Mount Of Knowledge, Sword Of Eloquence: Collected Poems Of An Ismaili Muslim Scholar In Fatimid Egypt : A Translation From The Original Arabic Of Al-muʼayyad Al-shīrāzī's Dīwān Poems. English

I.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies A distinguished scholar, author and statesman, al-Muʾayyad fiʾl-Din al-Shirazi (1000-1078 CE) lived during one of the most turbulent periods in Islamic history. The 11th-century was characterized, among other things, by an acute struggle for supremacy between the Sunni and Shiʾa braches of Islam, represented politically by the ‘Abbasid and Fatimid caliphates. Al-Muʾayyad was originally a Fatimid missionary; but his outstanding intellectual and literary skills eventually gained him important positions in the Fatimid administration. Eventually he attained the highest ranks in the religious hierarchy, and won widespead acclaim for his scholarship and sagacity. “The Diwan”, the work here translated, is notable for its exceptional poetic quality and covers a wide range of facinating political and religious issues, from al-Muʾayyad’s intellectual disputations to devotions in praise of the Prophet Muhammad and his family. This first complete English translation seeks to recapture some of the poetic power and flavour of one of the undoubted masterpieces of medieval Arabic literature. Machine Generated Contents Note: Diwan Al-mu'ayyad Fi'l-din Da'i Al-du'at The Diwan Of The Chief Da'i Al-mu'ayyad Fi'l-din -- First Lines Of The Qasidas -- 1. Praise Be To The Lord, The Victorious Authority -- 2. Abundance Of Praise And Unique Thanks Are Due -- 3. Old Age Has Eradicated The Evidence Of Youth -- 4. He Said: Ask Him, You Two, If His Departure Was -- 5. He Said: `when The Load Was Carried For Decamping -- 6.o Two Companions! May You Greet Your -- 7. May Allah Confer Victory Upon The Banner -- 8.o (the Way Of) Exile, How Appalling Is Your Malady -- 9. Impossible Has Become The Separation In Our Love -- 10. Greetings To Those Beloved To Us -- 11. Is It Good To Rejuvenate After Reaching Old Age -- 12. The Pen Has Provided Me With Good Fortune -- 13.i Have Been Tormented In My Love For A Long Time -- 14. Allah's Religion Has Been Invigorated By Al-zahir -- 15.o Companion Of The Heart, Near And Afar -- 16. Welcome Be To Those Who Dwell In My Heart. Contents Note Continued: 17.o Eastern Breeze! Pass By Persia On Coming Back -- 18. May My Life Be Sacrificed For The Guide Of The World -- 19.a Glory So Exalted It Became A Sky For The Heavens -- 20. Verily, Egypt And Syria Have Come To Know -- 21.o Lord, You Are My (only) Hope -- 22.a Crescent Moon Appeared Out Of The Darkness -- 23.o Why Is It That The Sky Does Not Move To And Fro -- 24. Who Will Take Pity On A Body Emaciated By Passion -- 25. Who Is There To Take Pity On An Old Man -- 26.o My Lord! I Have Made Devotions To You, Openly And Secretly -- 27.o My God, It Is My Hope To Receive Salvation By -- 28.o God! If I Am Always Complaining About -- 29.i Swear By God, (the One) Who Has No Partner -- 30.a Soul Whose Ornaments Are The Engraving Of Its Lord's Oneness -- 31.o My Two Companions! May You Be Secure -- 32.i Permitted The Sanctuary Of My Blood To Be Spilled For Their Sake -- 33. High Above The Stars Of Ursa Major Is A Palace Established. Contents Note Continued: 34.o Descendants Of Taha! May I Be Sacrificed For You -- 35.o God, How Weary Have I Become Of Myself -- 36.i Have Been Guided By Ma'add To The Ways Of My Return -- 37.o Companions! Let Us Prepare The Camels For Departure -- 38. If I Were A Contemporary Of Prophet Muhammad -- 39.i Am Pleased With The Hard Bitter Life -- 40. Generous Are My Eyes In Making The Tears Flow -- 41. May Peace Be Upon (the Prophet's) Pure Progeny -- 42.o Inquisitor Who Questions Me About Myself -- 43.o You Who Beholds A Gnat Spreading Its Wings -- 44.i Dissociate Myself From The First Hubal -- 45.o Alw'l-hasan! O He Who Is Like The Warner (muhammad) -- 46.come To The Holy Land, The Dwelling Place -- 47.o Conspirator! Plot Actively As Much As You Can -- 48. Justice Has Become Evident In The Imam's Domain -- 49. My Love For Ahmad And `ali Suffices Me -- 50. They Took My Heart Away When They Departed -- 51. God's Eye Has Taken Care Of You Wherever You Have Settled. Contents Note Continued: 52. By (the Grace Of) Our Lord, Imam Abu Tamim -- 53. Allah Alone Suffices Me -- 54.i Have Mounted The Stallions Of Hope -- 55. She Saw Me When Grey Hair Was Dawning Upon My Head -- 56.o Friends! Separation Has Become So Long For Us -- 57.o Community That Put Up A Cruel Idol As Her Arbiter -- 58. The Burdens Of Time Can Be Difficult Or Easy -- 59.o Time, How Much Enmity And Prejudice Is There Between Us -- 60.i Swear By Allah That If You Were To Crown Me -- 61.o Thursday Morning, Welcome Be To You -- 62. My Tongue Begins With Your Name, O God. Translated By Mohamad Adra ; With An Introduction By Kutub Kassam. Published In Association With The Institute Of Ismaili Studies. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 237-240). Translated From Arabic. Acknowledgements -- Introduction by Kutub Kassam A Biographical Chronology of al-Mu'ayyad Dīwān al-Mu'ayyad fi'l-Dīn dā'ī al-du'āt : The Dīwān of the chief dā'ī al-Mu'ayyad fi'l-Dīn first lines of the qas?das -- 1. Praise be to the Lord, the victorious Authority -- 2. Abundance of praise and unique thanks are due -- 3. Old age has eradicated the evidence of youth -- 4. He said: 'Ask him, you two, if his departure was -- 5. He said: 'When the load was carried for decamping -- 6. O two companions! May you greet your -- 7. May All?h confer victory upon the banner -- 8. O (the way of) exile, how appalling is your malady -- 9. Impossible has become the separation in our love -- 10. Greetings to those beloved to us -- 11. Is it good to rejuvenate after reaching old age -- 12. The pen has provided me with good fortune -- 13. I have been tormented in my love for a long time -- 14. All?h's religion has been invigorated by al-??hir -- 15. O companion of the heart, near and afar -- 16. Welcome be to those who dwell in my heart -- 17. O Eastern breeze! Pass by Persia on coming back -- 18. May my life be sacrificed for the guide of the world -- 19. A glory so exalted it became a sky for the heavens -- 20. Verily, Egypt and Syria have come to know -- 21. O Lord, You are my (only) hope -- 22. A crescent moon appeared out of the darkness -- 23. O why is it that the sky does not move to and fro -- 24. Who will take pity on a body emaciated by passion -- 25. Who is there to take pity on an old man -- 26. O my Lord! I have made devotions to you, openly and secretly -- 27. O my God, it is my hope to receive salvation by -- 28. O God! If I am always complaining about -- 29. I swear by God, (the One) who has no partner -- 30. A soul whose ornaments are the engraving of its Lord's Oneness -- 31. O my two companions! May you be secure -- 32. I permitted the sanctuary of my blood to be spilled for their sake -- 33. High above the stars of Ursa Major is a palace established -- 34. O descendants of T?h?! May I be sacrificed for you -- 35. O God, how weary have I become of myself -- 36. I have been guided by Ma?add to the ways of my return -- 37. O companions! Let us prepare the camels for departure -- 38. If I were a contemporary of Prophet Mu?ammad -- 39. I am pleased with the hard bitter life -- 40. Generous are my eyes in making the tears flow -- 41. May peace be upon (the Prophet's) pure progeny -- 42. O inquisitor who questions me about myself -- 43. O You who beholds a gnat spreading its wings -- 44. I dissociate myself from the first Hubal -- 45. O Abu'l-?asan! O he who is like the Warner (Mu?ammad) -- 46. Come to the holy land, the dwelling place -- 47. O conspirator! Plot actively as much as you can -- 48. Justice has become evident in the Imam's domain -- 49. My love for A?mad and ?Al? suffices me -- 50. They took my heart away when they departed -- 51. God's eye has taken care of you wherever you have settled -- 52. By (the grace of) our lord, Imam Ab? Tam?m -- 53. All?h alone suffices me -- 54. I have mounted the stallions of hope -- 55. She saw me when grey hair was dawning upon my head -- 56. O friends! Separation has become so long for us -- 57. O community that put up a cruel idol as her arbiter -- 58. The burdens of Time can be difficult or easy -- 59. O Time, how much enmity and prejudice is there between us -- 60. I swear by All?h that if you were to crown me -- 61. O Thursday morning, welcome be to you -- 62. My tongue begins with Your name, O God Select -- Bibliography I.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies A distinguished scholar, author and statesman, al-Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi (c.997-1078 CE) lived during one of the most turbulent periods in Islamic history. The 11th century was characterized, among other things, by an acute struggle for supremacy between the Sunni and Shi'i branches of Islam, represented politically by the Abbasid and Fatimid caliphates. Al-Mu'ayyad was a Fatimid Ismaili da'i (missionary) who first rose to prominence in theservice of Abu Kalijar, the Buyid ruler of the Fars region in south-west Persia, which was then part of the Abbasid empire. Al-Mu'ayyad's proselytizing activities, however, incurred the hostility of the local political and religious establishment. After enduring much persecution, he was forced to flee his homeland for Fatimid Egypt, where he offered his services to the Imam-caliph al-Mustansir bi'llah.Despite initial setbacks, al-Mu'ayyad's outstanding intellectual and literary skills soon came to be recognized and he was appointed to important positions in the Fatimid administration. Eventually, he attained the highest ranks in the religious hierarchy, including that of chief da'i and director of the Dar al-'Ilm (House of Knowledge) academy in Cairo. During the twenty years he served in these positionsuntil his death at an advanced age, he won widespread acclaim for his scholarship and sagacity, as well as his authorship of a number of theological, devotional and literary works.The Diwan of al-Mu'ayyad al-Shirazi is notable for its exceptional poetic quality as well as a personal testimony of his career as a Fatimid da'i. Comprising a total of 62 qasidas (odes) of varying length, the Diwan covers a wide range of political and religious issues, from al-Mu'ayyad's intellectual disputations and personal experience of persecution to devotions in praise of the Prophet Muhammad and his family. In doing so, he provides a rare, first-hand description of some of the political and sectarian tensions that polarized the Muslim community of his time. Al-Mu'ayyad's poetry is rich in imagery, rhetorical techniques and symbolic allusions to the esoteric lore of the Fatimid Ismailis. This first complete English translation of the Diwan seeks to recapture some of the poetic power and flavour of what is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces of medieval Arabic literature. A distinguished scholar, author, and statesman, al-Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi (1000-1078 CE) lived during one of the most turbulent periods in Islamic history. The 11th century was characterized, among other things, by an acute struggle for supremacy between the Sunni and Shi'a branches of Islam, represented politically by the 'Abbasid and Fatimid caliphates. Al-Mu'ayyad was originally a Fatimid missionary; but his outstanding intellectual and literary skills eventually gained him important positions in the Fatimid administration. Eventually, he attained the highest ranks in the religious hierarchy, and won widespead acclaim for his scholarship and sagacity. The Diwan, the work translated here, is notable for its exceptional poetic quality and covers a wide range of facinating political and religious issues, from al-Mu'ayyad's intellectual disputations to devotions in praise of the Prophet Muhammad and his family. This first complete English translation seeks to recapture some of the poetic power and flavor of one of the undoubted masterpieces of medieval Arabic literature. "Based on original sources, this book questions the conventional wisdom that Mediterranean Muslim women are passive people subjected to the tyranny and misogyny of religion, society and male relatives. Encompassing everything from medieval love poetry to popular literary sources these studies bear witness to the fact that individual women of all social classes play pivotal roles in both the private domains of sociey and in the public realm."--Bloomsbury publishing.