Ismaili Dictionary & Encyclopedia

Thal bharavoEncyclopedia Topic

Prepare a tray or salver

Various Sources THAL SUFRAEncyclopedia Topic

The word thal means plate and sufra means table-cloth. The Arabic word for thal (tray) is tabaq or siniyya (round tray). The word sufra in Persian means anything on or in which victuals are placed, provisions prepared by men of hospitality, such as the sufra'i dauri (a round table-cloth), sufra'i sham'dan (a lamp-dish), sufra'i fasahat (an eloquent tongue) or sufra nishin (a guest of table).

The Arabic word for sufra is ma'ida, meaning table. There are two kinds of ma'ida, the sufra and khiwan, which was familiar in the Islamic states. The sufra was usually made of cloth, copper or palm-leaves in round shape, and was put on the ground where people sat around it. In course of time, however, an improvement was introduced when people started using a sufra made of leather. The word khiwan was applied to a ma'ida, which was raised from the ground. It was made of wood and stone. Affluent people preferred it to be of marble or onyx. Large round trays of brass, set on a low table were a common sight in the houses of rich.

Whenever the Prophet Abraham wished to take meal, he used to seek a guest upto the distance of one or two miles to participate with him. On arrival of his guests, once Abraham made arrangements for their hospitality. He had a fat calf in his home, which he slaughtered and got it roasted for his guests. The Koran affirms: "Then he went apart unto his housefolk and brought a fatted calf roasted for the guests, and presented before them" (51:26-7). Hence, he was surnamed Abu Zaifan (the father of guests). The custom of entertainment of one to three hundred guests is still prevalent by the side of his grave to commemorate his hospitality.

In 614 A.D., about four years after his Divine call, the Prophet was revealed: "And warn your nearest relations" (26:214). He proceeded to invite his forty close relatives from the Hashamites at his house. The guests were served with mudd (a measure of about two pounds) of food, consisted of roasted meat of the lamb, bowl of milk and the drink made of honey. This was the earliest example of the Prophet's sufra in history.

The Prophet of Islam received a number of visitors from various parts of Arabia, and held a simple sufra at his house in Medina. The residence of Ramla, a lady Companion and the house of Umm Sharik, a wealthy and generous lady among the Ansars, served as the guest houses, where the visitors lodged. In special cases, the guests were put up in the Prophet's mosque where, for instance the Thaqif deputation was once lodged. The Prophet honoured them all with personal attendance and entertainment. Visitors were never allowed to depart without being served with food. The Prophet was equally hospitable and liberal to Muslims and non-Muslims. The Abyssinion delegates were lodged at the Prophet's own house, and they were fed with Arab custom. Once a non-Muslim staying with the Prophet was entertained with goat's milk, which he drank to the dregs. Another goat was ordered to be milked that too did not suffice. It took seven goats to satisfy him, for the Prophet continued to ply him with milk till he had his fill. On one occasion, he got a goat slaughtered and ordered the liver to be fried for his thirty guest Companions. The Prophet had in his house a large bowl so heavy that it took four men to lift it up. It used to be brought out daily at noon. The Companions of the Suffah sat round it in a circle to eat food. Sometimes, the Prophet had to sit gathered to himself, with his knees double upright, in order to accommodate others (Tirmizi). Once the Prophet reached his house with the Suffah Companions and asked to serve them food. They were served with food made from bran. Some harirah (a soft food made by boiling dates with milk) was then brought. It was followed by a large bowl of milk (Abu Daud, 2:198). The Prophet also said, "The angels do not cease to pray for blessings on one of you as long as his table is laid out, until it is taken up" (Ihya Ulum al-Din, 2:11). Tafkha bin Qais states that once the Prophet led me and four other Companions to A'isha's cell and asked her to serve food and drink. She served a sort of khichra made of rice and pulse, which was followed by a kind of cheese. Then she also brought milk in a small cup and we drank it (al-Hilliyah, 1:352).

During the gathering of the Twelvers in the rawda-khani (recital of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain), the women hold a special religious meeting, known as Sufra (table-cloth). It consists of an invitation by the hostees to a number of other women to join her for a meal which is usually preceded or followed by a discourse. The Sufras are often held in the name of one of the members of Ahl al-Bayt and are often in fulfillment of a vow.

The tradition of sufra is also found in the Sufic khanaqah. The darwish on service take the sufra in their hands and kiss the ground reverently before their master had spread out the sufra before him. The first item that is placed on the sufra is salt, then bread and then rest of the meal. At the end, the darwish on service fold the sufra before the feet of their master and kiss the ground in reverence.

In Iran, it is customary to lay on a table a ceremonial display called Sufreye-Nawruz, consisting of a mirror, a copy of the Koran, live goldfish in a bowl, green sprouts of wheat grain and lentils, coloured eggs, and Haft-Sin, which is a large platter filled with seven dishes (haft sin). Each dish bears in haft-sin the name, beginning with the Persian letter sin i.e., sib (apple), sir (garlic), sumak (sumac), sinjib (jujbe), samanu (a kind of sweet-dish), sirka (vinger) and sabzi (greens), which are placed on a cloth spread on the floor in front of a mirror and candles in company with dishes of certain foods. The Navroz holidays officially last 13 days when all Iranians visit as many friends as possible and exchange Eidy or festive gifts. The first day is reserved for respected elders of the family who in turn return the visit. Everywhere a festive mood prevails; tea, sweetmeats, ajil (dried fruits and nuts), conversation and music flow. The thirteenth day of Navroz called sizdah bedar (thirteenth out of doors) is traditional spent out in the woods or parks. Every Iranian family leaves home early in the morning, and equipped with mats, picnic materials and musical instruments, search pleasant sites. Each family has brought the sprouted wheat and lentils from their Navroz Sufreh, which they will cast away for good luck. It is considered lucky to eat a special thick soup ash, made from noodles on this day. The soup and its accompanying garnish

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral THALENoun

Vide. THALE HATH = les main vides.

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #835general ThaleEncyclopedia Topic

Empty

Various Sources ThaleEncyclopedia Topic

Empty

Various Sources ThamEncyclopedia Topic

Place, abode, stable

Various Sources ThamEncyclopedia Topic

Place

Various Sources tHAMNoun

Endroit, place, habitation.

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #836general ThambhEncyclopedia Topic

Pillar, column, post

Various Sources ThambhanharEncyclopedia Topic

One who supports, one who upholds

Various Sources ThambhiyaEncyclopedia Topic

Is stable

Various Sources ThambiyanEncyclopedia Topic

Pillars

Various Sources THAMI, Ibn al-Name

Ismaili Vizir [Finance Minister] in the Fatimid Court. Hassan bin Sabbah lived with him when he arrived in Cairo in 1078. (Source: Order of the Assasins. pg. 101)

Vizir ismaélien du Budget à la cour fatimide. Hassan b. Sabbah habita chez lui à son arrivée au Caire en 1078. (Or. Ass. p.101)

Heritage Dictionary of ismailism, entry #406general Thamoi thamEncyclopedia Topic

At the same place

Various Sources ThanEncyclopedia Topic

Abode, place

Various Sources ThanEncyclopedia Topic

Udder

Various Sources ThanEncyclopedia Topic

Residence, place

Various Sources ThanEncyclopedia Topic

Head quarter, centre, place

Various Sources ThanakEncyclopedia Topic

Residence, place, centre

Various Sources ThaneEncyclopedia Topic

In place

Various Sources ThankeEncyclopedia Topic

Gives forth a sound, ring, jingle, tinkle

Various Sources ThanotarEncyclopedia Topic

Lord of the place, Lord of the centre

Various Sources ThapiyaEncyclopedia Topic

Established, appointed

Various Sources ThapnaEncyclopedia Topic

To perform the ritual of Ghatpat

Various Sources ThapseEncyclopedia Topic

Will establish, perform the ceremony of Ghatpat

Various Sources TharEncyclopedia Topic

Steadfast, firm

Various Sources TharEncyclopedia Topic

Place

Various Sources TharEncyclopedia Topic

Strong, stable, firm, solid

Various Sources TharEncyclopedia Topic

Fixed, firm, stable, permanent

Various Sources Thar / ThirEncyclopedia Topic

Permanent, durable, steady

Various Sources ThartharEncyclopedia Topic

Established, firm, permanent

Various Sources ThasheEncyclopedia Topic

Will be

Various Sources ThathEncyclopedia Topic

Majesty, awe, grandeur, beauty, display of rank and dignity

Various Sources ThavarEncyclopedia Topic

Night between Friday and Saturday

Various Sources ThavarEncyclopedia Topic

Friday

Various Sources ThavarEncyclopedia Topic

Inanimate, lifeless, immobile; Thursday

Various Sources Thavar ratEncyclopedia Topic

The night between Friday and Saturday

Various Sources THAWaRNoun

Nuit du Vendredi. Nuit de l'Epiphanie, de la Grande Résurrection. g. 645:11, 403:5

Heritage Dictionary of Ismailism, entry #837general ThayaEncyclopedia Topic

Happened

Various Sources ThayoEncyclopedia Topic

Happened

Various Sources ThaysheEncyclopedia Topic

Will happen, will become

Various Sources The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)Encyclopedia Topic

Founded in 1967, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is now a major non-governmental organization (NGO) active in health, education and rural development. With roots in the third world and support in the West, it cooperates with more than thirty other national and international agencies to finance programmes, primarily in Africa and Asia. To encourage a new generation of development practitioners aware of the realities of the third world, it also provides scholarships, training and internships to young people from developing and industrialized countries. AKF's headquarters are in Switzerland. It has branches in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Tajikistan and Portugal and affiliates in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

While AKF is a funding agency, it also involves itself actively in the genesis and evolution of its projects, as well as learning from the experiments it funds. It is especially interested in innovative approaches to selected problems of development, which it supports through closely monitored grants to organizations that share the Foundation's goals.

Within its three areas of involvement, AKF pursues specific thematic concerns. In health, it supports projects that aim to promote health status of the poor, and has developed approaches to community-based primary health care (PHC), primary health care technology and community-oriented health personnel over the past ten years.

AKF's education portfolio is divided into two thematic areas: Young Children and the Family, and Improving the Quality of Schools. AKF is one of the few international agencies to emphasize early childhood care and development. Its goal is to fund projects, which meet the needs of young children in ways that are appropriate to the cultural context of family and community. In the area of educational quality, its priorities are improving the quality of the local school, training teachers on the job, producing low-cost curriculum materials, and reforming school management.

AKF's rural development programme has focused on poverty alleviation in fragile and degraded environments through participatory organization and better management of natural resources. Over the past decades, it has established two major programmes that foster the development of the rural poor

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral The Aga Khan Housing Boards (AKHB)Encyclopedia Topic

The goal of the Aga Khan Housing Boards (AKHB) in India and Pakistan is the improvement of housing design and living conditions, especially through better water supply and sanitation. They give technical advice and provide construction management services to organizations that build housing for both urban and rural communities.

Along with housing for disadvantaged families in urban areas, the Housing Board in India provides services to rural population in Gujrat and Maharastra, from the resettlement of families in drought-prone areas to habitat upgrading and the provision of sanitation and clean water. In Pakistan, the Housing Board has built schools, hostels and medical centers, mostly in the mountainous areas of the North. It operates programmes in technical assistance and construction skills development and, as in India, promotes sanitation and clean water provision.

The Ismaili Imamate's concern to stimulate economic activity, which can improve the quality of life, has given rise to institutions that now span several continents and sectors of activity. From self-help finance and insurance companies founded for the Ismaili community at the turn of the century, the Imamate's economic activities have grown to include initiatives in industrial development and tourism promotion as well as financial services. Located principally in Asia and Africa, they serve broad national constituencies with companies and projects that range from food processing to telecommunications. They also contribute to regional development through strategies, which build sectoral strengths across national borders.

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral The Aga Khan University (AKU)Encyclopedia Topic

With the faculty of Health Sciences and the Institute for Educational Development in Pakistan, the Aga Khan University (AKU) occupies a pivotal place in the Network's social development activities. Inaugurated in 1985, its purpose is to provide higher education and stimulate research pertinent to Pakistan and the developing world, while maintaining internationally accepted academic standards. Along with its educational aims and its mission to promote the welfare of the people of Pakistan, AKU is a major center for health sciences training, continuing education, technical assistance and research. Planned with the support of the medical schools of Harvard University and McGill University, AKU's Faculty of Health Sciences includes both a Medical College and a School of Nursing, and is affiliated to the Aga Khan University Hospital, which is located on the same campus. The Faculty of Health Sciences and the Aga Khan University Hospital together for the Aga Khan University Medical Centre (AKYNC).

The Medical College has a two-pronged approaches to medical education that includes both medical care in the environment of a technologically advanced teaching hospital, and the delivery of primary care to the poor in the katchi abadis, or shantytowns of Karachi. Medical students are trained to deal with the health problems of the third world through a curriculum that emphasizes both medical and community health sciences. The acquire clinical experience not only in the Aga Khan University Hospital, but also in primary care programmes in Karachi's poorest neighbourhood.

The School of Nursing Shares the Medical College's goals in delivering high quality care in both the hospital and the community environment. It also aims to establish new standards and a higher status for the nursing profession in Pakistan: its Baccalaureate Programme, designed to train leaders in nursing services and education, is the first of its kind in Pakistan. The School has benefited from privileged links with McMaster University in Canada. For both the Medical College and the School of Nursing, the principal site for clinical training is the Aga Khan University Hospital, a major teaching hospital that provides a broad range of secondary care and related specialized service. Care is available to all, regardless of creed; patients unable to pay receive care under a variety of subsidy and welfare schemes.

AKU's Institute for Educational Development (IED) is dedicated to the improvement of teaching, teacher training and educational research relevant to the needs of Pakistan and the developing world. Building upon Network experience in school improvement and field-based teacher development, IED aims to develop innovative models of educational change. Its approach to teacher training emphasizes the school-based internship, and its first Professional Development Centre is located on the campus of AKES's Sultan Muhammad Shah School in Karachi. To meet the needs of rural teachers, IED plans to open a Professional Development Centre in Gilgit, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. IED's programmes have been developed in collaboration with Oxford University and the University of Toronto.

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral The Dark Age (410-1453 A.D.) & Islamic History Encyclopedia Topic

The Dark Age is widely known as the Middle Age, and was coined as media tempora (middle time) during the 16th century. The Middle Age is also known as Medieval Age. By the end of 17th century, it was also called medium aevum (middle period). The Middle Age began with the fall of the Roman Empire in 410 A.D., which includes the Islamic history as follows: - The Prophet (571-632 A.D.), Pious Caliphs (632-661 A.D.), Umayyads of Damascus (661-750 A.D.), Abbasids (750-1258 A.D.), Umayyads of Spain (756-1027 A.D.), Fatimids (909-1160 A.D.) and Crusades (1095-1270 A.D.)

Encyclopaedia of Ismailism by Mumtaz Ali Tajddingeneral ThekaneEncyclopedia Topic

At the place of

Various Sources TheraiEncyclopedia Topic

Correct, prepared

Various Sources TheroEncyclopedia Topic

Be firm

Various Sources ThiandaEncyclopedia Topic

Will be

Various Sources ThieEncyclopedia Topic

Be

Various Sources