| Revision as of 04:39, 30 March 2010 editLanternix (talk | contribs)6,417 edits restoring sources, per talk page← Previous edit | Revision as of 05:27, 30 March 2010 edit undoNableezy (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Page movers, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers56,197 edits use actual sources for relationship with copts and source the "legend" to T&FNext edit → | ||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
| ==Relationship with Coptic Christians== | |||
| ==Final Days== | |||
| ] were allowed a degree of freedom under al-Muizz.<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=West|editor1-first=Gerald O.|editor2-last=Dube Shomanah|editor2-first=Musa W.|title=The Bible in Africa: transactions, trajectories, and trends|editor=Brill|year=2000|page=108|isbn=978-90-04-10627-7}}</ref> Copts were among those appointed to the highest offices of the empire and were allowed to practice their religion freely.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gibb|first=H. A. R.|title=The Encyclopaedia of Islam|publisher=Brill|year=1979|page=91}}</ref> Under al-Muizz the viceroy of Syria was a Quzman ibn-Nima, a Copt who remained a Christian.<ref name=TF>{{cite book|title=A History of Eastern Christianity|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=1968|page=87}}</ref> The ] festival, the celebration of the Coptic New Year, was permitted though prohibitions on some of the activities, such as fire illumination and water splashing, were instituted.<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Phillip|editor1-first=Thomas|editor2-last=Haarmann|editor2-first|Ulrich|title=The Mamluks in Egyptian politics and society|series=Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1999|isbn=978-0-521-59115-7}}</ref> | |||
| The relationship between al-Muizz and the Copts of Egypt has been the subject of a number of legends written later by Coptic Christians. One such legend involves al-Muizz challenging the Coptic patriarch to move the Muqqattam hill, recalling a verse in the ] which says:<blockquote>If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.</blockquote> According to legend, the patriarch and members of the Coptic community kept vigil and prayed for three days and nights. On the third night the patriach had a dream in which ] directed him to go to a certain location to meet a man of faith. The patriarch went to that location and the hill was moved. Some Coptic writers would further assert that after this performance al-Muizz converted to Christianity. This has been rejected by Muslim historians.<ref name=TF /> | |||
| Having witnessed the miracle of moving the ] in ] during the papacy of ], Al-Muizz converted to ]. He was baptized at the church of Saint Mercurius in ] in a baptismal font that continues to exist to this day, and which known today as the ''Sultan's Baptistry''.<ref>The Coptic Synaxarium Volume II. Published by Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox Church. Cleveland, OH. 2008. Pages 200-202</ref><ref>The Coptic Synexarion Volume I. Published by Maktabet el Mahaba. 3rd edition. Cairo 1978. Pages 173-177</ref><ref></ref> | |||
| {{Ismailis}} | {{Ismailis}} | ||
Revision as of 05:27, 30 March 2010
Ma‘ādh Abū Tamīm al-Mu‘izz li Dīn Allāh (932 – 975) (Template:Lang-ar "Fortifier of the religion of God"), also known as al-Moezz, was the fourth Fatimid Caliph and reigned from 953 to 975. It was during his caliphate that the center of power of the Fatimid dynasty was moved from Ifriqiya (northern Africa) to the newly-conquered Egypt. Fatimids founded the city of al-Qāhiratu "the Victorious" (Cairo) in 969 as the new capital of the Fāṭimid caliphate in Egypt.
Political career
After the Fāṭimids, under the third caliph, Ismail al-Mansur (946-953), had defeated the Khārijite rebellion of Abu Yazid, they began, under his son al-Mu‘izz, to turn their attentions back to their ambition of establishing their caliphate throughout the Islamic world and overthrowing the Abbasids. Although the Fāṭimids were primarily concerned with Egypt and the Near East, there were nevertheless campaigns fought by General Jawhar as-Siqilli against the Berbers of Morocco and the Umayyads of Spain. At the same time, Fatimid raids on Italy enabled naval superiority in the Western Mediterranean to be affirmed, at the expense of Byzantium, even capturing Sicily for a period of time.
The way to Egypt was then clear for the Fāṭimids, the more so given the state of crisis that the incumbent Ikhshidid dynasty found itself in and the inability of the Abbasids to counterattack. The country fell to Jawhar in 969 without any great resistance. After he had secured his position, al-Muˤizz transferred the royal residence from Al-Mansuriya to the newly-founded city of al-Qāhiratu l-Muˤizzīyatu "al-Muˤizz's Victory", i.e. Cairo, thereby shifting the centre of gravity of the Fatimid realm eastwards. In Africa, the Zirids were installed as regents. In Egypt, several attacks by the Carmathians had to be fought off (972-974) before the restructuring of state finances under Yaqub ibn Killis could be embarked upon. Al-Muˤizz was succeeded by his son Al-Aziz (975-996).
Cultural achievements
Al-Muˤizz was renowned for his tolerance of other religions, and was popular among his Jewish and Christian subjects. He is also credited for having commissioned the invention of the first fountain pen. In 953, al-Muizz demanded a pen which would not stain his hands or clothes, and was provided with a pen which held ink in a reservoir and delivered it to the nib via gravity and capillary action. As recorded by Qadi al-Nu'man al-Tamimi (d. 974) in his Kitdb al-Majalis wa 'l-musayardt, al-Mu’izz commissioned the construction of the pen instructing:
‘We wish to construct a pen which can be used for writing without having recourse to an ink-holder and whose ink will be contained inside it. A person can fill it with ink and write whatever he likes. The writer can put it in his sleeve or anywhere he wishes and it will not stain nor will any drop of ink leak out of it. The ink will flow only when there is an intention to write. We are unaware of anyone previously ever constructing (a pen such as this) and an indication of ‘penetrating wisdom’ to whoever contemplates it and realises its exact significance and purpose’. I exclaimed, ‘Is this possible?’ He replied, ‘It is possible if God so wills’.
Relationship with Coptic Christians
Coptic Christians were allowed a degree of freedom under al-Muizz. Copts were among those appointed to the highest offices of the empire and were allowed to practice their religion freely. Under al-Muizz the viceroy of Syria was a Quzman ibn-Nima, a Copt who remained a Christian. The Nayrouz festival, the celebration of the Coptic New Year, was permitted though prohibitions on some of the activities, such as fire illumination and water splashing, were instituted.
The relationship between al-Muizz and the Copts of Egypt has been the subject of a number of legends written later by Coptic Christians. One such legend involves al-Muizz challenging the Coptic patriarch to move the Muqqattam hill, recalling a verse in the Gospel of Matthew which says:
If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
According to legend, the patriarch and members of the Coptic community kept vigil and prayed for three days and nights. On the third night the patriach had a dream in which Mary directed him to go to a certain location to meet a man of faith. The patriarch went to that location and the hill was moved. Some Coptic writers would further assert that after this performance al-Muizz converted to Christianity. This has been rejected by Muslim historians.
See also
- List of rulers of Egypt
- List of Shi'a Muslims
- Coptic Advent
- Pope Abraham of Alexandria
- Saint Simon the Tanner
Notes
- Irene Beeson (September/October 1969). "Cairo, a Millennial". Saudi Aramco World. pp. 24, 26–30. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Bosworth, C. E. (Autumn 1981), "A Mediaeval Islamic Prototype of the Fountain Pen?", Journal of Semitic Studies, XXVl (i)
- ""Origins of the Fountain Pen "". Muslimheritage.com. Retrieved September 18, 2007.
- West, Gerald O.; Dube Shomanah, Musa W., eds. (2000). The Bible in Africa: transactions, trajectories, and trends. p. 108. ISBN 978-90-04-10627-7.
{{cite book}}: More than one of|editor=and|editor1-last=specified (help) - Gibb, H. A. R. (1979). The Encyclopaedia of Islam. Brill. p. 91.
- ^ A History of Eastern Christianity. Taylor & Francis. 1968. p. 87.
- Phillip, Thomas; Haarmann, eds. (1999). The Mamluks in Egyptian politics and society. Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-59115-7.
{{cite book}}: Text "Ulrich" ignored (help); Text "editor2-first" ignored (help)
| Preceded byAl-Mansur | Fatimid Caliph 953 – 975 |
Succeeded byAl-Aziz |
| Preceded byJawhar_as-Siqilli | Sultan of Egypt 973 – 975 |