Culture
Nazrana of Time and Knowledge is both a gift and a privilege
29 June 2017
Since the earliest days of Islam, the Shia notion of nazrana — the offering of an unconditional gift to the Imam of the Time as a gesture of a murid’s love and homage — has been a time-honoured tradition in the Jamat. With the approach of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee, Ismailis around the world are renewing this age-old tradition.
Values and ethics provide a compass for navigating a sensitive world
27 June 2017
In all times and in all places, Ismailis have looked to the Imam of the Time, who has protected and guided the community in spiritual and worldly matters. And throughout 1 400 years of history, the Jamat has been continuously reminded of the value system that anchors our faith, and which continues to serve us as it has served our ancestors.
First musical tribute of the Diamond Jubilee released today
1 June 2017
With 40 days until the inauguration of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee, TheIsmaili is pleased to unveil a musical tribute composed by Salim – Sulaiman and performed by Ismaili artists from around the world.
Prince Amyn speaks at opening of calligraphy exhibition at UBC Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver
17 May 2017
Prince Amyn was in Vancouver on 11 and 12 May to participate in the opening of a new exhibition at the University of British Columbia’s Museum of Anthropology.
Diamond Jubilee to renew a tradition of enduring legacy
12 May 2017
Sixty days ahead of the commencement of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Diamond Jubilee on 11 July 2017, TheIsmaili is pleased to launch the first in a series of Jubilee-related articles. Dr Mahmoud Eboo, Chairman of the Ismaili Leaders’ International Forum, talks about the Ismaili tradition of commemorating Jubilee anniversaries of our Imams, and the legacies that they leave behind.
Sustainability over spectacle: The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (Part 1)
30 August 2013
In 1970s, a group of intellectuals came together at Aiglemont, France, to bend their minds towards a pressing problem: how to arrest the decline of architectural traditions across the Muslim world and help these societies rediscover the confidence to shape their built environments in the image of their own values and identities? Journalist Ayesha Daya describes how the questions they raised, their deliberations and debates gave way to the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Sustainability over spectacle: The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (Part 2)
30 August 2013
In the 36 years since the Aga Khan Award for Architecture was established, it has recognised a broad array of projects, from office towers to affordable housing developments; the restoration of heritage to radical innovations in the built environment. But what the winning projects have in common is that each is an example of how architecture can make society a better place to live, says journalist Ayesha Daya.
The Islamic impact on American arts
28 March 2011
Dr Hussein Rashid delivered a lecture titled Everyday Art: An Islamic Impact on American Art on 13 February 2011 at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Video: The Islamic impact on American arts
27 March 2011
Dr Hussein Rashid delivered a lecture titled Everyday Art: An Islamic Impact on American Art on 13 February 2011 at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. In the talk, Dr Rashid highlights Islamic influences on popular art in America – from architecture and popular media to poetry and writing – by the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his From Persian of Hafiz II, to Toni Morrison's portrayal of Muslim characters in her novel Beloved. The lecture followed two exhibitions on Islamic calligraphy at the museum.
Video: Millennial anniversary of Firdawsi’s “Shahnama” marked at UT Arlington
8 January 2011
On 4 November 2010, Dr Francesca Leoni delivered a presentation to mark the millennial anniversary of Firdawsi’s Shahnama. The presentation took place at the University of Texas at Arlington, with support from its Office of the Provost, the University’s College of Liberal Arts, and the Ismaili Council for Northern Texas.
UK Ismaili Community Ensemble shares its melodies in Dubai
21 October 2010
The UK-based Ismaili Community Ensemble undertook a journey to Dubai at the end of September. During the trip, they collaborated with local Jamati members in a performance at the Ismaili Centre, supported an international fundraising event organised by FOCUS, and conducted a workshop with children challenged by disabilities. Ensemble member Rabiyyah Raval shares her account.
Displaced people of Hunza struggle to move on
13 April 2010
Life in the Hunza valley was changed forever when a landslide buried the entire village of Attabad in the Northern Pakistan territory of Gilgit-Baltistan earlier this year. Despite extensive relief efforts, the future remains uncertain as a lake resulting from the landslide swallows villages and threatens the lives of thousands downstream.
