About our new IV Uniform

Mawlana Shah Karim approved a set of global guidelines for our uniformed volunteers, which contemporises our identity and image as an Ismaili civil society organisation.

The ethic of voluntary service has a long-enduring history in our Jamat. Reflecting the values of our Tariqah, the centuries-old tradition of giving of one’s time and resources encourages initiative, develops leadership capacity, and offers opportunities for personal and professional development.

Mawlana Shah Karim also approved a new name “Ismaili Volunteers”, removing the term ‘Corps’, and established a new motto, Khidma, meaning ‘service’, which expresses the core value of Ismaili volunteers across all countries, ages, and cultures.

The new blue and white uniform brings standardisation, whilst respecting the Jamat’s socio-cultural diversity, functionality and climate variations.

The ethic of service is reflected in a new badge motif, featuring the motto – Khidma and a stylised presentation of the word “Lillaah (for Allah)”, artfully arranged, and repeated seven times in a composition of calligraphic brushes.

The connective nature of the motif symbolises a unified goal, and the interlinking of din and duniya, faith and world. The final letter of Lillaah is rendered in the shape of a leaf and, aims to remind us of our responsibility to care for the natural environment. The round outer shape suggests a globe, recalling that, despite our differences, we share one world – the Earth – as our home.