Welcome to the TKN Site
Time and Knowledge Nazrana (TKN) represents a combination of two cherished Ismaili traditions: (i) submitting to the Imam of the time an unconditional Nazrana (gift) in commemorating epochal events, as a gesture of love and homage, and (ii) offering one’s intellectual capacity to assist the Imamat’s efforts for the progress of the Jamat, and the communities within which the Jamat lives. The tradition of offering Nazrana also serves to reinforce the ethic of giving for human development and improvement of quality of life for the less fortunate. The contribution of time and knowledge in the service of the Imamat is a tradition that dates back to the earliest period of Shia Islam.
TKN was launched as a Golden Jubilee initiative to harness the expertise and skills of murids worldwide in helping to build institutional capacity in Jamati and AKDN institutions. We had another opportunity, during the commemoration of our Imam’s Diamond Jubilee, to offer a Time and Knowledge Nazrana to Mawlana Hazar Imam as our humble token of love, homage and gratitude. Tens of thousands of murids submitted their TKN during both Jubilees.
Over the past fifteen years since the Golden Jubilee launch, a large number of volunteers have served with our institutions in diverse professional fields and sectors: some of these include health care, education, financial services, audit, information technology, human resources management, renewable energy, architecture, engineering, telecommunications, management consulting, media, mediation, arts and culture. The impact made by TKN volunteers has been enormous in helping to build capacity and achieve best practice standards in AKDN and Jamati institutions. These experiences have also been professionally and personally fulfilling for TKN volunteers.
The talent-rich Golden Jubilee TKN pool was substantially enriched through the significant addition of new Diamond Jubilee TKN registrations. The TKN endeavor is well positioned to become a transformational long-term resource pool for volunteer assignments in institutional capacity building globally.
