The following is a very useful introduction of the ginans in Tazim Kassam’s book ‘Songs of Wisdom and Circles of Dance’. This book is a complete English translation of Pir Sham’s ginans. For those interested in ginans, this is an invaluable book to have.
Coursing through cultures and time, tuneful verse has given immediate and moving expression to the human longing for the divine. Poetry strung on sweet melodies, sacred hymns and songs bear testimony to the religious life of the devout and to the sonorous and inspiring vocal artistry of saints and minstrels. Such is the ginan tradition of the Satpanth Khojahs, Indian successors of the Fatimid and Nizari Isma’llI sect of the Shi’ah Muslims. A heritage of devotional poetry, the ginan tradition is rooted in the musical and poetic matrix of Indian culture where, from village street to temple stage, the human voice sings in love divine. Traditionally recited during daily ritual prayers, ginans have been revered for generations among the Satpanth Isma’llls as sacred compositions (sastra). The term ginan itself has a double significance: on the one hand, it means religious knowledge or wisdom, analogous to the Sanskrit word jnana; on the other hand, it means song or recitation, which suggests a link to the Arabic ganna and the Urdu/Hindi gana, both verbs meaning to sing.
Complete at the Source
Book available at Amazon USA – Google Books – World Catalog
Ismailimail 
Ginan itself explain its meaning as knowledge, by reading and reciting Ginan will purify you soul and you will go on right path of yr life, if you adopt in yr daily practice. Jusabali
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