BY SHIRAZ PRADHAN The Seeker's Path and Role in Quest for Higher Reality Man has within his heart an innate desire to transcend the world of matter and seek the spiritual. This is because he perceives in the material life an impermanency. As a result he tries to seek permanency in the spiritual. This desire for spiritual understanding is strong in ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Faith (Iman) is like a tree, the roots of which go into the heart: its trunk is in reason, and its branches are in the instincts, while imagination is its new shoots and leaves - (senses of) the body. The foundation (asl) of faith is love for the Mawla (Imam-e-Zaman). And if this foundation, that is , this love, and the ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

The Nur (Light) of Imamat While this reading is primarily aimed at the younger readership, we think everyone can benefit from it. The sun is extremely important for all life on earth. It gives us light, warmth and energy. The sun however is not the final source of life. It is Allah who gives life to all living things. It is ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

A Holy Man saw in a dream that while he was walking in the path of Truth an angel accosted him. "Whither are you going?" asked the angel. "I am on my way to the Royal Presence," was the reply. "You are engaged in so many wordly affairs," said the angel. "You have taken such a lot of baggage with you, ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Please click for New York Times slideshow "....President Hamid Karzai flew into a remote valley in Afghanistan's central highlands Saturday (August 1, 2009) to seek the vote from the Ismaili community, on his second campaign rally outside the capital ahead of the election this month...." (New York Times) Please see complete New York Times story and photos at and watch ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

PART III - FATIMID COINS MINTED DURING THE REIGNS OF IMAMS AL-HAKIM, AL-ZAHIR AND AL-MUSTANSIR ...a significant event that occurred during the reign of imam-caliph al-Hakim was the inauguration, in 395/1005, of the Dar al-'Ilm (House of Knowledge), an institute of learning which attracted some of the foremost scholars and scientists of the time. In his historical work al-Khitat, which remains ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Artist: Mehboob Dewji Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Themes: Digital patterns inspired by the Alhambra Medium: Electronic using Photoshop The patterns were created using Photoshop. I started with just one straight line, gave it a texture and color and used filters to create geometric patterns. Again using different colors and texture, I added layers of different geometric shapes to create a "tile" ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Artist: Mehboob Dewji Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Themes: Digital patterns inspired by the Alhambra Medium: Electronic using Photoshop The patterns were created using Photoshop. I started with just one straight line, gave it a texture and color and used filters to create geometric patterns. Again using different colors and texture, I added layers of different geometric shapes to create a "tile" ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

PART II - FATIMID COINS MINTED DURING THE REIGNS OF IMAMS AL-MANSUR, AL-MUIZZ AND AL-AZIZ ...During the Fatimid period, there was a unique reformatting of the gold coins used in the Empire. Inscriptions on the coins were horizontal but during the Fatimid rule, there was the addition of text in concentric circles. This was highly representative of Ismaili thought and the philosophy ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

ISLAMIC ART COLLECTION IN COPENHAGEN AMONG THE TEN MOST IMPORTANT IN THE WESTERN WORLD PART I - INTRODUCTION TO THE DAVID COLLECTION AND COIN MINTED DURING THE REIGN OF IMAM AL-MAHDI Introduction The David Collection was founded by C. L. David, a prominent lawyer who left his art collections to posterity in the building that had been his own home in ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Within the Strand of Saffron You are a vast garden... with flowers of all colours, hues, and shades. Crocuses, lavender, thyme and jasmine. You are the vast garden and I am but a strand of saffron. We are all small petals and you are the vast creation I sit in the crocus and happily sway in your majestic glory The cool ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Artist: Mehboob Dewji Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Themes: Digital patterns inspired by the Alhambra Medium: Electronic using Photoshop The patterns were created using Photoshop. I started with just one straight line, gave it a texture and color and used filters to create geometric patterns. Again using different colors and texture, I added layers of different geometric shapes to create a "tile" ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, the only non-white columnist in the UK, writes columns for The Independent, among other newspapers, as well as makes frequent appearances on BBC TV's popular Dateline London program. She is the author of a new book The Settler's Cookbook. Here are her responses to some of the questions Simerg asked her. Simerg: You have received many awards and honours ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Artist: Mehboob Dewji Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Themes: Digital patterns inspired by the Alhambra Medium: Electronic using Photoshop The patterns were created using Photoshop. I started with just one straight line, gave it a texture and color and used filters to create geometric patterns. Again using different colors and texture, I added layers of different geometric shapes to create a "tile" ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Artist: Mehboob Dewji Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Themes: Digital patterns inspired by the Alhambra Medium: Electronic using Photoshop The patterns were created using Photoshop. I started with just one straight line, gave it a texture and color and used filters to create geometric patterns. Again using different colors and texture, I added layers of different geometric shapes to create a "tile" ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Mehboob Dewji's digital Islamic patterns are inspired by Alhambra Profile and Statement: Mehboob Dewji was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he with his brother, Amin, ran a commercial art studio Dewart. Today, Mehboob works for a Vancouver based motion pictures firm. He writes: "Creating digital Islamic patterns is a hobby. My designs are inspired by the Alhambra. I find ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

A tiny exquisite art show with a mystical element is currently underway at the reinstalled Islamic Gallery at the Brooklyn Museum located at Prospect Park in New York. The exhibition continues until September 6, 2009 and contains a variety of paintings, ceramics, mosque lamps, books and a magnificent page from the Qur'an. The Sufis consider wine liquid sunlight. Through its intoxicating ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Artist profile and statement: My name is Narmin Hemnani. My inspiration comes from living in Vancouver, British Columbia and having access to the Pacific Ocean, the mountains, the whales in Tofino and the rich forests of BC. Living in this province has allowed me to experience nature and the abundant creations of Allah.Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Themes: "Ahl al-Bayt family", "Remembrance of ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

By Sadrudin K. Hassam Introduction and definition of the term Munajat The tradition of reciting the Munajat, Ya Ali Khuba Mijalas, began over a hundred years ago. It was recited in various jamati gatherings (mijalas) by Ismailis in many parts of the world to commemorate the enthronement of their 48th Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, the late Aga Khan III (1877 - ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Two Poems by Al-Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi The Pure Progeny Peace be upon the pure progeny, and welcome to their resplendent lights. I begin with peace upon Adam from whom came all mankind, whether nomadic or sedentary. Peace be upon the one who with his staff overpowered the unbelievers of the tyrant Pharaoh. Peace be upon Jesus, the Holy Spirit, who by ...

Click to view ❯❯❯

Prince Hussain Aga Khan, in his second photo book of the same name, Animal Voyage: Travels 1996 - 2007, has further refined the original photographic edit and improved the quality of the images on the printed page. Animal Voyage (editions de l'oeil, 128 pages) is a collection of travel photographs of various animals taken over a decade and from twenty-five countries. ...

Click to view ❯❯❯