Part of a series on Shia Islam Ismailism Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ...

Branches

Nizari • Druze • Mustaali Image File history File links Size of this preview: 150 × 120 pixelsFull resolution (150 × 120 pixel, file size: 9 KB, MIME type: image/gif) It was found here http://www. ... Main article: Ismaili The NizārÄ«yya (Arabic النزاريون Al-Nizarin) are the largest branch of the IsmāīlÄ« (in Persian: اسماعیلیه) and make up over two thirds of IsmāīlÄ« Muslims. ... Religions Druze Scriptures Rasail al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom) Languages Arabic. ... This group is named Mustaali because they follow Imam Mustalli, after Imam Mustansir Billah, and not Nazaar whom the Aga Khan group consider as their Imam. ...

Pillars

Walayah • Salah Zakah • Sawm • Hajj • Jihad Taharah • Shahada Shia Ismaili Seven Pillars of Islam have three doctrines that are not included in the Sunni Five Pillars of Islam: Walayah, Taharah and Jihad. ... Guardianship is a Ismaili and Druze pillar of Islam. ... Salat redirects here. ... This is a sub-article of Islamic economical jurisprudence. ... Sawm (Arabic: صوم) is an Arabic word for fasting regulated by Islamic jurisprudence. ... A supplicating pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram, the mosque which was built around the Kaaba (the cubical building at center). ... For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ... This article is about Hygiene in Islam. ... , // Shāhāda is a town in the northwest corner of Maharashtra state in India, now in Nandurbār District (formerly in Dhule District). ...

Concepts

The Qur'an • The Ginans Reincarnation • Panentheism Imam • Pir • Da'i al-Mutlaq Aql • Numerology • Taqiyya Zahir • Batin An esoteric interpretation of the Qur’an is an interpretation of the Qur’an which includes attribution of esoteric or mystic meanings to the text by the interpretater and in this aspect its method is different from the conventional exegesis of the Qur’an called tafsir. ... The Ginans are Nizari Ismaili religious texts. ... The belief in reincarnation in Nizari Ismailism is attested to in the Ginans and Ismailis perform chantas yearly, one of which is for sins committed in past lives. ... With the exception of the Mustaali Ismaili, most Ismaili believe in panentheism, meaning God is both reality and transcendent of it. ... This is a sub-article to Imamah (Shia doctrine). ... A Pir (Persian: پیر) meaning Old Man. ... The term Dāˤī al-Mutlaq (Arabic: الداعي المطلق) literally means the absolute or unrestricted missionary. In IsmāīlÄ« Islām, the term dāˤī has been used to refer to important religious leaders other than the hereditary Imāms and the Daˤwa or Mission is a clerical-style organisation. ... Shias believe that the souls of the Prophets and the Imams are derived from the first light in the universe which was created by Allah, the light of Aql, which in Arabic roughly translates as knowledge. ... Ismailis believe that numbers have religious meanings. ... Within Islamic tradition, the concept of Taqiyya (التقية - fear, guard against)[1] refers to a controversial dispensation allowing believers to conceal their faith when under threat, persecution or compulsion. ... The exterior or apparent meaning of the Quran. ... The interior or hidden meaning of the Quran. ...

History

All Imams • Fatimid Empire Hamza ibn Ali • ad-Darazi Hassan-i-Sabbah • Hashashin Dawoodi • Sulaimani • Alavi Hafizi • Taiyabi • Ainsarii Seveners • Qarmatians Sadardin • Satpanth Baghdad Manifesto This is a list of the Imams recognized by the Ismaili Shiites and their sub-branches. ... The Fatimid Empire or Fatimid Caliphate ruled North Africa from A.D. 909 to 1171. ... Hamza ibn-Ali ibn-Ahmad was an 11th century Muslim preacher, and is counted among the founders of the Druze. ... Muhammad bin Ismail Nashtakin ad-Darazi (Arabic: ) was a 11th century Ismaili preacher and early leader of Druze. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Hashashin (also Hashishin, Hashashiyyin or Assassins) were a religious sect of Ismaili Shiites from the Nizari sub-sect originating from post-Islamic Persia. ... Dawoodi Bohras (Arabic: داؤدی بوہرہ, Hindi: दवूदि बोह्रा) are the main branch of the Bohras, a MustaˤlÄ« subsect of IsmāīlÄ« Shīˤa Islām, and are based in India. ... Sulaimani Bohra are a subsect of Ismaili Mustaali. ... Alavi Bohra (Arabic: علوی بوہرہ) are a subsect of Ismaili Mustaali. ... The MustaˤlÄ« (Arabic: مستعلي) group of IsmāīlÄ« Muslims are so named because they accepted al-MustaˤlÄ« as the ninth Fatimid caliph and the legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir. ... A branch of Mustaali Ismailism that split with the Fatimid supporting Hafizi branch by believing Tayyab AbÄ« l-Qāsim was the rightful Imam. ... The Ainsarii were a sect of the Ismaili Assassins who survived the destruction of the stronghold of Alamut. ... Seveners are a branch of Ismaili Shiism. ... The Qarmatians (from Arabic qaramita قرامطة, also spelled Carmathians, Qarmathians, Karmathians etc. ... Pir Sadardin or Pir Sadruddin was a fourteenth century spiritual leader and is regarded as the founder of Khoja Ismaili sect otherwise known as Satpanth. ... // The people of the Satpanth are originally from the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan. ... The manifesto of Baghdad is the testimony given by number of Muslim Sunni and Twelvers Shiite Genealogists and law scholars known all across the Islamic world in 402/1011, doubting the Sacred Mohammedan-‘Alid lineage of the Fatimids, they were declared to be descended from a Jew by the Name...

Early Imams

Ali • Hasan • Husayn al-Sajjad • al-Baqir • al-Sadiq Ismail • Muhammad Ahmad • at-Taqi • az-Zaki al-Mahdi • al-Qa'im • al-Mansur al-Muizz • al-Aziz • al-Hakim az-Zahir • al-Mustansir • Nizar al-Musta'li • al-Amir • al-Qasim This is a sub-article to Imamah (Shia doctrine). ... For other uses, see Ali (disambiguation). ... Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib ()‎ (Fifteenth of Ramadan, 3 AH – Twenty-eighth of Safar, 50 AH) [6] was the grandson of Muhammad, and was the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib (fourth Sunni Caliph and first Shia Imam) and Fatima Zahra (a daughter of Muhammad). ... This article is about Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (626 – 680). ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Muhammad al-Baqir Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (676 - January 31, 743) was the fifth Shia Imam. ... ... Ismail bin Jafar (Arabic: إسماعيل بن جعفر) was the eldest son of the sixth Shia Imam, Jafar as-Sadiq. ... Muhammad ibn Ismail was the son of Ismail bin Jafar and an Ismaili Imam. ... The eighth Ismaili Imam, surnamed al-Wafi. ... The ninth Ismaili Imam. ... The tenth Ismaili Imam, surnamed az-Zaki. ... Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah a. ... Muhammad al-Qaim Bi-Amrillah (893 - 17 May 946) (Arabic: محمد القائم بأمر الله) was the second Caliph of the Fatimids in Ifriqiya and ruled from 934 to 946. ... Isma`îl al-Mansûr (913 - 953) was the third Caliph of the Fatimids in Ifriqiya and ruled from 946 to 953. ... Was the fourth Fatamid caliph. ... Al-Aziz (* 955; † 996) was the fifth Caliph of the Fatimids (975-996). ... Tāriqu l-ḤakÄ«m, called bi Amr al-Lāh (Arabic الحاكم بأمر الله Ruler by Gods Command), was the sixth Fatimid Caliph in Egypt, ruling from 996 to 1021. ... ˤAlÄ« az-Zāhir (20 June 1005 – 13 June 1036) (Arabic: الظاهر بالله) was the Seventh Caliph of the Fātimids (1021 - 1036). ... Al-Mustansir (July 2, 1029 - January 10, 1094), was born in Cairo on 16th Jamada II, 420/ and eight months afterwards was declared to succeed his father. ... Abu Mansur al-Nizar, (who was surnamed al-Mustapha al-dinillah, meaning the chosen for Gods religion) is a Nizari Ismaili Imam. ... Ahmad al-Mustali (d 1101) was the ninth Fatimid Caliph. ... Al-Amir (b. ... The 21st Fatimid Imam and son of the 20th Fatimid Imam Mansur al-Amir Bi-Ahkamillah. ...

Contemporary Leaders

Aga Khan IV Mohammed Burhanuddin al-Fakhri Abdullah Taiyeb Ziyauddin Saheb Mowafak Tarif Asghar Ali Engineer KarÄ«m al-HussaynÄ«, Ä€gā Khān IV KBE CC GCC (Arabic: سمو الأمیر شاہ کریم الحسیني آغا خان الرابع) -- (born December 13, 1936) is the current (49th) Imām of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. ... Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin // The 52nd Vicegerent Of The Fatimid Imam His Holiness Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin is the 52nd Dai al-Mutlaq of the largest group of Mustali Ismailis, the Dawoodi Bohras. ... The 52nd Dai al-Mutlaq of the Ismaili Sulaimani Bohra religious community. ... Saiyedna Abu Haatim Taiyeb Ziyauddin Saheb (born August 6, 1932) is the forty fourth and current Dai-e-Mutlaq (Spiritual & Temporal Head) of the Taiyebi Alavi Dawat community, in succession from the first Dai-e-Mutlaq, Saiyedna Zoeb bin Moosa. ... Shaykh Muwaffak TarÄ«f (موفق طريف) is the current spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel. ... Asghar Ali Engineer, The Laaentie was born in Bohra priestly family (amils family) on 10th March, 1939 in Salumbar, Rajasthan (near Udaipur) where Qurban Husain, his father, was an amil at that time. ... This box: view • talk • edit

The Ismāʿīlī (Urdu: اسماعیلی Ismāʿīlī, Arabic: الإسماعيليون al-Ismāʿīliyyūn; Persian: اسماعیلیان Esmāʿīliyān) branch of Islam is the second largest part of the Shī'a community, after the Twelvers (Ithnāʿashariyya). The Ismaili get their name from their acceptance of Ismail bin Jafar as the divinely appointed spiritual successor (Imam) to Jafar al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelvers, who accept Musa al-Kazim, younger brother of Ismail, as the true Imam. The Ismaili and the Twelvers both accept the same initial Imams from the descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima Zahra and therefore share much of their early history. Urdu ( , , trans. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Farsi redirects here. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Shī‘a Islam, also Shi‘ite Islam, or Shi‘ism (Arabic ) is the second largest denomination of the Islamic faith. ... Twelvers ( Ithnāˤashariyyah) are those Shiˤa Muslims who believe there were twelve Imāms, as distinct from Ismaili & Zaidi Shiite Muslims, who believe in a different number of Imams or in a different path of succession. ... Ismail bin Jafar (Arabic: إسماعيل بن جعفر) was the eldest son of the sixth Shia Imam, Jafar as-Sadiq. ... The Shia Imam is considered by the Shia sect of Islam to be the rightful successor to Muhammad, and is similar to the Caliph in Sunni Islam only with regards to the aspect of political leadership. ... ... Imam Musa al Kazim (November 10, 745 - September 4, 799) was the seventh Shia Imam (he is not accepted by the Ismailis as the seventh Imam). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... This article is about Muhammads daughter. ...

Tracing its earliest theology to the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, Ismailism rose at one point to become the largest branch of the Shia religion, and climaxed as a political power with the Fatimid Empire in the tenth through twelfth centuries.^[1] Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... For other senses of this word, see Prophet (disambiguation). ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... The Fatimid Empire or Fatimid Caliphate ruled North Africa from A.D. 909 to 1171. ...

After the passing away -- or occultation (according to Sevener Ismailis) - of Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail in the 8th century CE, the teachings of Ismailism further transformed into the belief system as it is known today, with an explicit concentration on the deeper, esoteric meaning (batin) of the Islamic religion. With the eventual development of Twelverism into the more literalistic (zahir) oriented Akhbari and later Usooli schools of thought, Shiasm developed into two separate directions: the metaphorical Ismaili group focusing on the mystical nature of the Imams and the mystical path to Allah, and the more literalistic Twelver group focusing on divine law (sharia) and the deeds and sayings (sunnah) of Muhammad and his successors (Ahl al-Bayt).^[2] In this July, 1997 still frame captured from video, the bright star Aldebaran has just reappeared on the dark limb of the waning crescent moon in this predawn occultation. ... Seveners are a branch of Ismaili Shiism. ... Muhammad ibn Ismail was the son of Ismail bin Jafar and an Ismaili Imam. ... Etymology Esoteric is an adjective originating during Hellenic Greece under the domain of the Roman Empire; it comes from the Greek esôterikos, from esôtero, the comparative form of esô: within. It is a word meaning anything that is inner and occult, a latinate word meaning hidden (from which... The interior or hidden meaning of the Quran. ... Twelvers ( Ithnāˤashariyyah) are Shia Muslims who believe in twelve Imāms, as distinct from Ismaili and Zaidi Shiite Muslims, who believe in a different number of Imams or in a different path of succession. ... The exterior or apparent meaning of the Quran. ... Akhbaris are Twelver Shia Muslims who favor hadith over fatwas when trying to determine what the Sunnah says about any specific topic. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Mysticism (ancient Greek mysticon = secret) is meditation, prayer, or theology focused on the direct experience of union with divinity, God, or Ultimate Reality, or the belief that such experience is a genuine and important source of knowledge. ... Allah is the Arabic language word for God. ... This article is about Islamic religious law. ... Sunnah(t) () literally means “trodden path”, and therefore, the sunnah of the prophet means “the way of the prophet”. Terminologically, the word ‘Sunnah’ in Sunni Islam means those religious actions that were instituted by Muhammad(PBUH) during the 23 years of his ministry and which Muslims initially received through consensus... Ahl al-Bayt (Arabic: ) is a phrase meaning People of the House, or family. ...

Though there are several sub-groupings within the Ismailis, the term in today's vernacular generally refers to the Nizari community, who are followers of the Aga Khan and the largest group among the Ismailis. While many of the branches have extremely differing exterior practices, much of the spiritual theology has remained the same since the days of the faith's early Imams. The Ismaili are found primarily in India, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia^[3], Yemen, China^[4], Jordan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, East Africa and South Africa, but have in recent years emigrated to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America.^[5] Main article: Ismaili The NizārÄ«yya (Arabic النزاريون Al-Nizarin) are the largest branch of the IsmāīlÄ« (in Persian: اسماعیلیه) and make up over two thirds of IsmāīlÄ« Muslims. ... This article is about the hereditary title. ...  Eastern Africa (UN subregion)  East African Community  Central African Federation (defunct)  geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

[edit] History

[edit] Succession crisis

Main article: Succession to Muhammad

The place where, according to tradition, Ali was killed

Ismailism shares its beginning with other early Shia sects that emerged during the succession crisis that spread throughout the early Muslim community. The Succession to Muhammad concerns the different viewpoints and beliefs that are held in relation to the succession to the leadership of the Muslim community after the death of Muhammad. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (900x600, 222 KB)YA ALI MADAD......TAQI JOYA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (900x600, 222 KB)YA ALI MADAD......TAQI JOYA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

From the beginning the Shia asserted the Prophet Muhammad's cousin, Ali's right to have both political and spiritual control over the community. This also included his two sons, who were the grandsons of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima Zahra. For other uses, see Ali (disambiguation). ... This article is about Muhammads daughter. ...

The conflict remained relatively peaceful between the partisans of Ali and those who asserted a semi-democratic system of electing caliphs, until the third of the Rashidun caliphs, Uthman died, and Ali with popular support of the people ascended into the caliphate. ^[6] Democracy is a form of government under which the power to alter the laws and structures of government lies, ultimately, with the citizenry. ... The Rightly Guided Caliphs or The Righteous Caliphs ( transliteration: ) is a term used in Sunni Islam to refer to the first four Caliphs. ... For other uses of the name, see Uthman (name). ...

Soon after his ascendancy, Aisha, the second of the Prophet's wives, claimed along with Uthman's tribe, the Ummayads, that Ali himself plotted the assassination of the third caliph. ^{[citation needed]} Ali rejected this allegation and soon Aisha would stage a revolt that culminated into the Battle of the Camel where her forces were defeated. Afterwards she retired to a quieter life. ^[7] For other uses, see Aisha (disambiguation). ... The Umayyad Dynasty (Arabic الأمويون / بنو أمية umawiyy; in Turkish, Emevi) was the first dynasty of caliphs of the Prophet Muhammad who were not closely related to Muhammad himself, though they were of the same Meccan tribe, the... In 655 a Muslim force led by Caliph Ali defeated a superior force of rebel Arabs in the Battle of Bassorah (Bassorah = Basra). ...

Following this defeat, Muawiya, the Umayyad governor of Syria, also staged a revolt under the same pretenses. Ali led his forces against Muawiya until the side of Muawiya held copies of the Quran against their spears and demanded that the issue be decided by Islam's holy book. Ali accepted this, and an arbitration was done which ended in his favor. ^[8] Muawiya was the name of two Ummayad caliphs. ... The Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, one of the grandest architectural legacies of the Umayyads. ... The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ...

A group among his army believed this was tantamount to apostasy, and abandoned his forces. This group was known as the Kharijites, and Ali wished to defeat their forces before they reached the cities where they would be able to blend in with the rest of the population. He was unable to do this, but nonetheless defeated their forces in the battles following afterward. ^[9] Kharijites (Arabic خوارج, literally Those who Go Out [1]) is a general term embracing a variety of Islamic sects which, while initially accepting the caliphate of Ali, later rejected him. ...

Regardless of these defeats, the Kharijites survived and became a violently problematic group in Islamic history. After plotting an assassination against Ali, Muawiya, and the arbitrator of their conflict, only Ali was successfully assassinated in 40 AH (661 AD), and the Imamate passed on to his sons Hassan and Hussein, or according to the Nizari Ismaili, only to Hussein. However, the political caliphate was soon taken over by Muawiya who was the only leader in the empire at that time with an army large enough to seize control. ^[10]

[edit] Karbala and afterward

[edit] The Battle of Karbala

Main article: Battle of Karbala

After the passing away of Hassan, Hussein and his family were increasingly worried about the religious and political persecution that was becoming commonplace under the reign of Muawiya's son, Yazid. Amidst this turmoil in 61 AH (680 AD), Hussein along with the women and children of his family wished to go to Kufa and confront Yazid as an intercessor on part of the citizens of the empire. However, he was stopped by Yazid's army in Karbala, during the month of Muharram. His family was starved and deprived of water and supplies, until eventually the army came in on the tenth day and killed Hussein and his companions, and enslaved the rest of the women and family, taking them to Kufa. ^[11] Combatants Banu Hashim Commanders Umar ibn Saad Husayn ibn Ali Strength over 40 000 72 Casualties 5000+ 123 (72 Adult Men (Tabari)and 51 Children including a sixmonth old infant) The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, 61 AH (October 9 or 10, 680 CE)[1][2... There were several notable persons named Yazid: Yazid I (born c. ... Kufa (الكوفة al-Kufa in Arabic) is a city in Iraq, about 170 km south of Baghdad, and 10 km northeast of Najaf. ... // Karbala (Arabic: ; BGN: Al-Karbalā’; also spelled Karbala al-Muqaddasah) is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad at 32. ... Muharram (Arabic: محرم ) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. ...

This battle would become extremely important to the Shia psyche. The Twelvers, as well as Mustaali Ismaili still mourn this event during a holiday known as Ashura. The Druze Ismaili and Nizari Ismaili however do not mourn this event because of the belief that the light of the Imam never dies but rather passes on to the succeeding Imam, making mourning arbitrary. The Day of Aashurah, sometimes spelled ‘Ashurah or Aashoorah, falls on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar. ...

[edit] The beginnings of Ismaili dawah

After being set free by the caliph Yazid, Zainab, the daughter of Fatima and Ali and the sister of Hassan and Hussein, started to spread the word of Karbala to the Muslim world, making emotional speeches regarding the event. This was the first organized dawah of the Shia community, which would later develop into an extremely spiritual institution for the Ismailis. // Introduction Zainab was the 3rd child of Ali ibn Abu Talib and Fatima Zahra. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

After the poisoning of Ali al-Sajjad by Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik in 95 AH (713 AD), Shiism's first succession crisis rose with Zayd ibn Ali's companions and his Zaidi Shia that claim Zayd ibn Ali as the Imam, whilst the rest of the Shia maintained Muhammad al-Baqir as the Imam. The Zaidis argued that any sayyid who rebelled against tyranny and the injustice of his age, can be the Imam. The Zaidis created the first Shia states in Iran, Iraq and Yemen. Archaeological remains of a palace built in Hishams honor just north of present-day Jericho Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (691–6 February 743) (Arabic: هشام بن عبد الملك) was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 723 until his death in 743. ... Zayd ibn Ali (Arabic: , also spelled Zaid) (695-740 C.E.) He was given the title Zayd the Martyr (Zayd ash-Shahid) by his sympathizers. ... Zaiddiyah (also: Zaidi, Zaydi, or in the West Fivers) refers to a sect within Shia Islam. ... Zayd ibn Ali (Arabic: , also spelled Zaid) (695-740 C.E.) He was given the title Zayd the Martyr (Zayd ash-Shahid) by his sympathizers. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Muhammad al-Baqir Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (676 - January 31, 743) was the fifth Shia Imam. ...

Main article: Zaidi

In contrast to his predecessors, Muhammad al-Baqir focused on academic Islamic scholarship in Medina, where he promulgated his teachings to many Muslims, both Shia and non-Shia, in an extremely organized form of dawah. ^[12] Zaiddiyah (also: Zaidi, Zaydi, or in the West Fivers) refers to a sect within Shia Islam. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ...

This tradition would pass on to his son, Ja'far al-Sadiq, who inherited the Imamate on his father's death in 114 AH (743 AD). Ja'far al-Sadiq excelled in the scholarship of the day and had many pupils, including three of the four founders of the Sunni madhabs. ^[13] Jafar Al-Sadiq (Arabic: جعفر الصادق in full Jafar ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Husayn (702 AD - 765 AD ) is the sixth infallible Imam and one of Ahl al-Bayt of the Shia Muslims. ... Madhhab(مذهب) (Madhahib, pl) is an Islamic term that refers to a school of thought or religious jurisprudence (fiqh) within Sunni Islam. ...

However, following Jaffir's poisoning in 148 AH (765 AD), a fundamental split would occur in the community. Ismail ibn Jaffir, who at one point seemed to be heir apparent, apparently predeceased his father in 138 AH (755 AD). While Twelvers either argue he was never heir apparent and that he truly predeceased his father, Ismailis argue that either the death was staged in order to draw harm away from al-Sadiq's successor or that his early death does not mean he was not an Imam, and rightfully the Imamate would pass to his son, Muhammad ibn Ismail.

[edit] Ascension of the Dais

Main article: Dai

Shams Tabrizi in a circa 1503 copy of his disciple Rumi's poem, the "Diwan-e Shams-e Tabriz-i". Shams Tabrizi is believed to have been an Ismaili Dai and his relationship with Rumi a symbolic manifestation of the sacred relationship between the guide and the guided

For the Sevener Ismaili, the Imamate ended with Muhammad ibn Ismail, who was the expected Mahdi that Jaffir al-Sadiq had preached about. However, at this point the Ismaili Imams according to the Nizari, Mustaali, and Druze found areas where they would be able to be safe from the recently founded Abbasid Empire which had defeated and seized control from the Umayyads in 750 AD. ^[14]. Dai or DAI can mean: DAI, the IATA airport code of Darjeeling airport in India Dai people, one of the 56 recognized ethnic minorities of China Dai (midwife), a traditional midwife in India, belonging to a lower caste Da`i (داعي or داع) in Arabic is a missionary or caller to Islam... Image:Shams ud-Din Tabriz 1502-1504 BNF Paris. ... Image:Shams ud-Din Tabriz 1502-1504 BNF Paris. ... Rumi (born November 29, 1982) is a Persian-Canadian Singer-songwriter and a Photographer who is currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ... Diwan-e Shams-e Tabriz-i or Diwan i Shams is Moulana Rumis masterpiece in the Persian language, a collection of poems that contains more than 40,000 verses. ... Muhammad ibn Ismail was the son of Ismail bin Jafar and an Ismaili Imam. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Muhammad al-Mahdi. ... Mashriq Dynasties  Maghrib Dynasties  The Abbasid Caliphate Abbasid (Arabic: , ) is the dynastic name generally given to the caliph of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Arab Empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Spain. ...

With the Imams safe from harm, they began to propagate their faith through Dāʿiyyūn from their bases in Syria. This was the start of the spiritual beginnings of the dawah that would later blossom on the Mustaali branch of the faith, as well as play important parts in the other three branches. ^[15] The term Caller to Islam is an English adaptation of the Arabic word Da`ee. ...

The Dai was not a missionary in the typical sense, and he was responsible for both the conversion of his student as well as the mental and spiritual wellbeing. The Dai was a guide and light to the Imam, much like the present day Nizari position of the Pir. The student and teacher relationship of the Dai and his student was much like the one that would develop in Sufism. The student desired Allah, and the Dai could bring him to Allah by making him recognize the stature and light of the Imam descended from Muhammad, which in turn descended from Allah. The Dai was the path, and the Face of Allah which was a Qur'anic term the Ismaili took to represent the Imam, was the destination. ^[14] Look up pir in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sufism is a mystic tradition within Islam that encompasses a diverse range of beliefs and practices dedicated to divine love and the cultivation of the heart. ...

Shams Tabrizi and Rumi is a famous example of the importance between the guide and the guided, and Rumi dedicated much of his literature to Shams Tabrizi and his discovery of the truth. For the missionary, see Shams Tabraiz (missionary). ... Rumi (born November 29, 1982) is a Persian-Canadian Singer-songwriter and a Photographer who is currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ...

[edit] The Qarmatians

Main article: Qarmatians

While many of the Seveners and other Ismaili were content with the Dai teachings, a group that mingled Persian nationalism with Ismaili teachings surfaced known as the Qarmatians. With their headquarters in Bahrain, they accepted a Persian prisoner as their Mahdi, and violently rampaged across the Middle-East, climaxing their bloody campaign with the stealing of the Black Stone from the Kaaba in Mecca, and changing their qiblah from the Kaaba to the Zoroastrian-influenced fire. After their return of the Black Stone they slowly faded out of history and no longer have any adherents. ^[16] The Qarmatians (from Arabic qaramita قرامطة, also spelled Carmathians, Qarmathians, Karmathians etc. ... This article is about the Islamic holy relic. ... The Kaaba (Arabic: ; IPA: ) , also known as (), ( The Primordial House), or ( The Sacred House), is a large cuboidal building located inside the mosque known as al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... The Kaaba or Kaaba, in the mosque known as Masjid al Haram in Mecca (Makkah), is the holiest place in Islam. ...

[edit] The Fatimid Empire

Main article: Fatimid Empire

The Fatimid Empire or Fatimid Caliphate ruled North Africa from A.D. 909 to 1171. ...

[edit] Rise of the Fatimid Empire

Main article: Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah

The political asceticism practiced by the Imams during the period after Muhammad ibn Ismail was to be short lived and finally concluded with the Imamate of Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah, who was born in 260 AH (873 AD). After raising an army and successfully defeating the Alghabids in North Africa and a number of other victories, al-Mahdi Billah successfully established a Shi'ah political state ruled by the Imamate in 910 AD. Because of his founding of this empire he is often seen as the messianic Mahdi by Ismailis. ^[17] Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah a. ...

In parallel with the dynasty's claim of descent from Ali and Fatima, the empire was named “Fatimid.” However, this was not without controversy and with the extent that the Ismaili dawah had spread, the Abbasid caliphate assigned Sunni and Twelver scholars with the assignment to disprove the lineage of the new dynasty. This became known as the Baghdad Manifesto, and it traces the lineage of the Fatimid dynasty to a Jew. Its authenticity has been both questioned and supported by many Islamic scholars.^{[citation needed]} Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... The manifesto of Baghdad is the testimony given by number of Muslim Sunni and Twelvers Shiite Genealogists and law scholars known all across the Islamic world in 402/1011, doubting the Sacred Mohammedan-‘Alid lineage of the Fatimids, they were declared to be descended from a Jew by the Name...

[edit] The Middle-East under Fatimid rule

The Fatimid Empire expanded quickly under the subsequent Imams. Under the Fatimids, Egypt became the center of an empire that included at its peak North Africa, Sicily, Palestine, Syria, the Red Sea coast of Africa, Yemen and the Hejaz. Under the Fatimids, Egypt flourished and developed an extensive trade network in both the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, which eventually determined the economic course of Egypt during the High Middle Ages. This article is about the political and historical term. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... A 2003 satellite image of the region. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Map with the region outlined in red and the 1923 Kingdom in green “Hedjaz” redirects here. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... The cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, a significant architectural contribution of the High Middle Ages. ...

During Fatimid rule, in contrast with much of the world at this time period, there were two very modern ideas. The first was promotion by merit rather than genealogy. The second was religious toleration, under which both Jews and Coptic Christians flourished.^{[citation needed]} Religions Coptic Orthodox Christianity, Coptic Catholicism, Protestantism Scriptures Bible Languages Mari, Coptic, Arabic, English, French, German A Copt (Coptic: , literally: Egyptian Christian) is a native Egyptian Christian. ... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ...

Also during this period the three contemporary branches of Ismailism formed. The first branch, the Druze occurred with the Imam Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah. Born in 386 AH (985 AD), he ascended as ruler at the age of eleven and was feared for his eccentricity and believed insanity. The typical religiously tolerant Fatimid Empire saw much persecution under his reign. When in 411 AH (1021 AD) his mule returned without him soaked in blood, a religious group that was even forming in his lifetime broke off from mainstream Ismailism and refused to acknowledge his successor. Later to be known as the Druze, they believe Al-Hakim to be the incarnation of Allah and the prophecized Mahdi, who would one day return and bring justice to the world. ^[18] Tāriqu l-Ḥakīm, called bi Amr al-Lāh (Arabic الحاكم بأمر الله Ruler by Gods Command), was the sixth Fatimid Caliph in Egypt, ruling from 996 to 1021. ...

The second split occurred following the death of Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah in 487 AH (1094 AD). His rule was the longest of any caliph in both the Fatimid and other Islamic empires. Upon his passing away his sons, the older Nizar and the younger Al-Musta'li fought for the political and spiritual control of the dynasty. Nizar was defeated and jailed, and his son was forced to escape to Alamut where the Iranian Ismaili had accepted his claim. ^[19] Al-Mustansir (July 2, 1029 - January 10, 1094), was born in Cairo on 16th Jamada II, 420/ and eight months afterwards was declared to succeed his father. ... Abu Mansur al-Nizar, (who was surnamed al-Mustapha al-dinillah, meaning the chosen for Gods religion) is a Nizari Ismaili Imam. ... Ahmad al-Mustali (d 1101) was the ninth Fatimid Caliph. ...

The Mustaali line split again between the Taiyabi and the Hafizi, the former claiming that the 21st Imam and son of Al-Amir went into occultation and appointed a Da'i al-Mutlaq to guide the community, in a similar manner as the Ismaili had lived after the death of Muhammad ibn Ismail. The latter claimed that the ruling Fatimid caliph was the Imam. Al-Amir (b. ... The term Dāˤī al-Mutlaq (Arabic: الداعي المطلق) literally means the absolute or unrestricted missionary. In Ismāīlī Islām, the term dāˤī has been used to refer to important religious leaders other than the hereditary Imāms and the Daˤwa or Mission is a clerical-style organisation. ...

[edit] Decline of the empire

In the 1040s, the Zirids (governors of North Africa under the Fatimids) declared their independence from the Fatimids and their conversion to "orthodox" Sunni Islam, which led to the devastating Banū Hilal invasions. After about 1070, the Fatimid hold on the Levant coast and parts of Syria was challenged by first Turkish invasions, then the Crusades, so that Fatimid territory shrunk until it consisted only of Egypt. ^{[citation needed]} Events March War of Independence of Western Xia occurred. ... The Zirids were a Berber dynasty, originating in Petite Kabylie among the Kutama tribe, that ruled Ifriqiya (roughly, modern Tunisia), initially on behalf of the Fatimids, for about two centuries, until weakened by the Banu Hilal and finally destroyed by the Almohads. ... The Banu Hilal were an Arab tribe that migrated from Arabia into North Africa in the 11th century, having been sent by the Fatimids to punish the Zirids for abandoning Shiism. ... Events Hereward the Wake begins a Saxon revolt in the Fens of eastern England. ... The Levant The Levant (IPA: ) is an imprecise geographical term historically referring to a large area in the Middle East south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and by the northern Arabian Desert and Upper Mesopotamia to the east. ... Combatants Christendom, Catholicism West European Christians, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Seljuks, Arabs and other Muslims The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of liberating the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslims and freeing the Eastern Christians from Muslim...

After the decay of the Fatimid political system in the 1160s, the Zengid ruler Nūr ad-Dīn had his general, Saladin, seize Egypt in 1169, forming the Sunni Ayyubid Dynasty. This signaled the end of the Hafizi Mustaali branch of Ismailism as well as the finish of the Fatimid Empire. The Zengid Dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Seljuk Turkish origin, which ruled parts of Northern Iraq and Syria during the 12th and 13th centuries. ... al-Malik al-Adil Nur ad-Din Abu al-Qasim Mahmud Ibn Imad ad-Din Zangi (1118 – May 15, 1174), also known as Nur ed-Din, Nur al-Din, etc. ... Saladin, properly known as Salah al-DÄ«n Yusuf ibn Ayyub (Arabic: , Kurdish: ) (c. ... The Ayyubid or Ayyoubid Dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish[1] origins which ruled Egypt, Syria, Yemen (except for the Northern Mountains), Diyar Bakr, Mecca, Hejaz and northern Iraq in the 12th and 13th centuries. ...

[edit] Alamut

Main article: Alamut

Artistic Rendering of Hassan-i-Sabbah

For other uses, see Alamut (disambiguation). ... File links The following pages link to this file: Hassan-i-Sabah ... File links The following pages link to this file: Hassan-i-Sabah ...

[edit] Hassan-i-Sabbah

Main article: Hassan-i-Sabbah

Very Early on in the empire's life, the Fatimids sought to spread the Ismaili faith which in turn would spread loyalties to the Imamate in Egypt. One of their earliest attempts would be taken by a Dai by the name of Hassan-i-Sabbah. Artistic Rendering of Hassan-Sabbah Hassan-i-Sabbah (in Persian: بن صباح or حسن صباح) (circa 1034 - 1124), or The Old Man of the Mountain (Arabic شيخ الجبل), was an Iranian Ismaili missionary who converted a community in the late 11th century in the heart of the Elburz Mountains of northern Iran. ...

Hassan-i-Sabbah was born into a Twelver family living in the scholarly city of Qom in 1056 AD. His family later relocated to the city of Tehran which was an area with an extremely active Ismaili dawah. He immersed himself into Ismaili thought however did not choose to convert until he was overcome with an almost fatal illness, where he finally feared dying without knowing the Imam of his time.

Afterwards, Hassan-i-Sabbah, became one of the most influential Dais in Ismaili history, and would be important to the survival of the Nizari branch of Ismailism, which today is its largest branch.

Legend holds that he met with Imam Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah and asked him who his successor would be, to which he responded his eldest son, Nizar.

Hassan-i-Sabbah would continue his Dai activities and they would climax with his taking of Alamut. Taking two years, he first converted most of the surrounding villages to Ismailism. Afterwards, he converted most of the staff to Ismailism and then took over the fortress, and presented the current leader with payment for the fortress. With no choice, the leader abdicated and Hassan-i-Sabbah turned Alamut into an outpost of Fatimid rule within Abbasid territory.