Our 23rd Holy Pir Shams was born in Subzwar, Iran. His father was Hazrat Pir Sahebdin and mother's name was Fatima binte Sayyed Abdul Hadi. Our 29th Imam Kassim Shah appointed Pir Shams to propagate (Dawat) the Ismaili faith outside Iran. Pir Shams reached Badakshan, Ghazni, Kashmir and many other places in Hindustan. Pir Shams was also known as Pir Shams Subzwar because he spent part of his life in that place. In Ginans he has also been called Pir Shams Chot (because he had long hair which he tied as chotli). Pir Shams composed many ginans and granths.

The fundamental role of the university is to be at the forefront of knowledge and to disseminate knowledge within the community. When the transfer of knowledge to the wider community and practitioner happens, then the university indirectly improves the care that is being provided to the peopl

In these troubled times, it is my prayer that Navroz will herald a new beginning, with greater resilience, strength and unity in my Jamat to overcome all forms of difficulty. While the Jamatkhanas will continue to be re-opened as the situation improves, I wish my Jamat to keep in mind the importance I attach to our historic tradition of personal, private prayer.

You may know how, in ancient times, the common view was that nature had separated humankind into distinctive peoples. Aristotle was among the first to reject such arbitrary distinctions, and to conceptualize the human race as a single whole. It is interesting to note that his young pupil, on whom he impressed this notion, turned out to be Alexander the Great - whose international empire was animated by this new intellectual outlook