States
71-753: People Centers Other The Ismaili Centres are symbolic markers of the permanent presence of the Nizari Ismailis in the countries and regions in which they are established, characterised by the Aga Khan IV as 'ambassadorial buildings'. Each building is architecturally unique and functions as a jamatkhana (place of worship), but also incorporates spaces for social and cultural gatherings, intellectual engagement and reflection, as well as spiritual contemplation. They facilitate mutual exchange and seek to foster understanding between diverse peoples, communities and faiths. Collectively and individually,
142-605: A Hereditary Imam (imam al-mustaqarr). This fact is clearly demonstrated in the recitation of the Nizari Ismailis’ daily prayers three times a day in which although Hassan bin Ali is revered as part of the Prophet's personal family (Ahl al-Bayt), his name is not included in the hereditary lineage from their first Imam, Imam Ali, to their 49th Imam Prince Karim al Hussaini. If Hassan bin Ali's name were to be included as one of
213-628: A new menu at the Aga Khan Museum's restaurant Diwan. The McEwan Group, led by Chef Mark McEwan , has been at the helm of the Museum's food services since 2016. In 2024, Line 5 Eglinton , a new line that is part of the Toronto subway system will open an Aga Khan Park & Museum stop . Designed by Pritzker Prize -winning architect Fumihiko Maki , the Aga Khan Museum shares a 6.8-hectare (17-acre) site with Toronto's Ismaili Centre , which
284-605: A repository of historical materials related to the Ismaili community and house research programs related to each one of the aspects of its institutional mission. It will also provide a space for permanent exchanges between the Islamic and the Western worlds on educational, cultural and socio-economic issues. The collection, which comprises some 1,000 objects, includes several superb examples of Qur'an manuscripts that demonstrate
355-615: A site on the River Thames across from the British Houses of Parliament. The Aga Khan then chose Canada as a tribute to the country's pluralism. The Aga Khan bought the former Bata Shoes Head Office , a building that was adjacent to the Ismaili Centre, which was already under construction. Designed by modernist architect John B. Parkin , the building was demolished in 2007 after it was determined to be unsuitable for
426-521: Is a spiritual and mystical realization in the human soul and intellect called ma'rifah . In the Ismaili tariqah of Islam, the ma‘rifah of the tawhid of God is attained through the Imam of the Time. The perfect soul of the Imam of the Time always experiences the fullness of the ma‘rifah of God and his murids reach that recognition through the recognition of the Imam. Nizaris, like all Muslims, consider
497-465: Is dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, display and interpretation of artifacts relating to the intellectual, cultural, artistic and religious traditions of Muslim communities, past and present. Artifacts include ceramics , metalwork , and paintings covering all periods of Islamic history . Manuscripts in the collection include the earliest known copy of Avicenna 's Qanun fi'l-Tibb ("The Canon of Medicine") dated 1052. The museum will become
568-673: Is everlasting and its shade, that is the destination of those who are righteous (Qurʾān 13:35)” According to al-Sijistānī, the most important piece of knowledge to acquire is the recognition of the one who initiates the resurrection, whom he calls Ṣāḥib al-Qiyāmah (Lord of Resurrection). Al-Sijistānī writes in the Kitāb al-Yanābīʿ : فترى الناس على طبقتين : طبقة ممن آمنوا به وصدقوه وانتظروا ظهور، فهم بذلك النور مقتبسون، متنعمون ، مستبشرون . وطبقة ممن كذبوا به وغفلوا عن حده ۲ ، فهم بذلك النور ايضاً متحرقون ، معاقبون “ So you will see people divided into two classes: One class consists of those who believe in
639-488: Is in partnership with Fondazione Imago Mundi. The project channels the experiences of artists who are first, second, and third-generation immigrants–a growing body of people raised in a culture other than their parents–in a series of several works exploring cross-cultural artistic realities. The exhibition titled 'Sanctuary' showcases immigrants' experience using rugs as a medium to share narratives to demonstrate stories, histories, place, and purpose. The exhibition comprises
710-984: Is in the collection of the Aga Khan Museum ). In late 1095, Al-Afdal defeated Nizar's Alexandrian army and took Nizar prisoner to Cairo where he had Nizar executed. After Nizar's execution, the Nizari Ismailis and the Musta'li Ismailis parted ways in a bitterly irreconcilable manner. The schism finally broke the remnants of the Fatimid Empire, and the now-divided Ismailis separated into the Musta'li following (inhabiting regions of Egypt, Yemen, and western India) and those pledging allegiance to Nizar's son Al-Hadi ibn Nizar (living in regions of Iran and Syria ). The latter Ismaili following came to be known as Nizari Ismailism . The bewildered Henry asked Sinan
781-481: Is inevitable that the human soul should return to the Universal Soul. The question only concerns the manner in which it will return...If, however, the return of the individual soul to its source is not in harmony, it will meet with suffering hardships whose painfulness is described by being placed in the midst of fire, the position which will never come to an end ” Thus, for Nāṣir-i Khusraw, all souls return to
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#1732764666491852-501: Is observed year-round. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) was set up by the Imamate and the Ismaili community as a group of private, non-denominational development agencies that seek to empower communities and individuals, regardless of ethnicity or religious affiliation, and seek to improve living conditions and opportunities within the developing world. It has active working relationships with international organizations such as
923-601: Is the spiritual leader and Imam of the Nizaris. The global seat of the Ismaili Imamate is in Lisbon , Portugal . Nizari Isma'ili history is often traced through the unbroken hereditary chain of guardianship, or walayah , beginning with Ali Ibn Abi Talib , whom Shias believe the prophet Muhammad declared his successor as Imam during the latter's final pilgrimage to Mecca , and continues in an unbroken chain to
994-425: Is understood to be the presence of knowledge of real truths while Hellfire is understood to be ignorance. The Nizārī Ismāʿīlī philosopher-theologians, as can be seen in the passage quoted above, did not believe that Paradise and Hellfire were “places” that souls inhabit, rather – because the rewards and punishments are spiritual – they are something the soul directly experiences in itself. Al-Sijistānī explicitly says in
1065-769: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture , an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network , the museum is dedicated to sparking wonder, curiosity, and understanding of Muslim cultures and their connection with other cultures through the arts. In addition to the Permanent Collection, the Aga Khan Museum features several temporary exhibitions each year that respond to current scholarship, emerging themes, and new artistic developments. The Museum Collection and exhibitions are complemented by educational programs and performing arts events. For many years
1136-666: The Quran , the central religious text of Islam, to be the word of God. Nizaris employ tafsir (the science of Quranic commentary) for zahir , or exoteric understanding, and tawil (the Quranic poetic metre), for batin , or esoteric understanding. For Nizaris, there exists a dialectic between revelation and human reasoning, based on a synergy of Islamic scripture and classical Greek philosophy, in particular Aristotelian reasoning and neoplatonic metaphysics. It seeks to extend an understanding of religion and revelation to identify
1207-912: The United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), and private organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . Governmental bodies the AKDN works with include the United States Agency for International Development , the Canadian International Development Agency , the United Kingdom 's Department for International Development , and Germany 's Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development . It's also known that
1278-517: The 48th Ismāʿīlī Imām – Sulṭān Muḥammad Shāh Āgā Khān III – who endorses a universalist position in regards to salvation and specifically states in his Memoirs that he prays “ that all may be reconciled in Heaven in a final total absolution ”. The position of Āgā Khān III can be said to be generally in line with classical Ismāʿīlī views, as well as the views of the falāsifa and Sunnī-Sufīs like Ibn ʿArabi (such as in his Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya ) and those of
1349-701: The Aga Khan Development Network is funded by donations and offerings given by the followers of the Aga Khan. Aga Khan Museum The Aga Khan Museum ( French : Musée Aga Khan ) is a museum of Islamic art located at 77 Wynford Drive in the North York district of Toronto , Ontario , Canada . The museum is dedicated to Islamic art and objects, and it houses approximately 1,200 rare objects assembled by Shah Karim al-Husayni and Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan . As an initiative of
1420-411: The Aga Khan serves as spiritual leader. The travelling exhibition integrates family photographs, first-hand accounts, historical documents, and personal interviews that "showcase the courage and resilience of the countless Ismaili Muslims who fled their homelands in search of refuge.” With stories of Canadian Ismailis from Uganda , Afghanistan , Syria , Tajikistan , India , Pakistan and elsewhere, it
1491-462: The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims , was planning to build a major museum for Islamic art and artifacts that aligned with the Ismaili community's mission to offer new perspectives into Islamic civilizations by weaving together cross-cultural threads throughout history. The location in Don Mills, Toronto, Canada, was confirmed in 2002, after protests blocked a $ 60-million offer for
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#17327646664911562-410: The Aga Khan, the museum building and the spaces around were designed to be seen as a celebration and mysteries of light. The rectilinear building is oriented forty-five degrees to solar north where all its sides are exposed to the sun. The form has been chiseled to create a concaved angular profile that is also a natural expression of the two level building. Clad in sandblasted white Brazilian granite ,
1633-722: The Centres represent the Nizari Ismaili community’s intellectual and spiritual understanding of Islam, as well as the community’s social conscience, outlook and attitude towards the societies in which it lives. Ismaili Centres have been established in London (1985), Vancouver (1985), Lisbon (1998), Dubai (2008), Dushanbe (2009), and Toronto (2014). One more is planned for Houston . Nizari States People Centers Other Nizari Isma'ilism ( Arabic : النزارية , romanized : al-Nizāriyya ) are
1704-707: The Fatimid Court and Fatimid Dawa in Cairo , the capital city of the Fatimids, to endorse Musta'li, which they did, realizing that the army was behind the palace coup. In early 1095, Nizar fled to Alexandria , where he received the people's support and where he was accepted as the next Fatimid Caliph-Imam after Al-Mustansir, with gold dinars being minted in Alexandria in Nizar's name (one such coin, found in 1994,
1775-589: The Henrique de Mendonça Palace, located on Rua Marquês de Fronteira in Lisbon , as the " Diwan (seat) of the Ismaili Imamat " ( Portuguese : Divã do Imamato Ismaeli ). Including: Nizari Ismaili theology is the pre-eminent negative or apophatic theology of Islam because it affirms the absolute Oneness of God ( tawhid ) through negating all names, descriptions, conceptions, and limitations from God. The Ismaili theology of tawhid goes back to
1846-849: The Ismaili Imams in their prayer recitation then the present Imam Prince Karim of the Nizari Ismailis would have to be the 50th Imam and not the 49th Imam - the way he has identified himself and is known to the world. All Nizārī Ismā'īlīs now accept Prince Shah Karim Al-Husayni, the Aga Khan IV , as their Imām-i-Zaman (Imam of the Time). He is referred to in Persian as Khudawand (Lord of the Time), in Arabic as Maulana (Master) or Hāzar Imām (Present Imam). Karim succeeded his grandfather Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III as Imām in 1957, when he
1917-533: The Ismaili community's economic prosperity lies an ethos of mutual support and help existing within the community and devotion to the Imam This can result in commercial cooperation and marriages within the community. The present Imam regularly bestows worldly and spiritual guidance to the community. Following an agreement with the Republic of Portugal in 2015, on 11 July 2018, the Aga Khan officially designated
1988-529: The Ismaili theology of tawhid using the strongest philosophical arguments of their time. Even in the present age, Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV, the present and 49th hereditary Imam of the Shi‘a Ismaili Muslims, continues to stress the absolute and utter transcendence of God. At the 1975 All-Ismailia Paris Conference, the Ismaili Imam endorsed and approved the following resolution concerning
2059-589: The Lord of Resurrection, pronounce his Truth, and await his appearance. They are in that Light, acquiring knowledge, blessed, and rejoicing. The other class consists of those who deny him and ignore his rank. They are in the Light also, but are burned and punished ” Paradise and Hellfire in the Nizārī Ismāʿīlī tradition, thus, are not characterized by material forms, sensual pleasures, and physical burning, rather Paradise
2130-732: The Nizari Fidai themselves joined Saladin's forces to defeat the Crusaders in the last great battle between the two forces. Later on, when "the Nizaris faced renewed Frankish hostilities, they received timely assistance from the Ayyubids". The Fidais' apparent lack of fear of personal injury or even death could not be understood by the Crusaders, who propagated the black legends of the so-called Assassins . According to Daftary, these were "fictions ... meant to provide satisfactory explanations for behavior that would otherwise seem strange to
2201-747: The Nizari branch of Ismailism in the 14th and 15th centuries. Following the death of 28th Imam Shams al-Din Muhammad , the Nizari Isma'ili split was into two groups: the Mu'mini Nizari (or, Muhammad-Shahi Nizari) who considered his elder son Ala al-Din Mu'min Shah to be the next Imam followed by his son Muhammad Shah, and the Qasimi Nizari (or, Qasim-Shahi Nizari) who consider his younger son Qasim Shah to be
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2272-582: The Platonic idea of a philosopher king . Over the many phases of Nizārī Ismāʿīlī history – pre-Fāṭimid, Fāṭimid, Alamūt, Post-Alamūt, Anjudan, etc., there has never been a single unified view of eschatology. While there are certainly eschatological ideas from the Pre-Fāṭimid period that have been carried unto the present day, particularly those of Abū Ya’qūb al-Sijistānī and his intellectual disciples, each phase has brought in original ideas and renewed those of
2343-690: The Shīʿī ʿIrfān tradition, like Mullā Ṣadra (such as in his Tafsīr Sūrat al-Fātiḥa ). Unlike many other groups, inter-faith marriages are recognized by the community. In addition to the other Abrahamic faiths, the prevalence of Nizari Ismailis of South Asian descent has resulted in growing numbers married to those of Dharmic faiths , such as Hinduism , Buddhism , and Jainism , as well as other Indian religions, such as Sikhism and Zoroastrianism . The Aga Khan IV has said that he has no objection to increasingly-common mixed marriages, and has met non-Ismaili spouses and children during his various deedars throughout
2414-520: The Sovereign reflecting Muslim courts and their figures. More recent exhibitions have been organized as The Word of God and The Route of the Travellers showing the geographic breadth of the Islamic world. The Aga Khan Museum was open to the public on September 18, 2014. Michael Brand served as the museum's first Director and CEO, followed by Henry Kim from 2012 to 2020. Prince Amyn Aga Khan
2485-454: The abstention food, drink and sensual pleasure. The latter refers to the abstention from communicating the esoteric knowledge of revelation ( tanzīl ) and interpretation ( ta’wīl ) to those who are not ready to receive it. A third kind of fasting known as ḥaqīqī ṣawm (real fasting) is the abstention from anything (in thought, word, or deed) which is contrary to the Command of God. This kind
2556-573: The all-powerful Armenian Vizier and Commander of the Armies, wanted to assert, like his father before him, dictatorial rule over the Fatimid State. Al-Afdal engineered a palace coup , placing his brother-in-law, the much younger and dependent Al-Musta'li , on the Fatimid throne. Al-Afdal claimed that Al-Mustansir had made a deathbed decree in favour of Musta'li and thus got the Ismaili leaders of
2627-688: The cause for the suicidal jump. Sinan pointed once again to the Fidai who had taken the place of the now dead Fidai. Again Sinan gave a signal to the Fidai to jump and the second Fidai also called out "allah hu akbar" and jumped to his death. Henry was visibly shaken by the experience of witnessing the two Fidais' total disregard for their own lives. He accepted Sinan's terms of peace on a non-tribute-paying basis. The Nizaris thus averted debilitating wars against them because of their Fidais' feats of self-sacrifice and assassinations of powerful enemy leaders to demonstrate
2698-496: The collection was originally on display. There are approximately 60 ceramic objects on view in the Bellerive room. They date from the early Islamic periods through to the 17th century. Their styles reflect the innovative technological and aesthetic contributions of Islamic potters through the ages, which were often in dialogue with influences from as far afield as China and Europe. The exhibition titled 'Don't Ask Me Where I'm From'
2769-406: The community, annihilationist views have existed as well, specifically being introduced by Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī. Like both al-Sijistānī and Nāṣir-i Khusraw, Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī believed that paradise and hell were spiritual and mental states that the soul experiences and not physical places or sensual pains and desires. While Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī believed that the punishment of ignorant, damned souls
2840-581: The contemporary Ismaili position on the concept of God: The absolute transcendence of God to be emphasized, and the Ismaili belief in God to be expounded in association with the general stress on the transcendence of God in the Qur’an, as exemplified particularly in the Surat al-Ikhlas. The Ismaili Concept of tawhid can be summarized as follows: The full recognition of tawhid, in a mode beyond human rational discourse,
2911-433: The courtyard moves patterned shadows on the soffits, walls and floor of the grand cloister. Up above on the second level, four large openings overlook the public spaces through a cast zinc screen in the form of a contemporary Musharabiya , an Islamic bay window. Within the galleries, large aluminum paneled skylights perforated with small hexagonal openings emit soft natural light into the exhibition areas. The Aga Khan Museum
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2982-578: The current Imam, Shah Karim Al-Husayni, the Aga Khan . From early in his reign, the Fatimid Caliph-Imam Al-Mustansir Billah had publicly named his elder son Nizar as his heir to be the next Fatimid Caliph-Imam. Dai Hassan-i Sabbah , who had studied and accepted Ismailism in Fatimid Egypt, had been made aware of this fact personally by al-Mustansir. After Al-Mustansir died in 1094, Al-Afdal Shahanshah ,
3053-808: The eschatology of the South Asian traditions of Nizārī Ismāʿīlism. The Ismāʿīlīs, like the falāsifa (Islamic Neoplatonic-Aristotelian philosophers), have understood resurrection, paradise, and hell through taʾwīl (esoteric interpretation) and, thus, have all argued that these are spiritual realities and not physical, material realities. On the rewards of Paradise, al-Sijistānī writes in the Kitāb al-Yanābīʿ : لما كان قصارى الثواب انما هي اللذة ، وكانت اللذة الحسية منقطعة زائلة ، وجب ان تكون التي ينالها المثاب ازلية غير فانية ، باقية غير منقطعة . وليست لذة بسيطة باقية على حالاتها غير لذة العلم . كان من هذا القول وجوب لذه العلم للمثاب في دار البقاء ، كما قال الله عز وجل : اكلها دائم وظلها تلك عقبى الذين اتقوا “ Because
3124-478: The first detailed catalogue of (Nizari and Fatimid) Ismaili works, citing some 700 separate titles attesting to the hitherto unknown richness and diversity of (Nizari and Fatimid) Ismaili literature and literary traditions". The Nizari Ismailis have since split from others, initially from the Qarmatians , Druze , Musta'li Ismailis, Muhammad Shahi Nizari Ismailis, and Satpanthis , the last two splitting from
3195-457: The following institutions: The exhibits received wide international acclaim. The exhibit conveys both Dīn and Dunya , which can be translated as 'Spirit' and 'Life'—the religious and secular aspects of life which are inextricably linked in Muslim cultures . The first exhibitions were organized in two parts: The Word of God consisting of sacred texts and related objects and The Power of
3266-584: The largest segment of the Ismaili Muslims, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers . Nizari teachings emphasize independent reasoning or ijtihad ; pluralism—the acceptance of racial, ethnic, cultural and inter-religious differences; and social justice . Nizaris, along with Twelvers, adhere to the Jaʽfari school of jurisprudence . The Aga Khan , currently Aga Khan IV ,
3337-488: The life of his followers. The Aga Khan has encouraged Ismā'īlī Muslims settled in the industrialized world to contribute towards the progress of communities in the developing world through various development programs. The Economist noted that Isma'ili immigrant communities integrated seamlessly as immigrant communities and did better at attaining graduate and post-graduate degrees, "far surpassing their native, Hindu, Sikh, fellow Muslims, and Chinese communities". One aspect of
3408-420: The limit of reward is pleasure, and sensual pleasure is ephemeral, and it is necessary that the reward which is obtained be eternal and not ephemeral, everlasting and not discontinuous. And there is no simple, everlasting pleasure except the pleasure of knowledge. From this statement, it necessarily follows that the pleasure of knowledge is the reward in the hereafter, as God, glorified and sublime, said: “Its fruit
3479-469: The medieval Western mind". These black legends were then further popularized in the Western world by Marco Polo , the Venetian storyteller who had, in fact, never investigated Sinan, in contradiction to his claim that he had. Polo asserted that Sinan fed hashish to his drugged followers, the so-called Hashishins (Assassins), so as to fortify them with the type of courage to commit the assassinations of
3550-671: The most intrepid kind. This tale of the "Old Man of the Mountain" was assembled by Marco Polo and accepted by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall , a 19th-century Austrian orientalist responsible for much of the spread of this legend. Until the 1930s, Hammer-Purgstall's retelling of Marco Polo's fiction served as the standard description of the Nizari Ismailis across Europe. "The Russian orientalist Vladimir Alexeyevich Ivanov ... gained access also to Nizari literature preserved in Central Asia, Persia, Afghanistan and elsewhere ... compiled
3621-473: The museum. The new structure was designed by Pritzker Prize winner Fumihiko Maki . It also shares the 6.8 hectare space with public gardens created by Lebanese landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic. The foundation-laying ceremony for the project was performed by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Aga Khan on May 28, 2010. While a permanent home was being built for the collection, selected items went on tour in Europe. Exhibitions took place at
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#17327646664913692-418: The next Imam. The final known 40th Imam of the Mu'mini Nizari, Amir Muhammad al-Baqir ibn Haydar al-Mutahhar disappeared in 1796. The Mu'mini line has diminished today to a few thousand followers in Syria, while the Qasim-Shahi line has ended up representing most modern Isma'ilis, and is led today by the Aga Khans . The Nizaris regard Hassan bin (son of) Ali as a Trustee Imam (imam al-mustawda) as opposed to
3763-428: The outwardly apparent ( zahir ), and also to penetrate to the roots, to retrieve and disclose that which is the inner underlying ( batin ). This process of discovery engages both the intellect ( 'aql ) and the spirit ( ruh ), generating an integral synergy to illuminate and disclose truths ( haqi'qat ) culminating in gnosis ( ma'rifat ). Parallels have also been noted between the Nizari version of Imamah and
3834-404: The passage above that both classes of people are exposed to same Light (فهم بذلك النور ايضاً), however one class experiences this Light as blessings whilst the other experiences it as burning. These states correspond not to location, but to the level of knowledge in the soul. Additionally, the most famous intellectual disciple of al- Sijistānī – Nāṣir-i Khusraw – writes in the Shish Fasl : “ [I]t
3905-454: The past. The academic field of Ismāʿīlī eschatology is one that has been rarely studied in western secondary literature, and the little work that has been done on Ismāʿīlī eschatology primarily surrounds the event of the proclamation of a qiyāmah during the Alamūt period. Otherwise, there have been zero studies published on the eschatologies of pre-Fāṭimid Ismāʿīlī thinkers and post-Alamūt Ismaili thinkers. Furthermore, no work done has been done on
3976-495: The same spiritual abode but those souls which are ignorant will experience pain, as if “ being placed in the midst of fire ”. While Nāṣir-i Khusraw suggests here the suffering is eternal, he has in another text – specifically the Wajh-i Dīn – indicated that the pains of Hell are temporary and that the Prophet will come on the Day of Resurrection to blow out the fires of Hell and rescue its inhabitants. While both infernalist and universalist positions have existed as legitimate views in
4047-426: The surfaces of the building are set in motion in a constant interplay with the sun in light and deep shadows. The effect is similar to a sundial . Within the building, there's a fully glazed courtyard intended as a permanent peaceful sanctuary. The courtyard's glass walls are imprinted with a double-layered pattern that creates a three dimensional effect recalling the traditional Islamic Jali screens. The light from
4118-502: The teachings of the early Shi‘a Imams, especially Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 661), Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (d. 743), and Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (d. 765). Additionally, a number of eminent Ismaili Muslim philosophers — Abu Ya‘qub al-Sjistani (d. 971), Ja‘far ibn Mansur al-Yaman (d. 960), Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani (d. 1021), al-Mu’ayyad al-Din Shirazi (d. 1077), Nasir-i Khusraw (d. 1088), Abd al-Karim al-Shahrastani (d. 1153), Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (d. 1273) — consolidated and refined
4189-469: The variety of script, media and decorative styles that evolved in the Muslim world. Among them, an eighth century North African folio demonstrates the earliest style of Kufic script written on parchment . A page from the well known Blue Qur'an provides an example of gold kufic script on indigo-dyed parchment. The Blue Qur'an is considered one of the most extraordinary Qur'an manuscripts ever created; its origins are 9th-tenth century North African, and it
4260-427: The will and commitment of the community to live free from being a vassal to any Levantine power. The Fidai were some of the most feared assassins in the then known world. Sinan ordered assassinations against politicians and generals such as the great Kurdish general and founder of the Ayyubid dynasty , Saladin . A sleeping Saladin had a note from Sinan delivered to him by a Fidai planted in his entourage. The note
4331-412: The work of thirty-six artists from twenty-two countries creating rug designs. The designs were woven into the rugs by artisans in Lahore, using traditional techniques to create each piece of art. Artists of this exhibition include Ai Wei Wei . The exhibition titled ’50 Years of Migration' commemorates over 50 years of immigration of Shi’a Imami Ismaili Muslims to Canada, the people for which His Highness
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#17327646664914402-490: The world. In fact, many members of his family, including his daughter Princess Zahra Aga Khan , have married non-Ismailis in inter-faith ceremonies. Child marriages are strictly prohibited. The Aga Khan IV also condemned polygamy , except in certain circumstances. Unlike the other branches of Islam, Nizari Isma'ilis divide the Ramadan fast into two separate, but closely related, kinds: ẓāhirī ṣawm (exoteric fasting) and bāṭinī ṣawm (esoteric fasting). The former refers to
4473-401: Was appointed Director and CEO in 2021. In 2017, the Aga Khan Museum Shop also launched an online shopping platform. Most items online and onsite were commissioned exclusively for the Aga Khan Museum. In many instances, the items — jewellery, books, clothing, artwork, and more — are connected to the Aga Khan Museum's temporary exhibitions as well as its Permanent Collection. The Aga Khan Museum
4544-555: Was appointed the new chairman of the Board effective May 18, 2016. The role was previously held by his brother, the Aga Khan, who still maintains a close connection to the museum as the sole Member of the Organization. In 2016, RGD InHouse Design presented the Award of Distinction to the Aga Khan Museum for the exhibition Home Ground: Contemporary Art from the Barjeel Art Foundation (July 25, 2015 - January 3, 2016). The Director of Collections and Public Programs, Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis began her appointment on September 1, 2017. Dr. Al-Khamis
4615-553: Was designed by Indian architect Charles Correa . The surrounding landscaped park was created by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic and is a contemporary interpretation of the Islamic courtyard—the Charbaag . The Museum is home to galleries, exhibition spaces, classrooms, a reference library, auditorium and restaurant. It houses a permanent collection of over 1,000 objects including rare masterpieces of broad range of artistic styles and materials representing more than ten centuries of human history and geographic area. Commissioned by
4686-406: Was eternal, he believed this eternal punishment took the form of annihilation, i.e. permanent non-existence. He writes: “ There is also only one real Hell, and that is eternal punishment, everlasting disappointment and eternal non-existence; the meaning of all this is being outcast from God in every sense of the word ” The last most public eschatological view espoused by any Ismāʿīlī was written by
4757-438: Was just 20 and still an undergraduate at Harvard University. He was referred to as "the Imam of the Atomic Age ". The period following his accession can be characterized as one of rapid political and economic change. Planning of programs and institutions became increasingly difficult due to the rapid changes in the newly emerging post-colonial nations where many of his followers resided. Upon becoming Imām, Karim's immediate concern
4828-405: Was likely created for the Fatimid caliphs ruling from Qayrawan . Located on the main floor of the museum, the Bellerive Room displays a selection from the ceramics collection of the late Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan and Princess Catherine Aga Khan. The room is a recreation of the “La Chambre Persane,” or “Persian Salon,” in their home, Château de Bellerive in Geneva, Switzerland, where part of
4899-423: Was pinned to his pillow with a dagger, and it informed Saladin that he had been spared this once and should give up his anti-Nizari militancy. A shaken Saladin quickly made a truce with Sinan. Subsequently, the Fidai aided the Muslim cause against the Christian Crusaders of the Third Crusade which included Richard the Lionheart of England. Saladin, having by now established a friendly relationship with Sinan,
4970-401: Was recognized as one of the best museums in Toronto by Conde Nast Traveler in 2018. In the same year, the Aga Khan Museum's exhibition, The World of the Fatimids, received a Global Fine Art Award in the Ancient Art (BC – 1200) category, and an honourable mention in the Global Humanity category for the 2017 exhibition, Skate Girls of Kabul. In June 2018, Sri Lankan-born chef Shen Ousmand launched
5041-444: Was the preparation of his followers, wherever they lived, for the changes that lay ahead. This rapidly evolving situation called for bold initiatives and new programs to reflect developing national aspirations in the newly independent nations. In view of the importance that Islām places on maintaining a balance between the spiritual well-being of the individual and the quality of his life, the Imām's guidance deals with both aspects of
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