Simerg

A PERSONAL RECOLLECTION By Ameer Janmohamed 1961: A group photo taken outside the nurses quarters of the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi on the occasion of the presentation of recommendations to Mawlana Hazar Imam by the Constitutional Review Committees of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Front row seated on chair (l to r): Jimmy Ahmed, Abdulaziz Pirani, Jimmy Verjee, B.K.S. Verjee, A.G. ...

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A Letter to Charles Darwin By Mohezin Tejani Dear Charles, Back in geological time, five million years ago when the sea bed of the crystal blue Pacific thrust its mighty force upwards concocting new volcanoes now called the Galapagos Islands, who would have imagined that this archipelago would become the Nature center of our universe in the 21st century? You did, ...

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A Piece of History in Images and Quotations Images of some stamps and coins issued by the Islamic Republic of Iran between 1990 and 2010 commemorating the Idd-e-Ghadir. The inscriptions inlude the Shahada, Qur'anic ayats and the declaration made by Prophet Muhammad at Ghadir Khumm, "Mun Koontu Mawla, Fa Hada, Aliyun Mawla" meaning "He of whom I am the Mawla Ali ...

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PLANNING A WILDLIFE SAFARI IN EAST AFRICA? FOR UNEXPECTED PARADISE CONSIDER THE SERENA RESORTS By Abdulmalik Merchant Publisher-Editor, Simerg.com I. THE SERENA HOTELS Remarks by His Highness the Aga Khan and Prince Amyn Aga KhanHis Highness the Aga Khan and President Emomali Rahmon cut the ribbon to officially open the Dushanbe Serena Hotel, as Prince Rahim Aga Khan, AKDN Resident Representative ...

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BY BASHIR FAZAL LADHA Shaded in green, the Fatimid Caliphate at its height. Yaman (Yemen) is shown by blue arrows. The Ismaili da'wah into India began from Yaman, when the Fatimid Empire was not yet established. Click on map for enlargement. The Pre-Fatimid (Yaman) and Fatimid Periods The aim of this article [1] is to establish historically the Isma'ili da'wah prior ...

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By Hatim M. Mahamid This statue of the Ismaili da'i and intellectual giant Pir Nasir Khusraw stands in his memory in Badakhshan. Nasir Khusraw, the Ismaili Persian traveller, spent about three years and three months in Egypt (Safar 439 - Jumadi I 442/August 1047 - October 1050). He set out on his journey from Marw in the East in Rabi' II ...

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By Ali Mohammad Rajput Muhammad the prophet of Islam died in Medina on 13th Rabi al-Awwal, 11 AH (8th June 632 CE) after completing his mission successfully as an Apostle and a Law giver. The Muslim majority believed that the Prophet did not leave any clear instructions as to who was to succeed him as the spiritual and political leader of ...

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By Kamaluddin Ali Muhammad Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: "He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward; and He is Knower of all things." (Holy Qur'an, 57:3) This ayat mentions four attributes of Allah. In it 'the First' and 'the Last' are mutually opposites and so are 'the Manifest' or 'Outward' and the 'Hidden' ...

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By Abu Bakr Siraj Ad-Din (1909-2005), also known as Martin Lings By proof, I do not mean logical proof, but a fact which establishes a state of certainty in the soul. The facts which will be mentioned here may not all have occurred to everyone who is present as proofs of Islam. But they are all known, I think, to each ...

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Article adapted from Ahlul'l-Kitab* by Alwaez Sadruddin Fattoum Ahlul-Kitab, 'the people of the Book', are two Arabic words Ahl and Kitab put together. Ahl by itself means relative, folk, family, kin, kinsfolk, wife, people, members, followers, adherents, etc. Ahl with these meanings is mentioned thirty-one times in the Holy Qur'an, viz. Ahlul'l-Qura, 'the people of the villages'; Ahlul'l Nar, 'people of ...

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By Jehangir A. Merchant A Mughal miniature of Noah's Ark in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Prophets are the messengers of Allah who came from time to time to guide mankind to the way of Allah, the path of righteousness. Amongst the many who came as guides and warners to the people, Prophet Noah ...

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Journal Notes on Islam in Ethiopia By Barnaby Rogerson, UK I looked across the room. It was much easier to concentrate on youth. They were all so positively post-famine. Anybody my age in Ethiopia looked either a saint or a cynic, and had seen far, far too much to remain beautiful. It began with the secret famines of the 70's which ...

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By Maleksultan J. Merchant A hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad (saws) Ayaz -- Hi, Naguib. How're you? Naguib -- Ya Ali Madad Ayaz; I'm fine thank you. Ayaz -- What did you just say? Naguib -- Ya Ali Madad! Ayaz -- And what's that? Naguib -- You mean you don't know! That's an Ismaili greeting. Ayaz -- How do you mean? ...

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By Dr. Aziz R. Kurwa This vintage engraving depicts the portrait of Aga Khan I (1804 - 1881), the 46th Ismaili Imam who is buried at Hasanabad. The engraving was made by an unknown artist after a photograph circa 1870. Copyright © iStockphoto.com Memories of the Diamond Jubilee of Imam Sultan Mohamed Shah March 1946 was the most momentous and happy ...

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THE TREES His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in front of the model of the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park. The artist's rendering and model of the new Aga Khan projects in Toronto showed there would be plenty of trees planted on the grounds. However, a photo by Jim Bowie from back in ...

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Winner - Open Category The Symbolism of the Halo Dana Lopez is winner of Category 2 for her entry "The Symbolism of the Halo." Click image for enlargement. By Dana Lopez I enjoyed viewing Jim Bowie's photo because of its symbolism. Two features are notable in particular. First, the area ringed by the halo appears calm, whereas the area outside the ...

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As recorded in Kitab al-Kafi by Abu Ja'far Muhammad al-Kulayni I. The Outstanding Merits of the Prophet "Despite their great sins and their ugly acts our Lord -- out of His clemency, His tolerance, and His mercy -- chose for them the most lovable one of His prophets and the most honorable one of them, Muhammad bin Abd Allah, may Allah ...

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Seeking the Forgiveness of the Imam of the Time: A Short Explanation (II) By Ismailignosis Please click for article "The Forgiveness of the Imam" A Note to Readers: Please scroll down or click Home page for other recent posts and click What's New for links to all articles published on this blog since March 2009. Subscribe to this Website via the ...

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The Forgiveness of the Imam By Ismailignosis Editor's note:While it is often thought that "only God alone can forgive sins," the Qur'an also uses a second term to denote forgiveness - 'afwa - and attributes this act of forgiveness to both God and the Prophet Muhammad. Following from Part I, this concluding piece demonstrates how contemporary Isma'ili Muslim supplications for the ...

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A Journey of Education in Volcanic Eruptions Previous parts: Our Incredible 'Yellowstone' Holiday: Part II - Wild Life Safari at Grand Teton National ParkOur Incredible 'Yellowstone' Holiday - Part I: Salt Lake City On Wednesday, July 20th, after completing the wildlife and scenic safari at the Grand Teton National Park, we continued with our drive that would now take us to ...

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The Muslim Calendar Muslim festivals and special religious observances are held generally according to the dates determined by reference to the Muslim Calendar. This calendar is a lunar one, having twelve months which are calculated from the day on which the new moon is sighted to the next sighting. The names of the months are as follows: 1. Muharram 2. Safar ...

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"I encourage everyone to travel and visit the forest, for they are amazing...there will be fewer and fewer in the future. That's what I say to myself when I take every photograph...In my photographs, I let the animals and trees speak for themselves and hope other people will see the beauty I see." - Prince Hussain Aga Khan - Introduction: In ...

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Readings for Lailat al-Qadr I.The Noble Qur'an Please click for "The Noble Qur'an - An Inexhaustible Well-Spring of Inspiration and Knowledge" by His Highness the Aga Khan Lailat al-Qadr, the Night of Power, marks the night in which the Holy Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) by Allah. There are different traditions regarding the exact night, but it ...

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By His Highness the Aga Khan A portrait of His Highness the Aga Khan. Jehangir Merchant Collection. ...Rich in parable and allegory, metaphor and symbol, [the discourse of the Qur'an-e-Sharif] has been an inexhaustible well-spring of inspiration, lending itself to a wide spectrum of interpretations. This freedom of interpretation is a generosity which the Qur'an confers upon all believers, uniting them ...

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By Ismailignosis A quote of an Ismaili pilgrim from "The Ismailis in the Middle Ages" by Shafique N. Virani One of the most significant practices for the murids of the Isma'ili Tariqah of Islam is to seek forgiveness from their Murshid - the Imam of the Time. This practice is performed daily in Jamatkhana when the Jamat engages in the tasbihat ...

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By Emmanuel Iduma WINNER, CATEOGORY 1 (AGE 18-24) Excitement is the wrong word to use in describing how I feel about these projects. I am seeking for the right word. Yet, there are two tasks before me - first, to argue briefly on what interests me about the projects; second, to make a case for why these projects must remain important ...

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By Zohra Nizamdin WINNER, CATEGORY 2 (age 25 and over) Just as the wings of a butterfly flap can have large effects on the other side of the world, I believe that the combination of Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre, and their Park will have a positive impact of epic proportions throughout dimensions of space and time. There are a ...

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"For the benefit and enjoyment of the people" By Malik and Nurin Merchant (I) SALT LAKE CITY A sunset at the Old Faithful geyser basin in Yellowstone National Park. Photo: Nurin Merchant. Copyright Editor's Note: My daughter and I have just returned from an exciting holiday in Yellowstone National Park. We planned extensively for this trip, which included visits to Salt ...

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Compiled by Simerg Introduction to the history of pens - from engravings to the use of quills All inventions have historical origins and evolve with time and new technologies. Such is also the case with modern day pens which now come in different colours, sizes, shapes, brands, and collection. The desire to write as well as paint can be traced back ...

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In Celebration of His Highness the Aga Khan's Recent Visit to East Africa His Highness the Aga Khan recently completed a highly successful visit to East Africa where he met his Ismaili followers in private gatherings, in what is termed as a didar (or lit. glimpse), as well as had high profile meetings and engagements with different leaders of East African ...

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SHORT ESSENTIAL READINGS VII Please click:Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar: Short Essential Readings (VII) - Imamat in Ismaili Ginanic Literature His Highness the Aga Khan pictured in a traditional outfit during his visit to Pakistan in 1976. Photo credit: Ilm, Special Pakistan visit Supplement. For other "Didar Series" posts please click: Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar: Short Essential Readings ...

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SHORT ESSENTIAL READINGS VI Please click:Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar: Short Essential Readings (VI) - The Merciful Glance and other readings A portrait of His Highness the Aga Khan. Jehangir Merchant Collection. For other "Didar Series" posts please click: Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar: Short Essential Readings (VII) - Imamat in Ismaili Ginanic LiteraturePreparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar: ...

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SHORT ESSENTIAL READINGS V Please click:Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar: Short Essential Readings (V) - Ya Ali Khuba Mijalas and other readings His Highness Aga Khan in a portrait picture taken in 1982 on the occasion of his silver jubilee. For other "Didar Series" posts please click: Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar: Short Essential Readings (VII) - Imamat in ...

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SHORT ESSENTIAL READINGS IV Please click:Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar: Short Essential Readings (IV) - Aab-i Shifa and other readings Mawlana Hazar Imam pictured at the Olympia Hall, London, during his weeklong visit to the United Kingdom Jamat in September 1979. Photo: Jehangir Merchant Collection. For other "Didar Series" posts please click: Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar: Short Essential ...

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SHORT ESSENTIAL READINGS III Please click: Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar (III) - An Ode on Imam's Essence and other readings Mawlana Hazar Imam pictured at the Olympia Hall, London, during his weeklong visit to the United Kingdom Jamat in September 1979. Seated next to him on the stage are Mukhi Noordin Jivraj and Kamadia Nizar Dhanani. Photo: Jehangir Merchant ...

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SHORT ESSENTIAL READINGS II Please click: Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar (II): Spiritual Enlightenment Under the Imam's Guidance and other readings Mawlana Hazar Imam pictured at the Olympia Hall, London, during his weeklong visit to the United Kingdom Jamat in September 1979. Photo: Jehangir Merchant Collection. For other "Didar Series" posts please click: Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar: Short ...

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SHORT ESSENTIAL READINGS I Please click: Preparing for Mawlana Hazar Imam's Didar (I): Dazzled by the Light and other readings Mawlana Hazar Imam pictured at the Olympia Hall, London, during his weeklong visit to the United Kingdom Jamat in September 1979. Photo: Jehangir Merchant Collection. ASPECTS OF THE 'DIDAR' Introduction: Ismaili followers (murids) throughout history have sought to articulate their experiences ...

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The Kitengela sculpture at Aga Khan Hospital from the front. Originally at the hospital's entrance, the sculpture has been moved to the garden in the hospital. Photo: Flick prondis_in_kenya photostream. Copyright: Isabelle Prondzynski By Malik Merchant (Publisher-Editor, Simerg.com) Last week Simerg published a very informative and interesting article by Zahir Dharsee of Toronto about his memories of the Nairobi Town Jamatkhana, ...

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June 13, 2011, marks the centenary of the birth of Prince Aly Solomone Khan, loving son of our 48th Imam, Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan, and beloved father of Mawlana Shah Karim al-Hussaini Hazar Imam, Prince Amyn Muhammad Aga Khan and Princess Yasmin Aga Khan. We fondly remember Prince Aly Khan by presenting to our readers a small yet unique ...

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His Highness the Aga Khan seen giving his commencement lecture at the American University in Cairo on June 15, 2006. The excerpt on Hazrat Ali, from whom the 49th Ismaili Imam is directly descended, is from the address. Photo Credit: American University in Cairo. Editor's note: According to tradition Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was born on the 13th day of the Islamic ...

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