The Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya and its place in Ismaili thought

At Salaam Talks in Harrow, Dr Daryoush Mohammad Poor showed how Fatimid and Alamut scholars read the prayers of Imam Zayn al-Abidin, a Shia classic, long seen as belonging to Twelver Shia alone.

Dr Daryoush Mohammad Poor gestures with a pen as he speaks into a microphone at a lecture table.

South Asian Studies research presentations in Houston

Hussain Jasani presented a report on the research by the South Asian Studies unit at IIS. His talks at the Ismaili Centre Houston and at Beaumont Jamatkhana explored research being undertaken on ginans, Khojki manuscripts and the preservation of community heritage materials.

Hussain Jasani speaking into a microphone and gesturing beside a screen displaying IIS book covers.

Beyond the classroom: STEP explores faith and practice

STEP student-teachers explore faith, ethics, and practice through scholarship, reflection, and encounters with lived traditions. Discover how these experiences connect religious understanding with classroom-based learning.

STEP Cohort 18 group of around 25 people, standing and kneeling in two rows in a seminar room.

About us

The Institute of Ismaili Studies, established in 1977, is a higher education, research and teaching institution dedicated to high-quality scholarship and education on Islam and Muslim societies, with a particular focus on Ismaili and broader Shiʿi studies, encompassing their historical and geographical contexts.

Students gathered outdoors, laughing together while reading a book.

Graduate studies

We currently offer two graduate programmes that attract students from Ismaili communities worldwide.

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Short Courses

Our Short Courses introduce participants to social, cultural, and civilisational approaches to the study of Islam and Muslim societies, with a particular focus on Ismaili contexts.

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Library study space at The Institute of Ismaili Studies for Dissertation Writing Scholarship Applicants

Scholarship and Fellowship

The Institute offers several scholarship and fellowship programmes to suitable candidates with a focus on Islamic studies or other areas of interest to IIS.

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Discover our research

Research at IIS seeks to contribute to the field of Islamic studies in general, with a particular focus on Shiʿi and Ismaili studies.

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Explore our publications

The Institute of Ismaili Studies publishes works by its own scholars as well as from the academic community outside the Institute.

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Video

Scholarly perspectives on women leading congregational prayer

Dr Karen Bauer explores Qur’anic evidence, early Muslim precedents, and juristic rulings on women leading mixed-gender prayer.

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Karen Bauer at the Aga Khan Centre with geometric artwork in the background

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Understanding ginans and their literary and cultural significance

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Dr Wafi Momin, Head of Ismaili Special Collections, pictured against a red and blue geometric backdrop.

Video

IIS Research on Central Asian Studies

The Central Asian Studies Unit at IIS presents 15 short videos on the Ismailis of Central Asia and Afghanistan. Dr Hakim Elnazarov and Dr Yahia Baiza explore their histories, rituals, manuscripts, oral traditions, and languages.

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Safe: A speaker talks to camera in a studio, seated beside books including Russian Scholars on Ismailism.

Video

Understanding translations of the Qur’an

Dr Stephen Burge explores why there are so many different translations of the Qur’an, how to select a translation that closely reflects the original meaning, and the role of Arabic in understanding the Qur’anic text.

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