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Quote of the Week

Lower knowledge
is what stops at the tongue;
more elevated knowledge
is what is evident in the limbs and organs.

Imam Ali (a.s.), cited in "The Sacred Foundations of Justice in Islam: The Teachings of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib" (World Wisdom, 2006)

"For Imam 'Ali, the 'true intellectual' (Al-Aqil) is one who not only thinks correctly but also acts ethically, and at the deepest level, one who seeks to realize the ultimate reality... correct thinking, impeccable virtue and authentic being are inextricably tied up with the intellect, in the spiritual ethos being considered here."

Reza Shah-Kazemi, Justice and Remembrance: Introducing the Spiritualty of Imam Ali, IB Tauris & IIS, 2006

 

"But, as I started by telling you, there is also the world of matter and intellect which go side by side with reason and deductive and inductive powers. I have never, as you say in your own address, neglected to encourage schools and universities, and by welfare societies for the health of children, maternity, and more and more up to date needs that you may have, as far as it is possible in the areas in which you live, to get both mental and physical training that will make you capable of meeting the more and more difficult conditions of life and competition."

"[For] indeed the one who is patient in tribulations is noble."

Dai al-Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi, from the poem 'O Progeny of Mustafa' from the book An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of Islam

“The famous verse of ‘light’ in the Qur’an, the Ayat al-Nur, whose first line is rendered here in the mural behind me, inspires among Muslims a reflection on the sacred, the transcendent. It hints at a cosmos full of signs and symbols that evoke the perfection of Allah's creation and mercy. Many other verses of the Qur’an have similarly inspired calligraphy in all its forms, reminding us of the richness and vitality of Muslim traditions in the Arts.”

Mes chers frères et soeurs,

J’espère que vous et vos proches gérez cette situation le mieux possible pendant cette période inhabituelle et difficile. Le Aga Khan Health Board pour le Canada continue de surveiller la situation afin que nous puissions aider et fournir du soutien au besoin. Nous voulons nous assurer que notre Jamat est en aussi bonne santé que possible, que nous sommes en bonne santé mentale et que nous sortons de cette période difficile en tant qu’un Jamat fort, mentalement et physiquement sain. 

Je sais que vous les avez déjà entendu, mais faire ces deux choses peut vraiment sauver des vies - la vôtre et celle des autres:

1) Restez à la maison

  • Quand c’est possible, restez à la maison, restez à la maison, restez à la maison.

  • Ne vous rassemblez PAS avec les autres pour des raisons sociales

  • Si vous devez sortir dehors pour le travail, aller faire l’épicerie ou d’autres raisons importantes, garder une distance de 2 mètres.

  • Limitez les contacts avec les personnes vulnérables et celles qui ont une moins bonne santé - pour votre santé, mais surtout pour la leur. Vous pourriez être porteur du virus sans le savoir et ainsi, mettre en danger leur santé.

  • Si vous ne vous sentez pas bien, ne sortez pas et arrangez-vous de vous tenir aussi loin que possible des autres personnes habitant avec vous.

2) Soyez très constant à propos de votre bonne hygiène

  • Lavez-vous les mains souvent avec de l’eau et du savon pendant au moins 20 secondes.

  • Utilisez un désinfectant pour les mains à base d’alcool si vous n’avez pas accès à de l’eau et du savon.

  • Éternuez et toussez dans le pli de votre coude ou dans votre manche et non dans vos mains.

  • Jetez les mouchoirs que vous utilisez dès que possible dans une poubelle et lavez-vous les mains.

  • Évitez de toucher vos yeux, votre nez, votre bouche et votre visage.

  • Désinfectez les surfaces qui sont souvent utilisées - poignées de portes, robinets, interrupteurs, téléphones, claviers d’ordinateurs, etc. 

Il est également important de prendre des mesures actives pour maintenir votre santé mentale:

  • Établir une routine normale - créer un horaire et mettez-le sur votre frigo

  • Mangez des repas sains à des heures régulières

  • Faites de l’exercice quotidiennement - que ce soit à la maison ou en allant faire une petite marche (tout en gardant une bonne distance physique avec les autres)

  • Parlez aux membres de votre famille et vos amis tous les jours par téléphone ou par appel vidéo tous les jours. 

Je sais que cela peut être difficile de continuer à faire tout cela, mais soyons des citoyens responsables et une communauté responsable afin que nous puissions ralentir la propagation du COVID-19 pour nous et pour nos communautés. 

Rappelez-vous - on est là pour vous. Svp, contactez-nous si vous en avez besoin. Si vous avez besoin d’aide, veuillez contacter la ligne Jamati ACCESS au 1-888-536-3599 ou access@iicanada.net. Et n’oubliez pas de remplir le formulaire d’enregistrement Jamti.

Avec mes prières pour la santé et la sécurité,

Dr. Munir Boodhwani
Chairman, Aga Khan Health Board pour le Canada


Dear Sisters and Brothers,  

I hope you and your loved ones are managing as best as you can during this unusual and challenging time. The Aga Khan Health Board for Canada continues to monitor the situation so we can help and provide support where needed. We want to make sure that our Jamat is in as good health as possible, that we are mentally well, and that we emerge from this difficult time a strong, mentally, and physically healthy Jamat

I know you’ve heard them before, but doing these two things really can save lives – yours and others’: 

(1) Stay at Home

  • Wherever possible, stay at home, stay at home, stay at home
  • Do NOT get together with others for social reasons
  • If you must go out for work, supplies, or other important reasons, keep 2 arms lengths of distance from other people
  • Limit contact with people at higher risk like older adults and those in poor health – for your sake but mostly for theirs. You could be a carrier and not know it, and jeopardize their health
  • If you are not well, do not go out at all, and make sure to keep away from other household members as much as possible 

(2) Be Very Strict about Good Hygiene

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
  • Cough or sneeze into your elbow and arm, not your hand
  • Throw away tissues you have used as soon as possible in a garbage can and wash your hands
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth, or face
  • Disinfect surfaces that are touched often – doorknobs, faucets, light switches, smartphones, keyboards, etc. 

It’s also important to take active steps to maintain your mental health:

  • Establish a normal routine – develop a schedule and put it up on your fridge
  • Eat healthy meals at a regular time
  • Exercise daily – whether at home or taking a short walk (while keeping physical distance from others)
  • Talk to your extended family and friends by phone or video call every day.

I know it can be hard to keep doing these things, but let’s be responsible citizens and a responsible community so we can help slow the spread of COVID-19 to ourselves and our communities. 

Remember – we are here for you. Please reach out if needed. If you need help, please contact the Jamati Access line at 1-888-536-3599 or access@iicanada.net. And don't forget to complete the Jamati registration. 

With prayers for health and safety, 

Dr. Munir Boodhwani
Chairman, Aga Khan Health Board for Canada 

"Truly Allah has made dhikr [remembrance] a polish for the hearts, by which they hear after being deaf, and see after being blind."

Hazrat Imam Ali, Nahj al-Balagha, cited in IIS Secondary Curriculum, Muslim Societies and Civilizations, 2013 

"One of the central lessons I have learned after a half century of working in the developing world is that the replacement of fear by hope is probably the single most powerful trampoline of progress."

Mawlana Hazar Imam, Tutzing, Germany, May 2006

"Almost everything now seems to “flow” globally – people and images, money and credit, goods and services, microbes and viruses, pollution and armaments, crime and terror. But let us remember, too, that constructive impulses can also flow more readily, as they do when international organizations join hands across dividing lines."

Mawlana Hazar Imam, 10th Annual LaFontaine-Baldwin Lecture, Toronto, October 2010

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