Jehangir Merchant’s Thank You Letter to the Fatimid Ismaili Icon, Da’i Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi
simerg.com/thanking-ismaili-historical-figures/jehangir-merchants-thank-you-letter-to-the-ismaili-dai-philosopher-and-poet-al-muayyad-al-shirazi/
Da’i Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi
Today in history: Al-Mu’ayyad was granted audience with Fatimid Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah
Posted by Nimira Dewji
“Even though you’re last in our da’wa,
You have surpassed the compass of the earlier (da’is)."
Qasida composed by Imam Mustansir bi’llah in praise of al-Mu’ayyad
Abu Nasr Hibat Allah b. Musa b. Abi Imran b. Dawud al-Shirazi was around 1000 in Shiraz, the capital of Fars region in south-west Persia, where his forefathers had a long history of serving the Fatimids as da‘is. Following the death of his father, he was appointed chief da‘i of Fars, and began to conduct regular majalis (teaching sessions) in his home region. He was bestowed the honorific title al-Mu’ayyad fi’l Din meaning ‘the one aided (by God) in religion,’ and is thus better known as al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi.
Al-Mu’ayyad’s activities incurred hostility from the local Sunni establishment forcing him to flee from his home. During the following three years, he travelled in disguise across Persia, Iraq, and Syria. In 1048 , he sought refuge in Cairo, the Fatimid capital, which he had yearned to visit since his childhood. After introducing himself to government officials, he was given accommodation and a small salary. “But his expectations of an early audience with the Imam-Caliph al-Mustansir bi’llah were thwarted by powerful bureaucrats, who regarded the da‘i as either a troublesome upstart or a potential rival” (Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, IIS).
Al-Mu’ayyad was finally granted an audience with the Imam, on February 18, 1048, which he describes in his Sira as an overwhelming experience:
“My eyes had barely fallen on him when awe took hold of me and reverence overcame me; and it appeared to me as though I was standing in front of the Messenger of God and the Commander of the Faithful Ali – may God’s blessings be upon them […]” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 72).
Despite many setbacks in Cairo, al-Mu’ayyad gradually worked his way up the hierarchy of the Fatimid da’wa. In 1056, against his will, al-Mu’ayyad was sent as head of a diplomatic delegation to northern Syria to form alliances with the local rulers. He had expressed discomfort to the Fatimid wazir al-Yazuri with having to take on the dangerous mission due to his advanced age (63 or 64 years) and his physical weakness. However, before he departed for the mission, which would take almost 2 years, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah “smiled warmly and expressed confidence in the success of this important mission” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 81).
When he returned to Cairo at the end of his successful mission, despite hostilities from the wazir at the royal court, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah granted al-Mu’ayyad reception reciting a qasida that he had composed in praise of his da’i:
“Even though you’re last in our da’wa,
You have surpassed the compass of the earlier (da’is).
The like of you cannot be found among those who have gone,
From all the people, nor those that remain.”
(Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 90).
Shortly after receiving the qasida from the Imam, al-Muyyad was appointed bab al-abwab (Supreme Gate), “the highest religious rank in the Ismaili da’wa hierarchy, directly under the Imam; the bab al-abwab was the official spokesman and mediator of the Imam in religious matters” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 90). He was also appointed chief da’i, devoting the remainder of the 20 years of his life as head of the central institution, administering the affairs of the da’wa, teaching at the Dar al-Ilm (founded by Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Hakim in 1005), and composing theological works.
Al-Mu’ayyad was conferred additional titles upon being appointed chief da’i: Ismat al-Mu’minin (Succour of the Believers) and Safiyy amir al-mu’minin wa waliyyuhu (The Chosen of the Commander of the Faithful and his Friend).
Among the many who came to learn from al-Mu’ayyad was the philosopher and poet Nasir Khusraw (d. after 1072). Nasir learned Ismaili doctrines from al-Mu’ayyad, composing poems in his honour, in which “he praised him ‘as a teacher and healer (of souls),’ a ‘helper (of religion) (mu’ayyid),’ incomparable in wisdom and knowledge, ‘whose poetry is the standard of wisdom’ and ‘whose prose is a model for philosophy'” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p xv).
Another of al-Mu’ayyad’s student was Lamak b, Malik al-Hammadi d. 1098), the chief jurist of Yemen. “After receiving advanced instruction on Ismaili doctrines from al-Mu’ayyad for five years, Lamak returned home with books and writings of the Ismaili da’wa. […] Lamak organised the introduction of the Ismaili da’wa in the Indian subcontinent, where it has continued to the present day among the Ismaili Bohra communities, mainly in Gujarat, Mumbai (Bombay), and some other centres in India and Pakistan, as well as in East Africa where Indian Bohras have migrated. Among the Tayyibi Ismailis, al-Mu’ayyad is still praised and respected today as their spiritual guide and leader” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p xv).
As chief da’i, al-Mu’ayyad authored 800 lectures prepared for delivery at the majalis al-hikma (sessions of wisdom), sermons held every Thursdays in the palace and on Fridays after mid-day prayers. His lectures are considered “the largest collection of this genre in the literary heritage of the Ismailis” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p xvii).
al-muayyad shirazi majalis
Pages from the multi-volume al-Majalis of al-Shirazi dated 1840. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History.
He also authored over 60 qasidas, compiled in the Diwan, many of them in praise of Imams al-Zahir (r.1021-1036) and al-Mustansir bi’llah (1036-1094).
diwan al-muayyad shirazi
Page from a 19th century copy of the Diwan of al-Mu’ayyad. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Among al-Mu’ayyad’s writings, his Sira is of particular historical significance. Written between 1051 and 1063, the Sira is an authentic source of the political events of the eleventh century.
Al-Mu’ayyad died in 1078 and was buried in his residence and working place, the Dar al-Ilm in Cairo. Imam al-Mustansir “personally led the funeral ceremonies for his loyal da’i, who had faithfully served the da’wa during nearly fifty years of his rule” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 105).
Sources:
Verena Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission: The Ismaili Scholar, Statesman and Poet, al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi, I.B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London 2003
Mohamad Adra, Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/feb-18today-in-history-al-muayyad-was-granted-audience-with-fatimid-imam-al-mustansir-billah/?utm_source=Direct
Posted by Nimira Dewji
“Even though you’re last in our da’wa,
You have surpassed the compass of the earlier (da’is)."
Qasida composed by Imam Mustansir bi’llah in praise of al-Mu’ayyad
Abu Nasr Hibat Allah b. Musa b. Abi Imran b. Dawud al-Shirazi was around 1000 in Shiraz, the capital of Fars region in south-west Persia, where his forefathers had a long history of serving the Fatimids as da‘is. Following the death of his father, he was appointed chief da‘i of Fars, and began to conduct regular majalis (teaching sessions) in his home region. He was bestowed the honorific title al-Mu’ayyad fi’l Din meaning ‘the one aided (by God) in religion,’ and is thus better known as al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi.
Al-Mu’ayyad’s activities incurred hostility from the local Sunni establishment forcing him to flee from his home. During the following three years, he travelled in disguise across Persia, Iraq, and Syria. In 1048 , he sought refuge in Cairo, the Fatimid capital, which he had yearned to visit since his childhood. After introducing himself to government officials, he was given accommodation and a small salary. “But his expectations of an early audience with the Imam-Caliph al-Mustansir bi’llah were thwarted by powerful bureaucrats, who regarded the da‘i as either a troublesome upstart or a potential rival” (Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, IIS).
Al-Mu’ayyad was finally granted an audience with the Imam, on February 18, 1048, which he describes in his Sira as an overwhelming experience:
“My eyes had barely fallen on him when awe took hold of me and reverence overcame me; and it appeared to me as though I was standing in front of the Messenger of God and the Commander of the Faithful Ali – may God’s blessings be upon them […]” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 72).
Despite many setbacks in Cairo, al-Mu’ayyad gradually worked his way up the hierarchy of the Fatimid da’wa. In 1056, against his will, al-Mu’ayyad was sent as head of a diplomatic delegation to northern Syria to form alliances with the local rulers. He had expressed discomfort to the Fatimid wazir al-Yazuri with having to take on the dangerous mission due to his advanced age (63 or 64 years) and his physical weakness. However, before he departed for the mission, which would take almost 2 years, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah “smiled warmly and expressed confidence in the success of this important mission” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 81).
When he returned to Cairo at the end of his successful mission, despite hostilities from the wazir at the royal court, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah granted al-Mu’ayyad reception reciting a qasida that he had composed in praise of his da’i:
“Even though you’re last in our da’wa,
You have surpassed the compass of the earlier (da’is).
The like of you cannot be found among those who have gone,
From all the people, nor those that remain.”
(Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 90).
Shortly after receiving the qasida from the Imam, al-Muyyad was appointed bab al-abwab (Supreme Gate), “the highest religious rank in the Ismaili da’wa hierarchy, directly under the Imam; the bab al-abwab was the official spokesman and mediator of the Imam in religious matters” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 90). He was also appointed chief da’i, devoting the remainder of the 20 years of his life as head of the central institution, administering the affairs of the da’wa, teaching at the Dar al-Ilm (founded by Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Hakim in 1005), and composing theological works.
Al-Mu’ayyad was conferred additional titles upon being appointed chief da’i: Ismat al-Mu’minin (Succour of the Believers) and Safiyy amir al-mu’minin wa waliyyuhu (The Chosen of the Commander of the Faithful and his Friend).
Among the many who came to learn from al-Mu’ayyad was the philosopher and poet Nasir Khusraw (d. after 1072). Nasir learned Ismaili doctrines from al-Mu’ayyad, composing poems in his honour, in which “he praised him ‘as a teacher and healer (of souls),’ a ‘helper (of religion) (mu’ayyid),’ incomparable in wisdom and knowledge, ‘whose poetry is the standard of wisdom’ and ‘whose prose is a model for philosophy'” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p xv).
Another of al-Mu’ayyad’s student was Lamak b, Malik al-Hammadi d. 1098), the chief jurist of Yemen. “After receiving advanced instruction on Ismaili doctrines from al-Mu’ayyad for five years, Lamak returned home with books and writings of the Ismaili da’wa. […] Lamak organised the introduction of the Ismaili da’wa in the Indian subcontinent, where it has continued to the present day among the Ismaili Bohra communities, mainly in Gujarat, Mumbai (Bombay), and some other centres in India and Pakistan, as well as in East Africa where Indian Bohras have migrated. Among the Tayyibi Ismailis, al-Mu’ayyad is still praised and respected today as their spiritual guide and leader” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p xv).
As chief da’i, al-Mu’ayyad authored 800 lectures prepared for delivery at the majalis al-hikma (sessions of wisdom), sermons held every Thursdays in the palace and on Fridays after mid-day prayers. His lectures are considered “the largest collection of this genre in the literary heritage of the Ismailis” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p xvii).
al-muayyad shirazi majalis
Pages from the multi-volume al-Majalis of al-Shirazi dated 1840. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History.
He also authored over 60 qasidas, compiled in the Diwan, many of them in praise of Imams al-Zahir (r.1021-1036) and al-Mustansir bi’llah (1036-1094).
diwan al-muayyad shirazi
Page from a 19th century copy of the Diwan of al-Mu’ayyad. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Among al-Mu’ayyad’s writings, his Sira is of particular historical significance. Written between 1051 and 1063, the Sira is an authentic source of the political events of the eleventh century.
Al-Mu’ayyad died in 1078 and was buried in his residence and working place, the Dar al-Ilm in Cairo. Imam al-Mustansir “personally led the funeral ceremonies for his loyal da’i, who had faithfully served the da’wa during nearly fifty years of his rule” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 105).
Sources:
Verena Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission: The Ismaili Scholar, Statesman and Poet, al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi, I.B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London 2003
Mohamad Adra, Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/feb-18today-in-history-al-muayyad-was-granted-audience-with-fatimid-imam-al-mustansir-billah/?utm_source=Direct
Last edited by kmaherali on Sun Feb 09, 2020 4:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Studying Isma‘ili Texts in Eleventh-Century Shiraz: al-Mu’ayyad and the “Conversion” of the Buyid Amir Abu Kalijar
As a key primary source for the history of the eleventh-century Isma‘ili majlis, the Fatimid chief missionary al-Mu’ayyad fi al-Din al-Shirazi’s autobiographical Sira offers a prime opportunity to consider the application of centralizing features of the Fatimid state in eleventh-century Buyid Shiraz. Previous studies on the Fatimid majlis have raised questions about an Isma‘ili core curriculum as well as the intended audiences of Fatimid da‘wa teachings. This article situates al-Mu’ayyad’s memoir in the broader context of the Persian and Arabic historiographical traditions in order to provide new insights into the transmission of Isma‘ili doctrines in different social settings outside of Fatimid Cairo.It concludes that Abu Kalijar’s study sessions with al-Mu’ayyad suggest that Qadi al-Nu‘man’s Kitab Da‘a’im al-Islam was used as a core text for introducing some of the main principles of Fatimid religio-political rule in addition to Isma‘ili doctrines to non-Isma‘ili audiences.
The article can be accessed at:
https://www.academia.edu/3188851/_Study ... view-paper
As a key primary source for the history of the eleventh-century Isma‘ili majlis, the Fatimid chief missionary al-Mu’ayyad fi al-Din al-Shirazi’s autobiographical Sira offers a prime opportunity to consider the application of centralizing features of the Fatimid state in eleventh-century Buyid Shiraz. Previous studies on the Fatimid majlis have raised questions about an Isma‘ili core curriculum as well as the intended audiences of Fatimid da‘wa teachings. This article situates al-Mu’ayyad’s memoir in the broader context of the Persian and Arabic historiographical traditions in order to provide new insights into the transmission of Isma‘ili doctrines in different social settings outside of Fatimid Cairo.It concludes that Abu Kalijar’s study sessions with al-Mu’ayyad suggest that Qadi al-Nu‘man’s Kitab Da‘a’im al-Islam was used as a core text for introducing some of the main principles of Fatimid religio-political rule in addition to Isma‘ili doctrines to non-Isma‘ili audiences.
The article can be accessed at:
https://www.academia.edu/3188851/_Study ... view-paper
Reading Guide
Memoirs of a Mission. Al-Mu´ayyad fi Din al-Shirazi The Ismaili Scholar, Statesman and Poet. London (I.B. Tauris) 2003 (The Institute of Ismaili Studies, The Ismaili Heritage Series 9).
A Reading Guide for Memoirs of a Mission: The Ismaili Scholar, Statesman and Poet al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi
A Reading Guide by Yasmin Khan
Introduction
Even though you’re the last in our da‘wa,
You have surpassed the compass of the earlier ( da‘is ).
The like of you cannot be found among those who have gone,
From all the people, nor those that remain (p.90).
These are the last lines of the qasida with which the Imam-Caliph al-Mustansirbi’llah addressed al-Mu’ayyad while granting him an audience. Al-Mu’ayyadfi’l-Din al-Shirazi, according to the author,“was one of the most distinguished and gifted personalities of the Ismaili religious and political mission, the da‘wa , under the Fatimids.” (p.xiii)
The reading guide can be accessed at:
https://www.academia.edu/4103975/Memoir ... view-paper
Memoirs of a Mission. Al-Mu´ayyad fi Din al-Shirazi The Ismaili Scholar, Statesman and Poet. London (I.B. Tauris) 2003 (The Institute of Ismaili Studies, The Ismaili Heritage Series 9).
A Reading Guide for Memoirs of a Mission: The Ismaili Scholar, Statesman and Poet al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi
A Reading Guide by Yasmin Khan
Introduction
Even though you’re the last in our da‘wa,
You have surpassed the compass of the earlier ( da‘is ).
The like of you cannot be found among those who have gone,
From all the people, nor those that remain (p.90).
These are the last lines of the qasida with which the Imam-Caliph al-Mustansirbi’llah addressed al-Mu’ayyad while granting him an audience. Al-Mu’ayyadfi’l-Din al-Shirazi, according to the author,“was one of the most distinguished and gifted personalities of the Ismaili religious and political mission, the da‘wa , under the Fatimids.” (p.xiii)
The reading guide can be accessed at:
https://www.academia.edu/4103975/Memoir ... view-paper
[Oct]This month in history: Al-Mu’ayyad returned home after a diplomatic mission on behalf of Fatimid Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah
Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi departed from Aleppo, Syria, in October 1058 to return to the Cairo, upon completing a diplomatic mission on behalf of Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah (r. 1036-1094).
Abu Nasr Hibat Allah b. Musa b. Abi Imran b. Dawud al-Shirazi, one of the most distinguished da’is of the Fatimid period (909-1171), was born around 1000 in Shiraz, the capital of Fars region in south-west Persia, where his forefathers had a long history of serving the Fatimids as well as earlier Imams as da‘is. Following the death of his father, he was appointed chief da‘i of Fars, and began to conduct regular majalis (teaching sessions) in his home region, eventually receiving the honorific title al-Mu’ayyad fi’l Din meaning ‘the one aided (by God) in religion,’ and is thus better known as al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi.
Al-Mu’ayyad’s activities incurred hostility from the local Sunni establishment forcing him to flee from his home. During the following 3 years, he travelled in disguise across Persia, Iraq, and Syria. In 1048, he sought refuge in Cairo, the Fatimid capital, which he had yearned to visit since his childhood. After introducing himself to government officials, he was given accommodation and a small salary. “But his expectations of an early audience with the Imam-Caliph al-Mustansir bi’llah were thwarted by powerful bureaucrats, who regarded the da‘i as either a troublesome upstart or a potential rival” (Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, IIS).
Qutbuddin notes that al-Mu’ayyad’s “sun rose and fell on the Fatimid da’wa and the Fatimid Imam. The da’wa and the Imam deeply affected his personal and public life, engendering his happiness and pain, inspiring his actions and thoughts, and shaping his literary production. Indeed, the crux of al-Mu’yyad’s entire life and career was his profound involvement with the Fatimid da’wa and his intense relationship with the Fatimid Imam” (Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi and Fatimid Dawa Poetry, p 16)
Despite many setbacks in Cairo, al-Mu’ayyad gradually worked his way up the hierarchy of the Fatimid da’wa. In 1056, against his will, al-Mu’ayyad was sent as head of a diplomatic delegation to northern Syria to form alliances with the local rulers. He had expressed discomfort to the Fatimid wazir al-Yazuri with having to take on the dangerous mission due to his advanced age (63 or 64 years) and his physical weakness. However, before he departed for the mission, which would take almost 2 years, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah “smiled warmly and expressed confidence in the success of this important mission” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission p 81).
When he returned to Cairo at the end of his successful mission, despite hostilities from the wazir at the royal court, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah granted al-Mu’ayyad reception reciting a qasida that he had composed in praise of his da’i:
“Even though you’re last in our da’wa,
You have surpassed the compass of the earlier (da’is).
The like of you cannot be found among those who have gone,
From all the people, nor those that remain.”
(Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 90).
Shortly after receiving the qasida from the Imam, al-Muyyad was appointed bab al-abwab (Supreme Gate), “the highest religious rank in the Ismaili da’wa hierarchy, directly under the Imam; the bab al-abwab was the official spokesman and mediator of the Imam in religious matters” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 90). He was also appointed chief da’i, devoting the remainder of the 20 years of his life as head of the central institution, administering the affairs of the da’wa, teaching at the Dar al-Ilm (founded by Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Hakim in 1005), and composing theological works.
As chief da’i, al-Mu’ayyad authored 800 lectures prepared, and pre-approved by the Imam, for delivery at the majalis al-hikma (sessions of wisdom), sermons held every Thursdays in the palace and on Fridays after mid-day prayers. Al-Mu’ayyad’s lectures are considered “the largest collection of this genre in the literary heritage of the Ismailis” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission p xvii).
Al-muayyad shirazi majalis fatimid
Pages from the al-Majalis of al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi dated 1840. Image: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Al-Mu’ayyad also authored over 60 qasidas, compiled in the Diwan, many of them in praise of Imams al-Zahir (r.1021-1036) and al-Mustansir bi’llah.
diwan al-muayyad shirazi
Page from a 19th century copy of the Diwan of al-Mu’ayyad. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Among his writings, his Sira, (Memoirs), written between 1051 and 1063,”provides an insight into the remarkable life and achievements of al-Mu’ayyad through important stages of his career…It is also an extensive and valuable source for Islamic history in the [11th] century…” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, from flap).
Al-Mu’ayyad died in 1078 and was buried in his residence and working place, the Dar al-Ilm in Cairo. Imam al-Mustansir “personally led the funeral ceremonies for his loyal da’i, who had faithfully served the da’wa during nearly fifty years of his rule” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 105).
Sources:
Verena Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission: The Ismaili Scholar, Statesman and Poet, al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi, I.B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London 2003
Mohamad Adra, Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
Tahera Qutbudin, Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi and Fatimid Da’wa Poetry, Brill Leiden-Boston, 2005
nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2019/10/01/octthis-month-in-history-al-muayyad-returned-home-after-a-diplomatic-mission-on-behalf-of-fatimid-imam-al-mustansir-billah/
Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi departed from Aleppo, Syria, in October 1058 to return to the Cairo, upon completing a diplomatic mission on behalf of Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah (r. 1036-1094).
Abu Nasr Hibat Allah b. Musa b. Abi Imran b. Dawud al-Shirazi, one of the most distinguished da’is of the Fatimid period (909-1171), was born around 1000 in Shiraz, the capital of Fars region in south-west Persia, where his forefathers had a long history of serving the Fatimids as well as earlier Imams as da‘is. Following the death of his father, he was appointed chief da‘i of Fars, and began to conduct regular majalis (teaching sessions) in his home region, eventually receiving the honorific title al-Mu’ayyad fi’l Din meaning ‘the one aided (by God) in religion,’ and is thus better known as al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi.
Al-Mu’ayyad’s activities incurred hostility from the local Sunni establishment forcing him to flee from his home. During the following 3 years, he travelled in disguise across Persia, Iraq, and Syria. In 1048, he sought refuge in Cairo, the Fatimid capital, which he had yearned to visit since his childhood. After introducing himself to government officials, he was given accommodation and a small salary. “But his expectations of an early audience with the Imam-Caliph al-Mustansir bi’llah were thwarted by powerful bureaucrats, who regarded the da‘i as either a troublesome upstart or a potential rival” (Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, IIS).
Qutbuddin notes that al-Mu’ayyad’s “sun rose and fell on the Fatimid da’wa and the Fatimid Imam. The da’wa and the Imam deeply affected his personal and public life, engendering his happiness and pain, inspiring his actions and thoughts, and shaping his literary production. Indeed, the crux of al-Mu’yyad’s entire life and career was his profound involvement with the Fatimid da’wa and his intense relationship with the Fatimid Imam” (Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi and Fatimid Dawa Poetry, p 16)
Despite many setbacks in Cairo, al-Mu’ayyad gradually worked his way up the hierarchy of the Fatimid da’wa. In 1056, against his will, al-Mu’ayyad was sent as head of a diplomatic delegation to northern Syria to form alliances with the local rulers. He had expressed discomfort to the Fatimid wazir al-Yazuri with having to take on the dangerous mission due to his advanced age (63 or 64 years) and his physical weakness. However, before he departed for the mission, which would take almost 2 years, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah “smiled warmly and expressed confidence in the success of this important mission” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission p 81).
When he returned to Cairo at the end of his successful mission, despite hostilities from the wazir at the royal court, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah granted al-Mu’ayyad reception reciting a qasida that he had composed in praise of his da’i:
“Even though you’re last in our da’wa,
You have surpassed the compass of the earlier (da’is).
The like of you cannot be found among those who have gone,
From all the people, nor those that remain.”
(Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 90).
Shortly after receiving the qasida from the Imam, al-Muyyad was appointed bab al-abwab (Supreme Gate), “the highest religious rank in the Ismaili da’wa hierarchy, directly under the Imam; the bab al-abwab was the official spokesman and mediator of the Imam in religious matters” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 90). He was also appointed chief da’i, devoting the remainder of the 20 years of his life as head of the central institution, administering the affairs of the da’wa, teaching at the Dar al-Ilm (founded by Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Hakim in 1005), and composing theological works.
As chief da’i, al-Mu’ayyad authored 800 lectures prepared, and pre-approved by the Imam, for delivery at the majalis al-hikma (sessions of wisdom), sermons held every Thursdays in the palace and on Fridays after mid-day prayers. Al-Mu’ayyad’s lectures are considered “the largest collection of this genre in the literary heritage of the Ismailis” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission p xvii).
Al-muayyad shirazi majalis fatimid
Pages from the al-Majalis of al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi dated 1840. Image: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Al-Mu’ayyad also authored over 60 qasidas, compiled in the Diwan, many of them in praise of Imams al-Zahir (r.1021-1036) and al-Mustansir bi’llah.
diwan al-muayyad shirazi
Page from a 19th century copy of the Diwan of al-Mu’ayyad. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Among his writings, his Sira, (Memoirs), written between 1051 and 1063,”provides an insight into the remarkable life and achievements of al-Mu’ayyad through important stages of his career…It is also an extensive and valuable source for Islamic history in the [11th] century…” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, from flap).
Al-Mu’ayyad died in 1078 and was buried in his residence and working place, the Dar al-Ilm in Cairo. Imam al-Mustansir “personally led the funeral ceremonies for his loyal da’i, who had faithfully served the da’wa during nearly fifty years of his rule” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 105).
Sources:
Verena Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission: The Ismaili Scholar, Statesman and Poet, al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi, I.B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London 2003
Mohamad Adra, Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
Tahera Qutbudin, Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi and Fatimid Da’wa Poetry, Brill Leiden-Boston, 2005
nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2019/10/01/octthis-month-in-history-al-muayyad-returned-home-after-a-diplomatic-mission-on-behalf-of-fatimid-imam-al-mustansir-billah/
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swamidada_2
- Posts: 297
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:18 pm
His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili
Council for the United States of America
The Light of Intellect
How many observers are there,
with eyes that cannot see?
How many seers are there,
with hearts that cannot reflect?
For the human eye to see,
there are certain conditions;
he who disregards them
loses his way in the darkness.
The eye is of no avail
if it does not receive light
from the sun or the moon,
or from a burning torch.
Similarly the intellect,
during reflection by itself,
remains in the throes of
doubt and bewilderment.
Except when it is helped
by a light from outside;
then it ascends the ladder
of enlightened contemplation.
Diwan Dai Al mu'yyed fi deen al Shirazi
Council for the United States of America
The Light of Intellect
How many observers are there,
with eyes that cannot see?
How many seers are there,
with hearts that cannot reflect?
For the human eye to see,
there are certain conditions;
he who disregards them
loses his way in the darkness.
The eye is of no avail
if it does not receive light
from the sun or the moon,
or from a burning torch.
Similarly the intellect,
during reflection by itself,
remains in the throes of
doubt and bewilderment.
Except when it is helped
by a light from outside;
then it ascends the ladder
of enlightened contemplation.
Diwan Dai Al mu'yyed fi deen al Shirazi
By ordinary means it is not possible to know God who is beyond description. However through enlightened contemplation and the resulting Maarifa, it is possible to know God and the Imam as the manifestation of God.swamidada wrote: Similarly the intellect,
during reflection by itself,
remains in the throes of
doubt and bewilderment.
Except when it is helped
by a light from outside;
then it ascends the ladder
of enlightened contemplation.
Diwan Dai Al mu'yyed fi deen al Shirazi
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swamidada_2
- Posts: 297
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:18 pm
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,kmaherali wrote:By ordinary means it is not possible to know God who is beyond description. However through enlightened contemplation and the resulting Maarifa, it is possible to know God and the Imam as the manifestation of God.swamidada wrote: Similarly the intellect,
during reflection by itself,
remains in the throes of
doubt and bewilderment.
Except when it is helped
by a light from outside;
then it ascends the ladder
of enlightened contemplation.
Diwan Dai Al mu'yyed fi deen al Shirazi
Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted. [6:103]
He is not perceived through ordinary eyes but the third eye (eye of vision)swamidada wrote: In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,
Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted. [6:103]
sakhee alakh anaamee saaheb laagyaa mitthaa re
bhanne peer sadardeen shaah, me najare deetthaa re...............13
O beloved ones, this nameless and indescriptible Lord was felt to
be very sweet to me. Peer Sadardeen teaches this ginaan and says:
"I have seen the Lord with my own eyes".
http://ismaili.net/heritage/node/23118
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swamidada_2
- Posts: 297
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:18 pm
ddubakee le le gothaa khaave
peer paygambar to e nahee paave...................................4
It is like diving deep (into the ocean of knowledge) and tumbling over and over for even the Peers and Prophets where not able to know him completely.
Pir Sadardin
http://www.ismaili.net/granths/bujniran/part1-11.html#1
peer paygambar to e nahee paave...................................4
It is like diving deep (into the ocean of knowledge) and tumbling over and over for even the Peers and Prophets where not able to know him completely.
Pir Sadardin
http://www.ismaili.net/granths/bujniran/part1-11.html#1
This is a general Sufi concept which is not in line with Satpanth Ismailism. Hence I have expressed my doubts whether it is composed by Pir Sadardeen. Please go to the discussion on this matter at:swamidada wrote:ddubakee le le gothaa khaave
peer paygambar to e nahee paave...................................4
It is like diving deep (into the ocean of knowledge) and tumbling over and over for even the Peers and Prophets where not able to know him completely.
Pir Sadardin
http://www.ismaili.net/granths/bujniran/part1-11.html#1
Bhuj Nirinjan
http://www.ismaili.net/html/modules.php ... highlight=
Farman of MSMS:
"If a person keeps such a fast that he stays aloof from the taste of the entire worldly existence, then his batuni eyes and ears will open. A human being does not have the capability of creating a man, but he may see in such a manner that he gets to know God's mysteries and wonders.(Farman No. 17, (Manjevaadi 28-12-1893) )
"If a person keeps such a fast that he stays aloof from the taste of the entire worldly existence, then his batuni eyes and ears will open. A human being does not have the capability of creating a man, but he may see in such a manner that he gets to know God's mysteries and wonders.(Farman No. 17, (Manjevaadi 28-12-1893) )
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swamidada_2
- Posts: 297
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:18 pm
You quoted Pir Sadardin and I quoted him from same heritage source. We already discussed Bhuj Nirinjin and you discarded Bhuj as Ginan. Did Hazar Imam ever put restrictions on reciting this Grunth in JK? I have heard recitation of first chapter many times in JK, i.e;
DHUBKI LEY LEY GHOTHA KHAVEY
PIR PAIGAMBER TOI NA PAAVEY
I never saw any ITREB member or Mukhi Saheb stopped reciter not to recite this particular couplet. If you do not accept it does not mean whole community will reject it because you or Ali Asani said so!!
DHUBKI LEY LEY GHOTHA KHAVEY
PIR PAIGAMBER TOI NA PAAVEY
I never saw any ITREB member or Mukhi Saheb stopped reciter not to recite this particular couplet. If you do not accept it does not mean whole community will reject it because you or Ali Asani said so!!
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swamidada_2
- Posts: 297
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:18 pm
This is also Farman of MSMS;kmaherali wrote:Farman of MSMS:
"If a person keeps such a fast that he stays aloof from the taste of the entire worldly existence, then his batuni eyes and ears will open. A human being does not have the capability of creating a man, but he may see in such a manner that he gets to know God's mysteries and wonders.(Farman No. 17, (Manjevaadi 28-12-1893) )
Insaan jiyaa(n) sudhi dunya ma jeevto chhey tiyaa(n) sudhi NOOR NU PAANI teena haath ma aavi shakto nathi.
As long as a person is alive in this world, he will not get the water of Noor.
Ruhani Roshani. Published by Ismailia Association for Pakistan in 1981 (third edition), pg # 17.
I never implied that Buj Niranjan should be discarded or not recited in JK. I simply expressed my opinion that it is not a Ginan. This does not mean that it is irrelevant for the Jamat. Just as the Memoirs is not a Farman but it does not mean that it is irrelevant to the Jamat.swamidada wrote:You quoted Pir Sadardin and I quoted him from same heritage source. We already discussed Bhuj Nirinjin and you discarded Bhuj as Ginan. Did Hazar Imam ever put restrictions on reciting this Grunth in JK? I have heard recitation of first chapter many times in JK, i.e;
DHUBKI LEY LEY GHOTHA KHAVEY
PIR PAIGAMBER TOI NA PAAVEY
I never saw any ITREB member or Mukhi Saheb stopped reciter not to recite this particular couplet. If you do not accept it does not mean whole community will reject it because you or Ali Asani said so!!
Please if you want to continue the discussion on Buj Niranjan then go to the thread which I have alluded to.
Then how do you explain the verse that you quoted in another thread that the knower of God and God are one? Aren't you contradicting yourself?swamidada wrote: This is also Farman of MSMS;
Insaan jiyaa(n) sudhi dunya ma jeevto chhey tiyaa(n) sudhi NOOR NU PAANI teena haath ma aavi shakto nathi.
As long as a person is alive in this world, he will not get the water of Noor.
Ruhani Roshani. Published by Ismailia Association for Pakistan in 1981 (third edition), pg # 17.
Fatimid Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah composed a qasida in praise of his prominent da’i al-Mu’ayyad
Posted by Nimira Dewji
“…(O) towering mountain of knowledge that has incapacitated its climber:….
The like of you cannot be found among those who have gone,
From all the people, nor those that remain.”
Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah
Abu Nasr Hibat Allah b. Musa b. Abi Imran b. Dawud al-Shirazi, one of the most distinguished da’is of the Fatimid period (909-1171), was born around 1000 in Shiraz, the capital of Fars region of south-west Persia, where his forefathers had a long history of serving Fatimid Imams as well as earlier Imams as da‘is. Following the death of his father, he was appointed chief da‘i of Fars, and began to conduct regular majalis (teaching sessions) in his home region, eventually receiving the honorific title al-Mu’ayyad fi’l Din meaning ‘the one aided (by God) in religion,’ and is thus better known as al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi.
Al-Mu’ayyad’s activities incurred hostility from the local Sunni establishment forcing him to flee from his home. During the following three years, he travelled in disguise across Persia, Iraq, and Syria. In 1048, he sought refuge in Cairo, the Fatimid capital, which he had yearned to visit since his childhood. After introducing himself to government officials, he was given accommodation and a small salary. “But his expectations of an early audience with the Imam-Caliph al-Mustansir bi’llah were thwarted by powerful bureaucrats, who regarded the da‘i as either a troublesome upstart or a potential rival” (Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, IIS).
Qutbuddin notes that al-Mu’ayyad’s “sun rose and fell on the Fatimid da’wa and the Fatimid Imam. The da’wa and the Imam deeply affected his personal and public life, engendering his happiness and pain, inspiring his actions and thoughts, and shaping his literary production. Indeed, the crux of al-Mu’yyad’s entire life and career was his profound involvement with the Fatimid da’wa and his intense relationship with the Fatimid Imam” (Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi and Fatimid Dawa Poetry, p 16).
Despite many setbacks in Cairo, al-Mu’ayyad gradually worked his way up the hierarchy of the Fatimid da’wa. In 1056, against his will, al-Mu’ayyad was sent as head of a diplomatic delegation to northern Syria to form alliances with the local rulers. He had expressed discomfort to the Fatimid wazir al-Yazuri with having to take on the dangerous mission due to his advanced age (around sixty-four years), and his physical weakness. However, before he departed for the mission, which would take almost two years, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah “smiled warmly and expressed confidence in the success of this important mission” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission p 81).
When he returned to Cairo at the end of his successful mission, despite hostilities from the wazir at the royal court, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah granted al-Mu’ayyad reception reciting a qasida that he had composed in praise of his da’i:
“O hujja who is famous among the people.
(O) towering mountain of knowledge that has incapacitated its climber:
Our doors were not locked to you
Except due to a hurtful, disturbing cause.
And we have not veiled (ourselves from) you from loathing;
so trust
In our affection, and return to the worthier (path).
We were worried for your heart if you heard it,
And our shunning was the shunning of a concerned father.
Our followers have lost their right guidance,
In the West, O companion, (and) the East.
So spread among them what you will of our knowledge,
And be for them the concerned parent.
Even though you’re the last in our da’wa,
You have surpassed the compass of the earlier (da’is).
The like of you cannot be found among those who have gone,
From all the people, nor those that remain.”
Shortly after receiving the qasida from the Imam, al-Muyyad was appointed bab al-abwab (Supreme Gate), “the highest religious rank in the Ismaili da’wa hierarchy, directly under the Imam; the bab al-abwab was the official spokesman and mediator of the Imam in religious matters” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 90). He was also appointed chief da’i, devoting the remainder of the twenty years of his life as head of the central institution, administering the affairs of the da’wa, teaching at the Dar al-Ilm (founded by Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Hakim in 1005), and composing theological works.
As chief da’i, al-Mu’ayyad authored 800 lectures prepared, and pre-approved by the Imam, for delivery at the majalis al-hikma (sessions of wisdom), sermons held every Thursdays in the palace and on Fridays after mid-day prayers. Al-Mu’ayyad’s lectures are considered “the largest collection of this genre in the literary heritage of the Ismailis” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission p xvii).
Al-muayyad shirazi majalis fatimid
Pages from the al-Majalis of al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi dated 1840. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Al-Mu’ayyad also authored over 60 qasidas, compiled in the Diwan, many of them in praise of Imams al-Zahir (r.1021-1036) and al-Mustansir bi’llah. He also instructed Nasir Khusraw, who arrived in Cairo in 1047 to study Ismaili doctrines.
diwan al-muayyad shirazi
Page from a 19th century copy of the Diwan of al-Mu’ayyad. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Al-Mu’ayyad died in 1078 and was buried in his residence and working place, the Dar al-Ilm in Cairo. Imam al-Mustansir “personally led the funeral ceremonies for his loyal da’i, who had faithfully served the da’wa during nearly 50 years of his rule” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 105).
Further reading: A Fearless Fidai – The Story of al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi at Ismaili Gnosis
Sources:
Mohamad Adra, Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
Shafique N. Virani, The Ismailis in the Middle Ages, Oxford University Press, 2010
Tahera Qutbudin, Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi and Fatimid Da’wa Poetry, Brill Academic Publishers, 2005
Verena Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission: The Ismaili Scholar, Statesman and Poet, al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi, I.B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London 2003
nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/27/fatimid-imam-al-mustansir-billah-composed-a-qasida-in-praise-of-his-prominent-dai-al-muayyad/
Posted by Nimira Dewji
“…(O) towering mountain of knowledge that has incapacitated its climber:….
The like of you cannot be found among those who have gone,
From all the people, nor those that remain.”
Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah
Abu Nasr Hibat Allah b. Musa b. Abi Imran b. Dawud al-Shirazi, one of the most distinguished da’is of the Fatimid period (909-1171), was born around 1000 in Shiraz, the capital of Fars region of south-west Persia, where his forefathers had a long history of serving Fatimid Imams as well as earlier Imams as da‘is. Following the death of his father, he was appointed chief da‘i of Fars, and began to conduct regular majalis (teaching sessions) in his home region, eventually receiving the honorific title al-Mu’ayyad fi’l Din meaning ‘the one aided (by God) in religion,’ and is thus better known as al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi.
Al-Mu’ayyad’s activities incurred hostility from the local Sunni establishment forcing him to flee from his home. During the following three years, he travelled in disguise across Persia, Iraq, and Syria. In 1048, he sought refuge in Cairo, the Fatimid capital, which he had yearned to visit since his childhood. After introducing himself to government officials, he was given accommodation and a small salary. “But his expectations of an early audience with the Imam-Caliph al-Mustansir bi’llah were thwarted by powerful bureaucrats, who regarded the da‘i as either a troublesome upstart or a potential rival” (Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, IIS).
Qutbuddin notes that al-Mu’ayyad’s “sun rose and fell on the Fatimid da’wa and the Fatimid Imam. The da’wa and the Imam deeply affected his personal and public life, engendering his happiness and pain, inspiring his actions and thoughts, and shaping his literary production. Indeed, the crux of al-Mu’yyad’s entire life and career was his profound involvement with the Fatimid da’wa and his intense relationship with the Fatimid Imam” (Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi and Fatimid Dawa Poetry, p 16).
Despite many setbacks in Cairo, al-Mu’ayyad gradually worked his way up the hierarchy of the Fatimid da’wa. In 1056, against his will, al-Mu’ayyad was sent as head of a diplomatic delegation to northern Syria to form alliances with the local rulers. He had expressed discomfort to the Fatimid wazir al-Yazuri with having to take on the dangerous mission due to his advanced age (around sixty-four years), and his physical weakness. However, before he departed for the mission, which would take almost two years, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah “smiled warmly and expressed confidence in the success of this important mission” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission p 81).
When he returned to Cairo at the end of his successful mission, despite hostilities from the wazir at the royal court, Imam al-Mustansir bi’llah granted al-Mu’ayyad reception reciting a qasida that he had composed in praise of his da’i:
“O hujja who is famous among the people.
(O) towering mountain of knowledge that has incapacitated its climber:
Our doors were not locked to you
Except due to a hurtful, disturbing cause.
And we have not veiled (ourselves from) you from loathing;
so trust
In our affection, and return to the worthier (path).
We were worried for your heart if you heard it,
And our shunning was the shunning of a concerned father.
Our followers have lost their right guidance,
In the West, O companion, (and) the East.
So spread among them what you will of our knowledge,
And be for them the concerned parent.
Even though you’re the last in our da’wa,
You have surpassed the compass of the earlier (da’is).
The like of you cannot be found among those who have gone,
From all the people, nor those that remain.”
Shortly after receiving the qasida from the Imam, al-Muyyad was appointed bab al-abwab (Supreme Gate), “the highest religious rank in the Ismaili da’wa hierarchy, directly under the Imam; the bab al-abwab was the official spokesman and mediator of the Imam in religious matters” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 90). He was also appointed chief da’i, devoting the remainder of the twenty years of his life as head of the central institution, administering the affairs of the da’wa, teaching at the Dar al-Ilm (founded by Fatimid Caliph-Imam al-Hakim in 1005), and composing theological works.
As chief da’i, al-Mu’ayyad authored 800 lectures prepared, and pre-approved by the Imam, for delivery at the majalis al-hikma (sessions of wisdom), sermons held every Thursdays in the palace and on Fridays after mid-day prayers. Al-Mu’ayyad’s lectures are considered “the largest collection of this genre in the literary heritage of the Ismailis” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission p xvii).
Al-muayyad shirazi majalis fatimid
Pages from the al-Majalis of al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi dated 1840. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Al-Mu’ayyad also authored over 60 qasidas, compiled in the Diwan, many of them in praise of Imams al-Zahir (r.1021-1036) and al-Mustansir bi’llah. He also instructed Nasir Khusraw, who arrived in Cairo in 1047 to study Ismaili doctrines.
diwan al-muayyad shirazi
Page from a 19th century copy of the Diwan of al-Mu’ayyad. Source: The Ismailis An Illustrated History
Al-Mu’ayyad died in 1078 and was buried in his residence and working place, the Dar al-Ilm in Cairo. Imam al-Mustansir “personally led the funeral ceremonies for his loyal da’i, who had faithfully served the da’wa during nearly 50 years of his rule” (Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission, p 105).
Further reading: A Fearless Fidai – The Story of al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi at Ismaili Gnosis
Sources:
Mohamad Adra, Synopsis, Mount of Knowledge, Sword of Eloquence, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
Shafique N. Virani, The Ismailis in the Middle Ages, Oxford University Press, 2010
Tahera Qutbudin, Al-Mu’ayyad al-Shirazi and Fatimid Da’wa Poetry, Brill Academic Publishers, 2005
Verena Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission: The Ismaili Scholar, Statesman and Poet, al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi, I.B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London 2003
nimirasblog.wordpress.com/2020/06/27/fatimid-imam-al-mustansir-billah-composed-a-qasida-in-praise-of-his-prominent-dai-al-muayyad/