“To know the Imam of the Time and to recognize him through his disguise…is the great concern and preoccupation which mobilizes all the spiritual energies of a devout Ismaili.”
– Henry Corbin
The first Ismaili Gnosis Retreat will take place in Chicago, IL from August 28-30 with two full days of programming and is open to Ismaili Muslims of all ages. There are currently 50 people registered for the IG Retreat and an additional 15 spots have been made available for those who sign up before August 7. Registration must be done online: http://bit.ly/1zxo1Di
The theme of the IG Retreat is “The Recognition (ma’rifah) of the Imam” and the programme features several interactive presentations, discussions, and workshops. The IG Retreat will present a holistic understanding of Imamat through interactive presentations, artistic expressions, and outdoor activities while fostering the development of personal intellectual search.
Conference Convener: Sabrina Lakhani
Presenters: Khalil Andani, Mohib Ebrahim, Professor Ali Asani, Zamir Dhanji
Ismaili Gnosis Retreat Summary Program:
Friday, August 28:
– Welcome Dinner
– Video Presentation: Aga Khan – The Living Camera
Saturday, August 29:
– Opening Remarks: What is Ismaili Gnosis?
– Presentation: Rational and Qur’anic Validation of the Imamat
– Workshop: The Public Guidance of the Imamat in Speeches and Interviews (Nano Wisdoms)
– Presentation: Theologies of the Imamat
– Presentation: The Imamat in the Ginans
– Artistic and Poetic Expressions
Sunday, August 30:
– Presentation: Eternal Imam – The Metaphysics of Imamat
– Presentation & Activity: Spirit and Life – Recognizing the Imam through Practical Spirituality
– Workshop: Addressing Frequently Asked Questions
– Discussion: Recognizing the Imam through Rituals
– Video Presentation: Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Visit to Central Asia
Monday, August 31:
– Breakfast
– Departure
The IG Retreat Registration Fee is $120 per person which includes 3 Dinners and 2 Lunches. Breakfast for 3 mornings and WIFI are included in the Hotel Room Booking (see http://bit.ly/1zxo1Di for costs). Participants are responsible for booking their own hotel arrangements online and can obtain a special discount rate of $110/night with the information here (http://bit.ly/1zxo1Di). Note that if you book without the code, you will not be eligible for the included breakfast or WIFI. Beginning on Tuesday, May 12, you can book hotel rooms using the IG Retreat code.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Professor Ali Asani
Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures – Director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Ali S. Asani is currently Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures at Harvard University. After completing his high school education in Kenya, he attended Harvard College, with a concentration in the Comparative Study of Religion, graduating summa cum laude in 1977. He continued his graduate work at Harvard in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, receiving his Ph.D. in 1984. Prof. Asani holds a joint appointment between the Study of Religion and NELC, where he is currently the chair. He also serves on the faculty of the Dept. of Sanskrit and Indian Studies. He has served on the Committee on the Study of Religion since 1992 and has taught at Harvard since 1983, offering instruction in a variety of languages such as Urdu/Hindi, Sindhi, Gujarati and Swahili as well as courses on various aspects of the Islamic tradition. More.
Khalil Andani
Khalil Andani is a doctoral (Ph.D) candidate specializing in Islamic intellectual history, theology, philosophy, and mysticism at Harvard University and holds a Master of Theological Studies degree (2014), specializing in Islamic philosophy and Ismaili thought, from Harvard University. Khalil’s publications include a book chapter on Nasir-i Khusraw’s philosophical thought in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Islamic Philosophy and articles in Sacred Web, and The Matheson Trust. He is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CA-CPA) and completed Bachelor of Mathematics (BMath) and Master of Accounting degrees at the University of Waterloo (2008). Over the last few years, Khalil has been invited to deliver several guest lectures and conference presentations on various topics in Islamic philosophy, theology and mysticism at Harvard University (SCT 2013, HDS 2014), University of Toronto (Shia Ismaili Islam, Christology Symposium, NMCGSA 2013, NMCGSA 2014), University of Chicago (MEHAT 2013, MEHAT 2014), Carleton University, the American Academy of Religion (Midwest AAR 2014, NEMAAR 2014), the Middle East Studies Association 2013 and 2014.
Mohib Ebrahim
Mohib Ebrahim is the Editor and Publisher of the NanoWisdoms Archive of Imamat speeches, interviews and writings (http://www.nanowisdoms.org). The Archive is the only website dedicated solely to the Ismaili Imamat’s knowledge and was launched in 2011 after it was granted special permission to republish His Highness the Aga Khan’s speeches. At present the Archive contains some 500 readings as well as their own summary documents which provide abridged overviews of the Aga Khan’s wisdom and knowledge.
An honours graduate of Simon Fraser University in Computer Science and Mathematics, Mohib has been involved in software development and the IT industry since the ’80s. His current project, MasterFile, is a state-of-the-art evidence system for academic researchers, investigators, and litigators.
Zamir Dhanji
Zamir Dhanji is a dharma artist who works with music, poetry, storytelling and scholarship. He graduated with a BA concentration in Spiritual Economics from New York University in 2006, his thesis, titled “Holism and human evolution”, explored the relationship between holistic thinking and our views on nature and evolution.
Sabrina Lakhani
Sabrina Lakhani, the retreat convener, strives to weave together content and connection in all areas of life. She is currently the Director of Client Services at Disruptyx, LLC, a marketing consulting firm that focuses on heuristics-based market research and brand messaging. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management from Babson College and her interests include systematics, systems thinking, and brand creation. Her personal website is: http://www.sabrinalakhani.com.
