The Fatimids and Their Traditions of Learning: Volume 2

by Heinz Halm

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.

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 2001

Reviews

[Rabia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it many years ago for the first time....read it again just now... not very informative for those already well versed with history...also don't know what is the book about. but for first time readers it does light an interest in the Fatimid era....original German version would be exactly the same conveying whatever this book is telling you in English...so nothing is amiss...it reads what it is...it does impart an important lesson...which is to read some other books on Fatimids and not this one🙂.

[Raja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting. Sheds light on a very foggy part of Islamic history. The fact that the book was originally written in German and depended on Arabic sources creates some doubt in me about the English translation's accuracy. The author also seemed to play the role of apologist for the Fatimids. Given that the research was funded by the Center of Ismaili Studies, I'm not surprized. Irrespective, I enjoyed reading a book that highlights the positive contributions of that Caliphate, especially because it challenges conventional wisdom.