Ismaili heritage series

The Fatimid period was the golden age of Ismaili thought and literature, when the Shi'ite Ismaili Imams ruled over vast areas of the Muslim world as the Fatimid caliphs and the Ismailis made important contributions to Islamic civilization. In this book, Heinz Halm investigates from a historical perspective the intellectual traditions that developed among the Ismailis from the rise of the Fatimid state in North Africa to the cultural brilliance of what the author calls 'one of the great eras in Egyptian history and in Islamic history in general.'. The topics discussed include the training of the Ismaili da'is or missionaries, the establishment of academic institutions such as al-Azhar and the Dar al-Ilm (House of Knowledge) through which the Fatimids encouraged learning, and the special 'sessions of wisdom' (majalis al-hikma) for advanced instruction in Ismaili esoteric teachings.

"A survey of Fatimid history and its sources, this book combines an introduction to the subject as a whole with a broad overview of Fatimid history from the time when Abu 'Abdallah al-Shi'i began his mission in North Africa, leading to the foundation of the Fatimid state in 909 C.E., until the fall of the last caliph in 1171. Its major emphasis, however, is a systematic presentation of different categories of sources relevant to the study of Fatimid history." "This comprehensive work is a valuable addition to the historiography of the Fatimids and the Muslim world and will prove essential reading for students and scholars of Islamic history."--BOOK JACKET.