Al-Mu幣ayyad fil-D朝n al-Sh朝rz朝 (d. 470/1087) was an outstanding Ismaili scholar of Persian origin. He excelled as a missionary-agent (糸偵平朝Lit. ‘summoner,’ a term for missionary amongst various Muslim communities, especially used among the Ismailis before and during the Fatimid period as well as in the Alamut period of Ismaili…), statesman and poet. Towards the end of his long and active life, al-Mu幣ayyad became the head of the Ismaili mission (糸温平敬温Lit. ‘summons’, ‘mission’ or invitation to Islam. Amongst Shi’i Muslims, it was the invitation to adopt the cause of the Imamat. It also refers more specifically to the hierarchy of…) the chief 糸偵平朝 in the time of the Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Mustansir in Cairo.
Based on his memoirs, 皆朝姻温t al-Mu幣ayyad fi’l D朝n, this work provides an insight into the remarkable life and achievements of al-Mu幣ayyad through important stages of his career. Written in a masterful Arabic literary style and rhetoric, the 皆朝姻温 describes in detail his daring attempt to win over the B笛yid rulers of western Iran to the Fatimid cause; his flight to Cairo where his ambitions to be near the Imam are initially frustrated by powerful court officials; and finally, his expedition to Syria and Iraq as a Fatimid plenipotentiary to forge an alliance of local rulers against the Salj笛k Turks invading the central Islamic lands from the East.
Through a close analysis of the 皆朝姻温, the author of the book demonstrates that, in addition to being a personal account of a highly dedicated Fatimid 糸偵平朝, this is a rich historical source on the organisation and function of the Ismaili mission. It is also an extensive and valuable source for Islamic history in the 5th/11th century, dealing with crucial events in the struggle between the FatimidsMajor Muslim dynasty of Ismaili caliphs in North Africa (from 909) and later in Egypt (9731171) More, AbbasidsMajor Muslim dynasty of Sunni caliphs that ruled in Baghdad (750-1258)., B笛yids and Salj笛qs for political and military supremacy in the Muslim world. Thus, al-Mu幣ayyads memoirs serve as a unique magnifying glass concentrating the international political dynamics of the age in the narrative of one life and destiny.
Preface
Introduction
Part I: Al-Mu幣ayyads Mission in Frs
2. The Rise and Fall of a 糸偵平朝
3. Al-Mu幣ayyads Memoirs as a Source for History
4. The Self-portrayal of a 糸偵平朝
Part II: Al-Mu幣ayyad in Egypt and Syria
5. Al-Mu幣ayyad at the Fatimid Court in Cairo
6. Al-Mu幣ayyads Political Mission in Northern Syria
Part III: Al-Mu幣ayyad at the Pinnacle of his Career
7. Al-Mu幣ayyad as Chief 糸偵平朝 in Cairo
8. Epilogue
Appendix 1: The Works of al-Mu幣ayyad fil-D朝n al-Sh朝rz朝
Appendix 2: The Hierarchy and Pedagogy of the Fatimid 糸温平敬温
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Verena Klemm is professor at the Institute of Arabic Studies at the University of Leipzig. A specialist in Islamic history and Arabic Literature, she obtained her doctorate in Islamic studies from the University of T端bingen in 1988. Dr Klemm is the author of Die Mission des fa畊imidschen Agenten al-Mu幣ayyad f朝d-din in S朝rz (Frankfurt, 1989) and other studies on Islamic subjects in German and English.