The Fatimid Caliphate Isma'ilism

1 fatimid caliphate

1.1 rise of fatimid caliphate
1.2 middle east under fatimid rule
1.3 decline of caliphate

the fatimid caliphate


al-hakim mosque in cairo, egypt, ismāʿīlī imām , fatimid caliph.


rise of fatimid caliphate

the political asceticism practiced imāms during period after muhammad ibn ismail short lived , concluded imāmate of abdullah al-mahdi billah, born in 873. after decades of ismāʿīlīs believing muhammad ibn ismail in occultation , return bring age of justice, al-mahdi taught imāms had not been literally secluded, rather had remained hidden protect , had been organizing da i, , acted da themselves.

after raising army , defeating aghlabids in north africa , number of other victories, al-mahdi billah established shi political state ruled imāmate in 910. time in history shi imamate , caliphate united after first imam, ali ibn abi talib.

in parallel dynasty s claim of descent ‘alī , fāṭimah, empire named fatimid . however, not without controversy, , recognizing extent ismāʿīlī doctrine had spread, abbasid caliphate assigned sunni , twelver scholars task disprove lineage of new dynasty. became known baghdad manifesto , traces lineage of fatimids jewish blacksmith.

the middle east under fatimid rule

the fatimid caliphate @ peak.

the fatimid caliphate expanded under subsequent imāms. under fatimids, egypt became center of empire included @ peak north africa, sicily, palestine, syria, red sea coast of africa, yemen, hejaz , tihamah. under fatimids, egypt flourished , developed extensive trade network in both mediterranean sea , indian ocean, determined economic course of egypt during high middle ages.

the fatimids promoted ideas radical time. 1 promotion merit rather genealogy.

also during period 3 contemporary branches of ismailism formed. first branch (druze) occurred al-hakim bi-amr allah. born in 985, ascended ruler @ age of eleven. religious group began forming in lifetime broke off mainstream ismailism , refused acknowledge successor. later known druze, believe al-hakim manifestation of god , prophesied mahdi, 1 day return , bring justice world. faith further split ismailism developed unique doctrines class separately both ismailism , islam.

arwa al-sulayhi hujjah in yemen time of imam al mustansir. appointed dai in yemen run religious affairs. ismaili missionaries ahmed , abadullah (in 1067 ad(460ah)) sent india in time. sent syedi nuruddin dongaon after southern part , syedi fakhruddin east rajasthan, india.

the second split occurred following death of al-mustansir billah in 1094. rule longest of caliph in both fatimid , other islamic empires. after died, sons nizar, older, , al-musta li, younger, fought political , spiritual control of dynasty. nizar defeated , jailed, according nizari sources son escaped alamut, iranian ismāʿīlī had accepted claim.

the mustaali line split again between taiyabi , hafizi, former claiming 21st imām , son of al-amir bi-ahkami l-lah went occultation , appointed dāʿī al-muṭlaq guide community, in similar manner ismāʿīlī had lived after death of muhammad ibn ismail. latter claimed ruling fatimid caliph imām.

however, in mustaali branch, dai came have similar more important task. term dāʻī al-mutlaq (arabic: الداعي المطلق‎) literally means absolute or unrestricted missionary . dai source of imām s knowledge after occultation of al-qasim in mustaali thought.

according taiyabi ismaili tradition, after death of imām al-amīr, infant son, at-tayyib abu l-qasim, 2 years old, protected important woman in musta li history after prophet s daughter, fatimah. arwa al-sulayhi, queen in yemen. promoted post of hujjah long before imām mustansir @ death of husband. ran dawat yemen in name of imaam tayyib. instructed , prepared imām mustansir , ran dawat yemen in name of imaam tayyib, following imāms second period of satr. going on hands, imām tayyib go seclusion, , institute office of dāʻī al-mutlaq. zoeb bin moosa first instituted office. dai continued in yemen 24th dai yusuf shifted dawat india. . before shift of dawat in india dai s representative known wali-ul-hind. syedi hasan feer 1 of prominent ismaili wali of 14th century. line of tayyib dais began in 1132 still continuing under main sect known dawoodi bohra (see list of dai of dawoodi bohra).

the mustaali split several times on disputes regarding rightful dāʿī al-muṭlaq, leader of community within occultation.

after 27th dai, syedna dawood bin qutub shah, there split; ones following syedna dawood came called dawoodi bohra, , followers of suleman called sulaimani. dawoodi bohra s present dai al mutlaq, 53rd, syedna mufaddal saifuddin, , , devout followers tread same path, following same tradition of aimmat fatimiyyeen. sulaymani concentrated in yemen , saudi arabia communities in south asia. dawoodi bohra , alavi bohra exclusive south asia, after migration of da wah yemen india. other groups include atba-i-malak , hebtiahs bohra. mustaali beliefs , practices, unlike of nizari , druze, compatible mainstream islam, representing continuation of fatimid tradition , fiqh.

decline of caliphate

in 1040s, zirid dynasty (governors of maghreb under fatimids) declared independence , conversion sunni islam, led devastating banu hilal invasions. after 1070, fatimid hold on levant coast , parts of syria challenged first turkish invasions, first crusade, fatimid territory shrunk until consisted of egypt. damascus fell seljuk empire in 1076, leaving fatimids in charge of egypt , levantine coast tyre , sidon. because of vehement opposition fatimids seljuks, ismaili movement able operate terrorist underground movement, assassins.

after decay of fatimid political system in 1160s, zengid ruler nur ad-din, atabeg of aleppo had general, saladin, seize egypt in 1169, forming sunni ayyubid dynasty. signaled end of hafizi mustaali branch of ismailism fatimid caliphate.