Qadi al-Nu‘man, an Ismaili jurist of the 10th century, relates an interesting incident in his Book of Assemblies and Travels called Kitab al-Majalis wa al-Musayrat about the Fatimid Imam, Mawlana al-Mu‘izz (peace be upon him). During this period in our history, the palace library held one of the largest collections of rare and precious books anywhere in the world. It is reported to have included more than two hundred thousand bound books on a variety of subjects. The famous Shi‘i historian of Aleppo, Ibn Abi Tayyi’, had described the Fatimid library as a “wonder of the world.”
Qadi aI-Nu‘man narrates that one day Mawlana al-Mu‘izz was searching for a book in the palace library and asked the librarian to fetch it for him. When the librarian came back empty handed, the Imam decided to look for the book himself. It was past nightfall. He sat himself in front of one of the cabinets, where he thought the book may be, and pulled a volume off the shelf. As he read through its content, he became completely absorbed by certain pages and began to read it more closely. Soon he began to look through another volume, and then another and another. The Imam himself said: “I completely forgot why I was there and didn’t even think of sitting down. It wasn’t until I felt a shooting pain in my legs from standing so long that I even realised where I was.”
This historical account is an example of the love our Imams have, and the patronage they have graciously bestowed, to ensure access to every form of knowledge, from the study of the Holy Qur’an and Islamic jurisprudence, to astrology and astronomy, medicine and mathematics, physics and philosophy, grammar and philology, geography and geology. It is acknowledged that AI-Azhar and Dar al-Ilm were the first institutions where the learning of all these different subjects took place under the same roof - founding the idea of a university-like structure. Both these institutions attracted philosophers, scientists, historians, jurists and experts in Qur’anic studies. One such scientist was Ibn Haytham. His pioneering work on optics, including on the pin-hole camera, had a far-reaching influence on European thinkers of medieval times – amongst them Leonardo da Vinci. Knowledge was available to all, and the library at Dar al-Ilm provided ink, pens and paper, free of charge, for all who sought learning in this ‘House of Knowledge’. The Fatimid Imams also ensured that such facilities were funded by them, as patrons of knowledge and upholders of the Shi‘a notion of intellect.
The Ismaili Imamat’s patronage of knowledge comes from the time of Alamut period in the 12th and 13th centuries. Alamut and other Ismaili castles in northern Iran, became centres which attracted many intellectuals. Alamut itself housed a magnificent library, the fame of which, according to a historian of the time “had spread throughout the world”.
Despite the eventual pillage and devastation of these famous treasured houses of knowledge, the community’s spirit was never destroyed. This, according to Islam’s great luminary, Nasir al-Din Tusi - a visiting scholar at Alamut, who lived there for more than three decades - is because the Ismailis gave primacy to the living Word, that is, to the Imam of the Time. Nasir al-Din Tusi said: “It is not only to the command, that the believers’ hearts should be attached, but to the one who issues the command”, that is the Imam of the Time.
The dedication and patronage to the cause of knowledge has continued in recent times by our beloved Imams. Both Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah (peace be upon him), and Mawlana Hazar Imam have emphasised the need of continuous good education for the Jamat and have taken practical steps to ensure that good education is accessible to every member of the Jamat, wherever possible.
Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah laid foundations for education in places that were geographically inaccessible. Many of our brothers and sisters from Hunza and Chitral recall with gratitude the Diamond Jubilee Schools that the Imam initiated in 1946 in the Hunza valley. They recount with pride the transformation their communities have witnessed over the last two generations through the network of schools that were open to both boys and girls. The Imam’s contribution to the education of Muslims in the sub-continent is well known through the important role he played in the development of the Aligarh University and the endowments he established for the welfare and education of Muslims in East Africa.
Mawlana Hazar Imam has continued this tradition with dynamism and vigour. He has emphasised that education, strong and ethical civil society, and a positive attitude to the pluralistic nature of human society are the essential building blocks for a progressive, stable and peaceful world.
