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Aga Khan Visits USA - IMAGES

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	President Powers of University of Texas, Governor Rick Perry of Texas, President Rasul of the Aga Khan University and His Highness the Aga Khan in discussions at the Governor's office at the Texas State Capitol. File Size: 828KB Photo Credit: Gary Otte
	His Highness the Aga Khan addressing the media prior to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Texas and the Aga Khan University, as Governor Rick Perry of Texas listens intently. File Size: 751KB Photo Credit: Gary Otte
	President Powers of University of Texas and President Rasul of the Aga Khan University signing the Memorandum of Understanding at the Texas State Capitol, as His Highness the Aga Khan and Governor Rick Perry of Texas look on. File Size: 959KB Photo Credit: Gary Otte

http://www.akdn. org/news/ 2008april12_ photos.html

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Images/Picture of MHI Visit USA

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Dala'il al-khayrat

Dala'il al-khayrat
Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli, who died in 869/1465, was a member of the Berber tribe of Jazula in southern Morocco. He wrote the Dala’il al-khayrat with the help of books from the library of al-Qarawiyyin, the celebrated mosque and university at Fas (modern day Fez) in Morocco; the library was created in 750/1349 by the Marinid sultan Abu ‘Inan Faris.
The Dala’il al-khayrat is a collection of prayers for the Prophet, including a description of his tomb, his names and honorary epithets, and a host of other devotional material. The Dala’il became the centre of a popular religious brotherhood, the Ashab al-Dalil, whose essential function revolved around the recitation of this book of religious piety.
There are two manuscripts of this text in the Library’s collection.
The first, copied in the 13th/19th century, comprises ninety folios written in a bold, vocalised African naskhi hand; the opening page of the manuscript is shown here.
The second manuscript, which is also a 13th/19th century copy, is written in fine, maghribi script and includes two illustrations, one representing the great mosque of Mecca, the other representing the mosque at Medina and the tomb of the Prophet; the opening page with an illuminated headpiece, and the illustration of Medina are shown here.

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Ensemble joins with Royal Philharmonic to deliver captivating performances

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Photo: Ismaili Council for the UKPhoto: Ismaili Council for the UK Members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra perform with the Ismaili Community Ensemble. Photo: Ismaili Council for the UK
The newly-formed Ismaili Community Ensemble dazzled audiences with rousing performances in celebration of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee. The spectacular concerts were held during the course of three nights from 28 February – 1 March 2008 at the Ismaili Centre in London.
The Ensemble, which is made up of 30 talented musicians and vocalists of all ages from the Jamat, collaborated with musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Fusing original classical and modern music with inspiring lyrics from the East and the West, they successfully created melodies expressing the pluralism and richness of traditions within the Jamat.
The pieces drew upon a range of traditions, including a musical interpretation of Ibn Hani al-Andalusi’s poetry entitled You are the one. Vocalists in the Ensemble performed a powerful three-part harmony, beginning with a simple melody set to the word Bismillah and its English translation. They also rendered a composition set to the words of the poem The Rising of the Sun by Ra'is Hasan.
The audience enjoys the inaugural performance of the Ismaili Community Ensemble. Photo: Ismaili Council for the UKThe Ismaili Community Ensemble takes a bow after a wonderful performance. Photo:

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Historic Cities exhibition launches its Canadian tour

The Historic Cities Programme exhibition launches its Canadian tour at the McCord Museum in Montreal. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Historic Cities Programme launched the Canadian tour of its exhibition in Montreal on 1 April 2008. It will travel to Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary in the coming weeks. The exhibition is an initiative of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, commemorating the Golden Jubilee of Mawlana Hazar Imam. It showcases five projects located in Egypt, Syria, Mali, India, and Afghanistan, providing a unique lens on the role of culture in development.
For the past 25 years, the Historic Cities Programme has promoted the conservation and re-use of buildings and public spaces in historic cities in the Muslim World. Its projects are designed to bring about social, economic and cultural development, while building community participation and training local professionals and institutions.
For more information, see the Historic Cities Programme Exhibition.

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Inspired to give in service to others

Ruhee Ismail-Teja. Photo: Mohamed Teja
Each year, out of hundreds of individuals who volunteer in Calgary, the YMCA identifies, selects, and recognises only 13 by naming them Volunteers of the Year. Ruhee Ismail-Teja, a vivacious and inspiring 14 year-old, became the youngest-ever recipient of the award in 2007. The prestigious award is based on a comprehensive nomination and selection process which takes into account a wide range of criteria. These include the volunteer’s contributions in helping Calgarians to realise their potential, the length and frequency of their service, and their efforts in recruiting additional volunteers. Although she did not expect to be recognised for the work that she “just did in order to help others,” the award was an honour for Ruhee and her family.
Volunteering requires hours of thought, commitment and effort, not to mention the sacrifice of other extra-curricular activities. Ruhee’s volunteering efforts include participating in the Mayor’s Youth Council (which she was invited to co-chair this year), the Youth Foundation, the Calgary Girls’ School Senate, the YMCA Kids In Motion Program, and the Ismaili Junior Volunteer Corps. Since the age of seven, Ruhee has also served as a volunteer at her Jamatkhana, and has now become a role model for younger volunteers.
Edmonton volunteers participate in the Golden Jubilee Parade. A strong tradition of volunteerism is evident in the Jamat across the globe. Photo: Phil Musani
With seven years of volunteering under her belt, Ruhee enjoys motivating and guiding the younger generation towards volunteering because she feels that “everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful experiences volunteering has given me.” In addition to the Junior Volunteer Corps, she is actively involved in the Jamat as a mentor with the Teen Masti programme and a youth coordinator for several of the ongoing Golden Jubilee programmes and initiatives.
Being passionately involved in so many volunteering endeavours is not for the fainthearted. It requires balancing a large number of academic, extra-curricular and social activities, which can sometimes be overwhelming. However, Ruhee seems to have found a happy balance between fulfilling her desire to volunteer and excelling in her education. Often waking-up at the crack of dawn, Ruhee starts her day with homework, which she seldom has the time to complete at night. After an intensive day at school, she heads off to one of her many volunteer activities. Her most recent voluntary position allows her to connect with the youth and to hold discussions on the importance of having their voices heard in the political world.

Ruhee believes she has been especially fortunate in life; her motivation to volunteer comes from her desire to give back to society. This aspiration is enhanced by the enjoyment and satisfaction she receives through active involvement and teamwork. Volunteering, she feels, has contributed to her growth as a person. Ruhee cites her mother as her role model, whom she describes as an “amazingly balanced person.”. Her family has greatly aided her to balance her volunteering with her schoolwork, by being encouraging, supportive and understanding.
She also feels that Mawlana Hazar Imam’s guidance has fuelled her passion for volunteerism. Ruhee’s own convictions and outlook reflect comments about the ethic of volunteerism in the Ismaili tradition made by Princess Zahra during the 1998 World Volunteer Conference in Edmonton: “Voluntary service to others, is viewed as an integral part of daily life, never as a burdensome obligation or an elective activity. Service is a means for each individual to actualise Islam's ethics of inclusiveness, of compassion, of sharing, of the respect for life, and of personal responsibility for sustaining a healthy physical, social and cultural environment.” Fundamental to this concept, she continued, was “generosity of material resources, of time, of thought, and of knowledge.”
Ruhee’s advice to young people wishing to get involved in community activities is to start as soon as possible, but to always aim for equilibrium between volunteering and education. She urges her peers to think about what inspires one to volunteer, how it can be done effectively, the importance of a good support system, and the benefits and recognition that can potentially result from giving time and knowledge in service to others.

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