world celebrates the Golden Jubilee of their beloved 49th Hazar Imam is unparallel.

In his historical speech during the Silver Jubilee of the Imam on July 11, 1982, Dewan Sir Eboo Pirbhai (1905-1990), Chairman of the World Leaders’ Forum had submitted following pledge and sought prayers in his address, whose notion must be revived and kept in mind during the Golden Jubilee occasion :-

Our Lord, on this Silver Jubilee Day, July 11, 1982, on behalf of the entire Ismaili Jamat, and on behalf of all Your Councils and Institutions through out the world, I submit our pledge as follows :

• We submit homage to you as our imam, the 49th in direct descent from the holy prophet mohammad and mowla murtaza ali.
• We pledge our entire and undivided loyality and allegiance to you.
• We pledge to you our lives and all else that is ours.
• We pledge our total support to all your efforts and activities, for the jamat and for the entire mankind.
• We pray for your blessings for the strength of our iman, and for the strength to continue on the true path along which you seek to guide us.
• We pray for your blessings for our spiritual welfare and material well-being.
• We pray for your blessings for our unity, and for the strength and discipline to remain your farman-bardari spiritual children.
• We pray for your forgiveness for our short-comings and faults, and your blessings for the strength to be able to live up to your aspirations.
• We pray for your continued good health and long life, and for occasions to celebrate many, many more of your jubilees.
• We pray for the continued good health and long life of all those who are near and dear to you.
• We pray that the benevolence of the direct descendants of the holy prophet mohammad and mowla murtaza ali may guide and protect the ismaili jamat till the end of time.