ISLA 200 Midterm: Midterm prep

• School: McGill University
• Department: Islamic Studies
• Course: ISLA 200
• Professor: Prashant Keshavmurthy

Document Summary

After the resurgence of the isma"ilis, who established a base in salamiya, the. Imam abd allah left syria and started a journey westward. Sahara desert in maghreb, where he made contact with isma"ili missionaries from. The latter overthrew the local ruling dynasty, the aghlabids. They then established a new caliphate in qayrawan, who came to be known as the fatimids. Understanding the importance of the navy in the geopolitical setting of the region, Abd allah created a new capital on the mediterranean coast, named mahdiya, deriving from the surname he gave himself: al-mahdi. The fatimid caliphate was one of three in its time, along with the umayyads of andalusia and the abbasids of the near east. The fatimids were in competition with the iberian muslims in subduing the merchant principalities of coastal morocco, who were left without a central authority with the death of the idriss ii. The sunna of the caliphs and of the prophet.