10th Century Islam Mid-10th Century Term Paper

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They attempted several times to conquer Egypt and Sicily, among other places. In Yemen, Brett describes a situation of internecine warfare between various sectors of Yemeni society. He writes, "Mahdism thus proved unable to transform the society of the Yemen into an enduring new state, as it did the society of Bahrayn" (p. 78). Al-Fadl could not make headway with the southern tribesmen and nobility. In the end, Yemen proved too introverted a place to become a unifying imperial power as the community was fragmenting. To make matters worse, the twelfth imam has just disappeared (Mohammad Al-Mahdi in 941). What were they to do? No one knew, they believed, when he would come out of hiding. So there must be waiting and vigilance, and a strict adherence to the imam's religious and judicial authority in the community.

Another Shiite group expecting the Messiah's return was the Fatimids, who traced their legitimacy from Ali and Fatima. Originating in Tunisia, they opposed the northern Abbasids and Buyids not only by conflicting with Sunni beliefs, but in terms of conceiving of the role of the community. The Fatimids believed unquestionably in the spread of empire, not just in local rule. Since the Caliphate had been reduced to Baghdad, the Fatimids took up the imperial mantle and ran their own caliphate out of Cairo. Endress says, "After the political fragmentation of the Islamic empire, the Fatimid anti-caliphate also threatened to disrupt the religious unity of the Islamic community" (Endress, 2002, p. 117). They rested their authority on Ismaili Shiite credentials.

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As rulers they exercised religious tolerance. Endress says, "The Fatimids indeed never attempted to make Egypt Shi'ite; the esoteric teaching agreed only too well with their political requirements; but they gave the non-Muslims more freedom than they had ever possessed since the Arab conquest." (p. 115). They were thus not repressive intellectually, but their commitment to the political and religious advance of Islam is doubtless in their missionary zeal and diplomatic relations with other countries at the time.

The most interesting route would be the Buyids. It is important to emphasize local cultures and traditions, whether one is Sunni or Shia, and no matter where one places the authority of law. In founding a renewed Persian culture, which ultimately did not persist, their effort was valiant in recognizing the differences among variation Islamic populations. Besides, empire is rarely beneficial for those on the lower rungs of society who may be exploited. The community must rely on local inspiration and leadership rather than dictates from some distant centralized source. That is the only way it keeps its integrity and culture intact. Islamic community and its unity must be based on larger, more general notions of religious belonging, rather than imposed rule. A league could be formed to maintain unity rather than an empire......

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