409)The Length and Breadth of Dr. Azim Nanji's Contributions to the IIS, to the Worldwide Shia Ismaili Muslim Community and Muslim Ummah in General

This post is a direct result of the overwhelming number of visits my blog has received from many people on six continents for my previous post on Dr. Azim Nanji, one of the bright 'stars' in my night sky. I typed in the name 'Azim Nanji' on the Search Engine of the Institute of Ismaili Studies(IIS) website and out popped 155 records pertaining to his name. These would be a fair summary of Dr Nanji's academic contributions to the IIS during his 10 year tenure there. I cannot list the links to all 155 but I will select ones I think are representative of his tenure there. You can do this search for any of the other fine academics and others who work there, eg, Dr. Farhad Daftary, Dr. Alnoor Dhanani, Dr. Arzina Lalani, Dr. Mohammed Arkoun, Dr. Shainool Jiwa and many others.

The intellectuals who work at the IIS are a precious resource to the worldwide Shia Ismaili Muslim community and the Muslim Ummah in general. Their calling, their research, their teaching and their sharing of knowledge hearken back to these educational and learning metaphors and imageary exhorted to by the Noble Quran, the key words here being Read, Taught, Pen and Tablet:

(96:1-5)
Read in the Name of your Lord Who has created
He has created man from a clot
Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous
He Who has taught (writing) by the pen
He has taught man what he knew not

(85:21-22)
Nay but it is a glorious Quran
on a guarded tablet


In addition they are important instruments to impart that which our Imam talks about here:

"The Quran itself repeatedly recommends Muslims to become better educated in order better to understand God's creation"(Aga Khan IV, Louvre Museum, Paris, France, October 17th 2007).


http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_person.asp?ID=19&type=auth

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109932

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109742

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109662

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109507

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109492

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109757

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109357

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109197

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109167

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109142

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109097

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=109012

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=108992

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=108957

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=108812

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=108662

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=108547

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=108482

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=107112

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=107107

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=106882

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=106732

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=106487

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=106432

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=106422

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=106402

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=106391

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=106331

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=105863

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=105598

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=105563

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=105068

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=103507

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=102679

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=102027

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=102013

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101929

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101915

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101817

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101740

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101704

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101150

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101655

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101662

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101620

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101592

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101080

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=101017


Easy Nash

The Qur'an itself repeatedly recommends Muslims to become better educated in order better to understand God's creation: Aga Khan IV(2007)
The Quran tells us that signs of Allah's Sovereignty are found in the contemplation of His Creation: Aga Khan IV(2007)
This notion of the capacity of the human intellect to understand and to admire the creation of Allah will bring you happiness in your everyday lives: Aga Khan IV(2007)
Islam, eminently logical, placing the greatest emphasis on knowledge, purports to understand God's creation: Aga Khan IV(2006)
The first and only thing created by God was the Intellect(Aql): Prophet Muhammad(circa 632CE)