Are you curious about concepts of faith, religious values, and their impact on community practices and personal search?  Dar al-Ilm (DAI) is an immersive 10-week program that enables adult learners to continue their religious education by engaging with the IIS secondary curriculum.   

We are excited to announce the launch of two enriching IIS modules in Spring 2024, designed to deepen your understanding of Islamic literature and history through engaging online sessions.

Module: Muslim Devotional and Ethical Literature (MDEL) 

• Offered on Sundays, starting April 7, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
• The MDEL module explores the evolution of literature in Muslim societies from the Prophet's era to the present, highlighting the diversity and creativity in linguistic expression among Muslims. Examples from a wide range of literary forms and genres are used as a means to reveal to participants the creative application of language by Muslims, including Ismailis, in varying contexts and cultures.

Module: Muslim Societies and Civilizations volume 1 (MSC-1)

• Offered on Mondays, starting April 8, from 8:00 PM-9:30 PM
• The MSC-1 module introduces the rise and development of Islam from the period of Prophet Muhammed in the sixth and seventh centuries to the rule of the Fatimid Imam-Caliphs from the tenth to twelfth centuries. The development of Shia traditions, and the emergence of the Ismailis in this phase of history are featured as an integral part of the broader Muslim narrative.  

Express your interest today. Please email us if you would like to learn more or if you have any questions.

We look forward to welcoming you on this lifelong educational journey!  

Are you curious about concepts of faith, religious values, and their impact on community practices and personal search?  Dar al-Ilm (DAI) is an immersive 10-week program that enables adult learners to continue their religious education by engaging with the IIS secondary curriculum.   

We are excited to announce the launch of two enriching IIS modules in Spring 2024, designed to deepen your understanding of Islamic literature and history through engaging online sessions.

Module: Muslim Devotional and Ethical Literature (MDEL) 

• Offered on Sundays, starting April 7, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
• The MDEL module explores the evolution of literature in Muslim societies from the Prophet's era to the present, highlighting the diversity and creativity in linguistic expression among Muslims. Examples from a wide range of literary forms and genres are used as a means to reveal to participants the creative application of language by Muslims, including Ismailis, in varying contexts and cultures.

Module: Muslim Societies and Civilizations volume 1 (MSC-1)

• Offered on Mondays, starting April 8, from 8:00 PM-9:30 PM
• The MSC-1 module introduces the rise and development of Islam from the period of Prophet Muhammed in the sixth and seventh centuries to the rule of the Fatimid Imam-Caliphs from the tenth to twelfth centuries. The development of Shia traditions, and the emergence of the Ismailis in this phase of history are featured as an integral part of the broader Muslim narrative.  

Express your interest today. Please email us if you would like to learn more or if you have any questions.

We look forward to welcoming you on this lifelong educational journey!  

Join us in conversation with Dr. Daryoush Mohammad Poor, renowned scholar from the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), to explore various topics below:

• Thursday, March 7 - Northwest Jamatkhana: Interactive session on faith and science
• Friday, March 8 - Westwinds Jamatkhana: Diverse forms of our rituals and practices and their link with Sharia and Arkaan

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Dr. Daryoush Mohammad Poor received his PhD in Political and Social Studies from the University of Westminster in 2012. His first monograph, Authority without Territory: The Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili Imamate (2014) is a fresh theoretical engagement with contemporary institutions of the Ismaili imamate. He co-edited and translated the memoirs of the 46th Ismaili Imam, The First Aga Khan (2018) with Daniel Beben. His most recent book, Command and Creation: A Shi‘i Cosmological Treatise, is a Persian edition and English translation of Muḥammad al-Shahrastānī’s Majlis-i maktūb (2021).

Through the eyes of her grandparents, Aliaa Remtilla explores the history of the East African Jamat. From the ‘room in a house’ prayer spaces of the early 1900s to the multi-storeyed, ambassadorial community centres that still stand today, learn how the Jamatkhana was the focal point of Ismaili life in ‘Experiences of the Jamatkhana:

Delving into the captivating story of Ismaili communities in the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, Aliaa Remtilla offers a compelling social narrative as seen through the lens of her own family. Across these lands, Jamatkhanas evolved as sacred spaces of piety, practice and social gathering, reflecting the aspirations and communal spirit of the Ismaili Jamat. As the Ismaili diaspora spread, Jamatkhanas remained essential focal points in new lands, providing strength, succour and solace in changing times.

The author charts her rediscovery of the origins of the East African Jamats, the emergence of community infrastructures and the building of Jamatkhanas during the Imamats of Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah and Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni. Recounting journeys of migration, including under the very challenging circumstances of the Ugandan expulsion and Tanzanian exodus, she invites readers to explore the evolving role of Jamati institutions that continue to support the Ismaili community.

This illustrated rendering of East African Ismaili history from the 19th century to the present day spotlights the rich heritage of Jamatkhanas as pillars of the Ismaili community. It will appeal to Ismailis worldwide, weaving together stories of faith, resilience and unity.

Available now at the literature desk.

For our final episode of this season we are delighted to welcome to the podcast Professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne, who guides us through his autobiography, Le Fagot de Ma Memoire. Le fagot is a bundle of twigs. In Francophone Africa it refers to the wood that’s used to make a fire. Here, Professor Diagne has collected the twigs of his memory, interweaving the story of his professional trajectory, and the Muslim beliefs and motivations that have guided him.

Professor Diagne teaches at Columbia University, and is one of the world's most distinguished philosophers.

Listen now

This week on the Muslim Footprints podcast, we discuss the legacy of Islam in the Iberian Peninsula. Professor Brian Catlos accompanies us on an expedition through al Andalus to discover Islamic influences in its art and culture. Tune in to learn more.

Dr. Brian Catlos is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Listen now

On this week’s episode of Muslim Footprints, we discuss the history and significance of our cherished ginan tradition. Professor Ali Asani of Harvard University helps us explore the profound meanings, cultural significance, and spiritual depth in their verses — tune in to learn more.

Ismailis from South Asia find their origins in Gujarat, Sindh and Punjab. Their ancestors belonged to various castes such as the Lohana and Bhatia communities, who found themselves drawn to the teachings of Muslim saints, known as pirs or sayyids.

According to community tradition, Ismaili pirs were sent from Persia by the Imams – or spiritual leaders – to spread knowledge of who the Ismaili Imams are, and the notion of the Imam as the guide to spiritual enlightenment. The pirs did this through ginans, one thousand or more religious hymns assumed to date as far back as the thirteenth century. The people that accepted these teachings came to be known as Satpanthis: those who followed Satpanth, or the True Path.

Listen now

Discover Dar al-Ilm (DAI): Canada’s Adult Religious Education program, providing continuing education based on the Institute of Ismaili Studies curriculum.  We are delighted to share that we have implemented support measures for Deaf Jamati members. We extend a warm invitation to all murids to participate in upcoming DAI classes from Sunday, September 24 to Sunday, November 19 from 8pm-9:15pm. All classes will be online. 

Email us to register.