Historic photo and story from 1944: At age 7, the young Prince Karim Aga Khan recited Eid ul-Fitr Namaz in Nairobi

As Muslims around the world prepare to end the fast of the month of Ramadhan, with the celebration of Eid ul-Fitr expected to take place on Friday April 21, 2023, we recall a historic day in the life of Mawlana Hazar Imam who, on or around September 19, 1944, recited the Eid ul-Fitr Namaz (lit. prayers) at the Nairobi Chief (Darkhana) Jamatkhana now known as the Town Jamatkhana. Prince Amyn, Mawlana Hazar Imam’s younger brother, was also present on the festive day. Their religious education tutor, Missionary Kaderali Patel, recorded the day’s events in his diary. Please click HERE or on photo below to read the story.

As we prepare to celebrate Eid, may we draw our readers’ attention to the beautiful Eid Mubarak stamp, shown at left, that was issued by Canada Post on April 3, 2023, ahead of the Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, which will be celebrated at the beginning of July after the completion of the Hajj. The stamp was featured in our special post HERE.

On the auspicious occasion of Eid ul-Fitr, we convey our heartiest felicitations to Muslims around the world and wish everyone Eid Mubarak with prayers that Allah may fulfill all your wishes, and that He may in His Infinite Mercy shower His Creation with peace, tranquility and happiness. We also pray for the peace and rest of departed souls. Finally, we pray that Allah give us the strength and courage to face difficulties that we may be facing or that may come our way, and that He may ease our difficulties. Ameen.

Prince Karim Aga Khan reciting Idd Namaz on the occasion of Idd ul Fitr in September 1944 when he was 7 years old.
Prince Karim, now the 49th Imam of Ismaili Muslims, leading the Eid prayers in 1944 at the age of 7. Please click on photo for story.

Date posted: May 11, 2021.
Last updated: April 19, 2023.

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Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few. Also visit Simerg’s sister websites Barakah, which is dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, members of his family and the Ismaili Imamat, and Simergphotos.

The Aga Khan and Cultural Historian Oleg Grabar

“Oleg Grabar has done more to define the field of Islamic art and architecture than almost anyone else alive. The questions he has asked, the hypotheses he has proposed and the theories he has developed, over a career that now spans more than six decades, have shaped and defined the way we understand the Islamic world’s rich architectural heritage” — Chairman’s Award Citation, Aga Khan Award for Architecture Ceremony, November 2010, Qatar

January 8, 2023, the date of this post, marks exactly 12 years since the passing of Professor Oleg Grabar at the age of 81. Simerg’s sister website, Barakah, presents 3 rare photographs connecting the late Harvard and Princeton scholar with His Highness the Aga Khan and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA ) as well as includes the full citation of the honour that was bestowed on Grabar by the Aga Khan during the presentation ceremony of the world’s biggest architecture prize on November 24, 2010 — READ MORE

Aga Khan Award for Architecture Lifetime Achievement Award to Oleg Grabar, Simerg
His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the then Emir of Qatar, presents a certificate to Professor Oleg Grabar who was awarded the Chairman’s Award in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the field of Islamic art and architecture, as Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and His Highness the Aga Khan look on. The Award ceremony took place in Qatar November 24, 2010. Photograph: AKDN/Gary Otte. Please click on photo for Citation and more photographs.

Date posted: January 8, 2023.

Featured photo at top of post: The Aga Khan and his younger brother Prince Amyn with Oleg Grabar. Photograph: © Christopher Little.

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REVIEW SIMERG’S TABLE OF CONTENTS AND VISIT ITS SISTER WEBSITES

Before departing this website, please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought-provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few. Also visit Simerg’s sister websites Barakah, dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, and SimergphotosThe editor may be reached via email at mmerchant@simerg.com.

The Aga Khan: Barakah’s 2022 Stories, Articles and Photos to Revisit

Introduced by MALIK MERCHANT

As we enter the year 2023 this weekend, we present links to articles we posted in 2022 on Simerg’s sister website, Barakah, which is dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, members of his family and the Ismaili Imamat. The Aga Khan is the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, and is directly descended from the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him and his family) through his son-in-law Imam Ali, the first Imam of all Shia Muslims, who was married to the Prophet’s daughter, Fatimah.

We commence the presentation with an image containing a verse from the Qur’an, a tradition (hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad and excerpts from the Aga Khan’s speeches and/or interviews. This is followed with links to more than thirty must read 2022 pieces.

The Ismaili Imamat is Unique

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Note: All photos may be clicked for enlargement. Preceding each photograph is a link to the corresponding piece. Please click on the links and read the articles.

Please click: Princess Yasmin Aga Khan: Birthday and Knighthood

Yasmin Aga Khan

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Please click: Ode to the Imam of the Present Time: His Highness the Aga Khan

The Aga Khan

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Please click:

Hussain Aga Khan

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Please click: The Hereditary Imamat and the Aga Khan’s 86th Birthday

Greeting for the Aga Khan's birthday

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Please click: 2010 Photo Flashback: The Aga Khan Award for Architecture in Qatar

Aga Khan in Qatar

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Please click: The Life of the 48th Ismaili Imam, Aga Khan III

Aga Khan III

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Please click: Oman’s 3-Day Feast of Culture: The Aga Khan Awards

Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022

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Please click: A Handwritten Message of Hope and Prayer from the Aga Khan

Aga Khan Portrait

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Please click: Prince Rahim Aga Khan: 51 Years in Pictures

Prince Rahim Aga Khan

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Please click: Prince Rahim Aga Khan and Princess Zahra in British Columbia

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Please click: The Aga Khans, the Ismaili Imamat and the British Crown

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Please click: Princess Zahra Aga Khan and Her Work for the Ismaili Imamat

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Please click: A Review of the Aga Khan’s “Where Hope Takes Root”

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Please click: The Silver Jubilee Service Set Presented to the Aga Khan

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Please click: The Aga Khan: Modern Personification of Historical Islamic Rationalism, Charity and Peace

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Please click: The Aga Khan’s View of the World

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Please click: The Aga Khan Stands Out as an Icon of Action

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Please click: The Aga Khan at Harvard

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Please click: A Tribute to the Aga Khan

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Please click: Gift of a Standard to the Aga Khan and its Significance

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Please click: World Leaders’ Congratulatory Messages to the Aga Khan

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Please click: The Aga Khan’s Installation Ceremony from a Rare Magazine

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Please click: Reflections on “Depth of Field – The Aga Khan Beyond the Lens”

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Please click: Dolly Jamani’s Memorable Photograph with the Aga Khan

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Please click: Message from the Aga Khan to His Followers in Tajikistan

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Please click: The Aga Khan Recites Eid ul-Fitr Prayers at Age 7

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Please click: The Aga Khan and Late Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki

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Please click: Irfan Aga Khan: The Seven Year Old Prince’s Name and its Roots

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Please click: Prince Hussain Aga Khan’s Journey of Sea Exploration

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Please click: Yasmin Aga Khan: A Princess with a Mission

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Please click: The Aga Khan and Late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright

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Please click: March 21, 1960: The Aga Khan in Burma

Begum Aga Khan

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Please click: An Unforgettable Meeeting with Om Habibeh Aga Khan

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Please click: 22nd Birthday of Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan

Prince Aliy Muhammad Aga Khan

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Please click: Reminiscing the Aga Khan’s Participation in the 1964 Winter Olympic Games

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Please click: January – December 2022: News Coverage

With this post, we welcome new readers to our 3 websites – Simerg, Barakah and Simergphotos – and wish them as well as all our existing readers a very happy, peaceful and prosperous 2023.

Date posted: December 29, 2022.

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REVIEW SIMERG’S TABLE OF CONTENTS AND VISIT ITS SISTER WEBSITES

Before departing this website, please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought-provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few. Also visit Simerg’s sister websites Barakah, dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, and SimergphotosThe editor may be reached via email at mmerchant@simerg.com.

Prince Rahim Aga Khan in Pictures

Please click: Prince Rahim Aga Khan

Prince Rahim Aga Khan birthday tribute
Prince Rahim Aga Khan (R.) visiting a project in West Africa with his father, His Highness the Aga Khan, affectionately and respectfully addressed by his Ismaili followers as Mawlana Hazar Imam (Our Lord the Present Living Imam). Please click on photo for article.

Prince Rahim Aga Khan, the eldest son of the 49th Hereditary Ismaili Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, is immersed more than ever in the work of his father through the institutions of the Ismaili Imamat and Aga Khan Development Network. Most recently he represented His Highness for the committal of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle and also visited Vancouver to sign an historic agreement with the Government of British Columbia. However, his engagement with the Ismaili Imamat goes back to the 1990’s, and on the occasion of his 51st birthday on October 12, 2022, we pay him a special pictorial tribute with a collection of photographs, many of which have not been seen before. Please click Prince Rahim Aga Khan: 51 Years in Pictures or on the photograph shown above. Prince Rahim is a graduate of USA’s Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Date posted: October 11, 2022.

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REVIEW SIMERG’S TABLE OF CONTENTS AND VISIT ITS SISTER WEBSITES

Before departing this website please take a moment to visit Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to almost 2000 pieces published since the website was created in 2009. Also visit Simerg’s two sister websites Barakah, dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, and Simergphotos. Simerg’s editor may be reached at mmerchant@simerg.com. Malik may be followed @Facebook and @Twitter.

Princess Zahra Aga Khan in Pictures

Our sister website Barakah presents a special pictorial biography of Princess Zahra Aga Khan highlighting her contributions in healthcare, education and social development that have impacted hundreds of millions of people around the world. Today — Thursday, September 29, 2022 — she is in Vancouver with her younger brother Prince Rahim Aga Khan to sign an accord of cooperation between the Government of British Columbia and the Aga Khan Development Network….MORE ON BARAKAH, a website dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, members of his family and the Ismaili Imamat.

Princess Zahra Aga Khan. Please click on photo to read article.

Date posted: September 18, 2022.
Last updated: September 29, 2022 (07:44 EDT).

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Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few. Also visit Simerg’s sister websites Barakah, dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, and Simergphotos. The editor may be reached via email at mmerchant@simerg.com.

Readings on His Highness the Aga Khan: Part 1 in a Weekly 5 Part Series

Featured photo above: The Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, the oldest humanities research institute in Canada, on May 20, 2016 conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters upon His Highness the Aga Khan, in recognition of his work to advance, and advocate for, pluralistic societies across the globe. Richard Alway, Praeses of the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies congratulates the Aga Khan upon conferring the honorary degree. Photo: AKDN/Zahur Ramji.

THE AGA KHAN’S DUAL MANDATE IS TO INTERPRET ISLAM AND TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF HIS ISMAILI FOLLOWERS AND THE POPULATIONS AMONG WHOM THEY LIVE

Readings on the Aga Khan Simerg and Barakah
The Aga Khan

Times of India: What is our most precious asset as human beings?

The Aga Khan: A value system that is both time-resistant and time-adaptable.

Times of India: And the worst?

The Aga Khan: Killing, indeed all violence. Going by the record of the last 50 years, this is what offends me most.” (READ MORE )

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Readings on the Aga Khan Simerg and Barakah
M. Hamilton Morgan

In this vast tapestry of the interaction of Muslims with each other, and with other cultures and faiths, there is one tradition that unfailingly continues the progressive heritage of classical Islam — profoundly intellectual, open, tolerant, pacific — and in particular one leader who has made it especially attuned to the many difficulties of the world today. That would be Ismailism and its revered Imam, the current Aga Khan IV — Michael Hamilton Morgan (READ MORE)

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Readings on the Aga Khan Simerg and Barakah
James Wolfensohn

“….It is the extraordinary sense of humanity that he [the Aga Khan] has. The great depth of real feeling for real people wherever they find themselves in society. He is a holy man. He is the leader of his faith. He’s a man who represents the very best in Islam.” — James Wolfensohn (READ MORE)

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Readings on the Aga Khan Simerg and Barakah
Andrew Kosorok

As Imam for the Nizari Ismailis, the Aga Khan’s responsibility and sacred calling is to provide for the security of his people, guide them in interpretation of the Faith, and do everything possible to ensure for them a worthwhile quality of life….the Aga Khan sees his responsibility in a more expansive way.  If good can be done for the sake of the Ismaili family, that good is also extended to the areas within which the Ismailis are found — and by extension, to the world — Andrew Kosorok (READ MORE)

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Readings on the Aga Khan Simerg and Barakah
Mohamed Arkoun

“If we speak with our children with heresiographic mind we are totally lost. We are totally away from the humanistic representation like His Highness the Aga Khan is insisting to have among us. So this is a very important issue on which we have all to reflect and to develop our endeavor.” — Mohamed Arkoun (READ MORE)

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Readings on the Aga Khan Simerg and Barakah
Nizar Motani

The Aga Khan projects Islam’s best principles and practices. Consequently, many like-minded institutions have rewarded him with an impressive range of honors, elevating him to the status of a distinguished, globally respected visionary leader — Nizar Motani (READ MORE)

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Date posted: August 24, 2022.

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We welcome feedback/letters from our readers. Please click on Leave a comment. Your feedback may be edited for length and brevity, and is subject to moderation. We are unable to acknowledge unpublished letters.

Simerg’s editor Malik Merchant may be reached via email at mmerchant@simerg.com

A Tribute to the Aga Khan 50 Years Ago, as He Celebrated 15 Years as the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims

“If it be true that a true test of really great man, as Brougham teaches usis that he be endowed with three remarkable attributes, namely, (a) generosity in design; (b) humanity in execution; and (c) moderation in success, then I have not the ­slightest hesitation in saying that the Aga Khan answers that test adequately. He is an inde­fatigable worker and has a tre­mendous power of uptake. He has a way of bearing the burdens of the leadership he is called upon to provide, cheerfully. He is calmest in storms, and most fearless under menace and his reliance on truth, on virtue and on God who, after all is their source and sanction, is ever so unfaltering” — A. K. BROHI, JULY 11, 1972 – READ BROHI’S TRIBUTE BY CLICKING HERE OR ON PHOTO BELOW

Aga Khan Kampala 1972
In this photograph, taken in Kampala, Uganda, in February 1972, the Aga Khan walks by a very happy and cheerful group of young Ismaili girl guide brownies who are lined up on the steps of Kampala’s chief (or Darkhana) Ismaili Jamatkhana. Photo: © Amir Kanji.

Date posted: July 18, 2022.

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REVIEW SIMERG’S TABLE OF CONTENTS AND VISIT ITS SISTER WEBSITES

Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few. Also visit Simerg’s sister websites Barakah, dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, and Simergphotos. Reach the editor, Malik, at mmerchant@simerg.com

Latest News on Prince Rahim Aga Khan’s Visit to Mozambique, and for Navroz Photos of the Beautiful Headquarters and Westwinds Jamatkhanas in the Foothills of Canadian Rockies

The following are referral links to two new posts on Simerg’s sister websites Barakah and Simergphotos. Please click on them, read the posts and share them with your friends and relatives around the world.

Please click: Prince Rahim Aga Khan in Mozambique

Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Mozambique, Simerg
Please click on image for latest updates on Prince Rahim’s visit to Mozambique.

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Please click: Navroz Mubarak — Two Beautiful Jamatkhanas in Calgary

Calgary Headquarters Jamatkhana, Simerg
Please click on image for Calgary Jamatkhanas

Date posted: March 19, 2021.

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His Highness the Aga Khan is the Bearer of the Noor (Light) of Imamat; and a Beautiful Calligraphy for His Auspicious 85th Birthday

Simerg’s sister website Barakah which is dedicated to Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, members of his family and the Ismaili Imamat, is pleased to present a profound reading on the subject of Imamat along with a special piece of art by Karim Ismail on the auspicious occasion of Hazar Imam’s 85th Salgirah. The post includes the singing of the Ginan (Hymn) Dhan Dhan Aajno by the (Late) Alwaez Shamshu Bandali Haji, and also has links to its explanation as well as 25 other recitations of the same Ginan by Ismaili singers from around the world. Please click 85th Salgirah Mubarak or on the image below.

Aga Khan 85th birthday Salgirah of Mawlana Hazar Imam, Simer
Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, is in his 65th year of Imamat and celebrates his 85th birthday on December 13, 2021. Please click on image for Imamat reading.

Date posted: December 11, 2021.

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Featured image at top of post: In centre, a calligraphy by Toronto’s Karim Ismail and on either side of the art work two paintings of Mawlana Hazar Imam by Vancouver based artist Azeez Khanbhai, who was featured recently in Barakah.

We welcome feedback from our readers. Please complete the LEAVE A REPLY form below or click Leave a comment. Your letter may be edited for length and brevity, and is subject to moderation.

His Highness the Aga Khan’s Portrait Renditions by Vancouver Ismaili Artist Azeez Khanbhai

Azeez Khanbhai’s first portrait rendering of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, was completed in 1959 and presented to the 49th Ismaili Imam in 1959 during his visit to Nairobi, Kenya. Mawlana Hazar Imam signed the painting, with his blessings. Khanbhai has continued his passion of painting Mawlana Hazar Imam’s portraits over the past 60 years, and Simerg’s sister website Barakah, which is dedicated to Mawlana Hazar Imam, members of his family and the Ismaili Imamat is pleased to present a selection of Khanbhai’s amazing works that also include portrait renditions of Princess Zahra, Prince Rahim and Prince Hussain. Please click HERE or on image below to view the Khanbhai collection in Barakah.

Aga Khan by Azeez Khanbhai
Please click on image for portraits of Mawlana Hazar Imam by Azeez Khanbhai

Date posted: October 30, 2021.

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Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents  for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few. Please also visit Simerg’s sister websites Barakah and Simergphotos.