The Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa' (Epistles of the Brethren of Purity) is a unique work in Islamic history consisting of fifty-two essays (rasa'il) on a wide range of subjects ranging from cosmology to physical sciences, ethics to aesthetics, and revelation to metaphysics. The authors of this encyclopaedic collection, who are believed to have lived in Basra in Iraq in tenth century, are ...
![[Oct 6]Today in history: Imam Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III, President of the League of Nations, delivered the adjournment session](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/bbbea17a96.jpeg)
"The tribulations of one people are the tribulations of all. That which weakens one weakens all." Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III, October 6, 1937President of the League of Nations Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, who succeeded to the Imamat in 1885, was involved on the world stage, being bestowed numerous honours by several countries in recognition of his service. Imam ...
![[Oct]This month in history: Al-Mu'ayyad returned home after a diplomatic mission on behalf of Fatimid Imam al-Mustansir bi'llah](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/0925799f8d.jpeg)
Al-Mu'ayyad al-Shirazi departed from Aleppo, Syria, in October 1058 to return to the Cairo, upon completing a diplomatic mission on behalf of Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Mustansir bi'llah (r. 1036-1094). Abu Nasr Hibat Allah b. Musa b. Abi Imran b. Dawud al-Shirazi, one of the most distinguished da'is of the Fatimid period (909-1171), was born around 1000 in Shiraz, the capital of Fars ...
The Ismaili scholar and author Idris Imad al-Din (d. 1468 CE) was the chief da'i of the Yemeni Ismaili da'wa, descended from the prominent al-Walid family, who led the Tayyibi Musta'lian Ismaili administration for more than three centuries. Thus, Idris had access to the literary heritage of the Ismailis, including the majority of the surviving Fatimid texts. In his seven-volume Uyun ...
The Aga Khan Lycée, Khorog was opened on September 24, 1998 by His Excellency Emomalio Rahmon, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, in the presence of Mawlana Hazar Imam. In his address, Mawlana Hazar Imam noted the importance of this event: "We gather this afternoon to open the first formal educational program undertaken by the Aga Khan Development Network in ...
Mawlana Hazar Imam addressing guests at the Aga Khan Award for Architecture Ceremony in Kazan. Photo: The.Ismaili/ Akbar Hakim Mawlana Hazar Imam presented awards of the 14th cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, together with Mintimer Shaimiev, State Counsellor of the Republic of Tatarstan, on September 13, 2019 at the Musa Jalil State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Kazan, ...
The Ismaili scholar and author Idris Imad al-Din (d. 1468 CE) was the chief da'i of the Yemeni Ismaili da'wa, descended from the prominent al-Walid family, who led the Tayyibi Musta'lian Ismaili administration for more than three centuries. Thus, Idris had access to the literary heritage of the Ismailis, including the majority of the surviving Fatimid texts. In his seven-volume Uyun ...
Salamiyya, in central Syria, served as the headquarters of the Nizari Ismaili activities and the residence of the Imams in the 8th century until 902 CE, at which time Imam al-Mahdi, who was born in Salamiyya in 873, departed for North Africa where he established the Fatimid caliphate in Raqqada (modern-day Tunisia) in 909.Mausoleum known as 'Maqam al-Imam' in the centre ...
In 1090, Hasan Sabbah acquired the fortress of Alamut in northern Persia (modern-day Iran), marking the founding of what was to become the seat of the Nizari Ismaili state. Over the next 150 years, the Ismailis acquired more than 200 fortresses in Persia and Syria, located in the inaccessible mountainous regions for refuge of the Nizari Ismailis who were fleeing persecution ...
The gradual migration of Ismailis from Zanzibar into the interiors of East African countries took place during the major political events of the region. "By 1914, the European powers had divided most of the African continent among themselves and installed colonial systems of government in their territories. The Ismailis were thus settled in what were effectively territories that belonged to, or ...
The archipelago of Zanzibar comprising two main islands (Unguja - commonly known as Zanzibar and Pemba) and several smaller ones, has been inhabited for over 20,000 years when the island served as a gateway for traders between the African Great Lakes, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, and Europe. In 1503, Zanzibar became part of the Portuguese Empire for almost 200 ...
Pilgrims kept journals of their travels thus providing interesting details about everything from food and clothing to architecture. A famous travel account is the Safarnama ('Travelogue') of Nasir-i Khusraw (d. after 1072), a Persian Ismaili poet and philosopher, who journeyed to the Fatimid capital, Cairo, from where he made two pilgrimages to Mecca before returning home to Central Asia as chief ...
Eid al-Adha is the final act of the annual pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca, which is performed during the early part of Dhu'l Hijja, the last month of the Muslim lunar calendar. A minor pilgrimage, umra, may be undertaken at any other time. The focal point of the pilgrimage is the Ka'ba, in Mecca, which was known as 'Becca' in ancient times. ...
The Nizari Ismaili state of Alamut was established in 1090 in Persia (now Iran) and fell to the Mongols in 1256. After the fall of Alamut, the community was deprived of direct contact with and centralised leadership of the Imams, who remained in hiding for two centuries in order to avoid persecution; their identities and whereabouts were known to a few ...
The earliest revelation to Prophet Muhammad was about knowledge and learning. The Qur'anic injunction and Prophetic tradition to seek knowledge led to the founding of many institutions of learning. Scientific research was considered a response of the faithful to the persistent call of the Qur'an to ponder the universe in order to understand God's creation. The pursuit of knowledge was emphasised ...
The Moon has played a prominent role as a timekeeper, an emblem of the divine, a god of abundance, and an inspiration for poets, as well as in the arts and science. As early as 5,000 years ago, scientists tracked the path of the Moon to determine the months of the year and important religious events. The moon is viewed in ...
Named after the Prophet's daughter, the Fatimids, Mawlana Hazar Imam's ancestors, established their empire in 909 in North Africa when Imam al-Mahdi was proclaimed Caliph. The Fatimid Caliphate remained in North Africa during the reign of Imams al-Mahdi (r. 909-934), al-Qa'im (r. 934-946), and al-Mansur (r. 946-953). Imam al-Mu'izz (r. 953-975) founded the city of Cairo which subsequently became the capital ...
(E) From the time of the Imamat of Hazrat Mawlana Ali (A.S.), the Imams of the Ismaili Muslims have ruled over territories and peoples in various areas of the world at different periods of history and, in accordance with the needs of the time, have given rules of conduct and constitution in conformity with the Islamic concepts of unity, brotherhood, justice, ...
The tradition of bestowing a garment of honour as an indication of special favour dates to ancient cultures of China and Central Asia, along the Silk Road, to the Middle East. In Persia, luxurious robes were used as early as 333 BCE when Alexander conquered Persepolis and found several of them. "In early use, the robe was a personal recognition by ...
Imam Hasan Ali Shah was born in Kahak in 1804 and succeeded to the Imamat at the age of 13, after his father was murdered in Yazd, Persia. His mother Bibi Sarkara (d. 1851) went to the court of the ruling Qajar monarch Fath Ali Shah (r. 1797-1834) to seek justice for the murder of her husband and support for her ...
Imam Muhammad b. Ali b. al-Husayn b. Ali b. Abi Talib, better known by his title al-Baqir, was born around 677 in Medina. In his youth, he witnessed the power struggles among the various political and religious communities while observing that his father refrained from political activity. He succeeded his father to the Imamat in 713, reigning for about twenty years. ...
In 297 AH/909 CE, Imam al-Mahdi established the Fatimid caliphate in North Africa. The dynasty was named after Fatima, the Prophet's daughter and Imam 'Ali's wife, through whom the Ismaili Imams traced their ancestry. Born in 319/931, the fourth Fatimid Caliph and fourteenth Ismaili Imam, Abu Tamim Ma'add succeeded his father in 341/953, adopting the regal title of 'al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah, ...
A large number of prophetic traditions were in circulation by the second century of Islam. However, many of them were thought to be falsely attributed to the Prophet, prompting an investigation of which ones were genuine. Investigators consulted hadith specialists (muhaddithun) to trace the hadiths back to the Prophet through a chain of people who had transmitted them. If there were ...
![[May]This month in history: Syrian fortresses of the Nizari Ismailis were captured](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/0b988dcd7b.jpeg)
The Syrian fortresses of Ullayqa and Rusafa were captured in May 1271; Khawabi, Qalay'a, Maniqa, and Qadmus were captured in May 1273. In 1090, Hasan Sabbah acquired the castle of Alamut, situated in a remote and mountainous area in northern Persia, marking the foundation of what was to become the state of Alamut. Over the next 150 years, the Ismailis succeeded ...
Each year since 1977, the International Council of Museums has organised International Museum Day on May 18 or around this date. The objective is to raise awareness that, "Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples." International Council of Museums Aga Khan Museum Dr Henry Kim, CEO of ...
International Day of Light commemorates the anniversary of the first successful operation of the LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) on May 16, 1960 by Theodore Maiman, a physicist at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. "The study of light and its properties has revolutionised every field of science and have involved all the major figures of science from ...
Prophet Muhammad was concerned about the moral and spiritual conditions of the people of Mecca, and frequently sought moments of reflection by retreating to a cave on Mount Hira outside Mecca. After 15 years of this meditative practice, during one of his retreats, he received his first call of revelation on what subsequently came to be called Laylat al-qadr (Night of ...
![[Ramadan] This month in history: Hasan-i Sabbah gave his oath of allegiance to Fatimid Imam al-Mustansir bi'llah](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/fa9350d642.jpeg)
Hasan-i Sabbah was born in Qum, in Persia, into a Twelver Shi'i family in the mid-1050s. His family migrated to Rayy, an important centre of Shi'i learning in Persia, where Hasan received his early education. Shortly after the age of seventeen, Hasan was introduced to Ismaili teachings by the local da'i Amira Darrab. Subsequently, Hasan learned more about Ismaili doctrines from ...
![[May]This month in history: Fatimid Imam al-Mansur succeeded to the Imamat](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2de737aeff.jpeg)
Imam al-Mansur succeeded his father to the Imamat in May 946. He commissioned the building of a second Fatimid capital (the first being al-Mahdiyya) directly south of Qayrawan (in present-day Tunisia), naming it al-Mansuriyya. The new royal city served as the dynasty's capital from 948 to 972, when Imam al-Mu'izz transferred the capital to Cairo, a city he founded. Information about ...
An old tale tells the story of a young goat herder in Ethiopia in the 6th century, who was astonished to see his herd of goats become particularly excited when they ate certain red berries of an unknown plant. He picked some of these berries and took them to the local monastery. The Prior used them to make a brew, which ...
Islam has a long history in China dating back the the seventh century when the earliest Muslim traders came to the south-eastern ports as part of the Indian Ocean trade as well as along the Silk Route. In 651, the Prophet's maternal uncle Sa'ad b. Ali Waqqas (d. 674) led a mission to the court of the Tang Emperor Gaozon (r. ...
"...art is a matter of humanity just as much as it is a matter of identity. As the Islamic tradition has reminded us for many centuries, the Divine spark that bestows upon us our individuality also bonds individuals in a common human family. " Mawlana Hazar ImamAga Khan Music Awards, Lisbon, Portugal, March 31, 2019Speech "...the arts, particularly when they are ...
Fearful that Persia's history would be forgotten, Abu'l-Qasim Firdawsi (940-1020) composed the Shahnama (Book of Kings), comprising more than 60,000 rhyming couplets, telling the story of Persia (modern-day Iran) from the time of creation to its conquest by Muslims in the seventh century. Partly legend, partly historic, it is also a manual on kingship, a collection of heroic tales, and a ...
"Aswan and the people of Aswan have a place of deep affection in my heart and within my family." Mawlana Hazar Imam AKDN Press Release, December 18, 2003Mawlana Hazar Imam in Cairo, Egypt, December 2003. Photo: AKDN / Gary Otte Mata Salamat Begum Om Habibeh, wife of Imam Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III, established the Om Habibeh Foundation (OHF) ...
![[April]This month in history: Imam Aqa Ali Shah Aga Khan II succeeded to the Imamat](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/b3c867e79f.jpeg)
Imam Aqa Ali Shah was born in Mahallat, Persia, in 1830. He spent most of his early years in Iraq, possibly Najaf, where he went with his mother while his father was in conflict with the Qajar establishment in Persia. In Iraq, Imam studied Arabic, Persian, and Nizari Ismaili doctrines, returning to Persia in the late 1840s. He then travelled with ...
In pre-Islamic times, the recitation of poetry was the mark of artistic achievement. The prevalent form was the qasida - a long monorhyme (aa, ba, ca) that was used in praise of someone or basic rhetoric. Subsequently, it was used to teach morals as well as praise God and the Prophet. An important aspect was the growing awareness of the potential ...
Plaque at the entrance to Al Azhar Park. Photo: Almoonir Dewji "...we were touching the very foundations of my ancestors, the Fatimids, and the pluralistic history and intellectual profile of this city and this country to which they contributed so profoundly. I am very humbled by the opportunity to return to Cairo, founded over a thousand years ago by the Fatimid Caliph ...
![[Mar 24]Today in history: Fatimid Imam al-Hakim inaugurated an institution of learning that influenced global knowledge](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/5f409f110e.jpeg)
The sixth Fatimid Caliph and sixteenth Ismaili Imam Abu 'Ali Mansur (d.1021), succeeded his father to the Imamat in 996, with the caliphal title of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ('Ruler by God's Command'). The first Fatimid ruler to have been born in Egypt, Imam al-Hakim worked to extend the da'wa outside the Fatimid domains especially in Iraq and Persia where da'is were ...
Test your knowledge of the scholars, scientists, and da'is of the Muslim civilisations. The material is based on the Secondary Curriculum published by The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Hyphenated names do not include the hyphens. For example, if the clue indicates (5,1,6), the correct answer could be HASANISABBAH (Hasan-i Sabbah). Download the crossword here Crossword-Scholars-Scientists The solution will be provided in ...
