The ‘Uyun al-akhbar is the most complete text written by an Ismaili author on the history of the Ismaili community from its origins up to the 12th century CE. The seventh volume, edited here for the first time, together with an English summary, deals in particular with the period of the Fatimid caliphs al-Mustansir (d. 487/1094), the time of Musta鈥榣ian rulers including al-Musta鈥榣i (d. 495/1101) and al-Amir (d. 524/1130), and then the Tayyibi Ismaili community in Yemen.
The author, Idris 鈥業mad聽al-Din聽(d. 1468), who was himself a leader of the聽Tayyibis, took a special interest in the commencement of the Ismaili movement in Yemen, the separation of the dynasty into two communities following the death of al-Mustansir in 1094, and the final rupture with Egypt after the murder of al-Amir in 1130. A substantial portion of this volume is also devoted to the history of the later IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja士far al-峁⒛乨iq (d. 765), as his successor. in Yemen, and the pivitol role of al-Sayyida al-Hurra, the famous Sulayhid queen and only female聽hujja, in establishing the Tayyibi Ismaili community, independent of the聽Fatimids聽in Egypt.
The Musta鈥榣i community based in Egypt and Yemen was further divided, soon after 524/1130, when their Caliph-Imam al-Amir bi-Ahkam Allah was murdered and the Yemeni Ismailis refused to accept as his successor to the聽imamat聽al-Hafiz 鈥楢bd al-Majid, who became the Fatimid聽caliphIn Arabic khal墨fa, the head of the Muslim community. See caliphate.. The聽da鈥榳a聽in Yemen continued now on behalf of al-Amir鈥檚 son, al-Tayyib, who was thought to be in hiding. The Sulayhid queen and ruler of Yemen at this time was al-Malika al-Sayyida al-Hurra (d. 532/1138), who separated the leadership of the聽da鈥榳a聽and the Sulayhid state, and appointed the聽da鈥榠聽al-Dhu鈥檃yb b. Musa al-Wadi鈥榠 as the first聽da鈥榠聽mutlaq both to lead the聽da鈥榳a聽on behalf of the hidden聽Imam聽and to assume custody of the literature of the earlier Fatimid Ismaili聽da鈥榳a. Subsequent political upheavals brought about the end of al-Malika al-Sayyida鈥檚 rule, followed by her death in the year 532/1138 and the concealment of the Fatimid literary legacy by the聽da鈥榠聽mutlaqs of succeeding generations. In the 9th/15th century, the聽da鈥榠聽Idris 鈥業mad聽al-Din聽rose to the position of the 19th聽da鈥榠聽mutlaq of the Tayyibi聽da鈥榳a聽in Yemen and thereby gained access to these sources, which he began to use in composing a variety of important historical works.
The seventh volume of the 鈥楿yun al-akhbar is considered a unique source for the investigation of the religious character of the Sulayhid dynasty in Yemen. The position of the author as the 19th聽da鈥榠聽mutlaq of the Tayyibi聽da鈥榳a聽in Yemen and the extraordinary sources and documents that he had access to, make his book the principal source for the study of the Yemeni聽da鈥榳a.
