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The word azan is derived from izn which means anything that is heard (uzun meaning the ear), and azan or ta'dhin means a making known or an announcement of prayer. According to Bukhari (10:1-2), when the Muslims came to Medina, they used, at first, to have a time appointed for prayer, thus a consultation was held at which suggestions for ringing a bell or blowing a horn having been rejected. It was proposed that a man should be appointed who should call out for prayer. Ibn Hisham (p.

"Her Excellency Madame Suzanne Mubarak inaugurated the 30-hectare (74-acre) al Azhar Park in the presence of the Present Imam in Cairo on March 25, 2005. The al-Azhar Park Project is a catalyst for social, economic and cultural renewal and improvement and will have far reaching consequences for the 200,000 residents of the neighbouring Darb al-Ahmar district.

"Close by the palace rose the mosque, extending to the foot of Jabal al-Muqattam, named Jam-i Azhar, on 24th Jamada I, 359/April 4, 970, where a big library and school were erected. Since the title of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet and the wife of Ali, was Az-Zohra (the bright) and in her honour, it was named Al-Azhar, being the masculine form of Az-Zohra. Philip K. Hitti writes in Capital Cities of Arab Islam (London, 1973, p. 114) that, "It took two years (970-972) to build.

970 AD. Mosque built by Jawhar for Imam al-Muiz. Became a University during the time of Imam al-Aziz. Named after Fatima az-Zahra. Attended by approximately 10,000 students.

"He was born on 14th Muharram, 344/May 10, 955 in Mahdiya. His name was Nizar Abu Mansur, surnamed al-Aziz bi-llah (August by the grace of God). He assumed the Imamate and Caliphate on 14th Rabi II, 365/December 21, 975. He was tall, broad shouldered, with reddish hair and large eyes having a dark blue colour.

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.

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.

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.