Posted by The Tayyibi Ismaili scholar and author Idris Imad al-Din (d. 1468 CE) was the chief da’i of the Yemeni Ismaili da’wa, descended from the prominent al-Walid family, who led the Tayyibi Musta‘lian Ismaili administration for more than three centuries. Thus, Idris had access to the literary heritage of the Ismailis, including the majority of the surviving Fatimid texts.
In his seven-volume Uyun al-akhbar wa funun al-athar (‘Sound Sources and Trustworthy Traditions‘), composed around 1434, Idris recounts the key developments in Ismaili history from the time of Prophet Muhammad and the Shi’i Ismaili Imams until the decline of the Fatimid dynasty in the twelfth century. The text draws upon the sayings and anecdotes of Imam al-Mu’izz as recounted by his chief judge and chief da’i al-Qadi al-Nu’man (d. 974).
“The works of al-Nu’man are among the earliest Fatimid writings on the history and doctrines of the Ismaili imams, as well as the authoritative source on al-Mu’izz’s words and actions. Idris’s extensive referencing of the Qadi’s works in his narrative indicates their continued importance in Ismaili thought, long after the demise of the Fatimid state” (The Founder of Cairo p 2).
The fourth Fatimid Caliph and fourteenth Ismaili Imam al-Mu’izz (r. 953-975), succeeded his father at the age of twenty-one years. During his reign of twenty-two years, Imam al-Mu’izz reigned over the North Africa from the shores of the Atlantic to the Red Sea, conquering Egypt in 969. He came into contact with a host of regional powers, each dynasty committed to expanding its domain, causing political as well as ideological conflict, often resulting in military confrontations. “In determining his responses to these challenges as well as in venturing into diplomatic and economic interactions, al-Mu’izz had the opportunity and acumen to draw upon the experience of his three predecessors who had weathered numerous internal and external challenges in their half century of rule over the region” (The Founder of Cairo, p 10).
Imam al-Mu’izz’s quest for knowledge
“The Commander of the Faithful [al-Mu’izz] directed the matters of his da’wa and opened the gates of his knowledge and wisdom. He used to sit in person to exhort his supporters (shi’a) and followers with the lofty exhortations and instill in them learning and good action. He taught them himself and drew their young and their old close to him. The wisdom, knowledge and eloquence that he manifested was not evident in anyone else.
He was distinguished in the various types of knowledge, attaining a proficiency in some areas that even the experts lacked. Al-Qadi al-Nu’man b. Muhammad has recounted his merits, virtues and erudition which were possessed by none other than God’s proofs and awliya whom He had appointed to guide His servants, chose them for His lands, and designated them successors to the prophets and imams of the faithful.
God’s support of al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah was evident in the eloquence and knowledge that he manifested from the early years of his life and experience. People knew of no teacher to teach him or inspirer to inspire him except for the imam (wali Allah) who confided his secrets in him and made him responsible after him. He imparted the knowledge of his forefathers that they had inherited from the Messenger of God, which had been revealed in his heart by the Trustworthy Spirit (al-ruh al-amin).* Even so, he coveted knowledge, avidly seeking it, augmenting it and was eager for it.
It was reported from al-Qadi al-Nu’man, that he said:
I heard al-Mu’izz expressing what he felt by saying, ‘By God, I find no greater bliss, comfort and yearning than in seeking knowledge. If the people of this lower world were to discover this, they would renounce everything for it. If God in His Majesty had not obligated me to attend to the exoteric (zahir) matters of this world, to establish support for the people and to ensure their welfare, I would have renounced that in pursuit of knowledge and reflected over it. Nonetheless, the responsibility that I have been designated with concerning the matters of this world entails considerable knowledge for those who comprehend, and a proof for those who consider and contemplate.
Al-Qadi al-Nu’man narrated a similar report regarding Imam al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah. He said: One day while I was accompanying al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah to attend to a matter, something was mentioned concerning knowledge which had been discussed previously.
He said:
I came across something similar a few nights ago and I know a work that discusses the issue, so I sent for it. However, the one who was to bring the book did not know its location. So I went in person to the library and opened some trunks. I began searching for that work in the place where I reckoned it should be. That was in the early evening. I leafed through the books. Every time I came across a text and thumbed through it, I saw something I wished to examine. Then another text would pass my hands and the same thing would happen. I continued standing, leafing through one text after another. So engrossed was I in what I was doing that I did not think to sit down. Only when it was midnight did I become aware of my prolonged standing after I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I left, and when I awoke [the next morning] the pain was still afflicting my leg.
*In a number of sayings attributed to the Imams Muhammad al-Baqir and Ja’far al-Sadiq, the imams were said to be inspired by the ‘Holy Spirit’ (al-Ruh al-Qudus), by which they are guided, protected and granted knowledge of the unseen. In subsequent Shi’i Imami thought, the notions relating to this celestial spirit, one with Qur’anic antecedents, become integral in conceptions of the imamate” (The Founder of Cairo, p 106, n 235).
~*~*~
“The quest for knowledge is never-ending, and those with the necessary preparedness must pay close attention to the advice that God addresses to the Prophet: ‘Say: “My Lord, increase me in knowledge” (Qur’an 20:114) (Chittick, The Islamic concept of Human Perfection p 3).
“In Islamic belief, knowledge is two-fold. There is that revealed through the Holy Prophet [Salla-llahu ‘alayhi wa- sallam] and that which man discovers by virtue of his own intellect. Nor do these two involve any contradiction, provided man remembers that his own mind is itself the creation of God. Without this humility, no balance is possible. With it, there are no barriers. Indeed one strength of Islam has always lain in its belief that creation is not static but continuous, that through scientific and other endeavours, God has opened and continues to open new windows for us to see the marvels of His creation.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Karachi, 16 March 1983
Speech
Sources:
The Founder of Cairo, Translated with annotations by Shainool Jiwa, I.B. Tauris, London, 2013, p 106-108
Video – Shainool Jiwa discuses The Founder of Cairo
Nimira's Blog 