Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS)

News story -- The Summer Programme introduced participants to a deeper understanding of Islam and the Shi'a Ismaili Tariqah within the broader intellectual, historical, social and political context of human civilisations. The extensive readings and daily programming challenged participants to consider new perspectives on issues of identity, religious practices, modernity, pluralism and civil society. Daily sessions began with interactive lectures by IIS ...

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News story -- Dr Dhanani with Maimonides statute (Cordoba) Mehri Niknam, Executive Director, The Maimonides Foundation Professor Khalili, Chairman, The Maimonides Foundation Known in Hebrew as Moshe ben Maimon and in Arabic as Musa ibn Maimon, Moses Maimonides was a major Jewish philosopher, theologian and leader of the Jewish community in the 12th century CE. He was born in 1135 CE in ...

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News story -- Delivering the keynote address at a gathering of academicians, students, media personnel, leaders of faith groups and members of the Ismaili Muslim community, Dr Aziz Esmail gave an analysis of a number of key notions of significance to human societies, such as time, history and categories of meaning, and related these to developments in the Muslim world and how ...

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News story -- The event drew more than one thousand women from around the world to the Emirates Palace Hotel to debate and discuss topics related to this year's conference theme, "Communities in Transition". Keynote speakers included: Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Honorable Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former United Nations Commissioner for ...

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News story -- Nasir al-Din Tusi, one of the foremost Muslim scholars of the 7th AH /13th CE century, produced a number of theological, philosophical and scientific works under Ismaili patronage in Iran, and later, amongst the Mongols. The Rawda-yi taslim is Tusi's last and most comprehensive Ismaili work. Based upon the lectures (kalimat) that Tusi delivered at Alamut in Iran, Paradise ...

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News story -- Download the PDF version of the syllabus of the Summer Programme on Islam (47 KB) Gallery of images of Participants, Lecturers and Presenters Seminars were conducted by acclaimed scholars who facilitated lively debates and engaging discussions on topics such as: 'What is Islam? Who is a Muslim?'; 'From Manhattan to Baghdad: the Metamorphoses of Reason'; 'Key Moments and Critical ...

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News story -- Abstract of a paper given by Salman Alibhai, at the BRISMES conference 23-26 July, 2006 The reign of the Fatimids in Egypt from the 10thto 12thcenturies CE was a time of extraordinary incorporation and acceptance of previously marginalized and persecuted religious groups in the region. The policy of tolerance adopted by the Fatimid state, perhaps as a method of ...

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News story -- Abstract of a paper given by Dr Ali Qutbuddin, at the BRISMES conference 23-26 July, 2006 Al-Mu'ayyad al-Shirazi, the Fatimid chief da'i in eleventh century Cairo, asserted that religion and revelation were based on intellect and reason. However, he refuted the claims of Ibn al-Rawandi, who claimed that intellect and reason were capable of perceiving the religious and philosophical ...

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News story -- Abstract of a paper given by Dr Alnoor Dhanani, at the BRISMES conference 23-26 July, 2006 The concept of soul is central to falsafa, grounded as it is in the views of Plato and Aristotle. Soul plays an important role in many questions including the nature of life, the primary characteristics of being human, and mechanics of the celestial ...

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News story -- Following two introductory essays on the development of diverse communities of interpretation in Islam and the emergence of the Ismaili Muslim community in early Muslim history, the remaining nine essays are divided into three parts: (I) The Early and Fatimid Phases; (II) The Nizari Phase; and (III) Aspects of Ismaili Thought. A select bibliography has also been provided for ...

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News story -- Students who complete the IIS Graduate Programme develop analytical skills and competencies which could be applied in a wide range of careers. This full day seminar provided a means for IIS graduates and current students to explore present and emerging career options within the AKDN institutions which coincide with their individual interests and abilities. Professor Azim Nanji, Director of ...

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News story -- 'I don't know if any culture is best studied in its moment of crisis,' said Professor Nanji in the first of two lectures delivered as part of the annual lecture series at McGill University's Birks Chapel. Addressing a full audience of faculty and students on 'The Study of Islam: Past, Present and Future,' Professor Nanji argued that much of ...

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News story -- Download the PDF version of the syllabus of the Summer Programme on Islam (47KB) Gallery of images of the Lecturers and Presenters The seminars, presented and facilitated by lecturers from the Universities of Harvard, Brandeis, Carleton and Victoria along with faculty members from The Institute of Ismaili Studies and the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations of the ...

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News story -- The Symposium, originally inspired by the number of concentrated efforts on Shi'ism at the 2001 annual meeting of the British Association for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) in Edinburgh, Scotland, spawned a meeting of Shi'i Studies scholars the following year at The Institute of Advanced Study, University of Bristol. Building on the successes of the first meeting, this year's gathering ...

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News story -- The Ismailis represent the second largest Shi'i Muslim community after the Ithna'asharis (Twelvers) and are today resident as religious minorities in more than 25 countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Despite their long and eventful history dating back to the formative period of Islam, until recently the Ismailis were studied primarily on the basis ...

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News story -- Dr. Daftary's session provided a survey of early Shi'ism, discussing the nature of Shi'i Islam, to the audience which comprised scholars and students of Islamic studies as well as other interested people. He then elaborated on the long and complex history of the Ismailis, a major Shi'i Muslim community, and the two occasions when they had states of their ...

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News story -- Stanford: an aerial view © L. A. Cicero / Stanford News Service Stanford: columns in the main quad © L. A. Cicero / Stanford News Service With the endowment of this program, Stanford is able to build on existing interdisciplinary efforts. Courses on Islam and Muslim history have been offered at the university for many years, as has instruction ...

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News story -- News story about the opening of the colloquium, 'Word of God, Art of Man: The Qur'an and its Creative Expressions', Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Opening Session of "Word of God, Art of Man: The Qur'an and its Creative Expressions" The colloquium 'Word of God, Art of Man: The Qur'an and its Creative Expressions', will ...

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News story -- The annual gathering of Knight Fellows brought together representatives, including 175 former fellows, from 18 countries around the world to participate in 2 days of sessions about the current state of journalism and its future, including an understanding of present day Muslims. Beginning with a story, which is from several ancient traditions and also preserved in Muslim literature, Professor ...

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News story -- 'I am interested in understanding and examining the whole picture of Ismailism in the Indian Subcontinent - literature, culture, traditions and practices. I believe that the Institute would provide me with critical skills and knowledge to deal with these issues.' Wafi Ahmed Momin, Pakistan, Class 0f 2006. Nine years after its launch, the Graduate Programme continues to attract high-calibre ...

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News story -- Ten years after its launch, the Graduate Programme continues to attract high-calibre students, with a variety of academic backgrounds, from North America, Central and South Asia, Europe and the Middle East. This year's intake includes students from Canada, Iran, Pakistan and Tajikistan. The Programme provides an interdisciplinary approach to the materials of Muslim culture and thought, and encourages a ...

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News story -- Portuguese is the official language of eight countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bisseau, Mozambique, Portugal and San Tome and Principe. It is also spoken in the Indian province of Goa and Macao in China. The historical and cultural importance of Islam in the Iberian Peninsula has led to the development of Islamic Studies as an academic discipline ...

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News story -- The aims of this year's workshop were to share with the alumni the vision and relevant intellectual perspectives developed at the Institute; to further enhance their critical thinking skills; and to engage them in discussion of historical and contemporary issues relevant to the Ismaili community in particular and Muslim societies in general. The workshop began with a welcome breakfast, ...

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News story -- Although Gujarat came into being as a separate state of independent India in 1960, questions of identity and belonging to the Gujarati world had been around for several decades. A major marker of such belonging was, and continues to be, the Gujarati language, which was carried around the world by the active Gujarati diaspora. Gujarati-ness was also a contested ...

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News story -- Recent scholarship has yielded an increasing appreciation for the nature and breadth of sources that influenced philosophers working in Arabic during the 'classical' period, a phase commonly agreed as lasting from the 3rd/9th to the 6th/12th centuries. This fertile period for philosophical thought saw the emergence of scholars such as al-Kindi (d. 873), al-Farabi (d. 950), Ibn Sina (d. ...

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News story -- Download the PDF version of the syllabus of the Summer Programme on Islam (52KB) Gallery of images of the Lecturers and Presenters The seminars, presented and facilitated by lecturers from the Universities of Harvard, Edinburgh and Washington along with faculty members from The Institute of Ismaili Studies and the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations of the Aga ...

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News story -- Professor Mamadsho Ilolov, President of the Tajik Academy of Sciences Mr. Hakim Feerasta, Resident Representative, AKDN Dr. Sarfaroz Niyozov, Coordinator, Central Asian Studies, IIS Professor Muso Dinorshoev, Director Institute of Philosophy and Law, Tajikistan Academy of Sciences Professor Kamol Aini, a prominent local scholar Professor Jurabek Nazriev, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Tajik Academy of Sciences In ...

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News story -- Intellectual Traditions in Islam, originally published in English in 2000 and reprinted in 2001, makes available a collection of key papers presented at a seminar to generate discussion on the nature, significance and pivotal role of the intellect in the formation of Islamic culture and civilisation, and its continuing relevance for the Muslim world today. The seminar entitled "Intellectual ...

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News story -- The questions 'Who is a Hindu, who is a Muslim?' are amongst several addressed in this study that are found to be not as simple as generally assumed. The author argues that the perception of 'Islam' and 'Hinduism' as two monolithic and perpetually antagonistic faiths, coexisting uneasily in South Asia, has become so deeply ingrained that the complexity of ...

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News story -- Commencing with an overview of Shi'ism, Dr. Daftary discussed the development of interpretive communities, providing an important context for understanding Muslim history. He then went on to outline the significance of Persians in Ismaili history, providing details of the contributions of the da'is of the Persian world to Ismaili Muslim thought, as elaborated after Fatimid times. Dr. Daftary also ...

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News story -- Muslim scholars have discussed and debated the nature of the sacred for many centuries. The IIS panel at the MESA conference provided a forum for scholars to explore and discuss Prophetic usage of sacred space. As part of the formative period of the early Muslim community, it is essential for understanding what has informed and influenced the faith and ...

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News story -- Dr Alnoor Dhanani, Head of Graduate Studies, welcomed the graduates and guests to the celebration in their honor. He reflected on the achievements of the students in the past two years in the Institute's Graduate Program, and remarked that "the grads will take with them the spirit of inquiry, scholarship and social engagement to all their future endeavors." Commenting ...

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News story -- One of the foremost poets of the Persian language and a major contributor to Ismaili thought, Nasir Khusraw has attracted passionate attention for nearly a thousand years from admirers and critics alike. Celebrated for a poetry that combines art with philosophy, and revered and criticised for his theological texts, Nasir Khusraw remains one of the most fascinating figures in ...

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News story -- This informative atlas explains the evolution of Muslim societies from the beginning of the mission of the Prophet Muhammad up to contemporary times. Short essays cover a wide variety of themes, including philosophy; art and architecture; trade, commerce, and manufacturing; marriage and family life; ritual and devotional practices; spaces of worship; Sufism; trends in Muslim thought; the impact of ...

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News story -- Sabrina Datoo, The 25th Anniversary Graduation Ceremony Le Meridien Grosvenor House Hotel, London Download PDF version of speech (31.8 KB) Your Highness, Distinguished Guests,Good evening. I am honoured to have been chosen to speak to you tonight and feel privileged to be speaking in the presence of His Highness the Aga Khan. I would like to begin therefore, by ...

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News story -- Professor Azim Nanji The 25th Anniversary Graduation Ceremony Le Meridien Grosvenor House Hotel, London, October 19, 2003 Download PDF version of speech (35 KB) Your Highness, Colleagues, Students, Alumni, Distinguished Guests, We're gathered here today to celebrate our 25th anniversary, to offer congratulations and to recognise our graduates, our alumni, their families, the Faculty, the Staff. Also, this occasion ...

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News story -- Chaired by Dr Farhad Daftary, this panel explored the perseverance of Ismaili communal identities over the vicissitudes of time and geography. In the first of four papers, Dr Shafique N. Virani explored cultural and ideological constructions through the names used by the community for itself, as well as designations ascribed to it by outsiders. By surveying these markers of ...

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News story -- 'Why should we act ethically?' is a question readily ignored today in favour of asking what is ethics and how it is applied, which leaves out vast areas of human motivation that concern the nature of moral action and commitment. Responding coherently to these interlocking lines of inquiry requires us to consider conceptions of the 'good' in domains public ...

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News story -- Dr El-Bizri's talk formed part of a series at Eton College entitled 'Ethics and Society,' which examines a range of moral issues relating to society, the family, the environment, business and law. The series, now running for a number of years, has managed to introduce the students to ideas of both an ethical and philosophical nature, providing them with ...

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