This talk will revolve around a simple question: at the time of this global pandemic, where do we seek answers? Are they to be found in faith and religious practice? Or should people exclusively seek every answer under these circumstances from science? The question of the interaction between faith and intellect (or rather science) as two sources of knowledge has been at the heart of major theological and philosophical currents in the Muslim world. How do we resolve these tensions without obviating either faith or science? Dr. Daryoush Mohammad Poor explores this theme and refers to Ismaili tradition and primary sources to demonstrate that there is no conflict between faith and science and both serve a purpose, both have weight and significance as well as the ability to reinforce one another.
We live in a world where we are often around people who are different from us. Research shows that humans are born with a bias in favour of those who are similar to them and against those who are different. Thus, this talk argues that it is imperative for the survival of civilised society that the value of pluralism is encouraged and taught at all levels of society.
Ginans - Ismaili religious literature originating from the religion-cultural context of the Indian Subcontinent, has sometimes been viewed as “lacking Islamic personality”. This talk will challenge this view and introduce audiences to multiple examples of religious poetry used by various Muslim traditions from the region to highlight typical characteristics of the literature that are greatly influenced by South Asian cultural contexts. The talk will also introduce the audience to multiple IIS publications that one can turn to in order to learn more and gain further insights into this topic.
Ginans - Ismaili religious literature originating from the religion-cultural context of the Indian Subcontinent, has sometimes been viewed as “lacking Islamic personality”. This talk will challenge this view and introduce audiences to multiple examples of religious poetry used by various Muslim traditions from the region to highlight typical characteristics of the literature that are greatly influenced by South Asian cultural contexts. The talk will also introduce the audience to multiple IIS publications that one can turn to in order to learn more and gain further insights into this topic.
Exploring select examples from the Dawr al-Satr (765-909 CE) and the Fatimid period (909-1171 CE) of our history, Dr. Shainool Jiwa illustrates how the Imams and the leadership at the time dealt with challenging circumstances of their age, using them as a springboard for laying stronger foundations for the future of the Jamat across various regions of the world.
This session discusses the ethical framework that informs a cosmopolitan mindset. It explores the various dimensions of the ideas of cosmopolitanism and cosmopolitan ethics, including some critiques and constraints, to help Jamat develop a grounded appreciation of this concept.
How have pandemics shaped many aspects of human culture, including religious communities? Dr. Farid Panjwani explores pandemics historically, in terms of religion and religious thought, using examples such as the Black Death in the 14th century.
During times of crisis, some of us might ask whether God indeed loves humankind. Referring to Muslim traditions, this talk introduces the concepts of divine love - mahabbat/hubb (love), shukr (gratitude) and rahmat and encourages viewers to reflect on the ways in which a believer can reciprocate divine love. The talk will also introduce audiences to multiple IIS publications that one can refer to and read in order to learn more about this topic.
This talk will revolve around a simple question: at the time of this global pandemic, where do we seek answers? Are they to be found in faith and religious practice? Or should people exclusively seek every answer under these circumstances from science? The question of the interaction between faith and intellect (or rather science) as two sources of knowledge has been at the heart of major theological and philosophical currents in the Muslim world. How do we resolve these tensions without obviating either faith or science? Dr Daryoush Mohammad Poor explores this theme and refers to Ismaili tradition and primary sources to demonstrate that there is no conflict between faith and science and both serve a purpose, both have weight and significance as well as the ability to reinforce one another.
Maintaining a balance between the spiritual and the material is one of the important messages in the guidance of Mawlana Hazar Imam. This Time to Think talk will discuss how this is translated into the institutional language as ‘improving the quality of life’ for the Jamat and the people amongst whom they live.
Ginans – Ismaili religious literature originating from the religious-cultural context of the Indian Subcontinent, have sometimes been viewed as “lacking Islamic personality”. This talk will challenge this view and introduce audiences to multiple examples of religious poetry used by various Muslim traditions from the region to highlight typical characteristics of the literature that are greatly influenced by South Asian cultural contexts. The talk will also introduce the audience to multiple IIS publications that one can turn to in order to learn more and gain further insights into this topic.
Our history offers a rich repository of our beliefs and values, and how we have lived by them through the centuries. This talk explores select examples from the Dawr al-Satr (765-909 CE) and the Fatimid period (909-1171 CE) of our history, to illustrate how the Imams and the leadership at the time dealt with challenging circumstances of their age, using them as a springboard for laying stronger foundations for the future of the Jamat across various regions of the world.
We live in a world where we are often around people who are different from us. Research shows that humans are born with a bias in favour of those who are similar to them and against those who are different. Thus, this talk argues that it is imperative for the survival of civilised society that the value of pluralism is encouraged and taught at all levels of society.

Showing all 13 results