The Founder of Cairo

The Fatimid Imam-Caliph al-Mu'izz and his Era

Shainool Jiwa

• Publisher: I.B. Tauris
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN:
  9781780765280
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780857733719
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: African History
• Index: History

The reign of the founder of Cairo, the fourth Fatimid Imam-caliph al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah (341-365/953-975), marks a watershed in the transformation of the Fatimid state from a regional North African dynasty to an expansive Mediterranean empire. It was also under al- Mu'izz that articulations of the supreme authority of the Fatimid Ismaili imamate were written and disseminated across various regions of Fatimid influence. The writings of Idris 'Imad al-Din (d. 872/1468) provide a distinctive presentation of the Fatimid imamate from the perspective of the Ismaili da'wa itself. as the chief d'ai of the Yemeni Tayyib Ismailis, Idris composed his monumental "Uyun al-akhbar wa funun al-athar' as a record of the Ismaili imamate from its inception to his own time. in doing so, Idris drew upon the rich repertoire of Ismaili and non-Ismaili sources that had been part of the corpus of the Fatimid literary tradition, many of which have subsequently been lost due to the vagaries of time and circumstance. As the only surviving medieval Ismaili work documenting the history of the Fatimid dynasty, the "Uy-un al-akhbar' is among its principal primary sources.
This book provides the first annotated English translation of the extensive chapter on al-Mu'izz in the "Uy-un', which remains a vital yet relatively unknown Ismaili source. The introduction to this work not only outlines the salient features of al-Mu'izz's reign but also examines Idris' purpose and approach to historical writing. In providing an insider's account of the reign of one of the most influential rulers of the medieval Muslim world, this work will be of particular interest to students of Ismaili history and thought, medieval Mediterranean history and Muslim historiography.

Translation from Idrīs ‘Imād al-Dīn’s ʿUyūn al-akhbār

herePreamble

A select account of events (akhbār) during the reign of Imam al-Muʿizz li-Dīn Allāh, the Commander of the Faithful (amīr al-muʾminīn), Maʿadd Abū Tamīm b. Ismāʿīl al-Manṣūr bi’llāh, blessings of God be upon them both and upon their pure ancestors and their noble descendants.

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Praise be to God who established His awliyāʾ (friends of God) as a means to the salvation of His creation, about whom the Sublime (taʿālā) said in His Noble Book: ‘Those apostles We endowed with gifts, some above others; to one of them God spoke, others He raised to degrees (of honour)’ (2:253).¹⁰⁷

Blessings of God upon His Messenger Muḥammad, the means (wasīla) to God, the one by whose merit prayers are answered, and upon his waṣī,¹⁰⁸ ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, and upon their progeny the foremost greetings and best salutations.

In the account of Imam al-Manṣūr bi’llāh,¹⁰⁹ we have narrated some befitting information on Imam al-Muʿizz li-Dīn Allāh, Commander of the Faithful, blessings of God be upon him and upon his ancestors and upon the pure ones among his progeny. Now we shall mention some [reports] of God’s favours and distinctions upon him, and of the conquests undertaken during his reign. We shall select, summarise, distil and present some of these accounts. From God we seek succour and upon Him we rely.

hereAl-Muʿizz and the cycles of the imamate

Al-Muʿizz is the seventh of the second heptade of imams in the cycle (dawr) of the Prophet Muḥammad, who arose after the waṣī (legatee), the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī, and the fourth of the four imams of the period of manifestation (al-ẓuhūr),¹¹⁰ the first of whom was his [great] grandfather Abū Muḥammad, the Imam al-Mahdī bi’llāh.

Al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān was among those who had precedence in serving the Imam al-Mahdī bi’llāh towards the end of his caliphate. He was also the beneficiary of the favours of [the Imam] al-Qāʾim bi-Amr Allāh as were others. As such, Imam al-Mahdī bi’llāh disclosed to him the distinction of his grandson Imam al-Manṣūr bi’llāh, the third imam of the ẓuhūr. Al-Nuʿmān asked, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, three imams in one age?’ This astounded him. Imam al-Mahdī bi’llāh showed him al-Muʿizz li-Dīn Allāh who was an infant in his cradle and said, ‘He is the fourth of us, O Nuʿmān!’

In the time of the Prophet Ibrāhīm al-Khalīl (Abraham, the friend of God) four [prophets] came together. Ibrāhīm al-Khalīl, the nāṭiq (messenger-prophet) of his cycle, to whom God sent revelation and said, ‘I will make you an imam to the nations.’¹¹¹ He pleaded, ‘And also [imams] from my offspring.’ (2:124). With him were Ismāʿīl (Ishmael), Isḥāq (Isaac) and Yaʿqūb (Jacob). Also, in the time of Mūsā (Moses) b. ʿImrān there were with him his brother Hārūn (Aaron), Yūshaʿ (Joshua) b. Nūn and Finḥāṣ (Phinehas) b. Hārūn.

Then in the time of our Prophet Muḥammad, the best of the prophets and their seal, by whose prophethood and messengership God sealed the [cycle of] messenger-prophets, He distinguished him (Muḥammad) among all His creation and decreed his path eternal until the Day of Judgement. During his era there was present his brother and helper, his support in establishing the religion of God and his aide, the father of the imams of his progeny, his son-in-law, ʿAlī, who was his waṣī, the Commander of the Faithful and the seal of the legatees (khātim al-waṣiyyīn), and [there were] their sons al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn. With Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq were his sons Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar and his grandson Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl, three imams in one era. This was also the case with al-Mahdī bi’llāh, al-Qāʾim bi-Amr Allāh, al-Manṣūr bi’llāh and al-Muʿizz li-Dīn Allāh. The imamate can only reside in one [imam] after another; he is distinguished by its merits and deserving of its exalted status. The imam indicates his successor and designates him (yanuṣṣu ʿalayhi), and then makes clear to the adherents of the daʿwa who is to succeed him and to whom submission is due. Al-Muʿizz li-Dīn Allāh’s virtues were apparent, and the worthiness of his succesorship to his pure ancestors was evident.

3The virtues of al-Muʿizz according to his predecessors

In one of al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān b. Muḥammad’s reports on Imam al-Muʿizz li-Dīn Allāh, al-Nuʿmān recalls al-Muʿizz saying:¹¹² ‘I recollect what the Commander of the Faithful al-Mahdī bi’llāh said. One day I (al-Muʿizz) was carried to al-Mahdī. I was a toddler then, I could understand what was said and remember what took place. He held me, kissed me and placed me under his cloak. He uncovered my navel and placed it against his own. Then he lifted me out, blessed me and asked about my health. He sat me on his lap and ordered some food for me. I was offered a silver gilded plate; upon it were bananas, seasonal apples and grapes. It was placed in front of me but I did not eat any of it. He picked it up and offered it to me, so I took it in my hands. He said, “Take it, eat what is on it and give the plate to so and so”, he mentioned a girl who was of a similar age to me. I replied, “No, instead, I will take the plate and will give her what is on it.” He laughed and was astonished at my alertness. He wished me well and said to the servant, “Carry him.” So I was carried whilst the plate was carried in front of me. Al-Mahdī then added, “He will become prominent.”’ I (al-Nuʿmān) did not corroborate these words with al-Muʿizz.¹¹³

Then al-Muʿizz remarked, ‘Al-Mahdī was unique in his time and was vested with the secrets of the progeny of Muḥammad; he was the most knowledgeable of them and the one who lifted the cloak of tribulations from them.’

Al-Nuʿmān has said:¹¹⁴ From a young age, al-Muʿizz li-Dīn Allāh had a special status with his grandfather al-Qāʾim. Al-Qāʾim used to keep al-Muʿizz in his company, was close to him and confided in him in the absence of his father [al-Manṣūr]. Al-Muʿizz was his messenger and ambassador to the people, conveying commands and prohibitions and anything else. Whenever al-Qāʾim was alone al-Muʿizz was with him, and whenever al-Muʿizz was absent al-Qāʾim would send for him.

Similarly, Imam al-Manṣūr held the same position with his grandfather al-Mahdī and was inseparable from him. Al-Mahdī used to confide secrets to al-Manṣūr and no one was privy to what transpired between them. One man, who used to frequent the presence of al-Mahdī when necessary, informed me that there was never a time when al-Mahdī was alone without al-Manṣūr being present, with whom al-Mahdī would be speaking in confidence. When al-Manṣūr saw the man, he would step back until the man’s needs were fulfilled. When he left, al-Manṣūr returned to al-Mahdī. The man remarked, ‘I never heard what was said between them. I did not know of any of those close to al-Mahdī who held the same status with him as did al-Manṣūr. I never saw anyone who, when speaking with him (al-Mahdī) in private, and then after my entry, I could not hear what was said between them – except in the case of al-Manṣūr.’

One day al-Muʿizz noted a similarity to this [relationship], saying that al-Mahdī bi’llāh used to nurture al-Manṣūr with wisdom (ḥikma) and prepare him for the imamate, just as al-Qāʾim did with him.¹¹⁵

Al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān reported:¹¹⁶ I was accompanying al-Muʿizz li-Dīn Allāh on one of his journeys. During this, al-Muʿizz mentioned al-Qāʾim, the special status al-Qāʾim had granted him, and his affection and closeness to him. He also mentioned what al-Manṣūr had to endure due to the prolonged period during which the matter of his [appointment] was kept secret, and the postponement of its disclosure until the time of al-Qāʾim’s death approached.

Al-Muʿizz said: ‘I entered al-Qāʾim’s presence after he had [publicly] proclaimed al-Manṣūr [as his successor] and appointed him over the people, 12 years after the day al-Qāʾim had [priv...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Translation from Idrīs ‘Imād al-Dīn’s ʿUyūn al-akhbār
• Bibliography
• Index
• eCopyright