www.ismaili.net

Dr Farhad Daftary Appointed to the Board of Encyclopaedia Iranica
May 2012

Dr Farhad Daftary, Co-Director of the Institute, has been elected to the membership of the Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation’s Board of Directors. He has been and continues to be a consulting editor with them.

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http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113447

Encyclopaedia Contributions
Khaki Khurasani

Dr Sayyad Jalal Badakhchani

This is an edited version of an article that was originally published in Encyclopaedia Iranica,Online Edition, November 2006

http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113452

IIS Research Associates Present at International Conference in Germany
May 2012


Drs Nuha al-Sha‘ar and Asma Hilali, of the Qur’anic Studies Unit at the IIS, attended the conference entitled Knowledge and Education in Classical Islam: Historical Foundations and Contemporary Impact at the University of Gottingen, Germany. The conference was held by The Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Gottingen in collaboration with the Program of Islamic Studies in Foreign Language at Al-Azhar University

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http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113462

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VIDEO

This video is a 44 minute recording of Professor Waardenburg’s lecture delivered in 1983 at the IIS on ‘German Orientalism and the Study of Islam’. The talk was part of a seminar series centered on the theme of ‘Orientalism and the Study of Islam’.

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http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113392

The Gwalior Qur’an Manuscript: Conference Introduction
The Gwalior Qur’an Manuscript: The Polysemy of an Illuminated Codex

http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113472

Paris, 14–15 June, 2012
Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Site Richelieu).

Convenors: Éloïse Brac de la Perrière (University of Paris – Sorbonne), in collaboration with Francis Richard (Bibliothèque Universitaire des Langues et Civilisations, Paris) and Jean-Pierre Van Staëvel (University of Paris – Sorbonne).

Coordination: Sandra Aube (Panthéon-Sorbonne University).

For more details please email: coran.de.gwalior@gmail.com.

Sponsorship and partner institutions: The Institute of Ismaili Studies has co-sponsored this conference in partnership with other institutions, mainly ‘Orient et Méditerranée’, Laboratoire Islam médiéval, unité mixte de recherché (UMR) 8167 and ‘Mondes iranien et indien’, unité mixte de recherche (UMR) 7528. Other supporting institutions include the Aga Khan Trust for Culture; the University of Paris – Sorbonne; the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris; the Laboratoire d’excellence ‘Religion et Sociétés dans le Monde Méditerranéen’ (Labex RESMED) and the Museé des Beaux Arts, Orléans.

Description:

On 24 September 1398, Tamerlane crossed the Indus River and invaded Delhi, bringing an end to the reigning sultanate there, which had been weakened by internal dissent within the Indo-Muslim territories and by incessant conflict with the Hindu kingdoms. That was a definitive turning point in the history of pre-Mughal Muslim India, as Delhi became deserted and abandoned by a population who moved to other sultanates hoping to find refuge in quieter areas of the most prosperous regimes.

It was in the summer of 1399 in Delhi, which was characterised by an air of doom, that the copy of an extraordinary manuscript was completed, a copy of the Qur’an whose existence has raised many questions since it was brought to scholarly attention in 1974. This copy of the Qur’an, known as the Gwalior Qur’an, is now housed in the Aga Khan Collection, and is the focus of this conference.

A multifaceted work and project
The analysis of this codex began in 2009 as part of a four-year research programme at the unité mixte de recherche (UMR) 8167 ‘Orient et Méditerranée – Laboratoire Islam médiéval’. Such research on the codex is crucial for furnishing a better understanding of illuminated manuscripts in the Eastern Muslim world in medieval times.

The immense wealth of illuminations in this copy of the Qur’an immediately excites interest and raises far-ranging issues. Indeed, this manuscript from the Aga Khan Collection provokes questions closely related to the history of art (iconography, compositions, chromatic scales) and all subjects tangential to it (artisans, artistic exchanges); however, it also elicits questions related to the reception of the Qur’an itself, its transmutations and developments in distant areas of the Muslim empire.

The manuscript presents itself as a sort of catalogue of ornamental motifs used in the Near and Middle East between the end of the thirteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries. This quite exceptional iconographic variety invites us to reflect on the artistic transfers and the political and economic exchanges between the centre of the empire and its confines. The problem is made more complex by the fact that this is a period marked by a stabilisation of aesthetic forms which saw the birth of ‘classical’ Persian painting, with its well known miniatures. Moreover, the manuscript includes a complex apparatus with marginal notes and a book of divination in its final part, the first example of this type in the Muslim world. Thus, the text offers specialists an unprecedented field of research on the mystical rituals associated with Qur’anic materials.

Thanks to collaborative work, an international team of researchers in various fields has produced very important results pertaining to Islamic codicology. The joint analysis of the various elements has allowed them to question a number of assumptions about manuscript production in Indo-Muslim contexts as well as the nature of trade in the Muslim world during the medieval period.

The multidisciplinary nature of the research was of paramount importance because it has brought together, and combines for the first time, data belonging to fields of specialisation which were in principle quite distant from each other, as well as data of diverse chronology and from different geographical areas.

Over the past three years, the work proceeded along two main lines. Researchers participating in the project took part by either:

a) working on the codex itself by analysing the Gwalior Qur’an manuscript of the Aga Khan Collection in Geneva, where it was preserved, or taking a comparative perspective, by studying other manuscripts scattered in different funds, both public and private, such as the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, the Keir collection, now housed in the Pergamon Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin, and the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore; or

b) holding monthly workshops at the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art in Paris, where researchers and doctoral students could engage in a dialogue concerning a problem directly related to their speciality (divination, exegesis, iconography, and so on).

The conference: presentation of results and perspectives


This two-day conference is the concluding point of four years of research. It brings together, for the first time, all the participants in this project. They are recognised specialists in the areas of art history, history, codicology, paleography, Islamic studies, divination and magic.

On the first day, always within a multidisciplinary perspective, the results obtained after all these years of joint research (the dynamics of which has been particularly fruitful) will be presented. The second day will open the debate on related issues and will provide a methodological reflection on the art history of books in Muslim contexts.

Far from being restricted to a coterie of specialists, and because of the exceptional nature of this rare Qur’an manuscript, the conference is open to a wider audience – those interested in areas such as the artistic exchanges within the medieval world, the circulation of the patterns, models and actors involved in book production outside courtly contexts, the esoteric interpretations of the Qur’an, and the material expressions of the Qur’anic text. It is expected that the proceedings of the conference will be published.

IIS Research Associate Presents on Persian Mystical Exegetical Traditions
June 2012


Dr Alessandro Cancian, Research Associate in the Institute’s Qur’anic Studies Unit, presented a paper at the 5th Biennial Convention of the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies held at the Maulana Azad University, Hyderabad, India.

In his paper, entitled Mystical Exegesis in Modern Iran: The Case of the Gunabadi Order and RidaʿAli-Shah’s Commentary on Three Qur’anic Stories, Dr Cancian analysed the work of one of the masters of the Gunabadi of the Niʿmatullahi Sufi order, Sultan Husayn Tabanda RidaʿAli-Shah (d. 1992), in the framework of his Order’s exegetical tradition. The treatise, entitled Qur’an-i majid va seh dastan-e asrar-amiz-i ʿirfani (“The noble Qur’an and three mysterious esoteric stories”) is an augmented translation of Rida ‘Ali-Shah’s predecessor Sultan ʿAli-Shah’s exegesis of three Qur’anic pericopes: the Ashab al-kahf, the story of Moses and al-Khidr, and that of Dhu’l-Qarnayn, as contained in the Tafsir Bayan al-saʿada fi maqamat al-ʿibada.

According to Dr Cancian, the relevance of the work does not rest in the translation itself, which was not new to Rida ʿAli-Shah. Rather, it is the originality with which the subject is addressed that deserves a closer analysis. Rida ʿAli-Shah does not limit himself to an authoritative translation of his illustrious predecessor’s words, but adds historical and personal clarifications to the narrative, in line with his multifarious interests, that set him and the work apart from the classical tradition.

The study of recent exegetical material, such as the one under scrutiny here or the Rahnama-yi Saʿadat, also by Rida ʿAli-Shah, may help understand the development of Iranian Shiʿi mystical exegesis in the 20th century. Furthermore, an analysis of the use of sources external to Islamic literature deployed by the author in explaining Qur’anic passages, may contribute to the understanding of the intellectual trends of religious thinking in Iran in the face of its encounter with modernity.

The Convention was organised by the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies, which supports the efforts of scholars around the world. It also publishes the Journal of Persianate Studies, a collection of scholarly articles, book reviews and conference reports.

http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113502

IIS Research Associate Presents Paper at Annual Meeting of American Oriental Society
June 2012


Dr Stephen Burge, Research Associate in the Institute’s Qur’anic Studies Unit, attended the American Oriental Society (AOS) Annual Meeting, held in Boston, USA. His paper was entitled Jihad in the late Mamluk Period: A Comparison of Two Arba’un Collections by al-Biqa’i (d.1480 CE) and al-Suyuti (d.1505 CE).

The paper presentedan analysis of two collections of Forty Hadiths (arba’un) Collections, namely: (i) al-Biqa’i’s Dhayl al-istishad bi-ayat al-jihad (The appendix to Martyrdom in the Verses on Jihad), a hadith collection that follows a series of Qur’anic quotations about jihad; and (ii) al-Suyuti’s Abwab al-su’ada’ fi asbab al-shuhada’(The Gates of Bliss in the Occasions of Martyrdom).

Al-Biqa’i’s text focusses on the ‘lesser’ jihad and martyrdom. We know from details of his life that he was a mujahid himself, and took part in jihad expeditions, probably those against Cyprus and Rhodes between 1440-1444 CE. Knowing this, it is possible to understand the hadith collection with more clarity, and to see the deep personal significance the theme had to al-Biqa’i. The collection can then be read as an exhortation to jihad; or, if compiled after the attacks on Cyprus and Rhodes, it can be read as being highly influenced by the compiler’s own experiences.

Al-Suyuti’s emphasis is entirely different and his definition of martyrdom encompasses a wide range of pious actions. Al-Suyuti does, however, include a large number of hadiths about plague at the beginning of the work. This focus on the plague resonates with the social reality of late Mamluk Cairo, where outbreaks were common and had devastating consequences. If we look at the relationship between the ‘ulama and the masses in the fifteenth century CE, we see that it was intensely interactive - perhaps more than it is now. Scholars, then, had a duty to respond to the needs of the masses - and ahadith about the plague (and positive ones at that) would have been an important part of the scholarly reaction to such outbreaks.

The paper argued thatby closely analysing the material included and excluded from a hadith collection it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of particular nuances within a text in which a compiler does not give a reader his views openly.

Dr Burge argued in his paper that these two collections were highly influenced by the historical milieux in which they were written and that we can use these collections of ‘Forty Hadiths’ to gain an understanding of the social history of the period, and what the scholarly community believed to be important, and how they reacted to certain events.

Related Pages on the IIS Website:

•Academic Article: Al-Suyuti on the Merits of Imam ‘Ali by Dr Stephen Burge
•News Archive, 2011: IIS Launches Qur’anic Studies Lecture Series
•News Archive, 2009: Two Research Associates join IIS’ Qur’anic Studies Unit

http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113517

IIS Research Associate Presents at Workshop on Greco-Arabic Rationalism
July 2012

IIS Research Associate Dr Toby Mayer presented a paper at a workshop at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, USA entitled Greco-Arabic Rationalism in Islamic Traditionalism. The workshop comprises an on-going series of seminars which are expected to run for a few years. The series is dedicated to tracing the reception of philosophy into Islamic culture.

Dr Toby Mayer was part of the first seminar entitled Rationalist Sciences I: Logic, Physics, Metaphysics, and Theology in the Post-Classical Period. The seminar brought together a number of scholars in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the major system-wide transformations, critiques, and shifts in the focus of post-classical rationalist disciplines such as logic, physics, metaphysics, and theology.

Dr Mayer’s session concerned texts of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi in defence of the Avicennan cosmological principle “only one emanates from the One”, particularly focusing on Tusi’s attempt to defend the principle against Shahrastani. In his Ismaili texts, Tusi is content to refer the problem of how multiplicity arose from God’stranscendent unity back to the intermediate reality of the Command (al-Amr), which is a mystery that is simultaneously God and ‘not-God’. However, in several works of his, written as a defender of Ibn Sina and his philosophy, such as Tusi’s critique of Shahrastani, he suspends this solution and instead develops a complex calculus which attempts to trace the world’s multiplicity back to the absolute unity of God Himself. Tusi’s use of these mathematical models probably represent the most sophisticated and elaborate presentation of the principle “only one comes from the One” in the history of this cosmological problem.

The investigations carried out in the various workshops will be published in one or more co-edited volumes in the form of articles. The workshop was intended to allow scholars in the history of Islamic philosophy the opportunity to engage deeply with each other’s on-going research projects, and provide comments and suggestions on their work. The strong focus was on each participant’s chosen texts which were provided well in advance of the workshop to allow all involved to prepare. The series of seminars are an excellent opportunity for scholars to meet, share ideas and learn from each other.

Related Pages on the IIS Website:

•Video: Interview with Dr Toby Mayer
•News Archive, 2011: IIS Launches Qur’anic Studies Lecture Series
•Publication Content: Keys to the Arcana: Shahrastani’s Esoteric Commentary on the Quran

http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113537

Approaches to the Qur'an in Contemporary Iran

Two panels at the Ninth Biennial Iranian Studies Conference, Istanbul - 3 August 2012

Colloquium at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London - 2–4 September 2013. (Please see Call for Papers section below)

Convenor: Dr Alessandro Cancian, Research Associate, Qur’anic Studies Unit, IIS

For further details, please contact Dr Alessandro Cancian: acancian@iis.ac.uk.

The Qur’an is a central reference for various levels of public discourse in Iran. As the founding scripture of Islam, it influences the expression of all aspects of the life of Muslims, be it religious, cultural or social. Its interpretation, in the form of tafsir or in other genres and fields, establishes the boundaries of religious identity of each denomination; informs its religious outlook and practice; and shapes the character of each individual’s relationship with the divine and within society.

In Iran, where the majority of the population adheres to Twelver Shi‘ism, the relationship between the Qur’an and society is charged with a set of peculiarities that have not been investigated comprehensively and in detail by specialists in Iranian or Qur’anic studies. For example, until recently, the Qur’an was given relatively less attention in the Twelver Shi‘i institutions of religious learning than in most Sunni madrasas.

On the other hand, the Qur’an has had an impact on many areas of Iranian society and culture: its script has been creatively seen as inspiration for the arts; its meaning has been employed by rival factions in political discourse; its depths have been explored by the mystics of every persuasion and its symbols have never ceased to permeate and influence, by devotion or by reaction, almost every kind of literary expression in the Persian language.

From the much debated issue of the canonical text to the revival of Qur’anic studies in post-revolutionary Iran, the Qur’an has been extensively read, revered, interpreted and translated in contemporary Iran. Furthermore, it has been used as a source of inspiration, carried as a banner, instrumentally used by politicians, turned into a manifesto for the oppressed, and even critiqued.

By bringing together specialists in early modern and contemporary Iran from various disciplines, ranging from Islamic studies to the social sciences, the main aim of the project is to draw as comprehensive as possible a picture of the various approaches to the Qur’an that have been adopted in contemporary Iran.

The panel and wider project focuses on the past 150 years, from the second half of the nineteenth century, when the intellectual drive that would breed the constitutional uprising was at its height, to the first decade of the twenty-first century, where Iran is one of the key arenas of religious, intellectual, political and social debate in the world.

The project will culminate in a peer-reviewed edited volume of articles selected from the colloquium and panels, which will be submitted to the Qur’anic Studies Series, published by Oxford University Press in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies.

This is part of a wider ‘Regional Approaches’ project at the Institute’s Qur’anic Studies Unit which is committed to exploring the reception of the Qur’an in various regions in the contemporary Muslim world. Other projects have included, or will include, Indonesia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Turkey, the Maghreb, South Asia, Central Asia and the Arab Middle East.

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113552

IIS Qur’anic Studies Unit Hosts Occasional Lecture
July 2012

The Institute’s Qur’anic Studies Unit hosted an occasional lecture by Dr Nuria Martínez de Castilla of the Complutense University of Madrid. The lecture, entitled Surviving the Fall of Granada: The Qur’an among Muslims in 16th Century Spain, focused on the methods used by Muslims in the Iberian peninsula to keep their cultural traditions alive.

Providing some background, Dr Martínez de Castilla discussed how various territories of the Iberian Peninsula remained under Muslim rule from 711 CE until the end of the 15th century. When the keys of the city of Granada were handed over to the Catholic Kings in 1492 CE, Iberian Muslims were stripped of any political power. A few years later, many were compelled to relinquish their identity. Their religion, their cultural customs (clothing, food, feasts and creeds) as well as the use of the Arabic language, both spoken and written, were all forbidden.

However, in spite of these prohibitions, books written in Arabic script were still transcribed and circulating, especially the Qur’an. Within Muslim communities, where Arabic was no longer spoken or understood, as it happened in Castile or Aragon, the “Mudejar” Muslims (who kept their faith but lived under Christian rule) developed a linguistic variant of Spanish called “Aljamia”, which had its own peculiarities and was usually written in Arabic script. Aljamia came to full blossoming in the second half of the 16th century CE with the Moriscos (descendants of Muslims who had converted to Christianity, at least publicly).

The aim of the lecture was to assess the production and transmission of these proscribed books, written in Arabic or in Arabic script, notably the Qur’an, and to offer fresh views about the historical, sociological and cultural context in which these texts were transmitted.

Related Pages on the IIS Website:

•News Archive, 2011: IIS Sponsors Panel on The Bible and the Qur’an in Ismaili Sources
•Quranic Studies Workshop: Fragmentation and Compilation: The Making of Religious Texts in Islam, A Comparison with Ancient Mesopotamia, Judaism and Christianity
•News Archive, 2011: IIS Graduate Students Visit Al-Andalus

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113567

CASU Organises Lecture on the State of Science and Scholarship in Central Asia
August 2012

The IIS’ Central Asian Studies Unit (CASU) organised a lecture, entitled The State of Science and Scholarship in Central Asia: Challenges and Possibilities, delivered by Dr. Duishon Shamatov, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Central Asia (UCA).

In his introductory remarks, Mr. Hakim Elnazarov, Coordinator of CASU, highlighted the importance of understanding various dimensions of educational reforms and the challenges of scholarship in Central Asia in order to make meaningful interventions in the advancement of science and scholarship in the region. While there is noticeable exposure of Central Asian scholarship to modern educational and research methodologies, the output of academics in the region remains questionable and wanting.

Developing critical and constructive thinking and attitudes as well as adaptation and contextualisation of the various methodologies generally stand out in debates on improvement of scholarship in Central Asia. At the same time, collaborative endeavours between indigenous and foreign scholars appear to emerge as other means of improving the quality of research in the region.

Talking about the state of scholarship in Central Asia, Dr. Duishon Shamatov emphasised that, while scholarship in Central Asian republics had achieved certain scope, prominence and quality during the Soviet period, Soviet-era scholarship has been criticised for its highly-politicised backdrop and reductionist projections.

He explained that most Soviet research, including the research emerging from Central Asia, primarily attempted to make aggressive arguments to disprove and delegitimise Western scholarship. It had been shaped by ideological imposition and often represented personal political interpretations rather than conclusions based on rigorous empirical fieldwork. After the break-up of the USSR, there appeared new challenges related to research and scholarship. In addition to lack of incentives for conducting research, most scholars seem not to be equipped with modern theories and knowledge of cutting-edge research and its methodologies.

In his presentation Dr. Shamatov advocated joint collaborative research and peer reviewed publications engaging the local and foreign scholars as platforms for mutual learning and knowledge generation. He presented a mechanism of such initiatives and how it could be implemented in the Central Asian context with the support of individual scholars and institutions.

Dr. Duishon Shamatov is Senior Research Fellow at the University of Central Asia (Central Administration in Bishkek). His research focuses on primary, secondary and higher education, curriculum, education quality, and professional development of teachers. He is a co-chair of the Public Lecture Series at UCA.

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113607

IIS Qur’anic Studies Unit Hosts Lecture on Mulla Sadra
August 2012

The Qur’anic Studies Unit hosted an occasional lecture at the IIS by Prof. Mohammed Rustom of Carleton University based in Ottawa, Canada. The lecture, entitled Mulla Sadra on the Link Between Scripture and Idolatry, explored the creative manner in which the seventeenth-century Muslim philosopher-mystic Mulla Sadra Shirazi (d.1640 CE) tackles the problem of idolatry.

Prof. Rustom pointed out that, besides the opposition to idol-worship in Islam,Sadra did not confine “idolatry” to the worship of material representations of the Divine. The lecture showed how Mulla Sadra, drawing on his profound knowledge of the Islamic intellectual sciences as well as the work of the famous Sufi Ibn ‘Arabi (d.1240 CE), argued that since scripture and being are two sides of the same coin, those who remain on the surface of being, who have a particular idolised conception of the nature of reality, will likewise remain on the surface of scripture.

Prof. Rustom explained that, according to Mulla Sadra, if one remains confined to the exoteric dimensions of being and scripture, one will naturally have an exoteric conception of God. Thus, people may avoid idolatry physically, but, with a superficial understanding of the nature of things, are likely to fall into the trap of what Henry Corbin (d. 1978) called “metaphysical idolatry.”

Finally Prof. Rustom explored Mulla Sadra’s proposition that in order to free oneself from idolised mental images of God, people should penetrate being by delving deeply into the ocean of scripture, thereby shattering their intellectual constructs of the nature of reality, and, hence, God.

Prof. Rustom is Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. He is also the author of The Triumph of Mercy: Philosophy and Scripture in Mulla Sadra.

Related Pages on the IIS Website:


•Academic Article: Philosophical remarks on scripture
•Publication Content: Between Reason and Revelation: Twin Wisdoms Reconciled
•Qur’anic Studies Unit

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113622

IIS Co-Sponsors Conference on The Gwalior Qur’an Manuscript: The Polysemy of Illuminated Codex
September 2012

The Qur’anic Studies Unit of the IIS co-sponsored a conference entitled Autour du Coran de Gwalior: polysémie d’un manuscrit à peintures (The Gwalior Qur’an Manuscript: The Polysemy of Illuminated Codex) which took place at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Institut national d'histoire de l'art (INHA) in Paris.

The manuscript at the centre of the conference is a complete copy of the Qur’an found in Gwalior, India, and dated to the fourteenth century. The importance of this manuscript lies in its rich decoration and the complexity of its textual structure. A large portion of the Qur’anic text contains an interlinear Persian translation. The manuscript ends with a book of divination (fal nama) on how to read the Qur’an to find out auguries and omens. The conference was multidisciplinary, bringing together scholars who have been approaching this fascinating manuscript from various different specialisations as part of a four-year collaborative research programme at the unité mixte de recherche (UMR) 8167 ‘Orient et Méditerranée – Laboratoire Islam médiéval’.

The conference was introduced by the organiser, Éloïse Brac de la Perrière from the University of Paris – Sorbonne, after opening remarks from Heather Ecker (Head of Curatorial Affairs at the Aga Khan Museum Project in Toronto), Jean-Pierre Van Staëvel (Professor of Archaeology and History of Islamic Arts at the University of Paris – Sorbonne) and Omar Ali-de-Unzaga (Academic Coordinator of the Qur’anic Studies Unit at The Institute of Ismaili Studies).

The conference was divided into four sessions. During the first session (‘The Gwalior Qur’an Manuscript as an objet d’art’), the variety of decorative techniques used in the Gwalior Qur'an manuscript was explored. Papers in the second session (‘The Gwalior Qur’an Manuscript and Indo-Persian Manuscripts’) explored the repertoire of graphic styles adopted in the redaction of the Gwalior Qur’an manuscript, as well as the circulation of the artistic motifs between China and India during the Sultanates period. The work was compared to other manuscripts coming from similar periods and locations.

The third session (‘The Gwalior Qur’an Manuscript as an Object of Knowledge’) showed the functions of the divinatory book at the end of the manuscript in the context of other divination manuscripts, many of which were produced in Safavid Iran and attributed to the Shi‘i Imams ‘Ali b. Abi Talib or Ja‘far al-Sadiq. In her paper, Asma Hilali, Research Associate in the Qur’anic Studies Unit at the IIS, discussed the mixture of religious texts in the circles of religious teaching in the formative period of Islam. The second part of her paper was dedicated to the oldest manuscript of the Qur’an and its importance in showing the confusion of textual genres in the circles of transmission.

In the last session of the conference (on ‘Contexts’), presentations dealt with the Muslim presence in Gwalior and in India before the sixteenth century as well as the artistic taste of Indo-Persian elites during that period. They also explored the patronage of knowledge during the pre-Mughal period and the issue of the production of religious literature.

With its multidisciplinary approach, the conference provided wide-ranging perspectives on the Gwalior Qur’an Manuscript in its artistic and textual aspects. Many of the discussions dealt with the issue of how this manuscript was produced and used, and highlighted that the manuscript is a witness to various Islamic and non-Islamic traditions of painting and book-composition. In this respect, the Gwalior Qur’an manuscript constitutes a fundamental monument in Indo-Persian Islamic culture.

The Institute of Ismaili Studies co-sponsored this conference in partnership with other institutions, mainly ‘Orient et Méditerranée’, Laboratoire Islam médiéval, unité mixte de recherché (UMR) 8167 and ‘Mondes iranien et indien’, unité mixte de recherche (UMR) 7528. Other supporting institutions included the Aga Khan Trust for Culture; the University of Paris – Sorbonne; the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris; the Laboratoire d’excellence ‘Religion et Sociétés dans le Monde Méditerranéen’ (Labex RESMED) and the Museé des Beaux Arts, Orléans.

Related Pages on the IIS Website:

Seminars and Conferences: The Gwalior Qur’an Manuscript
Gallery: Khojki Manuscripts
News Story 2012: IIS Research Associates Present at International Conference in Germany

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113642

New students join the graduate programmes at the Institute of Ismaili Studies
September 2012


The new Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities (GPISH) and Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP) students have arrived at the IIS and are beginning their studies. This September, students from across the globe have come to gain postgraduate degrees while learning from some of the leading scholars in Ismaili and Shi’i studies.

Nine students from ten different countries have commenced the GPISH programme and an additional 32 students from seven countries have joined STEP.

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113657

IIS Announces PhD Scholarship Award for 2012
October 2012

The Institute of Ismaili Studies is pleased to announce that it has awarded the 2012 Doctoral Scholarship to Zulfiqar Khimani from Pakistan.

Zulfiqar is currently pursuing his PhD in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge. Following an interdisciplinary approach, he plans to investigate the phenomenon of transnationalism (the networks and affiliations connecting communities across borders) within the context of Muslim communities, with particular attention to the Nizari Ismaili and related communities. Zulfiqar’s broader academic interests include critical social theory, contemporary Muslim communities, media studies and philosophy.

On receiving the scholarship, Zulfiqar Khimani, said:

"I am deeply honoured and thankful to receive the IIS doctoral scholarship. The Institute’s contribution will make a positive difference in the academic study of Muslim communities and will certainly advance my study of Islam and Muslim societies. The interdisciplinary examination of issues facing contemporary Muslim communities has become crucial. The Institute acknowledge this need and offers support to aspiring scholars pursuing doctoral studies in Islamic Studies from interdisciplinary perspectives. I am grateful to the IIS for helping me pursue my most cherished dream."

Originally from Karachi, Zulfiqar Khimani has an MPhil from the University of Cambridge in Modern Society and Global Transformations with a focus on critical social theory and media studies. He studied at the Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities (GPISH) at the IIS from 2006 – 2009. Prior to this, he obtained his undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering and a postgraduate degree in social sciences from Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology. He has also been a recipient of an Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship (2011 - 2012).

Before starting his PhD at the University of Cambridge, Zulfiqar worked with the Aga Khan Development Network as Survey Coordinator for the Quality of Life Assessment Programme. Zulfiqar has also worked as a research consultant for Sindh Education Foundation, one of the premier educational organisations in Sindh, Pakistan.

Dr Omar Ali-de-Unzaga, Academic Coordinator of the Qur’anic Studies Unit at the IIS, was part of the panel that awarded the scholarship. Commenting on why Zulfiqar’s proposal was chosen, he said:

“We were very impressed with Zulfiqar’s doctoral project proposal. The reason behind its success is threefold. First of all, it analyses religious belonging vis-a-vis concepts such as transnationalism and diaspora. So, it will contribute to the development of conceptual tools necessary for a rigourous analysis of communities defined on religious rather than ethnic terms. Second, by integrating the theoretical approaches of social theory with the field of Islamic Studies, it contributes towards interdisciplinary perspectives on the study of Islam. Third, this study contributes to Ismaili Studies by exploring the contemporary landscape of Nizari Ismailis.”

The Institute of Ismaili Studies has been awarding doctoral scholarships since 1997 to candidates whose work contributes to the academic mandate of the IIS. For more information regarding scholarships offered, past recipients and the application process for next year, please visit the Doctoral Scholarship Programme page of the website. The application form for the 2013 Doctoral Scholarship Cycle will be available in January 2013.

Related Pages on the IIS Website:

•News Archive, 2011: IIS Announces PhD Scholarship Awards for 2011
•News Archive, 2010: IIS Announces PhD Scholarship Awards for 2010
•Doctoral Scholarship Programme

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?C ... 13717&l=en

North American Alumni Meet in Chicago
October 2012

Alumni from across North America met in Chicago for their annual meeting on 24-26 August on the topic of “Faith and Social Change.” This year’s meeting attracted a record number of participants, bringing together over 50 alumni from Canada and the United States.

More....

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113727

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GPISH Graduation Ceremony 2012

The Institute of Ismaili Studies is pleased to announce the graduation celebration for the GPISH Class of 2012.

Venue: Social Hall, The Ismaili Centre, 1 Cromwell Gardens, SW7 2SL, London
Date: 13th October, 2012
Time: 2:00 pm

The Event will be Live on this page at 2:00pm on the 13th of October, 2012

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113667

GPISH Class of 2012 mark the end of their studies at the IIS
October 2012

Twelve students marked the completion of their studies at The Institute of Ismaili Studies at a graduation ceremony for the Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities (GPISH) class of 2012.

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113742

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Video: GPISH Graduation Ceremony 2012
Venue: Ismaili Centre London, SW7 2SL
Date: 13th October 2012

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113732

IIS scholar presents paper on the place of religion in modern Afghanistan
November 2012


Dr Yahia Baiza of IIS’ Central Asian Studies Unit presented a paper entitled, Religion, State and Politics: An Analysis of Religion’s Place in Modern Afghanistan, at a conference on Religious Difference and Conflict, at Stranmillis University College of Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Conference, held from 5-7 September, was organised by the Stranmillis University College and the Department of Religious Studies of The Open University.

Focusing on Afghanistan as a case study, Dr Baiza argues that religion has always been an important element in human history, society and people’s lives. His paper points out that, regardless of a country’s political structure, system of governance, economic infrastructure, and educational provisions, religion always has an important place in society. Even in the most secular societies, religion continues to shape social and cultural norms, communities’ relationships and individual behaviour. In more traditional societies, religion occupies a central position, and is more than a personal or communal belief. In Afghanistan, where society still preserves a great deal of its traditional character and identity, religion has been one of the most powerful elements in shaping all domains and stages of people’s lives.

Dr Baiza’s paper analyses the relationship between religion, state and politics in modern Afghanistan. Speaking at the conference, Dr Bazia, said: “In analysing the role and influence of religion in any sphere of life, it is important to distinguish between ‘religion,’ as a set of divine commands, laws and guidance revealed through divine scripture, and religion as an interpretation of institutionalised authorities. Another distinction is that of religion as a set of practices and rituals among ordinary members of society.”

Dr Baiza discussed a number of legal cases around access to education for women since 2007 and demonstrated how in such cases religion is used as a political tool by which people in power and institutionalised religious authorities attempt to spread their political influence and monopoly of power in society. Dr Baiza also highlights the rising number of civil society institutions which, together with international civil organisations, help for the people’s voice to be heard within the broader religio-political context and make a visible impact on the decisions made by religious and state institutions. Dr Baiza’s paper concludes by underlining the influence of the legacies of the past, an assessment of the current challenges, and the prospects for the future.

Dr Bazia’s paper was presented alongside other papers discussing Sectarianism and Politics in Asia, including a paper by Kurshid Sana Khan (University of Edinburgh, and an IIS Alumnus) on “Living amid the Religious and Ethnic Fault Lines in Pakistan: The Residential Preferences of Ismailis in Karachi”.

Related Pages on the IIS Website:


•News Archive, 2011: IIS Scholars Present at the European Society for Central Asian Studies
•News Story 2012: CASU Organises Lecture on the State of Science and Scholarship in Central Asia
•Central Asian Studies: Publications

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?C ... 13747&l=en

New IIS Update published

The IIS Update gives you a glimpse into the activity of The Institute of Ismaili Studies in 2012.

The new IIS Update e-zine includes an insight into the academic journey of IIS students; an interview with Dr Travis Zadeh, the author of The Vernacular Qur’an; as well as features on other aspects of the Institute’s work.
To view this issue of the IIS Update, click here.
We would welcome your thoughts and views on the new format and the content of this Update.

If you have any feedback, please share your thoughts with us here.

http://gallery.iis.ac.uk/iis_update/iis ... _2012.html

Holy Qur’an
Illuminated 19th century copy of the Qur’an from Kashmir

This copy of the Holy Qur’an is a fine example of nineteenth century Kashmir manuscript production with strong calligraphy and intricate illumination. With three illuminated double pages, this manuscript is written in an elegant naskhi hand, with a marginal translation and commentary in Persian.

Transcribed in 1298/1891 by Shaykh Ahmad b. Shaykh Muhammad

499 folios,
185 x 105 mm

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?C ... 00939&l=en

IIS Commemorates Over a Century of Ismaili Scholarship in Russia
January 2013


The Central Asian Studies Unit held a seminar at the IIS, entitled ‘Russia and Ismaili Muslims: Over a Century of Learning’, on 5 November, 2012. The seminar explored the contribution of Russian scholarship to Ismaili studies and commemorated the centenary of His Highness Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III’s visit to Russia.

The seminar brought together scholars from the IIS, the ISMC and Russian institutions, including Institute of Philosophy and the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), to discuss various research works and findings. In his introductory remarks, Dr. Daftary highlighted the contributions of Russian scholars, particularly the achievements of Wladimir Ivanow, to Ismaili studies.

Professor Andrey Smirnov, Deputy Director of the Institute of Philosophy at the RAS, who translated Al-Kirmani’s Rahat al-Aql into Russian, spoke about the originality of al-Kirmani’s thought and philosophical disposition, highlighting his contribution to Islamic thought.

Davlat Khudonazarov gave an overview of the visit of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III to Russia in 1912. In his presentation, he provided insight into the relevant background and the relations of His Highness Aga Khan III with the Russian elite. Dr Khudonazarov supplemented his presentation with rarely seen photographs of individuals whom Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah met during his trip to Europe.

Speakers at the seminar discussed the unique contributions Russian scholars have made to Ismaili studies. The pioneering work of Russian scholars, such as Aleksey Bobrinskoy (1861 – 1938), Ivan Zarubin (1887-1964), Alexandr Semyonov (1873 – 1958) and Wladimir Ivanow (1887 – 1934), at the dawn of the 20th century created much interest among subsequent Soviet scholars in the Ismailis, their history, doctrine and contemporary situation.

Russian scholars’ interest in the Ismailis, primarily the Ismailis of Central Asia, dates back to the second half of the 19th century when the Russian Empire was pursuing geopolitical interests against British India in the mountainous region of Central Asia, namely the Pamirs, where Ismailis have lived in significant numbers. The intelligence gathering and exploration of the region, which was initially conducted for military purposes, gradually led to the study of the cultures and traditions of Central Asian Ismaili Muslims.

Many Russian military officers had a background in Oriental Studies and eagerly filled pages of their diaries and reports with descriptions of the cultures and geographical landscape of the region. However, it was a Russian ethnographer and traveller Aleksey Bobrinskoy who provided the first original data in Russian scholarship ascertaining the adherence of the mountain dwellers to the Ismaili Muslim tradition. His work (and the work of others, such as Ivan Zarubin and Alexandr Semyonov) prompted much interest in subsequent years in the traditions of the communities in the region. The tradition of learning and research on Ismailis continues to the present day. From the early 20th century, Mikhail Andreev (1873—1948), Evgeniy Bertels (1890 - 1957), Lyudmila Stroeva (1910-1993) and, more recently, Khayolbek Dodikhudoev, Aleksandr Smirnov, Stanislav Prozorov, Rakhmat Rakhimov, Ramazon Nazariev and others have continued to translate original works of Ismaili intellectuals into Russian and to study the Shi‘a heritage in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Participants at the seminar demonstrated the contributions of past Russian scholarship to Ismaili studies and the potential for Russian academia to engage scholars in the field of Ismaili studies, providing a better understanding of the Ismailis of Central Asia and the Russian Federation.

The seminar was accompanied by an exhibition of Russian books, photographs of relevant Russian scholars and military officers held at the Ismaili Centre, which was attended by Russian dignitaries and Ismaili leadership in London.

Related Pages on the IIS Website:

•News Archive, 2012: IIS Co-Sponsors Conference to mark 125th birth Anniversary of Wladimir Ivanow
•Lifelong Learning Article: Evolution of the Shi‘a Ismaili Tradition in Central Asia
•Encyclopaedia Articles: Vladmir Alekseevich Ivanow

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113817

IIS Research Associate Awarded Certificate of Honour in Iran
January 2013

Dr Sayyad Jalal Badakhchani, Research Associate at the IIS, has recently been awarded the certificate of honour by the Heritage Foundation and the National Library of Iran for his contributions to reintroducing the extant Persian text of Qa'imiyat, a collection of poems from the Alamut period of Ismaili history.

Dr Badakhchani’s latest publication, a Persian edition of the Diwan-i Qa’imiyyat, attributed to the 13th century poet and scholar, Hasan Mahmud-i Katib, was published in 2011 by the IIS, in collaboration with the Written Heritage Research Centre in Tehran. This edition was prepared, in part, using an extant copy of the manuscript of the Diwan which was discovered during the renovation of an old building, where it had been hidden for many centuries. Almost thirty years after this discovery, Dr Badakhchani found photocopies of other sections, which account for the missing sections. The Persian edition reflects two of the seven volumes of Hasan Mahmud-i Katib’s original work.

“The importance of Hasan’s works”, Dr. Badakhchani stated, “lies in the fact that, until the discovery of a more reliable source on the Nizari Ismaili doctrine of Qiyamat, his writings remain the most extensive and contemporary interpretation to survive up to our time.”

Hasan-i Mahmud-i Katib was a close associate of the famous thirteenth-century Muslim intellectual, Nasir al-din Tusi. Hasan actively compiled Tusi’s lectures and scholarly writings. As a result of the relationship between the two individuals, Hasan was able to obtain a respectable grasp of Tusi’s ideas and render them in poetic form. Furthermore, Hasan also composed his own poems and collected the works of past Ismaili poets from the Alamut period.

In 1233 CE, Hasan presented a compilation of poems to the Nizari Ismaili Imam of his time, Imam ‘Ala al-Din Muhammad. At least three copies of this version, which Hasan named Qa’imiyat, are known to have survived to the present day.

The surviving texts of the Alamut period reveal that the Persian Ismaili Community maintained a sophisticated literary tradition, elaborating their response to the changed circumstances of this period. The Qa’imiyat occupies a unique place in the literary tradition of the Nizari Ismailis, shedding light on their teachings of the twelfth century CE.

The Persian text has been published with an extensive introduction by Professor Shafi‘i Kadhkani, a well-known contemporary Persian writer, poet and literary critic. He states that, in the development of Persian poetry and its Ismaili component, “the Qaimiyat is a masterly poetical work much richer in Ismaili terminology, not only of the Diwan of Nasir-i Khusraw and Nizari Quhistani, but also the prose writings of Nasir al-din Tusi.” The present edition also includes a brief English introduction by Dr Badakhchani.

Dr Badakhchani obtained his MA in Islamic Philosophy from the faculty of Theology at the University of Mashhad in 1975 and his doctorate in Islamic Philosophy from the University of Oxford in 1989. He served as Deputy Director of the Central Library at Firdausi University in Mashhad, Iran, and Librarian at the IIS, before taking on the role of Research Associate.

Related Pages on the IIS Website:

•News Archive, 2012: IIS Scholars Attend Launch of Diwan-i Qa’imiyyat
•Publication Content: Contemplation and Action: the Spiritual Autobiography of a Muslim Scholar
•News Archive, 2011: New publication of Nasir al-Din Tusi’s works

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?C ... 13827&l=en

STEP Teacher Presents at the History of Education Society’s Annual Conference
February 2013


Faheem Hussain, a student from the class of 2012 of the IIS Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP), presented a paper, entitled Textbooks, Power and Society at the History of Education Society's Annual Conference on Rulers, Rebels & Reformers, hosted by the University of Winchester in Exeter, UK in December 2012.

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113872

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European Chapter Group Alumni Meet in Istanbul
February 2013


Alumni from across Europe met in Istanbul for their annual meeting on 7-10 December 2012. The meeting brought together 19 alumni to explore “Ethics in the Modern World”.

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113867

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IIS awards first Mohammed Arkoun Doctoral Scholarship
February 2013


The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) is pleased to announce the award of the first Mohammed Arkoun Doctoral Scholarship to Yaser Mirdamadi, who will pursue his doctoral studies at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Edinburgh. He was selected from amongst 40 applicants from 11 countries

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113862

IIS Launches 2013 Lecture Series
March 2013


Mr Daniel Beben of Indiana University, USA, and Mr Matthew Melvin-Koushki of Oxford Universtiy, UK, were the first two speakers in the IIS’ 2013 Lecture Series.

Mr Daniel Beben of Indiana University, USA, delivered a lecture at the IIS on 15th January, entitled Jami‘ al-salasil and the Place of Nasir-i Khusraw in the Central Asian Sufi Tradition. Mr Beben is a PhD Candidate at Indiana University and is currently conducting research on the Ismaili tradition of Central Asia from the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries.

The focus of this lecture was Nasir-i Khusraw, a renowned poet, philosopher, and Ismaili missionary of the eleventh century. Among his many accomplishments, he is credited for having introduced the people of the mountainous Central Asian province of Badakhshan to the Ismaili Muslim tradition and is still widely revered among the Ismaili communities of Central Asia. However, there is also another aspect to the legacy of Nasir-i Khusraw in Central Asia which has not been as widely recognised, namely his reputation as a Sufi saint among many Sunni communities in Badakhshan and surrounding areas.

This aspect of Nasir-i Khusraw’s legacy is documented in a number of texts dating from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, which are often accompanied by a pseudo-autobiography of Nasir-i Khusraw. This fabricated autobiography seeks to re-write the history of Nasir-i Khusraw, presenting him as a Sunni Muslim with no affiliation to the Ismailis.

In his talk, Mr Beben surveyed a body of hagiographical literature produced between the 14th and 19th centuries which reflect the acceptance and establishment of Nasir-i Khusraw within the Sufi traditions of Central Asia. He focussed particularly on an account found in a previously unstudied source: the Jami‘ al-salasil of Majd al-Din ‘Ali Badakhshani.

According to Mr Beben, the Jami‘ al-salasil is a hagiographical summary written in 1640 in India by the grandson of a well-known Shaykh of the Kubravi Sufi order from Badakhshan. The text explores the major Sufi communities of India and Central Asia, looking particularly at the local mystical traditions of Badakhshan and asserting the prominence of this region within the spiritual geography of the eastern Muslim world. Badakhshani’s account of Nasir-i Khusraw in this text offers a unique window into the appropriation of this figure within the narrative traditions of the Central Asian Sufi orders.

“The importance of this textual tradition is not found in what it may tell us about the historical biography of Nasir-i Khusraw, but rather in what it may tell us about the histories of the communities in which it developed and circulated. It reveals to us a rich pattern of interactions between Ismaili and non-Ismaili communities in Central Asia, centred on the personage and sanctity of Nasir-i Khusraw, and demonstrates how the legacy of this figure became a means for the people of Badakhshan to assert their place within the broader currents of Muslim civilization”, says Mr Beben.

Daniel Beben also examined a number of ‘counter-narratives’ found in Ismaili texts and in the records of Russian ethnographic accounts of Ismaili communities from the early twentieth century, which demonstrate an effort to place the Ismaili da‘wa once again at the centre of Central Asia’s religious history. Mr Beben argued that these accounts demonstrate that the Ismaili tradition of Central Asia, far from being a marginal phenomenon in the region, was in fact closely engaged with the broader spiritual debates of Muslim society in Central Asia.

Mr Melvin–Koushki’s lecture on Occultism, Science and Empire in the Early Modern Islamic World, which took place on 26 February, discussed his initial research into Letterism as a scientific endeavour in the early modern Muslim world. In his lecture, Mr Melvin-Koushki made a case for further study into how occultism had an impact on the construction of the early modern empire and the development of experimental natural philosophy. He argued that, in order to properly evaluate the great florescence of occultist discourses in the Islamic world from the 13th Century onwards, a fundamental re-periodisation of later history is required.

Mr Melvin-Koushki said, “We need to re-look at texts and history of the early modern Islamic world while recognising the emergence of walaya, or sanctified power, as a hegemonic concept in Islamic cultures, which drove intellectual, social, religious, political, economic and creative developments, often associated with the advent of modernity. In other words, by the early modern period, sainthood was adopted as a fundamental basis for a wide range of cultural narratives from theories of kingship to occult science”.

To see Daniel Beben talk about his research view this video:





Related pages on the IIS website:

•News Story 2013: New IIS publication explores the philosophical poetry of Nasir-i Khusraw
•News Archive, 2012: IIS Publishes New Translation of Nasir-i Khusraw’s Last Known Work
•Lifelong Learning Article: Nasir Khusraw: Fatimid Intellectual

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113882

Qur’anic Studies scholars present papers at the American Oriental Society Meeting, 2013
April 2013


Four scholars from the Qur’anic Studies Unit at the IIS, Drs Nuha Al-Sha’ar, Karen Bauer, Stephen Burge and Asma Hilali, presented papers at the 223rd American Oriental Society meeting. This year’s meeting was held in Portland, USA, between 15 and 18 March 2013, and was attended by over 150 academics from across the globe.

Dr Nuha Al-Sha’ar presented a paper entitled ‘The Use of the Qur’an in Andalusian Poems (Muwashshahat) of the Thirteenth Century: A Case Study of Ibn Sahl al-Ishbili’. Dr Al-Sha’ar commented on how little attention has been paid to the religious components of the muwashshahat, especially regarding its Qur’anic themes and their functions in the text. She sought to set this right by providing a case study of some of the muwashshahat by Abu Ishaq Ibrahim Ibn Sahl al-Isra’ili al-Ishbili (died ca. 1250). He was a convert to Islam from Judaism, who is considered one of the greatest poets of al-Andalus.

Dr Karen Bauer presented a paper entitled ‘Women’s Rights are Like their Duties bi’l-ma’ruf: The Ethical Treatment of Wives in Classical Tafsir and Marriage Contracts’. Dr Bauer noted that classical Islamic marital ethics has come under heavy scrutiny in recent years, with authors particularly focusing on the inequalities between husbands and wives. She pointed to Kecia Ali’s study of Hanafi, Shafi‘i and Maliki juridical opinions of marriage and divorce, and the jurists’ justifications for their rulings, which shows that notions of equality in marriage that are common in some parts of the world today are not reflected in Classical Islamic juridical opinions on the role of husband and wife.

Dr Stephen Burge presented a paper entitled ‘Al-Suyuti: Hadith, Politics, Power, and “People Control”’. Dr Burge provided a survey of the works of Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911/1505) and argued that many of them can be viewed as means to control the masses. He noted that al-Suyuti sought to influence the religious and social practices of the masses by accommodating popular aspects of culture into normative Islam.

Dr Asma Hilali presented a paper entitled ‘The Oldest Manuscript of the Qur’an: An Edition and Commentary on Selected Passages of the Qur’an Manuscript 27.1 Dar al-Makhtutat, Yemen’. In her paper, Dr Hilali provided a summary of the oldest fragments of this Qur’an manuscript, which was discovered in 1979. Dr Hilali described the page as containing two layers of Qur’anic texts, an initial layer which had been deleted and replaced with a second layer. In her presentation she discussed the problematic passages of the manuscript (folios 5a; 5b; 6a; 11b; 21a) and presented the particularities of each passage, focusing on the problem of the Qur’anic variants (additions/omissions, ‘extra-qur’anic’ texts). Based on these particularities, Dr Hilali presented conclusions related to the manuscript’s use and status.

The meeting is an annual event, hosted by The American Oriental Society, the oldest learned society in the United States devoted to basic research in the languages and literatures of Asia. It includes such subjects as philology, literary criticism, textual criticism, paleography, epigraphy, linguistics, biography, archaeology, and the history of the intellectual and imaginative aspects of Oriental civilisations, especially of philosophy, religion, folklore and art.

Further details of the papers presented can be found here.

Related Pages on the IIS Website:

•News Archive, 2012: IIS Research Associate Presents Paper at Annual Meeting of American Oriental Society
•Academic Article: Al-Suyuti on the Merits of Imam ‘Ali by Dr Stephen Burge
•News Archive, 2009: Dr Karen Bauer Presents Paper on “Tafsir and its Audience”

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113942

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Husayn B. ‘Ali: Life and Significance in Shi‘ism

Professor Wilferd Madelung


This is an edited version of an article originally published in the Encyclopedia Iranica on December 15, 2004 available at http://www.iranicaonline.org/; print Vol. XII, Fasc. 5, p. 493-498




Download the PDF of the article



Table of Contents:

•Hasan and Husayn in the Prophet’s household
•During the Caliphate of ‘Ali b. Abi Talib
•Relations between Banu Ummaya and Banu Hasham
•Ascension of Yazid b. Mu‘awiya to the Caliphate
•The Shia uprising against Yazid b. Mu‘awiya
•Yazid’s orders to deter Husayn and his supporters
•Withdrawal of the Kufan Shia
•The Event of Karbala
•Encounter between Husayn and Yazid’s Commander Omar b. Sa‘d
•Orders for Commander ‘Omar b. Sa‘d to fight Husayn
•The night before the battle of Karbala’
•The battle of Karbala’
•Survivors of the battle of Karbala’
•The impact of the Event of Karbala’
•The family of Husayn
•Bibliography

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113962

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Live Webcast of A Companion to Muslim Cultures book launch


The Institute of Ismaili Studies is pleased to announce a book launch for A Companion to Muslim Cultures edited by Dr Amyn B Sajoo.

Venue: Social Hall, The Ismaili Centre, 1 Cromwell Gardens, SW7 2SL, London
Date: 2nd May, 2013
Time: 8:15 pm

Dr Sajoo will engage in an on-stage discussion with Raficq Abdulla about this latest publication in the Muslim Heritage Series.

The event will take place at 7:45 pm on Thursday 2nd May 2013 at the Ismaili Centre, 1 Cromwell Gardens, London SW7 2SL.

Limited places are available at the book launch; please contact Sarah Ismail at sismail@iis.ac.uk if you are interested in attending this event.

This event will be viewable live from this page at 8:15 PM BST on the 2nd of May, 2013.

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113922

IIS Scholar Presents Paper at Engaging Sociology Conference in London
May 2013


Dr Al-Karim Datoo, Research Coordinator for the Constituency Studies Unit at the IIS, presented a paper entitled ‘ Sociological exploration of values in a globalising context’ at the British Sociological Association’s annual conference ‘Engaging Sociology’ on 5 April 2013 in London.

In his presentation, Dr Datoo analysed how the forces and processes of globalisation impact the formation of values, with specific reference to understanding the nature of global-local dynamics which shape social and moral values of youth in Pakistan. Drawing upon his one-year long critical ethnographic study of a high school in Karachi, Dr Datoo argued that, like images, ideas, economies and people, value systems are also set in motion due to the processes of globalisation.

His presentation highlighted the complex trajectory of global cultural flows which circulate in the daily lives of youth (through media and education), as well as the variety of socio-political ideological exposure which in turn constitute and alter contemporary value-scapes of youth in the Pakistani context. In this regard, Dr Datoo theorised as to how opposing factors such as: global and local, modern and traditional, occident and orient shape young people’s interpretations of the world, their self and others which, in turn, influence what youth come to value as worthwhile in their daily lives in today’s globalising world. Dr Datoo concluded his presentation by suggesting some theoretical optics which may prove useful in doing sociological studies on values.

Speaking about his presentation, Dr Datoo said:

‘My aim was to highlight some of the key theoretical optics with which to look at cross-cultural dynamics that play a part in the construction of values. This will help in designing ethnographic research around the theme of globalisation and the development of values.’

Dr Al-Karim Datoo is Research Coordinator in the Department of Constituency Studies at the IIS. Prior to joining the IIS, Dr Datoo was Assistant Professor at the Aga Khan University-Institute of Educational Development where he taught and researched for 9 years in areas of educational research, social sciences and humanities. Dr Datoo has a PhD in Sociology of Education from McGill University, Canada. His doctoral ethnography explored the nexus between cultural globalisation, curriculum and youth identity in an urban Pakistani context. Prior to his PhD, Dr Datoo completed an MSc in Educational Research Methodology at University of Oxford and is a graduate of the IIS Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities.

Related Pages on the IIS website:

•Alumni News & Events, 2012: IIS Alumnus Contributing to Improve Quality of Life in Northern Pakistan
•News Archive, 2009: IIS Scholar Investigates Perceptions of Youth in Northern Pakistan
•Lifelong Learning Article: Religion and Globalisation: Perspectives for the New Millennium

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=113982

The Institute of Ismaili Studies launches a redesigned website

TheIsmaili.org

23 July 2015

The Institute of Ismaili Studies recently launched a major redesign of its website — www.iis.ac.uk. The updated site offers a complete new look and a smooth user experience that is compatible with desktop, tablet and mobile devices.

Launched in 2000, the IIS website is a resource for anyone interested in the study of Ismaili history, heritage and thought, and in Shia Islam more broadly. The website features articles on a wide range of themes, information on the Institute’s publications, author interviews, photo galleries, and a glossary of Arabic and Persian terms. Visitors can also keep abreast of the latest news, activities and developments at the academic institution.

“The Institute has made a significant investment in its website to enable users to continue to enjoy quick and reliable access to authentic, well-researched resources,” says Shiraz Kabani, Acting Head of the Department for Communications and Development at the IIS. “The new design means that author interviews, reading guides and articles on particular themes are easy to find, and we hope this will encourage members of the Jamat to visit the site more regularly.”

More intuitive user experience

One of the new features is the Learning Centre, a section of the site designed for non-specialist users from the Jamat as well as the wider public. This part of the site includes filmed interviews with authors and scholars, articles on subjects ranging from the history and thought of the Ismailis to more contemporary themes, encyclopaedia articles by renowned scholars in the field of Islamic Studies, as well as access to the IIS’ Secondary Curriculum resources and media-rich learning galleries.

In response to user feedback, existing content has been reorganised so that users can navigate the website more intuitively. For instance, Research has been separated from Publications, and those interested in the Institute's graduate and doctoral scholarship programmes can find the information with fewer clicks.

“We are committed to providing well-researched scholarship on the intellectual traditions of the Ismailis through the Institute’s publications and research projects,” explains IIS Co-Director Dr Farhad Daftary. “The website and associated technologies now make this research available to a wider academic community as well as members of the Ismaili community and the general public. We hope that the IIS website will continue to serve as a central reference point for authentic information on the Ismailis that academics as well as members of the Ismaili community will feel confident in using and recommending to their colleagues, friends and associates.”

Future plans

The redesign heralds a whole host of planned features that will enable audiences to engage more closely with The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Making knowledge more accessible is an important objective, says Shaheena Ormerod-Sachedina, Communications and Resource Development Manager at the IIS.

“We want to make the work of the Institute as accessible to as many people as possible,” she says. “Currently, we are working to upload previously translated sections of the site in Arabic, French, Persian, and Russian. Going forward, key pages will continue to be translated in these languages to ensure that the IIS is able to reach out to members of the Jamat globally.”

The IIS also hopes to present manuscripts, artefacts and other special objects in their historical and cultural context. Wafi Momin, Keeper of the Ismaili Special Collections says “we look forward to making parts of the Institute's special collections available to the Jamat and members of the public through online galleries and physical exhibitions. We are also keen to highlight the significant donations we have received from individuals and institutions over the years.”

Established in 2013, the Ismaili Special Collections Unit systematically catalogues, preserves, digitises, and studies nearly 3,000 manuscripts and several hundred volumes of rare books, periodicals and journals. The collection also includes a number of important coins from the Fatimid and Alamut periods of Ismaili history.

A new section of the site will allow users to browse image galleries in the Special Collections area of the IIS Website to see examples of Arabic, Persian and Khojki manuscripts, with special relevance to the heritage of Ismaili communities worldwide. Other planned initiatives include new interactive galleries and videos of lectures and interviews.

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Visit the newly redesigned website of The Institute of Ismaili Studies at www.iis.ac.uk and be sure to sign up for their email updates

http://www.theismaili.org/news-events/i ... ed-website