With death comes life. So it was with the Alam al-Khayal Foundation. In 2005, the world suffered two tragedies.

In May of that year, Martin Lings, Saint, Scholar-Speaker of Comparative Religion, Guide and Beacon of light to thousands of people passed away. Amongst his students are some of the world’s most enlightened personalities who continue in the tradition of seeking and spreading knowledge. It was to honour the memory and continue the work of Martin Lings in spiritual and interfaith education that AKF began its own life – by starting the Martin Lings Memorial Lecture series.

Later in the same year, on 5th October 2005, in seven short minutes, 80,000 men, women and children died while 3 million were displaced in a devastating earthquake that shook Pakistan. AKF, like every other organisation, entity and individual in Pakistan joined hands in humanitarian aid work rehabilitating refugees and addressing the economic, psychological and logistical crises that arose on a scale unseen in this century. Thus began the life of AKF – addressing civil society issues holistically in all their multiple facets.