Spirit & Life

Islam’s message of the fundamental unity of “din and dunia”, of spirit and of life.

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The Muslim Calendar 1429 A.H. December 18, 2007

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• Why Spirit & Life?

  The institutions of the Network derive their impetus from the ethics of Islam which bridge the two realms of the faith, din and dunya, the spiritual and the material. The central emphasis of Islam's ethicalideal is enablement of each person to live up to his exalted status as vicegerent of God on earth, in whom God has breathed His own spirit and to whom He has made whatever is in the heavens and the earth, an object of trust and quest.
  
  A person's ultimate worth depends on how he or she responds to these Divine favours. Din is the spiritual relationship of willing submission of a reasoning creature to his Lord who creates, sustains and guides. For the truly discerning, the earthly life, dunya, is agift to cherish inasmuch as it is a bridge to, and preparation for, the life to come. Otherwise it is an enticement, distracting man from service of God which is the true purpose of life. Service of God isnot only worship, but also service to humanity, and abiding by the duty of trust towards the rest of creation. Righteousness, says the Quran, is not only fulfilling one's religious obligations. Withoutsocial responsibility, religiosity is a show of conceit. Islam is, therefore, both din and dunya, spirit and matter, distinct but linked, neither to be forsaken.
  
  Excerpt taken from theAKDN's Ethical Framework

• Who are the Ismailis?

  The modern Nizari Ismaili community has a global presence. Historically, the community reflected a wide geographical and ethnographic diversity based on the various cultural regions of the world where its members originated and lived.
  
  Today, the Ismaili heritage includes the cultures of Central Asia, Persia, the Arab Middle East and South Asia. During the 19th and 20th centuries, many Ismailis from South Asia migrated to Africa and settled there. In more recent times, there has been migration from all parts of the Ismaili world to North America and Europe.
  
  The shared values that unite Ismailis are centred on their allegiance to a living Imam. At present, this is the 49th hereditary Imam and descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, Prince Karim Aga Khan. The authority and guidance of the Imam provides the enabling framework for the development of the [Shia] Ismaili community and for the continuity of its Muslim heritage.
  
  Excerpt taken from the History of the Ismaili Community

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• Easy Nash's Science and Religion in Islam

  • 384)John Templeton's legacy of humility, a man of science and religion; Quotes of Aga Khan IV, Aga Khan III and Albert Einstein.
  • 383)An interesting off-topic diversion, an article on "Islamism and Democracy" by Joshua Muravchick; quotes of Aga Khan IV.
  • 382)Looking back to the concentrated knowledge of the historic Fatimid period to inform and improve the practice of our Faith: excerpts of Aga Khan IV

• Jalaledin's Al-Fatiha - The Opening

  • “The Favor of Allah: To be with the Truthful”
  • 99 Superheroes - A worldcentric perspective on 1:7?
  • The Integral context for al-Fatiha

• Almoonir's Interfaith Dialogue

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• Recommended Sites

  • a) Science and Religion in Islam: The Link
  • b) Al-Fatiha ~ The Opening
  • c) Ismaili Web
  • d) That We May Know Each Other: Calgary Interfaith Initiatives
  • e) The Faith Divide
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  • k) Islamicate
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