The The Advent of the Fatimids: A Contemporary Shi‘i Witness

"This work is a personal memoir composed by a medieval scholar in which he records details of his discourse with two Ismaili leaders who spearheaded the Fatimid revolution in North Africa in 909-10. By reporting at first hand the thoughts and activities of Abu `Abdallah al-Shi'i and his brother Abu'l-Abbas over a period of seven months, Ibn al-Haytham in his "Kitab al-Munazarat" (The Book of Discussions) provides an insider's view to our understanding of the foundations of the Fatimid state."--Bloomsbury Publishing Table of Contents Advent of the Fatimids : A Contemporary Shi'I Witness by Madelung, Wilferd; Walker, Paul mm; Wilferd, Madelung Terms of Use Preface p. ix Acknowledgements p. xiii Introduction p. 1 1. The Historical Background p. 1 2. Ibn al-Haytham and the Historical Sources p. 41 3. The Edition of the Arabic Text p. 55 4. The Translation and Notes p. 56 Kitab al-Munazarat (English Text) p. 61 Bibliography p. 176 Index p. 181 Copyright ® 2011 R.R. Bowker LLC. All Rights Reserved. Summary Advent of the Fatimids : A Contemporary Shi'I Witness by Madelung, Wilferd; Walker, Paul mm; Wilferd, Madelung Terms of use This personal memoir composed by a medieval scholar reveals an important discourse with two Ismaili leaders who spearheaded the Fatimid revolution in North Africa in 909-910. By reporting the thoughts and activities of Abu 'Abdallah al-Shi'i and his brother Abu'l-Abbas over a period of seven months, Ibn al-Haytham in his Kitab al-Munazarat (The Book of Discussions) provides an unparalleled insider's view to the foundations of the Fatimid state. As such, it is a unique document in the literature of early Islamic revolutionary movements as much as it represents one of the most valuable sources for the history of the medieval Muslim world. Copyright ® 2011 R.R. Bowker LLC. All Rights Reserved By Wilferd Madelung And Paul E. Walker. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. English Translation Followed By Original Arabic Text. Published In Association With The Institute Of Ismaili Studies, London. Praise be to God who manifests His radiant proofs on the tongues of His pure saints, they who glorify God by revealing the truth and explaining it and by proving false the distortions of those who deny it.