The Fatimid period was the golden age of Ismaili thought and literature, when Shi'ite Ismaili Imams ruled over the vast areas of the Muslim world and made important contributions to Islamic civilization. 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 he calls 'one of the great eras in Egyptian history and in Islamic history in general.' He covers the training of the Ismaili dais 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' for advanced instruction.
Contents:
Preface; Introduction;
One. The Ismaili Mission and the Fatimid Caliphate;
Two. The Mission of the da'is and the 'Teaching Sessions';
Three. The Fatimids in Egypt;
Four. Ismaili Teaching and Learning zahir and batin;
Five. The Organization of the Da'wa;
Six. Al-Hakim's 'House of Knowledge';
Seven. Scientific Institutions under the Fatimids;
Epilogue; Notes; Select Bibliography; Index.