News Flash for Digest + Ignition

In 1967, Mawlana Hazar Imam said "Western Europe and North America ... face social and moral conflicts which are far more daunting than known in Asia or Africa." In 1976, he said "I have observed in the Western world a deeply changing pattern of human relations. The anchors of moral behaviour appear to have dragged to such depths that they ...

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Salgirah Mubarak! To celebrate this happy occasion, we bring you our popular collection of 50 jokes by Mawlana Hazar Imam -- many with video or audio. During the Golden Jubilee, Hazar Imam said in Vancouver, "from time to time I have joked with my Jamat, and it has come to them in a rather unexpected way! And I said to ...

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In today's skeptical, secular world, many Ismailis wonder how complete and accurate is the historical record that documents and traces the Ismaili Imamat back to Prophet Muhammad and the first Shia Imam, Hazart Ali. Like all hereditary offices, at times there was disagreement over who was the legitimate successor to a previous Imam. Indeed, in his 1986 Man Alive interview, ...

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Parable: Learning from Tragedy, the Story of the Imprisoned Parrot Parrot in a cage There was once a merchant who owned a beautiful parrot. The parrot's ability to sing kept the merchant very happy for years. The merchant looked after the parrot very ...

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A fundamental aspect of our faith is the idea of "personal search." However what does this actually mean? Does "personal search" mean there are "no black and white answers" to faith related questions we have? That every interpretation is automatically correct? This is also known as relativism. Relativism claims there is no absolute truth, no single correct interpretation, but Hazar ...

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With all the cold weather we're having in North America, it seems winter has come early. And on these winter days, what could feel better than a steaming hot bowl of dhal? Here are four recipes that are sure to hit the spot with your family. Warm regardsIsmaili Digest

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Sacred Web Editorial - The Transhumanist Fallacy GOOGLE.COM -- SACRED WEB -- Transhumanism can be defined as the ideology which seeks to modify or improve the human race. A very basic question that must be asked before we presume to tamper with humanity ...

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The term "Islamic art" refers to visual arts produced in Islamic regions but not necessarily for or by Muslims. It is generally contemplative and, as such, often incorporates prayers or verses from the Qur'an or Hadith. Curiously, these are not just rendered on places of worship, but even on everyday objects such as utensils and cooking pots. The breadth of ...

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As Muslims, in the modern world, the words "modernity" and "tradition" unleash an uneasy cascade of conflicting emotions as we try, often unsuccessfully, to reconcile the two. Fortunately, Mawlana Hazar Imam, has provided his profound insights and perspectives on how to look at and reconcile the two, not just for today but for all time. At the heart of his ...

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The castles inhabited by Nizari Ismailis from 1090 CE until the Mongol invasion in 1256 CE were researched by Peter Wiley over the course of 40 years. His final work, "Eagle's Nest: Ismaili Castles in Iran and Syria", published in 2005 by The Institute of Ismaili Studies, is recognised as the standard work on the subject. The Ismaili state, from ...

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In June 1999, in Aiglemont, Mawlana Hazar Imam said: "You cannot know this, but I watch other immigrant communities. I don't just watch my Jamat, I watch others, and I watch what they are doing, and I draw lessons from that ..." And so, as a faith community, we decided to look at other faith communities to see what lessons ...

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There is nothing more moving for an Ismaili than to be in the presence of our Imam. And, some Ismailis have the rare honour of being with our Imams privately, even if just for a moment. However, by the grace of our Imams, humble stories of such meetings move all of us, whether we knew the person or not, whether ...

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During the Diamond Jubilee, Mawlana Hazar Imam made a critical remark in Karachi: "There should be a dialogue between the Jamat and our institutions, and this dialogue should be an ongoing process of thinking together, of what will best serve the Jamat ... So we are seeking community wisdom, the wisdom of the Jamat, as to what are its needs, ...

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Although most people assume they know what introversion is, actually, they don't. As Susan Cain, author of Quiet, writes, "introversion is now a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology" as if it's a "problem" to fix, like was once thought about left-handed people. Introverts don't need to be "fixed" any more than left-handed people need to ...

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Intellectual diversity has been a hallmark of Ismaili literature. Throughout their history, and across the regions, Ismailis produced diverse literature in Arabic, Persian and Indian languages. Among others, subjects included science, philosophy, the doctrine of Imamate, legal compendia, esoteric interpretations of Revelation, histories of early Imams as well as a rich collection of religious and devotional poetry. The selection chosen ...

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Over the years, Mawlana Hazar Imam has spoken extensively about the media and their audiences, often delivering harsh criticisms of both. Times have changed and today social media has turned everyone into both a publisher and consumer of news and information. Each of us is now a small broadcasting station, adding to the information stream (and noise) others wade through ...

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Peer Review. The very words conjure up a spiritual sacredness and authority that no one dare challenge. But is that stamp of authority worthy of uncritical worship? Are peer reviewed journals a fortress against pseudo-science and superstition, store houses of "reliable facts?" Editors of the most prestigious peer reviewed journals don't think so. Richard Smith, who edited the British Medical ...

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Volunteering has been the backbone of the Ismaili community since the very beginning and it can be, rightfully, said the Ismaili community has been built and sustained by volunteers, not just those within the institutions, but all those who have selflessly contributed to the communities progress. Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah famously said to the volunteers "Today I will give you ...

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It's Summer and we could all use a nice, cold healthy drink. Here are 5 we're sure will hit the spot! "A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken." - James Dent Happy Summer! Ismaili Digest

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"Although the development of sophisticated calligraphy as an art form is not unique to Islamic culture, it has been used to a much greater extent and in varied ways, and in all art forms and materials in Islamic civilisations." "Sources credit Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad and the first Imam of the Shia, as ...

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