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Inside the
Immaculate Portal
A History from Early Fatimid Archives
A new edition and English translation of
al-(Azizi al-Jawdhari's biography of al-Ustadh
Jawdhar, the Sirat al-Ustiidh Jawdhar
Edited and Translated by
HamidHaji
(2-012-1
I.B.Talids Publishers
LONDON. NEW YORK
in association with
The Institute ofIsmaili Studies
LONDON
.,,.....
a;lci commaad tncw cD :;top romormw, God willing.
8
[al-Qa'im shuns forbidden goods]
(Jawdhar) related to me that when he travelled to the East with
al-Qa'im bi-amr Allah, the soldiers frequently pillaged the belong
ings of the subjects who had sought protection through submission
and that al-Qa'im bi-amr Allah censured their acts. He punished
them for their deeds and carried out executions. When this matter
overwhelmed him, he instructed the person responsible for buying
meat for his kitchen to proceed in such a way that the meat he bought
in the towns during his passage through them should come only
from trustworthy individuals. (Jawdhar) said:
;:;

;{
s:
1
f


He looked at me and said to me, '0 Jawdhar, do not eat any meat
other than the permissible meat that we provide for you from
our kitchen, for all that is sold in the markets of the army is foul,
because the soldiers commit impermissible acts and have found
ways to perpetrate plunder.' 59
9
Our lord al-Qa'im bi-amr Allah's advice to our lord
al-Man!j:ur bi-llah regarding Jawdhar
A trustworthy person reported to me that when al-Qa'im bi-amr
Allah was on his deathbed, he summoned al-Man$ur bi-llah and
said to him, '0 my dear son! Receive what God has commanded me
58. The practice of excessive lamenting of the dead, considered to be a
legacy of paganism, was condemned by the Prophet. See T. Fahd, 'Niyaba',
BP, vol. 8, pp. 64-65. According to aI-Qa<;lI al-Nu'man, al-Majalis wa-al
musayardt, pp. 95-96, it is related from al-Mu'izz that al-Man$o.r, on his
deathbed, seeing him cry, reminded him of this interdiction. Among the
exceptions to the rule, al-Nu'man mentions the cases of l;Iamza, uncle of
the Prophet, the Imam al-l;Iusayn, and the Fatimid caliph-imam al-Mahdi.
As al-Mahdi's death was announced on 10 Jumada II 322/27 May 934,
al-Qa'im's letter must date from that year.
59. al-Qa'im conducted two expeditions to Egypt, in 301/914 and in
306/919, during al-Mahdi's reign. Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 6, pp. 147,
149-150, 161, and al-Maqrizi, lttia:?, vol. 1, pp. 68-69, 71-72.

:::.:Y
_< (L"' "
rl.J...l,A..l,
what brings near to Him. May He facilitate for you [the affairs
of] the country. May He unite the hearts of believers in submission
to you and affection for you. However, 0 my dear son, I am entrust
ing to you a trust which I would like you not to lose after me:
said to him, 'Say, my lord; I hope that God will delay
your term and will give us and to all the community ofyour ancestor
the gift of your health.'
(AI-Qa'im) replied, 'No! The book has come to its term. The trust
I want to confide to you is poor Jawdhar. Protect him. May he not be
humiliated after me.'
bi-llah said, '0 my lord, is not Jawdhar one of us?'
(AI-Qa'im) replied, 'Indeed, he is one of us because I am happy
with him.' 60
10
[Jawdhar left to govern the entire country]
When bi-llah resolved to set out in pursuit of the cursed
Deceiveti
l
Makhlad b. Kaydad,62 he invested the ustadh with author
60. Cf. Idris 'Imad aI-Din, 'Uyun al-akhbar, pp. 343-344.
61. On the Deceiver (al-dajjdl), an apocalyptie figure similar to the
Antichrist, see Armand Abel, 'al-Dadjdjal', BP, vol. 2, pp. 76-77. Fatimid
writers identify the Kharijite rebel Abo. Yazid Makhlad b. Kaydad as the
Deceiver.
62. Abo. Yazid Makhlad b. Kaydad acquired a large following among
the Iba<;ll Berbers of the Awras and began his rebellion in 332/943 during
the reign of al-Qa'im. He conquered all of southern Ifriqiya, including
al-Qayrawan, and laid siege to al-Mahdiyya. He was eventually defeated
byal-Man$ur in 336/947. On this Kharijite rebel, see SamuelM. Stern, 'Abo.
Yazld al-Nukkari', BP, vol. 1, pp. 163-164; Roger Le Tourneau, 'La revolte
d'Abu Yazid au Xme siecle', Les cahiers de Tunisie, 1 (1953), pp. 103-125;
H. Halm, Mann auf dem Esel. Der Aufstand des Abo. Yazid gegen
die Fatimiden einem Augenzeugenbericht', Die Welt des Orients,
15 (1984), pp. 144-204; Abo. Zakariya Yabya b. Abi Sakr al-Warjalani,
Kitdb Siyar al-a'imma wa-akhbarihim, ed: Isma'il al-'Arabl (Algiers,
1979), pp. 116-123; Ibn al-Athlr, al-Kdmil, vol. 6, pp. 302-311; Abo. 'Abd
Allah Mubammad b. 'All Ibn ijammad, Akhbdr muluk Bani 'Ubayd
wa-siratuhum, ed. and French tr. M. Vonderheyden (Algiers-Paris, 1927),
pp. 18-37 (trans. pp. 33-58); al-Maqrlzi, al-Muqaffd, vol. 2, pp. 131-161, vol.
6, pp. 176-179; al-Qa<;lI al-Nu'man, al-Majalis wa-al-musayardt, Index; and
.",
f
" ..,......
"':: .,.,,;
L;;::"2
]
keys of the safes of the Treasury. Letters of al-Man.sur bi-Uah would
come to him from the city of al-Qayrawan. These letters, detailing
all the events and battles which took place during the terrible wars,
after the death of the Commander of the Faithful al-Qa'im bi-amr
Allah, were [still] drawn up in the name of al-Qa'im bi-amr Allah.
63
11
[Letter of proclaiming his victory over Abu Yazid]
Among the letters which (Jawdhar) made me read is a letter [of
in the name ofal-Qa'im which elucidates the news ofthe
battle of Friday in the city of al-Qayrawan, describing the difficul
ties and terror of that battle until God granted to His friend His fine
11
benefits, and gave him a manifest victory over his misguided, stray
a1
ing enemies, the confederates of the devils. It was a clear, eloquent
cc
letter written in his hand from the beginning to the end. Here is
ru
the text of the letter as I mentioned before, word for word, after the
M
basmala and the invocation ofblessings on the Prophet Mul;tammad:
in
w:
God is great. God is great. There is no god but God. God is great.
hi
God is great. To God all praise is due. All praise is due to God
ca for His countless favours and unparalleled kindness. There is no
hi god but God. God is great. This is the glOrification pronounced
ar
by the heir apparent of the Muslims, sword of the Commander of
vi,
the Faithful, helper of religion, to express gratitude for the favour
accorded to him by the Lord of the worlds. 0 heir of the prophets!
ar
o master of the Muslims! 0 caliph of the Lord of the worlds! 0
11
the best of all creation!64 0 friend of the Lord of the worlds! Today
of

Idris 'Imad aI-Din, 'Uyun al-akhbar. Index.
to
63. al-Qa'im died on 13 Shawwal334118 May 946. Abu al-'Abbas Abmad
ar
b. Mubammad rbn 'Idhari al-Marrakushi, Kitab al-Bayan al-mughrib fi
ye
akhbar al-Andalus wa-al-Maghrib, ed. G. S. Colin and E.
(Leiden, 1948-1951), vo!. 1, p. 208. However, al-Man$iir kept his death
11 secret for a year and three months and did not style himself 'Commander
tit of the Faithful' until al-Mubarram 336/August 947, after his victory over
Abli Yazid. See al-Maqrizi, al-Muqaffa, vo!. 2, pp. 130, 148, 159, vo!. 6, p.
179; al-Maqrizi, vo!. 1, pp. 82, 86; Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 6, p.
317; and Ibn I:iammad, Akhbar. pp. 21. 36 (trans., pp. 37, 57).
CC
fri
64. The expression 'the best of all creation' (khayr al-khalq ajma'fn)
al
generally refers to the Prophet.
of
se
Ta
ChOSen" God bless him and his family.
has glorified] his sunna and his community. He has reinforced
the pillars of religion and has made manifest the decisive proof
(burhan) of the Commander of the Faithful. He has granted Victory
to His proof (bujja). He has raised His word and has helped His
supporters. Today the whole world has been conquered. Today the
light, the brilliance and the nobility of the truth has increased. All
praise is due to God, Lord of the worlds, who helped His servant
and strengthened his army and who alone defeated the confed
erates. By God, 0 Commander of the Faithful, our master and
our lord, never since the time of your ancestor, the Chosen, the
Messenger of God, has one heard of a day more glorious in terms
of God's help, assistance, victory and conquest follOWing the rebel
lion of the impious, the vicious, the disbelievers who were sure to
die, who invited death, declared hostilities and rebelled. But God,
the Mighty, the Exalted, willed that His light be completed and His
word be promoted to the dislike of the disbelievers and to the aver
sion of the humiliated. On the whole, the good news that r want to
convey to our master and our lord, the Commander ofthe Faithful,
is that their dead covered the earth and the victorious army as well
as the city of al-Qayrawan were satiated with booty seized from
them. Everything that the followers (awliya')65 could not carry and
found to be heavy was set on fire and burnt. We captured the camp
ofthe cursed one, including whatever it contained in small or large
quantity. Therein we killed countless (enemies) apart from those
who were killed in battle. There is no way to count their dead, so
large was their number. The cursed one defended himself with
determination, but I confronted him by myself. Assailed before me
by swords and lances, the cursed one was left with only a tunic on.
May God clothe him with the garments of hell. It is said that he
fell in the battle. I ordered a search for him and I hope he did fall.
However, if he fled with his last breath, then he is a prisoner by
today or tomorrow. I am leaving this very night, after midnight or
before dawn, to scour the whole country. r will trample the houses
of the impious and by your sword r will obliterate their trace by the
might, the power, the glory and the help of God.
I sent this letter of mine to the Commander of the Faithful, our
65. The term awliya' here refers to fighters loyal to the Fatimids. The
translation of awliya' as 'followers' renders only one of the meanings of the
word which generally also means protectors, patrons, clients, defenders,
partisans, officers, companions and friends.
CULATE PORTAL
and receives his honorific title]
and the [imam's] followers had
,plies, the siege was tightened on
a battle in which the cursed one
d His friend and the descendant
., as has been mentioned by 'Ali b.
l that we have cited before. Then
'le Jawhar the secretary to send
announcing the victory.84
nificant document in which was
bi-llah expressing the
le obedient to Him and may He
.rk of our thankfulness to God,
our He has granted us by giving
tlue and of considerable impor
ves the obligation of manumit
able deeds. Therefore, we have
-rs to take such measures within'
instructions to them. Our dire.c
to comply with disbursing to the
llnding region the alms that we
gard to manumitting we not
'leasing to God, the Mighty, the
, virtuous, believing slave such
sake of God, the Magnificent.
vard, I free your body and your
ter, and to honour you we will
Imander of the Faithful'. Begin
ligh or low in rank, thus: -'From
ofthe Faithful, to so-and-so son
one by their filionymic (kunya).
d by anyone else's name other
J TamIm,85 may God take hIm
ddressed to Jawdhar are most likely
,ugust 947. For an account of the
, see al-MaqrIzi, al-Muqaffa, vol. 2,
:Z, who by this time. 3361947, had
1
PART ONE: BIOGRAPHY 43
as shepherd (for His flock) and may He bless him with longevity.86
(Jawdhar) continued to adhere to this protocol in his correspond
ence with everyone throughout his days until he returned to the
mercy of God.
17
[Jawdhar's name is inscribed on embroidered
garments and carpets]
Subsequently instructed (Jawdhar) to have his name
inscribed on bands of embroidered fabrics (tjrdz) in gold thread
executed by slave embroiderers. which adorn the garments worn by
the imams. as well as on those manufactured by mat weavers, who
produce wonderful articles and who are ofunrivalled craftsmanship.
He told him, 'Write to them that they should inscribe on embroi
dered fabrics and carpets: "Manufactured through Jawdhar. Client
of the Commander of the Faithful. at al-Mahdiyya the Pleasing [to
God]".'
All this was done to honour him and to enhance his position. May
the blessings of God be upon our lord and master the Commander of
the Faithful, the Imam bi-llah. (The imam) admired the
artefacts made by these slaves and often ordered to look after them
saying: 'Their artefacts are exquisite gardens.'
18
[al-Man/lur honours Jawdhar]
When the Imam bi-llah arrived at his capital,
al-Mahdiyya,87 al-Ustadh Jawdhar received him in the finest attire
and most complete outfit. at the valley known as al-Malib.
88
When
already been designated heir apparent. Regarding this filionymic of
al-Mu'izz see note 157 below.
86. Cf. the quotation ofthe letter in Idris 'Imad aI-Din, 'Uyun al-akhbar,
p.444.
87. al-Man$ur returned to al-Mahdiyya after his victory over Abfi Yazid
in Ramac,ian 336/March-April948. See al-Maqrizi, vol. I, p. 86, and
Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 6, p. 3U.
88. ai-Wadi aI-Malil) lies between Tumajir and aI-Mahdiyya. It was the
scene of a fierce battle in which the forces of al-Qa'im were routed by the
r
44 INSIDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
his eyes fell upon (Jawdhar), he was delighted with him and was
filled with joy at his sight. Thereupon he said, 'I do not know how
to conceal Jawdhar from death. Ifyouthfulness could be bought, we
would expend for it the priceless from what we possess.'
Then he greeted him perfectly and advanced towards him most
gracefully, and clad him promptly with robes ofhonour which he had
prepared for him. He gave him for a mount a piebald horse selected
from among his mounts and known as Ablaq b. Nuyfit,89 and had
other mounts with heavy saddles led before him. Then, when he
arrived at his palace and food was served, he ordered (Jawdhar) to sit
at the table with him. This was the first time that (Jawdhar) sat at the
table with
19
[al-Man,ur's treasure stores entrusted to Jawdhar]
bi-llah used to collect at his place the most precious
things found in his dominion and the richest treasures of all types
and kinds. One day he sent to (Jawdhar) several books containing
various exoteric and esoteric sciences, and wrote to him at the same
time a letter whose text is as follows:
I am sending you my books and the books of the imams, my pure
ancestors, which I have selected. Keep them with you, protected
from everything. One of them has been damaged by water. I
have no treasure more precious than these books. Instruct your
secretary Mubammad
90
to transcribe for you a copy of three of
the books which contain sciences and rules of conduct by which
rebel Abl1 Yazid in 333/944. On aI-Wadi al-Malib, see al-Bakri, al-Masalik,
p. 29 (trans. pp. 65-66); Mubammad b. 'Abd al-Mun'im al-l;limyari, Kitab
al-Rawd al-mi'tar fi khabar al-aqfar, 2nd ed. Ibsan 'Abbas (Beirut, 1980),
p. 136; Ibn 'Idhari, al-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 218 (where it is referred to as Wadi
aI-MHb). On the battle, see Ibn Khaldl1n, Ta'rikh, vol. 4, p. 53 (trans.
Berberes, vol. 2, pp. 531-532).
89. One of the Prophet's horses was named al-Ablaq. Taqi al-Din Abo.
al-'Abbas Abmad b. 'Ali al-Maqrizi, Imta' al-asma' bi-ma lit-nab! min
al-a/:!wal wa-al-amwal wa-al-/:!afada wa-al-mata', ed. Mubammad 'Abd
al-l;lamid al-Numaysi (Beirut, 1999), vol. 7, p. 200.
90. Abo 'Abd Allah Mubammad b. 'Uthman was one of the three
secretaries of Jawdhar.
PART 0
God will gladden you. They;
which contain two sermons
Allah, which he commandec
of the cursed one, the Deceh
composed by ourselves and"
after our return from the Ma
of al-Qa'im bi-amr Allah al
'which we suffered by (his los:
[Sermon of al-Qii'il
I have recorded in this bool
mention and that which God a
We have left out everything e
and' going beyond what is p
both-the sermons one after the
of those who are wise. I have
bi-amr Allah, which he orde
daYs of the siege
94
and in wh
91. A collection oflegal tradil
a portion has survived: al-Qac;li
ed. Mubammad Rabmat'
Madelung, 'The Sources ofIsma"
(1976), pp. 29-40, reprinted in h
Islam (London, 1985), article XV
92. He is Abl1 Ja'far Abmadb.
in some sources), a qat,li and poet c
al-Man$l1r during the campaign
19; al-Maqrizi, al-Muqaffa, vol.
pp. 88-89; al-Bakri, al-Masalik,
Abmad's father, Mubammad b.
qq.t,li ofal-Qayrawan in 296/909 t
al-Nu'man, Iftitd/:!, p. 215, tran:
(which is contracted to al-Marr
Sa'd 'Abd al-Karim b. Muban
al-Ansab, ed. 'Abd al-Rabman
(Cairo, 1980-1984), vol. 11, pp. 2
93. This was the year in w
delivered the sermon in that year
94. This refers to the siege of
al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 6, pp. 30:
66 INSIDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
PARl
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i
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811,
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28
[Letter of regarding the rebels of Sicily]
The Imam had sent al-1:Iasan b. 'Ali:139 to the inhabit
ants of Sicily, at a time when they would seize by force every ship,
they would frequently appear armed in the mosques and would
not refrain from reprehensible acts. Among them were the Baml
the sons of brother, the Banft al-Tabari
140
and
others. When al-1:Iasan b. 'Ali arrived, he wrote to the ustadh to ask
him to plead with the Commander of the Faithful bi-llah
for a man named Mul;tammad b. 'Abdftn. This man had departed
from Sicily together with others who departed from it.141 The ustadh
139. He is Abo. al-Ghana'im al-l;Iasan b. 'Ali b. Abi al-l;Iusayn al-Kalbi
(d. 353/964), the first of a succession of governors of Sicily from the Bano.
Abi al-l;Iusayn al-Kalbi. He was appointed governor in 336/948 to restore
order and reassert Fatimid authority on the island. He remained in Sicily
until shortly after the advent of al-Mu'izz, when he returned to Ifriqiya,
leaving his son Ab,mad as governor. He fought against the Umayyads
in 344/955-956, and then in 345-346/956-958 he commanded a naval
expedition against the Byzantines. He returned to Sicily in 353/964 and
died after an illness at the age of fifty-three. See Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil,
vol. 6, p. 326; al-Maqrizi, al-Muqaffd, vol. 2, pp. 172-174, vol. 3, p.60, and
'Imad aI-Din Isma'il b. 'AB Abo. al-Fida', al-Mukhtasarfi akhbdr al-bashar
(Beirut, n.d.), vol. 2, pp. 96-97. See also Document 68 below in which
al-Mu'izz praises al-l;Iasan b. 'AB after his death, and Document 37 relating
to his sons.
140. Disorder reigned in Sicily shortly before the appointment of
al-l;Iasan b. 'AIL The Bano. al-Tabari were among the notables there who
had a large following. On the day of the Feast of the breaking of the fast
of 335/25 April 947, they attacked the governor 'Atta[ and killed some of
his men. 'Atta[ sought help. When learnt of the
seriousness of the situation on the island, he appointed al-l;Iasan b. 'Ali
governor of the island and instructed him to proceed there. On Bano.
al-Tabari and these events see Ibn al-Athir, al-Kdmil, vol. 6, pp. 326-327.
141. When al-l;Iasan b. 'Ali arrived in Sicily he anchored at the port of
Mazara, to the south-west of the island, without being noticed that day.
Then at night he was met secretly by Fatimid supporters who informed
him that 'Ali b. al-Tabari, Mub,ammad b. 'Abdo.n and others had left Sicily
for Ifriqiya, and that they had advised their supporters to prevent al-l;Iasan
from reaching the island. This is because they wanted to ask to
appoint another governor instead, but had them arrested. On
these events see Ibn al-Athir, al-Kdmil, vol. 6, pp. 326-328.
presented his letter to the
haVing read it, appended th
As regards al-l;Iasan b. 'At
not seen any mention of
understand that he feared
intervene on his behalf in I
imprisoned him to leave 1:'
any worry in the country.
ness of (Mub,ammad) and
Otherwise, not! Because if
only because the inhabita:
ful temperament and upr:
country had been asked als
an even better testimony'
al-Tabari al-Ashtari, and R
them and make them retur
.our goods. Then send then
sent to (l;Iasan) a reply to
that I am sending you. Ho
request regarding Mub,am
your letter what I have wr.
be strict, steadfast and tou
has intoxicated the people
towards them has made th(
142. It appears that al-l;Iasa
in Palermo and the events whil
write to Jawdhar immediately 1
143. Ibn al-Athir, al-Kdmil,
144. He is Abo. al-'Abbas 1
general who was born in Tripo
Fatimids from al-Mahdi's reign
he accompanied al-Qa'im on t
He was governor of Sicily durir.
by al-Qa'im with reinforcemel
Abi Rashid (r.
revolted. Khalil b. Isb,aq was n
the complaints of the inhabita
and inspired fear, bl
Subsequently, al-Qa'im chargee
Abo. Yazid, but he was defeate
executed. Ibn 'Idhari, al-Baydn
vol. 6, pp. 261-262; and Mub,;;
MMACULATE PORTAL
28
regarding the rebels ofSicily]
'fit al-I::Iasan b. 'Ali139 to the inhabit
they would seize by force every ship,
r armed in the mosques and would
.e acts. Among them were the Banu
;) brother, the Banu al-Tabari
l40
and
arrived, he wrote to the ustadh to ask
lder ofthe Faithful bi-llah
i b. 'Abdun. This man had departed
s who departed from it.
141
The ustadh
-I;Iasan b. 'All b. Abi al-I;Iusayn al-KalbI
'on of governors of Sicily from the Banu
ppointed governor in 336/948 to restore
'ity on the island. He remained in Sicily
II-Mu'izz, when he returned to IfrIqiya,
nor. He fought against the Umayyads
;-346/956-958 he commanded a naval
:. He returned to Sicily in 353/964 and
fifty-three. See Ibn al-Athir,
'fa, vo!. 2, pp. 172-174. vo!. 3, p.60, and
'Fida', al-Mukhtasarft akhbar'al-bashar
;ee also Document 68 below in which
'ter his death, and Document 37 relating
Iy shortly before the appointment of
,rI were among the notables there who
of the Feast of the breaking of the fast
the governor 'Atta[ and killed some of
s help. When al-Man$ur learnt of the
, island. he appointed al-I;Iasan b. 'Ali
cted him to proceed there. On Banu
I-AthIr. al-Kamil, vol. 6, pp. 326-327.
red in Sicily he anchored at the port of
!land, without being noticed' that day.
by Fatimid supporters who informed
,ad b. 'Abdun and others had left Sicily
:d their supporters to prevent al-I;Iasan
:ause they wanted to ask al-Man$ur to
)Ut had them arrested. On
til, vo!. 6, pp. 326-328.
PART ONE: BIOGRAPHY 67
presented his letter to the Commander of the Faithful who, after
having read it. appended the following reply to him:
As regards al-I;Iasan b. 'Ali's plea for Mubammad b. 'Abdun, I have
not seen any mention of it in the letter that he wrote to me.
142
I
understand that he feared me, so he turned to you to ask you to
intervene on his behalf in favour of (Mubammad b. 'Abdun). I have
imprisoned him to leave I;Iasan no excuse and not to place on him
any worry in the country. If he trusts the sincerity and faithful
ness of (Mubammad) and also gives a pledge, I will release him.
Otherwise, not! Because if (I;Iasan) has asked to intercede for him
only because the inhabitants of the country vouch for his peace
ful temperament and uprightness, then if the inhabitants of the
country had been asked also about al-Tabari, they would have given
an even better testimony in his favour. As regards Khabbab, Ibn
al-TabarI al-AshtarI, and Raja' b. AkhI I;Iaya,l43 be reassured about
them and make them return what they stole and appropriated from
our goods. Then send them back after that clasped in irons. I have
sent to (I;Iasan) a reply to his letter at the same time as this letter
that I am sending you. However, I have not informed him of your
request regarding Mubammad b. 'Abdun. Notify him yourself in
your letter what I have written to you and urge him insistently to
be strict, steadfast and tough. This is because the well-being there
has intoxicated the people of the country and the kindness shown
towards them has made them insolent. With Khalil
144
they got used
142. It appears that al-I;Iasan b. 'All wrote to al-Man$ur after his arrival
in Palermo and the events which took place there, and also that he did not
write to Jawdhar immediately after his arrival in Sicily.
143. Ibn al-Athlr, al-Kamil, vo!. 6, p. 326, has Jana instead ofI;Iaya.
144. He is AM al-'Abbas Khalil b. Isbaq b. Ward, poet and Fatimid
general who was born in Tripoli. He devoted himself to the service of the
Fatimids from al-MahdI's reign during al-Qa'im's conquest ofTripoli. Later
he accompanied al-Qa'im on the second expedition to Egypt of 306/919.
He was governor of Sicily during 325-3291936-940, having been sent there
by al-Qa'im with reinforcements to support the then governor Salim b.
Abi Rashid (r. 313-325/925-936) against whom Palermo and Jirjent had
revolted. KhalII b. IsMq was noted for his excesses in Sicily, He set right
the complaints of the inhabitants, built a citadel on the port of Palermo,
al-Khali$a, and inspired fear, but he could not end the revolt until 3291940.
Subsequently, al-Qa'im charged him to defend al-Qayrawan from the rebel
AM YazId, but he was defeated by Abu Yazld in 333/944, captured and
executed. Ibn 'IdharI, aI-Bayan. voL I, pp. 181.215; Ibn al-Athir, aI-Kamil,
vo!. 6, pp. 261-262; and Mubammad b. 'Abd Allah Ibn al-Abbar, Kitab
68 INSIDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
to ideas which one can only remove from their heads by the sword.
Let him be hard and relentless towards scoundrels and transgres
sors, and instead of striking them with the whip, use the sword
against them, because the [example of just] one affects thousands
(of others). Let him not lend ear to those who seek to alarm him
by spreading false rumours, because if he does so. he will not be
firm; nor will he succeed. Salim b. Abi Rashid
145
had maintained
order everywhere to the extent that the Greeks feared him in their
most distant (regions),146 and yet he was only a two-legged jackass.
(AI-I;Iasan) is more intelligent, more determined, more sensible and
cleverer than (Salim). He will bring good fortune to our dynasty.
and will be the blessing of our reign, God willing.
When I became acquainted with this passage of the letter of
bi-llah to my master the ustadh Jawdhar. I understood
that, by these words. he had aroused al-l:fasan b. 'Ali's enthusiasm.
although he already had the energy.
29
[Last letter of to Jawdhar]
We have mentioned many letters of bi-llah written in his
own hand, noble to God. If I examined in detail each one of them.
it would unduly lengthen this book. The last letter of his that I read
was a reply to many letters which the ustadh had written when it
happened that the imam had become seriously ill and replies were
delayed for some time. Once he recovered from his illness, he wrote
a letter in his own hand. Here is the text ofit, after the invocation of
the name God:
o Jawdhar, may God protect you. Your letters arrived, and I have
taken note of what they contained. I have understood what you said
in each of them. I have taken long to reply to them, once because I
----..--
al-l;lulla al-siyara', ed. I;Iusayn Mu'nis (Cairo, 1963), vol. 1, pp. 302-304.
145. Salim b. Abi Rashid was governor of Sicily during 313-325/925
936. Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, vol. 6. p. 182; Shihab aI-Din Abmad b. 'Abd
al-Wahhab al-NuwayrI. Nihayat al-arab fi funun al-adab. vol. 24, ed.
I;Iusayn (Cairo, 1983). pp. 368-369; and Ibn 'ldharI, al-Bayan. vol.
1, p. 175.
146. Salim b. Abi Rashid, reinforced by troops from Ifrlqiya, made an
incursion in southern Italy in 313/925. Ibn al-Athir. al-Kamil, vol. 6, p. 182;
al-Nuwayri, Nihaya. vol. 24. p. 368.
PART ONE: BIOGRAI
was busy, another time because of [my] ill
ness of the entire body. Praise be to G,
Everything that Abu Tamim
l47
wrote to 10
him in person. I commend him to God.
148
Then his illness worsened and God che
happiness which lies) beside Him and call.
year 3411953.l4'i God caused the imamate,
the share of our lord al-Mu'izz Ji-din AlIal
Now I will mention a part of the c<
between (al-Mu'izz) and his servant the us
he sent to him. to show how highly he I
reign. I will comment on that faithfully. i
High. Success depends on Him.
30
Letters of the Imam al-Mu<izz li-din A]
Faithful, to his servant al-Ustadh Jawdh
death of b
The first letter that I will mention is tl
received from al-Mu'izz Ji-din Allah, oUJ
which he styled himself 'the Commandel
mentioned the death of bi-llah
it secret. Here is its transcript:
In the name of God, the Most Benefic.
Abundant praise be to God, Lord of the
that He grants and trials that He sends. M;
health, 0 Jawdhar. You know what bonds 1
you adhere to loyalty to us and what place}
All this is sufficiently well established in y(
need to repeat it and elaborate on it. I thin:
to these maniacs and these contemptible ID!
147. Abu Tamim refers to al-Mu'izz, who 'I'i
148. Cf. the letter as quoted in ldris 'Imad
502.
149. died on 29 Shawwal3411lS
al-Muqaffa. vol. 2, p. 177.
150. These were the members of the Fatin;
See Part One. Section 25 above.
126 INSIDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
would do it, but without de-priving it to those that have a right to it.
Do therefore for these domains whatever seems good to you, and
use their income for expenses that you have to incur. We are satis
fi.ed for everything that comes from you. Praise be to God, Lord of
the worlds.
49
A letter came to the ustadh from Al}mad b. lal-11:Iasan, during the
time when he was in Sicily,264 in which he mentioned that he had
suffered an illness and spoke of the matter of the cutting of wood
in the fortified towns where it was being CUt.
265
Oawdhar) conveyed
(the letter) to the Commander of the Faithful and wrote a note in
which he said:
o my lord, may God bestow His blessings upon you. Herewith is
the letter of your servant Al;lmad b. l:Iasan who urged your slave
to [write this] note, since a passage in his (letter) requested him to
do so, after he disclosed the nature of the illness which he suffered,
saying, 'Speak of me to our lord; perhaps he will pray for me to be
delivered from suffering that I feel, and obtain through the blessing
of his prayer and pity the benefit and help of God in this world and
the Hereafter.'
He received the [imam'sJ reply on the back of the note:
We have acquainted ourselves with the letter and we return it to
you. May God preserve him in good health and grant us by him
favour; may He, by improving his condition, sadden the enemies of
our community by His might and power. What (Al;lmad) mentioned
regarding the matter of the wood, we have already heard. However,
you will insist upon him to make every effort in this matter, so
that God may, by His grace and the favour of His action, remove
difficulties of this task. As for the cause that you mentioned of the
departure of those who were employed in this matter of the wood,
264. That is between the years 341-358/953-969. Hence, this document
dates from before the end of358/November 969, when Al;lmad was recalled.
See note 198 above.
265. As indicated in Documents 52 and 56 below, the wood from
the forests of the north-west of Sicily was undoubtedly meant for the
construction of the fleet for the expedition to Egypt. The fortified towns
in the region included Taormina and Rametta whose Christian inhabitants
were employed in the cutting and transportation of the wood.
PART TWO: DOCUMENTS
like the inhabitants of Taormina and Rametl
him that we pray to God that He increase fo
departure of the remaining people of this dis1
gion, full of lies about our Lord, the Might
of (God's) anger, that will bring about for it
punishment of God. God will bring it abm
on this matter once and for an. Oh how gre
we think to witness or obtain, but only be,
One who dispenses them, and besides wh.
to be worshipped other than Him. It is in T:
He suffices us, lI:nd He is an excellent guaI
50
NU$ayr complained to (the ustadh) abOt
called Al:,1mad b. Rayl:,1ani, who was his pr
in the serviCe under his authority. (Nu$aYJ
often engaged. in drinking and was oftel
was not certain that (Al:,1mad) would divu
drunk. Therefore, the ustiidh wanted to
ment ofbea,ting with the cane.
267
Then he I
of the Faithful, who sent to him the folIo,
oJawdhar, let Nu,ayr apply to this fault 01
tion and a warning, without resorting to ;
ing or something else. Ifhis situation is re(
fortunate. If not, he has a capacity m o n ~
him, if he wants. However, he should (
repeats his fault, because a slave who has
is not suitable to be entrusted with secret
of the worlds.
266. Taormina was conquered in 35l/'
remaining Christian stronghold on the is10
Abmad's governorship. The departure of .
related to these events. Subsequently, in 351
evacuation of Taormina and Rametta and the
al-Nuwayri, Nihdya, vo!. 24, pp. 370-374. See
267. Cf. punishment for drinking intoxi
Daifim, vo!. 2, pp. 463-464 (trans. vo!. 2, pp.
49
MMACULATE PORTAL
iving it to those that have a right to it.
ins whatever seems good to you, and
5 that you have to incur. We are satis
's from you. Praise be to God, Lord of
'om A.bmad b. [al-1Basan, during the
in which he mentioned that he had
of the matter of the cutting of wood
was being CUt.
26S
(Jawdhar) conveyed
r of the Faithful and wrote a note in
His blessings upon you. Herewith is
.mad b. Basan who urged your slave
Issage in his (letter) requested him to
ature of the illness which he suffered,
lrd; perhaps he will pray for me to be
[ feel, and obtain through the blessing
!fit and help of God in this world; and
on the back of the note:
s with the letter and we return it to
in good health and grant us by him
: his condition, sadden the enemies of
md power. What (Al,lmad) mentioned
)od, we have already heard. However,
make every effort in this matter, so
md the favour of His action, remove
: the cause that you mentioned of the
employed in this matter of the wood,
341-358/953-969. Hence, this document
fovember 969, when Al,lmad was recalled.
tents 52 and 56 below, the wood from
Sicily was undoubtedly meant for the
to Egypt. The fortified towns
.nd Rametta whose Christian inhabitants
transportation of the wood.
PART TWO: DOCUMENTS 127
like the inhabitants of Taormina and Rametta,266 you will inform
him that we pray to God that He increase for us this cause by the
departure of the remaining people ofthis distorted and altered reli
gion, full of lies about our Lord, the Mighty, the Glorious, object
of (God's) anger, that will bring about for its adherents the painful
punishment of God. God will bring it about and grant our wishes
on this matter once and for all. Oh how great are the favours which
we think to witness or obtain, but only because of the grace of the
One who dispenses them, and besides whom there is no god. none
to be worshipped other than Him. It is in Him that we put our trust.
He suffices us, and He is an excellent guarantor.
50
complained to (the ustadh) about a secretary that he had,
called A1;tmad b. Ray1;tani, who was his private secretary and worked
in the service under his authority. mentioned that (A1;tmad)
often engaged in drinking and was often seen drunk, and that he
was not certain that (A1;tmad) would divulge his secrets while he was
drunk. Therefore, the ustadh wanted to apply to him the punish
ment ofbeating with the cane.
267
Then he consulted the Commander
of the Faithful, who sent to him the following reply on this matter:
o Jawdhar, let NU$ayr apply to this fault ofhis secretary an admoni
tion and a warning, without resorting to any force on him by beat
ing or something else. Ifhis situation is redressed for him, he will be
fortunate. If not, he has a capacity among his colleagues to replace
him, if he wants. However, he should do that only if (Al,lmad)
repeats his fault, because a slave who has been beaten with a cane
is not suitable to be entrusted with secrets. Praise be to God, Lord
of the worlds.
266. Taormina was conquered in 351/962, and Rametta, the last
remaining Christian stronghold on the island, fell in 354/965 during
Al,lmad's governorship. The departure of the Christian population is
related to these events. Subsequently, in 358/968, al-Mu'izz ordered the
evacuation ofTaormina and Rametta and the two strongholds were razed.
al-Nuwayri, Nihiiya, vol. 24, pp. 370-374. See also note 297 below .
267. Cf. punishment for drinking intoxicants in al-Qadi al-Nu'man,
Da'ii'im, vol. 2, pp. 463-464 (trans. vol. 2, pp. 466-468).
E THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
51
letter from the treasurer. gover
ppened after the arrival to him of the fleet
b. 1:Iasan.269 expressed his longing
and wished [him] to come to perform the
h him.270 He mentioned the total of the sums
d the amount that he had spent for this fleet
Jed the stable situation of the country. The
:ter. When the Commander of the Faithful
:ollowing reply on the back the letter:
m and inform him of the excellent opinion
II him that we are happy with his administra
ived him of His help ever since he exists and
m now. Let him strive devotedly to provide
nsel. Ever since we know him. we have not
on his part. May God grant him as reward
:. Regarding what he said about our prayer
and his desire to have his wish fulfilled.
who serves us like he does is present with
in person. How many absentees are present
absent! The one who wants excellence and
d helps him to obey us and accomplish acts
le who is overcome with his vileness. he will
ntered between his eyelids. The one whom
able of considering His benevolence. he has
'le perception by which he would be able to
:Jd for what He has granted him ofour satis
lk Him. He can give thanks for this (favour)
iod. As for the money that, as he says. he
ring collected it, that which he spent on our
tant endeavours, it is as if it had been remit-
r is apparently the same as N usayr mentioned in
lce he would have left his duties in al-Mahdiyya
of Tripoli.
.san al-Kalbi see note 198 above.
s from before the end of Dhii al-l:fijja 359/end
1. al-l:fasan died. Abmad, who left Sicily at the
or beginning ofSeptember, had not yet arrived
ill and died. The day of the Feast of Sacrifice
.6 October 970.
PART TWO: DOCUMENTS 129
ted to us. Is not money meant to be spent thus? Praise be to God
who has decreed that it be spent on what satisfies Him and brings us
glory forever, extends our power and fulfils the hopes of [our] fore
fathers and ancestors. By God. if the mountains of Ifriqiya were of
gold and silver which we expended on expenses, God would replace
them by the favours and the bounties which He has already granted
us, and they would be quite inSignificant compared to that. The
blessing that God has bestowed on our wealth is one of the great
est signs and the best proof. I beseech God for help. By God, what
ever we lost during the service that NU$ayr exerted under us and
his administration when he was at our residence, especially after
Jawhar's absence-may God keep him safe and sound and grant him
victory-the deficit in the collection ofmoney was compensated by
savings that he made in the finances of Tripoli in a year. After the
departure of we had relied on Jawhar, and we found in him
and with him everything that we wished. However. since (Jawhar's)
departure, matters have been neglected;l7l everyone followed the
savage nature of his passion; there was no more Treasury or guard
ians [of the Treasury]; there were no more slaves. There was no situ
ation from which one could know what one wanted. Praise be to
God in all circumstances.
52
When warships were being constructed in al-Mahdiyya. their exter
nal parts which are completed by masts, yards and other similar
things could not be finished. As the ustiidh had fine pieces oftimber
in his warehouse. he offered them respectfully to the Commander
of the Faithful and sent him a note about the matter. When our lord
had acquainted himself with what he had written. he gave him the
following reply:
No. by God, 0 Jawdhar. we would not like to deplete your ware
house ofsuch timber. Let it remain with you as a treasure for us. Let
271. Jawdhar's deputy in al-Mahdiyya, was summoned to
to act as an official in the Treasury. Subsequently, he was
sent to Tripoli as governor, and the savings that he made within a year on the
fmances of Tripoli contributed to financing the land and sea expeditions to
Egypt. Jawhar had played an important role in the financial administration
in Ifriqiya after left for Tripoli. Then, once Jawhar left Ifriqiya for
Egypt, there was no one capable to replace him to administer the finances,
being in Tripoli.
l30 INSIDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
seek to buy everything for which he finds the means to buy.
We have hopes which we wish that God will fulfil and make us see
their realisation. May He also fulf'll the hope that you have to satisfy
Him and satisfy us, and to draw near to Him by your zeal. He is
abounding in graciousness and His bounties are immense.
53
When Na:?if al-Ray1).anI the Secretary died. the imam invoked God's
mercy upon him. Then the ustadh asked permission to continue to
his son, who was a small child, the emoluments of his father. Our
lord sent him the reply:
Let son be looked after on behalf of his father. If the child
is not educated. he will not be useful as an adult. Education has an
importance which has no equal for a mature man who has already
had accidents and recovered from them.
m
He understands that
this is necessary by force of circumstances. He is not like the one
who thinks that he is reared for happiness and supported before he
becomes suitable for a place for which he is considered worthy. Take
care of him and awaken his mind. You will gain benefit from him,
God willing.
273
54
When A1).mad b. al-l;Iasan arrived from Sicily,m upset by his
:;011 rahic's companionship with Prince Tamlm
l75
and the awful
272. Literally: 'that has been broken and repaired' (kusira wa-jubira).
The expression was used by al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam, the Companion of
I he Prophet, to describe the most courageous. 'AB b. al-I;Iasan Ibn 'Asakir.
'/{,'rfkh madinat Dimashq, ed. 'Umar b. Gharama al-'Amrawi (Beirut.
1995-2001), vol. 18, p. 385; and Mubammad b. Mukarram Ibn
,Vlulchta$ar Ta'rikh Dimashq li-Ibn vol. 9. ed. Nasib NashawI
(Damascus, 1985), p. 19.
273. This document is a testimony to the importance given among
I he Fatimids to the education of sons of chief officers and servants of the
:;tate under the supervision of the sovereign and his entourage for training
luture officials.
274. Abmad b. al-I;Iasan was recalled from Sicily by al-Mu'izz at the end
of 358/November 969. At that time Tamim's brother, 'Abd Allah, had been
already designated heir apparent. See notes 198 above and 320 below.
275. On Tamim see note 219 above.
PART TWO: DOCUMENTS
rumours which circulated about them, he wa
Tabir. Nevertheless, he consulted the ustadh
sought his advice about it. The ustadh consid
refer the matter to the Commander of the Fai
this reply:
o 1awdhar, may God increase the number of
Abmad. By God, he has been vilified before us
by some of (Tamim's) supporters, who had portI
his son this unfortunate young man, the compa
has been the cause of his misfortune. By God. tl:
for his sake is like what we feel for the one who
the son of Abmad leaves hope for the future, wh
plots against us, there will never be any hope, b
which God, the Mighty, the Glorious, raises our (
of purity. One who lacks it is a burden that weigl
Praise be to God for afflicts and what rejoil
Regarding what Abmad wants to do to his SOl
intercede with him for (his son). Let him know t
to do is to ,rectify all those who are depraved, w
open abomination whose disgrace would exteJ
whose memory. would remain for days to come, j
that it remains attached to posterity. May he cont
what is appropriate for the future. His being in
rectify the disorder caused by any troublemaker,
trouble between the two. We, on our part, shall t
One who obeys us will not be troublesome. ]
abase the heads of all those who rose to rejoice a
because they saw the favour that we granted tl
upon them. Thus we want that, as long as they liv
grow and increase, that it will not decline or regl
that so that he acts accordingly and that he doe,
reprehensible act on the young man, God willinf
55
SaIib b. Bahram the secretary, son-in-law ofNa?
has been mentioned above, related that a eunuc
the palace to tell him that one of the slave
Allah, had seen in her dream that al-Qa'im bi-an
to Na:?ifthe secretary; ifyou do not go to him on
afternoon prayer, you will not meet him. Tell hi.
132 INSIDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
you are of the members of the family of the Prophet, and you will be
;nnong the inhabitants of Paradise.'"
The slave girl told him, '0 my lord, I will convey to him a gift so
I hat I get the reward of it:
'Do not do so; he said, 'because he will not accept it from you,
hesides he does not need it.'
When the ustadh came to know about this dream, he related it to
the Commander of the Faithful [al-Mu'izz] who sent him the follow
ing reply:
There is no doubt that such is the situation of (Na;r.if), because of
his intentions, his sincerity and the satisfaction that he gave to his
masters. By God, when we were young nobody had for us any fear
ful respect or suspected that we were capable of discernment, while
we knew each one and his feelings, because of the power of natural
abilities that God had placed in us. We did not know of (Na;r.if) any
feeling of intrigue that could be noticed in others, rather we knew
him as a sincere man, aiming to follow the straight path to the satis
faction of God, his Lord. He has found in death, during our reign,
the perfection ofhis bliss. May God's mercy be upon him.
56
A large consignment of wood arrived from Sicily for the ustiidh in
his ship. The arsenal ofour lord needed wood. Therefore, the ustiidh
offered it respectfully and wished that it would be accepted by him.
(The imam) sent to him the following reply:
We do not doubt that God has helped you in your intention to seek
to please us and that He has given you the possibility to do so. May
God be gracious to you and may He fulfil the noblest of your hopes
of obtaining His mercy and His pleasure. We accept from you the
spontaneous gift that you have made. Write to u ~ a y r to take deliv
ery oHt and to.use it, God willing.
57
There arose between the representative of the ustadh and a man of
the Kutama of the Ishjana
276
called Rabi' b. $uwat a dispute about
276. Apparently Ijjiina, a branch of the Kutama. Ibn Khald1in, Ta'rikh,
vol. 6, p. 196 (trans. Berberes, vol. 1, p. 292).
PART TWO: DOCUMENTS
a plot of land in the domain of the ustadh at
Kutami had seized by force, and from wher
representative. The ustadh had sympathy anc
Kutama) because of their standing with thi
KutamI claimed that he had bought this land
ustadh presented the case before our lord and
to pay sixty dinars to the man and refrain fron
he was cautious about (these) things. When th
Faithful had acquainted himself with this (ca
reply:
o Jawdhar, may God protect you. We have re
your note. The payment of these sixty dinar
insignificant for being relieved from worrying;
injustice towards people like (the Kutama). If
give (the money) as alms to those whose prol
possess and relieve your mind and theirs from,
that justice comes from you to these humble
from them. God will make your money grow i
fies Him, 'draws near to Him and is not besmirc
bition that wOl;1ld call forth His displeasure. Go
from that previously and lately, and He will c
that He grants you, like the gracious bounties
upon our followers and which they recognise. T
than Him; He has no associate.
58
Jawhar the secretary wrote a note to our lord t1:
Faithful to ask [him] to grant [him] the shan
house which was opposite the house of al-Bagl
ofShawdhab, and [to allow him] to buy the sh
his domain. This domain was shared betweei
wife ofJawhar. Our lord wrote back:
o Jawdhar, here is the note that Jawhar addresst
what you know. Give him the share of Shawdhal
has asked, and sell to him the share ofShawdha
277. Shawdhab was apparently a slave ofal-Mu'i.
what he held reverted to his master, or he was a die
heirs having rights of ownership.
)E THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
's ofthe family of the Prophet, and you will be
; of Paradise.'"
lim. '0 my lord. I will convey to him a gift so
fit:
said, 'because he will not accept it from you,
ed it.'
ame to know about this dream, he related it to
: Faithful [al-Mu'izz] who sent him the follow-
at such is the situation of (Na:j:if), because of
lcerity and the satisfaction that he gave to his
!n we were young nobody had for us any fear
ed that we were capable of discernment. while
d his feelings, because of the power of natural
I placed in us. We did not know of (Na:j:if) any
it could be noticed in others, rather we knew
aiming to follow the straight path to the satis
)rd. He has found in death, during our reign,
lliss. May God's mercy be upon him.
56
f wood arrived from Sicily 'for the ustadh in
our lord needed wood. Therefore, the ustadh
nd wished that it would be accepted by him.
1 the following reply:
God has helped you in your intention to seek
le has given you the possibility to do so. May
u and may He fulfil the noblest of your hopes
:y and His pleasure. We accept from you the
(Ou have made. Write to NU$ayr to take deliv
Jod willing.
57
e representative of the ustadh and a man of
ina
276
called Rabi' b. Suwat a dispute about
a branch of the Kutama. Ibn Khaldiin, Ta'rikh,
"es, vo!. 1, p. 292).
PART TWO: DOCUMENTS 133
a plot of land in the domain of the ustadh at this place which the
Kutami had seized by force, and from where he had evicted the
representative. The ustadh had sympathy and compassion for (the
Kutama) because of their standing with this pure dynasty. The
Kutami claimed that he had bought this land for sixty dinars. The
ustadh presented the case before our lord and asked him permission
to pay sixty dinars to the man and refrain from litigation, given that
he was cautious about (these) things. When the Commander of the
Faithful had acquainted himself with this (case), he sent him this
reply:
o Jawdhar, may God protect you. We have read what you say in
your note. The payment of these sixty dinars is easy and quite
inSignificant for being relieved from worrying about any (possible)
injustice towards people like (the Kutama). If that is not enough,
give (the money) as alms to those whose properties he claims to
possess and relieve your mind and theirs from all worry. It is better
that justice comes from you to these humble people rather than
from them. God will make your money grow inasmuch as it satis
fies Him, draws near to Him and is not besmirched with any prohi
bition that would call forth His displeasure. God has protected you
from that previously and lately, and He will complete the favour
that He grants you, like the gracious bounties which He lavishes
upon our followers and which they recognise. There is no other god
than Him; He has no associate.
58
Jawhar the secretary wrote a note to our lord the Commander of the
Faithful to ask [him] to grant [him] the share of Shawdhab277 in a
house which was opposite the house of al-Baghdadi, after the death
of Shawdhab, and [to allow him] to buy the share of (Shawdhab) in
his domain. This domain was shared between Shawdhab and the
wife ofJawhar. Our lord wrote back:
o Jawdhar, here is the note that Jawhar addressed to us concerning
what you know. Give him the share of Shawdhab in the house as he
has asked, and sell to him the share of Shawdhab in the domain, by
277. Shawdhab was apparently a slave ofal-Mu'izz since, after his death,
what he held reverted to his master, or he was a client of al-Mu'izz without
heirs having rights of ownership.
INSIDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
63
a note in which he said that, despite his preference
, lord, he feared that he had to do so in a matter,
remembered and about which he would ask an
maritime supplies and other questions relating to
le feared that (the imam) would find this bother
ord learnt that, he wrote to him:
God keep you safe and sound. We have acquainted
,hat you say in your note. No. by God. the position
, with us is not that of someone whom one finds
the contrary, we pray to God and we ask Him to
:ntourage many like you. Everything that comes
;;ider as coming from the person to himself. Do not
f anything else, and thank God for the privilege
Ited you. Regarding our concerns. they are made
r all sorts of things. I hope always that God will
:) deal with them. while the absence of this helper
leavier, and this is to our disadvantage, not to our
:rod deliver us from the evil of those who do not
extent of benevolence. and may He fulfil (our)
om whom we expect help, God :Mlling.
64
note to our lord to remind him of the plea made
secret
ary
286 for his son Ja'far, to obtain a domain
d gain his livelihood. He'received the follOWing
Ited ourselves with your note. The place of
e those whose intentions are sincere and whose
rovided us with good servIces. We wish that God
es to those who do not know us, and even more
()w only us. We will fulfil Ja'far's request because
in favour ofhis plea. God willing.
article IX.
\llah Muhammad b. 'Uthman, Jawdhar's secretary.
e Document 15 above. Muhammad b. 'Uthman
m his final journey.
..L"
PART TWO: DOCUMENTS 1:\',
65
(Jawdhar) submitted a report to our lord stating that some youn;',
slaves among the embroiderers had apostatised after havili:.
embraced Islam. He explained what he had learnt of their case. (TII<'
imam) sent him the following directive:
o Jawdhar. may God help you. Write to to arrest these
apostates, imprison them, have them castigated and call upon
legal witnesses as witnesses for them. Then, if they return to Islam,
record the declarations of the witnesses and set them free. If they
continue to adhere to Christianity. caution them and warn them
again repeatedly on different days. If they return to their error,
let him have them brought out [from the prison] and have them
severed member after member in full view of everybody so that
they are an abomination for others. Let him inform them, when he
warns them during the three times, that if they persist, such will be
their punishment. Then carry out what we have said, unless they
repent, God willing.
287
66
Ja'far, the son of the master of the Yemen,288 was held j I I
high regard by the (Fatimid) dynasty, and his bonds with our 101, I
were close kinship bonds. His standing with the ustadh was of SOIlW
one whose rank in religion was the closest and firmly establishe( I.
(Ja'far) resided in in a house which was in the neigh
bourhood of'AlI b. al-Iannan's house. 'Ali asked him to sell him hi.';
287. On apostasy in Islam see W. Heffening, 'Murtadd', BP, vol. 7, PI'
635-636. On the Fatimid law of apostasy see al-Qa41 al-Nu'man, Da'ij'ill/.
vo!. 2. pp. 479-481 (trans. vo!. 2, pp. 482-484). There is no mention ul
severing member after member as punishment for apostasy in works () i
Islamic jurisprudence.
288. la'far b. al-Yaman was a most prolific and high-rankili;'
Ismaili author. His father Ibn I::Iawshab (d. 302/914), also known as Mam;fl J
al-Yaman, pioneered the Ismaili da'wa in the Yemen. Sometime after hi ..
father's death Ja'far emigrated to Ifrlqiya where he arrived during the
of al-Qa'im. He died at an unknown date in the early part of al-Mu'iz:;':.
reign. Idrls 'Imad aI-Din, 'Uyim al-akhbar, pp. 78, 570-571; Poonawah.
Biobibliography. pp. 71-75, 144. 150. 317, 323; Isma'il b. 'Abd al-Rasiil
al-Majdl1', Fahrasat al-kutub wa-al-rasa'il, ed. Alinaqi Monzavi (Tehrall
1966), pp. 138-139,153,187-188,190-191,260,280 .
110 INSIDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
house, but he refused. Then (Ja'far) needed to borrow money and
('AlI) gave him a mortgage on his house for a flxed term. When the
I ('rm was due, and as Oa'far) had not found the money (to repay), 'Ali
demanded that he vacate the house. The ustadh, having learnt ofthis,
:ubmitted the matter to our lord who sent him the following reply:
By God, 0 Jawdhar, we are very much astonished at this, because
'AB informed us two days ago of the legal document committing
(Ja'far). This gives us an impression which is far from what we had
considered preferable and ideaL Indeed, (Ja'far) deserves what has
happened to him and he deserves even the double of that, because
he behaved as someone who places his security in the hands of a
pitiless man. Ifby hiding from us this fact he had the thought of not
bothering us with this matter, he should have, nevertheless, consid
ered the situation in which he was putting himself. The burden
which he now lays upon us is heavier than ifhe had appealed to our
generosity, because we would not have skimped with him the double
of this cursed sum. Furthermore, he would not have placed himself
in an annoying situation. He would have avoided that it become
known to those, close to us or far from us, that our follower-son of
our most splendid follower, the fortunate one by the satisfaction of
God and the satisfaction of his masters, the one who was foremost
in accomplishing charitable deeds among all those around him
has been obliged, while he was at our court and enjoyed the greatest
favour with us, to mortgage his house in which he is neighbour to
us, even though this is the finest of dwellings. We shall save him
from this predicament and rescue him. May he not fall in a simi
lar situation, because then he would be delivered to the might and
power (of God). Confirm this with him, God willing.
67
The ustadh wrote to our lord a note in which he mentioned that his
had perished. He requested our lord to grant him one ofthe two
;:hips that had been bought from the Byzantines for our lord, so that
he could make use oHt to transport his cargo by sea to the East. He
::;1 id that what had prompted him to do so was that he could not flnd
al1y that he could buy, and that he feared out of respect to make this
request. The imam sent to him the following reply:
o Jawdhar, may God keep you in good health. We do not consider
our goods to be other than your own. God has granted you our
PART TWO: DOCUMENn
satisfaction and our familiarity so that, ifwe k
consisted only in what you possess of our favl
satisfied to grant you the double ofit, just as Wf
who are less deserving than you; but we knm
far more considerable than theirs and that yOt
than theirs, because God has granted you our
will complete with happiness in the Hereafter.
of the ships that you want. May God bless it fi:
know His blessing. The request that you have:
be granted. You have obtained, by God, everytl
and worldly life that you would like, by the t
granted you to enjoy near us. Have faith in GI
He will increase His generosity and bounties t(
hasten the success of your request, God willin{
68
After the death of b. 'Ali,289 our Ion
God's mercy upon him and spoke appreciath
he was mentioned. One day he spoke of hir
praised his zeal and the sacrifices he had made
The ustadh was present during that. When he
came a letter from Sicily from Abmad b. al-J
described the great misfortune that had stru
of his father and the turmoil into which the c
loss had thrown the country. Then [he mentic
he spoke to the people and informed them th
insignificant as long as the Commander of tl
population was calmed and he took over the d
with a firm resolution so that it seemed that
suffered any misfortune.
291
He wrote to ask th
ofthe Commander of the Faithful and to than]
he had granted him. The ustiidh conveyed th
the Commander of the Faithful. He received tl
o Tawdhar, may God bestow upon you bounti
and worldly life. We have acquainted ourselve
289. al-l:fasan b. 'Ali died in 353/964. On him se
290. On Abmad b. al-l:fasan see note 198 above.
291. It seems that since his father left Sicily, Al:u
himself independent.
DE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
.. Then (Ja'far) needed to borrow money and
:gage on his house for a fixed term. When the
Ja'far) had not found the money (to repay), 'Ali
lte the house. The ustiidh, having learnt ofthis,
o our lord who sent him the following reply:
we are very much astonished at this, because
) days ago of the legal document committing
, an impression which is far from what we had
e and ideal. Indeed. (Ta'far) deserves what has
d he deserves even the double of that, because
lne who places his security in the hands of a
iing from us this fact he had the thought of not
is matter. he should have. nevertheless, consid
1 which he was putting himself. The burden
Ion us is heavier than ifhe had appealed to our
'e would not have skimped with him the double
urthermore, he would not have placed himself
ltion. He would have avoided that it become
! to us or far from us, that our follower-son of
1I0wer, the fortunate one by the satisfaction of
tion of his masters, the one who was foremost
uitable deeds among all those around him
:le he was at our court and enjoyed the greatest
)rtgage his house in which he is neighbour to
is the finest of dwellings. We shall save him
nt and rescue him. May he not fall in a simi
then he would be delivered to the might and
hm this with him, God willing.
67
lr lord a note in which he mentioned that his
'equested our lord to grant him one of the two
19ht from the Byzantines for our lord, so that
: to transport his cargo by sea to the East. He
npted him to do so was that he could not find
md that he feared out of respect to make this
t to him the following reply:
keep you in good health. We do not consider
T than your own. God has granted you our
PART TWO: DOCUMENTS 141
satisfaction and our familiarity so that, ifwe knew that your wealth
consisted only in what you possess of our favour, we would not be
satisfied to grant you the double of it. just as we have done for others
who are less deserving than you; but we know that your wealth is
far more considerable than theirs and that your standing is greater
than theirs, because God has granted you our satisfaction which He
will complete with happiness in the Hereafter. Take, therefore, any
of the ships that you want. May God bless it for you and make you
know His blessing. The request that you have submitted to me will
be granted. You have obtained, by God, everything in your spiritual
and worldly life that you would like, by the favour which He has
granted you to enjoy near us. Have faith in God and thank [Him);
He will increase His generosity and bounties towards you. We shall
hasten the success of your request, God willing.
68
After the death of al-I:fasan b. 'Ali,289 our lord continued to invoke
God's mercy upon him and spoke appreciatively of him every time
he was mentioned. One day he spoke of him at great length and
praised his zeal and the sacrifices he had made for the cause of God.
The ustiidh was present during that. When he left the meeting, there
came a letter from Sicily from Ahmad b. al-l:fasan,29o in which he
described the great misfortune that had struck him with the loss
of his father and the turmoil into which the calamity of his sudden
loss had thrown the country. Then [he mentioned in his letter thall
he spoke to the people and informed them that all misfortune wa;;
insignificant as long as the Commander of the Faithful lived. The
population was calmed and he took over the direction of all matter::
with a firm resolution so that it seemed that the country had nol
suffered any misfortune.
291
He wrote to ask the ustiidh the
of the Commander ofthe Faithful and to thank him for favours that
he had granted him. The ustadh conveyed that (letter) to our Ion I
the Commander of the Faithful. He received the following reply:
o Jawdhar. may God bestow upon you bounties in your spiritual
and worldly life. We have acquainted ourselves with the letter of
289. al-I::Iasan b. 'Ali died in 353/964. On him see note 139 above.
290. On Ab-mad b. al-I::Iasan see note 198 above.
291. It seems that since his father left Sicily, Ab-mad already consider,,, I
himself independent.
l42
INSIDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
Abmad and we return it to you. Send him a reply encouraging him
and approving the fine attitude that he has adopted by showing
patience and rejecting grief. Convey to him our feelings of sympa
thy for them all.
292
May God never deprive them of the bounties
which they enjoy there as long as they live. May He have mercy
upon l;Iasan; may He be satisfied with him and grant him satisfac
tion. He is blissful in his death as he was in his life. If his death has
saddened us, we are rejoiced and our grief at his loss is consoled by
the certainty which we have that God has reserved for him a hand
some reward and a noble place of return. May God grant an end
as happy as his to those who obey us and have sincere intentions
towards us. He has in Mubammad
293
and Abmad his successors,
and even more. May God give us His blessing in them both. You
know that l;Iasan did not achieve during our reign what they have
achieved, until he sought to satisfy us throughout his life. But he has
left to his posterity a glory and an honour of which the least bit is
worth the greatest ofwhat he obtained from us. May God help them
to raise the construction on the bases laid down by their father, so
that He makes them realise the hopes that we have placed in them,
by His might and His power, God willing.
69
When provincial governors were seeking to outbid Ja'far b. 'Ali
294
for
his governorship, because he was governor with full powers, without
being bound by a contract,295 according to the rule followed until
292. The plural apparently refers to the members of the Bami Abi
;ll-I:Iusayn al-Kalbi family.
293. On Mubammad b. al-l;Iasan see note 244 above.
294. He is Ja'far b. 'AIr b. l;Iamdiin, governor of the province of al-Zab
with al-MasIla as its capital. On him see note 223 above.
295. This means that, as governor, Ja'far had the right to exercise full
I'owers delegated by the caliph within his province. With the revenue that
he raised, Ja'far had to cover the military and administrative expenditure;
any residue left after these expenses had been met had to be paid to the
I'atimid Treasury. This gave Ja'far financial independence, without being
obliged to pay a predetermined guaranteed sum to the Treasury, which
would have been the case if he had been bound by a contract. The Treasury
'()uld receive a lesser sum than had been expected from Ja'far, but which
;1 had to accept. This situation prompted some administrators, envious
, \ f Ja' far's position, to offer to pay a greater sum to the Treasury if they
,ould be appointed governor instead of Ja'far. In spite of his closeness to
I;,' far and concerned that Ja'far's continued tenure meant less revenue for
T
,
i
PART TWO: DOCUME:t\
then by (the Fatimids),296 the ustadh wrote
the Commander of the Faithful in which hI
o my lord, this is a province about which
many rival bidders ask to lease. Its lease mus
to those who want it. Thus, the revenues of
any loss. For its good administration, it wi
salary ensuring his subsistence and which 1
of his life.
70
The ustadh submitted a letter received f
detailed the revenue ofthe province. He sta
and that only a small sum would be added it
remitted. When our lord had acquainted h
the following reply:
o Jawdhar, we have acquainted ourselves,
By God, I do ,not know what to say about t
you hold in ,our esteem and the position w
prevents uS from hiding from you what we th
For Ja'far, God knows how much we wish th
in a better state, that they should be cond.
the favour which he enjoys continues and rl
for your sake and because he is affiliated. to
of his father and the position that he enjoyel
the blessings of God be upon them all; thi
because we have commended him and rais
others. Then our friend or our enemy does 1
a governor, but the position he holds by the
own favour. For the province in which (Ja'
there is no other god than Him-some of [0
have already offered to pay us for it more 01
year. We declined their offers and we did nl
from him, in due consideration of him, nl
would redeem less than that. Ifwe had kno
the Treasury, Jawdhar recommends dismissini
bidders for the position if they could be bound b
sum to the Treasury. See also Documents 70, 71
296. Granting governorship with full pow.
contract, was the general practice in the Mal
according to Ibn I;Iawqal, Surat al-art;l, p. 94.
IDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
Jrn it to you. Send him a reply encouraging him
fine attitude that he has adopted by showing
ing grief. Convey to him our feelings of sympa
May God never deprive them of the bounties
here as long as they live. May He have mercy
le be satisfied with him and grant him satisfac
n his death as he was in his life. Ifhis death has
rejoiced and our grief at his loss is consoled by
we have that God has reserved for him a hand
noble place of return. May God grant an end
:hose who obey us and have sincere intentions
in Muhammad
293
and Ahmad his successors,
y God give us His blessing in them both. You
[d not achieve during our reign what they have
,ught to satisfy us throughout his life. But he has
a glory and an honour of which the least bit is
f what he obtained from us. May God help them
:tion on the bases laid down by their father, so
realise the hopes that we have placed in them,
is power, God willing.
69
rnors were seeking to b. 'Ali:
294
for
use he was governor with full powers, without
Itract,295 according to the rule followed until
,arently refers to the members of the Banu Abt
[y.
b. al-I:Iasan see note 244 above.
li b. I:Iamdun, governor of the province of al-Zab
taL On him see note 223 above.
:, as governor, Ja'far had the right to exercise full
caliph within his province. With the revenue that
)ver the military and administrative expenditure;
:se expenses had been met had to be paid to the
;ave Ja'far financial independence, without being
rmined guaranteed sum to the Treasury, which
ifhe had been bound by a contract. The Treasury
n than had been expected from Ja'far, but which
tuation prompted some administrators, envious
fer to pay a greater sum to the Treasury if they
mor instead of Ja'far. In spite of his closeness to
. Ja'far's continued tenure meant less revenue for

PART TWO: DOCUMENTS
H;
then by (the Fatimids),296 the ustadh wrote a note about the matter [,'
the Commander of the Faithful in which he said:
o my lord, this is a province about which much is being said and
many rival bidders ask to lease. Its lease must be granted by contract
to those who want it. Thus, the revenues of our lord will not incur
any loss. For its good administration, it will be granted to Ta'far a
salary ensuring his subsistence and which he will enjoy for the rest
of his life.
70
The ustadh submitted a letter received from Ja'far in which IL
detailed the revenue of the province. He stated that it had been spe III
and that only a small sum would be added in addition to what he hat I
remitted. When our lord had acquainted himself with this, he selli
the follOWing reply:
o Jawdhar, we have acquainted ourselves with the letter of Ja'far.
By God, I do not know what to say about that, but the status that
you hold in our esteem and the position which you enjoy with us
prevents us from hiding from you what we think openly and secretly.
For Ja'far, God knows how much we wish that his matters should be
in a better state, that they should be conducted honestly and that
the favour which he enjoys continues and remains with him. First.
for your sake and because he is affiliated to you; secondly. because
of his father and the pOSition that he enjoyed with his masters. may
the blessings of God be upon them all; thirdly, for his own sake.
because we have commended him and raised him in dignity over
others. Then our friend or our enemy does not have the pOSition of
a governor, but the position he holds by the favour of God and our
own favour. For the province in which (Ja'far) is based-by God.
there is no other god than Him-some of [our] followers and slaves
have already offered to pay us for it more or less 70,000 dinars per
year. We declined their offers and we did not withdraw our favour
from him, in due consideration of him, notwithstanding that he
would redeem less than that. If we had known that the amount of
the Treasury, Jawdhar recommends dismissing Ja'far and consider rival
bidders for the position if they could be bound by a contract to pay a greater
sum to the Treasury. See also Documents 70, 71 and 83 below.
296. Granting governorship with full powers, rather than a bindin:;
contract, was the general practice in the Maghrib under the Fatimids,
according to Ibn I:Iawqal. Surat al-arr;1, p. 94.
152 INSIDE THE IMMACULATE PORTAL
and His mercy. Indeed, He is bountiful and generous.
77
Our lord learnt that a ship belonging to the ustadh had perished,
vith all the cargo that it was carrying, while coming from Sicily.309
<) II r lord wrote to him on his own initiative, to express to him the
",fief that he felt about it, the following note:
o Jawdhar, we have learnt what has happened, by the command of
God, that your ship has perished. May God protect you from any
further test in your belongings, and may He preserve you yourself,
so that you can witness with us the accomplishment of the wishes
that you form of obtaining through us the greatest honours, mate
rially and spiritually; that you can witness with us what God will
grant to us of the territories of the oppressors who have bartered
error at the expense of guidance; to make the pilgrimage to the
Sacred House ofGod, to visit the tomb of our ancestor Mubammad,
may God bless him, thereby having accomplished the pilgrimage,
outwardly and inwardly, by the might and the power of God.
78
The ustiidh submitted a note to the Commander of the Faithful
10 inform him that Abmad b. Mubammad al-Tallas
310
had made a
request to him regarding a house adjoining Dar al-Babrll to turn it
i 1l[0 a storehouse for naval equipment that he needed to store there.
\ ) ur lord had forbidden anyone to enter Dar al-Babr, but had allowed
i ll(>ayr alone, because he was the deputy of the ustadh in the posi
I ion that he occupied. Our lord sent to him the following reply:
Leave the house under your control as it is; neither he nor anyone
else must put their hand or their foot therein. Keeping the house
309. Document 67 above relates another disaster involving Jawdhar's
. hip.
310. Al:tmad b. Mul:tammad al-Tallas was employed at the warehouses
.,1' the maritime administration. On him see Document 47 above relating
I () his death.
311. The Dar al-Ba1;u, located in al-Mahdiyya, was used as a prison. See
/\ bu Bakr al-Maliki, Kitdb Riyiid al-nufus fi tabaqiit 'ulama' al-Qayrawan
lm-Ifriqiya, ed. Bashir al-Bakkush (2nd ed., Beirut, 1994), vo!. 2, pp. 227,
;,15-346,498. On the Dar al-Babr in see note 177 above.
PART TWO: DOCUMENTS
under your control will cut short the ambitions I
it. Whatever is with you and in your possession ,
under your supervision to which you devote your
(sincere) intention and firm devotion, which is ir:
God reward you for that by His benevolence anI
God willing.
79
(The ustiidh) wrote to our lord a note stating th
had to take care of the heirs ofal-l;Iasan b. 312
have any dwelling of her own and she had requ
to buy a house dose to the palace of the Comma
because of the blessing associated with it. Our 10
.0 Jawdhar, God has granted to [al-]l;Iasan b. 'Ali,
fied with him, His most perfect favours, outwardl:
that, if they had been depicted to him during his 1
wished that his death was hastened. May God gl
more His forgiveness and His satisfaction. The p
dren and his family hold in our regard is such, by
opinion, the giffofthe most considerable offavol
not be considered too great for them. The best 01
be honoured are those with whom lies our satisfac'
comes from us, and our satisfaction with them b
rank. God knows how much we wish for you hf
nence of God's favours. Give thanks profusely; (
your happiness and bliss. With regard to the motl
may God be satisfied with him, and the request sl
by God, ifshe had asked us to lodge her in our pab
been easy and proper. We shall grant her especiall)
has asked. She deserves one ofthe two houses, whi,
that she likes. Let us know the amount of the pric.
the sum disbursed to you, God Willing.
80
(The ustadh) wrote a note to our lord to inform
b. 'Ammar
13
had asked him to gain the fulfil men!
312. He was governor of Sicily who died in 353/9(
139 above.
313. See Document 46 above which mentions the I