Aljamea-tus-Saifyah’s Emblem
Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah’s emblem, or shiʿār as it is known in Arabic, conveys key concepts of Fatimi learning and upbringing. Each element included in the emblem was selected by Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA and includes two Quranic verses, a hadīth sharīf of Nabi Mohammed SA and couplets composed by Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA himself.
Scroll down to know more about each element of the emblem.
Al-Jāmiʿ al-Azhar Arch
The outermost arch is a replica from an arch in the transept of the grand Fatimi Masjid, al-Jāmiʿ al-Azhar, in Cairo. Its position in Aljamea’s emblem signifies the academy’s affiliation to Fatimi thought and culture and adherence to its principles. This particular arch was chosen for the floriated Kufic inscription of Quranic verses that adorn it. The verses speak of the recipients of Allah’s Good and describes them as being free from the fear of hellfire and punishment and welcomed by angels on the Day of Judgement for the good that they have done (21:101-03). Aljamea is a venue for acquiring knowledge which according to the Islamic tradition is of divine origin and is a goodness that Allah bestows upon his select servants.
Āyat Sharīfa
Beneath the Azhar arch lies the following verse from the Holy Quran: “Devote yourselves absolutely to your Lord alone, according to the scripture you preach and the teachings you learn” (3:79). Addressing teachers and students both, this verse highlights the quintessential purpose of both acquiring and imparting knowledge: to increase devotion towards the Creator and utilise it in the service of His Creation.
Hadīth Sharīf
A hadīth sharīf in which Amirul Mumineen Ali bin Abi Talib SA is described by the Nabi Mohammed SA as being the caretaker and nurturer of the Islamic Ummah is at the centre of the emblem in a unique calligraphic form. Both in its meaning and its placement, it refers to the centrality of Amirul Mumineen’s SA teachings and acts in the process of education and the upbringing of a Muslim man and woman.
Arabic Panegyric
Lastly, couplets from an Arabic panegyric in praise of the Fatimi imams AS composed by His Holiness Dr Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA form the base of the emblem. The first couplet is a declaration of devotion and homage to Allah and the Fatimi imams through the continuous recital of their names and a supplication for strength in seeking knowledge. Indeed, the foundation of learning in Aljamea rests upon a sincere trust in Allah and supplication to Him and His beloveds.
Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah
This combination of Quranic verses, the Nabi Mohammed’s SA hadīth sharīf and Syedna Taher Saifuddin’s RA couplets represents the unbroken chain of Fatimi thought and learning embodied in Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah, whose name in Arabic lies at the very bottom of the emblem.
