Nasir-al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274) one of the major intellectual figures of the thirteenth century, was born in Tus in Khurasan (north-eastern Iran and parts of Central Asia and Afghanistan) into a Twelver Shi'i family. Encouraged by his father to learn all disciplines of knowledge, al-Tusi went to Nishapur to study mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy. He was particularly attracted to the work of ...
The post-Alamut period in Nizari Ismaili history comprises two phases: the first two centuries after the fall of the state of Alamut (1090-1256), and the Anjundan revival from the mid-fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries.Some of the major Ismaili fortresses in Persia and Syria. Image: The Institute of Ismaili Studies After the fall of Alamut, Imams remained in hiding for almost two ...
In 1090, Hasan-i Sabbah acquired the fortress of Alamut in northern 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 Iran and Syria, located in the inaccessible mountainous regions for refuge of the Nizari Ismailis as well as others fleeing persecution ...
Silver Jubilee - 1957-1982 At the centre of the emblem is Hazar Imam's crest surrounded by 25 crescents representing 25 years of leadership. The outer ring embodies verse 3:103 of the Quran in Thuluth calligraphy script as follows: And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favour of Allah upon you ...
On September 4, 1090 Hasan-i Sabbah acquired Alamut, a remote mountain-fortress in the Rudbur region of Daylam in northern Persia (modern-day Iran), marking the founding of the Nizari Ismaili state. According to the Persian chronicles, Hasan gave the owner of the fortress a draft of 3,000 gold dinars as the price of the castle.A 17th-century copy of the first six lines ...
Abu Ali al-Hassan ibn al-Haytham (965-1039), a distinguished philosopher, physicist, and mathematician, was born in Basra, Iraq, where he earned a reputation for his knowledge of applied mathematics. Claiming to be able to regulate the flow of the Nile, he was invited by the Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Hakim (r.996-1021) to assist with a hydraulic project at the current location of the Aswan ...
Named after the Prophet's daughter, the Fatimids 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). In 973, Imam al-Mu'izz (r. 953-975) transferred the capital of the empire to Cairo, a city he founded. ...
Nasir Khusraw kept a detailed record of his travels in his Safarnama, "including the glories of Fatimid Cairo from the generosity expended for scholars like him to the sensible policies governing judges and the military, and from the beautiful tiraz fabrics created in the island of Tinnis to the careful management of the walls, and buildings of the city itself." Alice ...
Written by Ibn Tufayl (d. ca. 1185) a philosopher, physician, astronomer, and court official, the story is set in 12th century Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) - a jewel of civilisation where people of many cultures, religions, and traditions lived and worked together to advance knowledge. The diversity of their histories and perspectives transformed their society into a mosaic of creative expression, discussion, ...
Jabir ibn Hayyan (d. ca 815) was born in Tus, Khurasan, in modern-day Iran. He subsequently moved to Kufa, in Iraq, where he became a student of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (d. 765), who had widespread reputation as a religious scholar and was also proficient in natural sciences, mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, anatomy, alchemy, and other subjects. He founded the Imami Shi'i Ja'fari ...
The term 'Islamic art' generally refers to the arts of all Islamic cultures and not necessarily created by or for Muslims. The term does not refer to a particular style or period, but covers a broad scope, encompassing the arts produced in Muslim regions from Spain to India during the past fourteen centuries. In the medieval Muslim regions, ceramic production achieved ...
"Instead of shouting at one another, we must listen to one another -- and learn from one another. As we do, one of our first lessons might well centre on those powerful but often neglected chapters in history when Islamic and European cultures interacted cooperatively -- constructively and creatively -- to help realize some of civilization's peak achievements." Mawlana Hazar ImamTutzing ...
During Mawlana Hazar Imam's Imamat, there were rapid political, economic, and technological changes in newly-emerging nations from colonial rule that required bold initiatives and new programmes to reflect the developing national aspirations. Mawlana Hazar Imam continued and expanded the work of his grandfather in the fields of health care, education, and poverty alleviation in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia ...
"O Messenger, deliver [to the people] what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not do so, then you will not have delivered His message; and Allah will protect you from the people." (5:67) Upon the Prophet's death, a successor was needed to lead the Muslim community (ummah) and state. Prophet Muhammad was the "seal of ...
![[July 6]Today in history: Fatimid da'i al-Mu'ayyad celebrated the end of Ramadan](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/0925799f8d.jpeg)
On July 6, 1038, al-Mu'ayyad al-Shirazi served a feast in the courtyard of his residence to celebrate the end of Ramadan. (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p. 20). He begins his memoirs, the Sira, with a description of the celebration. A prominent Persian scholar, poet, statesman, and da'i during the time of Imam al-Mustansir bi'llah I (r.1036-1094), al-Mu'ayyad was born around ...
O mankind! Verily There hath come to you A convincing proof From your Lord: For we have sent unto you A light (that is) manifest (4:174) When the light of the Imam shone on my soul, even though I was black as night, I became the shining sun. Nasir-i Khusraw Aaj raaj Mubarak hove Nur aen Ali ku raaj mubaarak hove ...
Islam has a long history in the People's Republic of China, dating to the seventh century. The earliest Muslims in China were traders who came to the south eastern ports as part of the Indian Ocean trade as well as along the Silk Route, an ancient network of routes stretching for over six thousand miles from China across Central Asia to ...
Abu Abdollah Jafar ibn Mohammad Rudaki (ca.858-941), a Persian poet and a talented singer and musician, was born in Panjakent, Tajikistan, and served as a court poet to the Sāmānid ruler Naṣr II (r. 914-943) in Bukhara (now in modern-day Uzbekistan). Rudaki was among the first to write in the New Persian language. Persian was the official language of the regions ...
Knowledge is better than material wealth, because it protects you while you have to protect your wealth...What you get from wealth disappears as soon as your wealth disappears, but what you achieve through knowledge will remain even after you. Nahj al-balagha, Sayings of Hazrat Ali Ali b. Abi Talib (d. 661), cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, is highly revered by ...
Nahj al-Balagha. The Institute of Ismaili Studies 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (599-661) was the first cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad; the fourth of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs (al-khulafa' al-rashidun) (reigned 656-661); and the first of the Imams deemed by all Shi'i Muslims to be appointed by divine mandate. The word Shi'i itself is derived from the term shi'at' 'Ali, which ...
"Strive to write elegantly for this will ensure your means of livelihood." Caliph ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (d.661) Calligraphy, from the Greek kallos (beauty) and graphein (to write) is the art of beautiful writing. 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 ...
Calligraphy, from the Greek kallos (beauty) and graphein (to write) is the art of beautiful writing. It is believed that the practice of calligraphy originated in China during the second millennium BC, eventually spreading to the Middle East. The art of transcribing the Qur'an in beautiful hand was considered a form of devotion and an act of piety. Through its medium, ...
Islamic art describes the art created specifically in the service of the faith such as the mosque and its furnishings, but also characterises the art and architecture produced in the lands ruled by Muslims, produced for Muslim patrons, or created by Muslim artists.Tile with arabesque decoration, early 15th century, Turkey. Metropolitan Museum of Art Islamic art has been produced in diverse ...
Tilework in the Mexuar, Alhambra, Spain. Image: Yannick Genin/Archnet In Islamic art, geometric patterns were combined, interlaced, and arranged in intricate combinations, thus becoming one of the most distinguishing features of the art. Islamic artists appropriated key elements from the classical tradition, then elaborated upon them, resulting in a form of decoration that stressed the importance of unity and order. The complex ...
Geometric patterns, calligraphy, and vegetal patterns comprise the non-figural decoration in Islamic art. Although geometric ornamentation reached a pinnacle in the Islamic world, the sources for both the shapes and the intricate patterns already existed in late antiquity among the Greeks, Romans, and Sasanians in Iran. In Byzantine art, for example, depictions of people were often framed or linked by geometric ...
Parzyryk carpet, southern Siberia, 4-5th century BC. Leningrad, Hermitage Carpets were probably first made by nomadic peoples to cover the earthen floor in their tents and to keep them warm. By the fifth century BC, carpet making was a highly artistic craft. The oldest surviving carpet is believed to be one discovered in 1949 in the Pazyryk valley in southern Siberia, preserved ...
Copper inlaid incense burner dated 11th century, eastern Iran. Aga Khan Museum Metalwork has enjoyed great prestige in the Islamic world. Although most metalwork objects had utilitarian purposes and served the everyday requirements of their owners, many were regarded as status symbols. As in ancient times, household items made from bronze were valued for their durability and natural beauty. The early vessels ...
Before the advent of Islam, Arabic was a spoken language among the various tribal kingdoms. Although these kingdoms had developed a sophisticated tradition of poetry, it was passed down orally. The first revelation to the Prophet was about knowledge and learning. The Qur'an also mentions writing materials and written books including the "well-preserved tablet" and the "celestial pen" and states that ...
The great respect for writing the revealed Word of God became a major form of artistic expression and production not only of religious but also secular texts including scientific and literary works as well as albums of portraits. Among the most esteemed artists were calligraphers and illuminators. However, illumination - the visual embellishment of written texts - added to the value ...
In 1090, Hasan Sabbah acquired the fortress of Alamut in northern Iran, marking the founding of what was to become the seat of the Nizari Ismaili state. Over the course of the next 150 years, the Ismailis acquired more than 200 fortresses in Iran and Syria, located in the inaccessible mountainous regions for refuge of the Nizari Ismailis who were fleeing ...
The earliest Ismailis to immigrate to East Africa first established their foothold in Zanzibar. Khoja Ismaili merchants and other traders based in Western India had been trading in western Indian Ocean since at least the seventeenth century. Communities began to settle there in the 1800s when Zanzibar served as a gateway between Western Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, and Europe. The ...
"The fundamental reason for the pre-eminence of Islamic civilisations lay neither in accidents of history nor in acts of war, but rather in their ability to discover new knowledge, to make it their own, and to build constructively upon it. They became the Knowledge Societies of their time." Mawlana Hazar Imam, AKU Convocation, December 6, 2006 The most enduring legacy of ...
Da'i The Arabic term 'da'i' literally meaning 'one who summons,' was applied by several Muslim groups to designate their missionaries, but in the Ismaili tradition, the term referred to an authorised person appointed by the Imam's permission, to teach Ismaili doctrines. Only candidates possessing advanced educational qualifications and intellectual attributes were to be designated as da'is, who operated far and wide, ...
"Strive to seek knowledge in order to draw nearer to God" Nasir Khusraw Born into a noble Twelver Shi'i family in 1004 in Marv in the eastern Iranian province of Khurasan, Nasir Khusraw followed the family tradition and worked for the government in a financial capacity. During his adulthood, he began to search for answers to his inner discontent - "some ...
Yawm-e Ali, 'Day of Ali,' commemorates the birth of the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law, the fourth of the Rightly Guided Caliphs (al-khulafa al-rashidun), and the first Imam of the Shi'a appointed by divine mandate. Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (599-661) had the distinction of being born inside the Kaba, where his mother had gone to pray. According to Shi'a interpretation, Hazrat ...
In the medieval Muslim regions, the manufacture of textiles was one of the principal luxury industries; these textiles were immensely valuable not only in the Muslim lands but also across the globe; many fragments are housed in museums around the world. The creation of textiles was among the most important of the arts in the medieval Muslim society. The production of ...
The Mughals, who began to rule the Indian Subcontinent in 1526, built a magnificent empire, inaugurating the most glorious period in the history of Islam. During their 330-year reign, the Mughals developed a reputation for their wealth, tolerance, and intellectual and artistic pursuits. As patrons of art and architecture, the Mughals built the most magnificent monuments on the Indian landscape. The ...
![[Mar 16, 1983] Aga Khan University received its Charter](https://ismailidigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/d33a3d2729-1024x733.jpeg)
"My prayer is that the university we are now building will enable many generations of the students to acquire both knowledge and the essential spiritual wisdom needed to balance that knowledge and enable their lives to attain the highest fulfillment." Mawlana Hazar Imam, Karachi, Pakistan March 16, 1983 Mawlana Hazar Imam had announced the construction of a hospital, medical college, and ...
"There is no doubt that the artists of Egypt under the Fatimids were skilled to a degree that found no parallel in the handicrafts of Europe.... it is impossible to overlook the existence of an ancient skill in arts of all kinds in Egypt itself, and to ascribe much of the merits of the Mamluk work to the traditions of the ...
Works of art have made up the visual landscape of Islamic societies for fourteen centuries. Decorations on religious buildings and artwork, particularly those associated with the Shi'i interpretation of Islam, often reflected doctrinal affiliations. The Fatimid dynasty developed a distinctive visual language, prominently displaying their doctrines centred around the role of the Imams. The Fatimid capital al-Mansuriyya, in Tunisia, founded in ...
