“In Praise of al-Hakim” Greek Elements in Ismaili Writings on the Imamate
Book Chapter in "Fatimid History and Ismaili Doctrine"
Abstract: In September of 1009, the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim, from his imperial seat in Cairo, sent an order to an agent in Syria to proceed to Jerusalem and arrange there the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A significant number of Christian and Jewish houses of worship were likewise destroyed both in Syria and in Egypt over the same period. Although the rule of a living imam is an axiom of Shiite doctrine and is the basis of any Shiite government, the majority of the Shi’a by the time of al-Hakim had opted for an imam in occultation, one theoretically present but not directly accessible. Evidently the conditions of his imamate provoked a special response, perhaps that of arguing the case more openly and directly in a situation of increasing agitation, uncertainty and external opposition.
Author: Dr. Paul E. Walker
Link to Chapter: Fatimid History and Ismaili Doctrine