AKHBAR IS ANWAR - let me share with you the historical aspects preceding the 'zuhur' of Imam Mahdi (SA) taken from my reading of the Book entitled 'The Empire of the
Mahdi - Rise of the Fatimids by Heinz Halm - translated from German into English by Michael Bonner.
The community of Rayy became the most important and active cell of Ismaili Dawa in northern Iran.
At the same time or thereabout Ismaili missionary activities had been underway in the rural areas surrounding Kufa on the banks of the Euphrates.
Another important and lasting area of missionary activities originated in Yemen. The Dai who founded the Yemini Ismaili community hailed from Iraq. in history he is known as Ibn Hawshab (Dai Abul Qasim al Hasan bin Farah bin Hawshab,) known to later Fatimid Historiography as 'Mansoor al Yemen' (the victorious of Yemen) In his book - 'Sirat Ibn Hawshab' the Dai Abul Qasim narrates how he first got the Deedar sharaf of Imam (SA) and thus he overcame the crisis of faith.
When I read it for the first time, tears welled up in my eyes as it was on the banks of Furat, and memories of Karbala revived.
According to Dai Abul Qasim, he was sitting on the banks of Euphrates (furat) and was reciting from Surah al Khaif, he saw a spiritually radiant, magnificent old man approaching the river bank accompanied by another man. Ibn Hawshab was mesmerized and stopped reciting.
Then a young lad came sprinting towards him. Ibn Hawshab asked - 'who are you my son' He answered 'a descendant of al- Husayn (SA)' At the mention of al-Husyn the eyes of Ibn Hawshab overflowed with tears. He said 'You are dearer to me than my father, you are the son of the Resplendent One, who was stained with blood, who was prevented from drinking water'
The true meaning of the verse of Surah from al Khaif was explained to him by the spiritually radiant man sitting a little distance away, when Ibn Hawsab was summoned in his presence.
This is how Ibn Hawsab became Dai Abul Qasim
The Ismaili mission in Yemen
Shortly thereafter in the beginning of June 881 (267H) Dai Abul Qasim and Dai Ali bin al-Fadl set out and near Kufa joined the pilgrim caravan. After Haj with the home bound
Yeminite pilgrims, they reached the port city of Aden by way of San'a and al-Junad.
He disguised him self as the trader of cotton and started his mission, and the first converts were the clan of Banu Musa, who came from the village of Adan La'a in the Wadi of La'a.
In the year 269H (883) he moved to Adan La'a, and from there, the dawa spread fast and openly and the permission to wage war was granted.
A fortress was built at Abr Mahram, two other fortresses were also won. Bayt Fa'iz visible from far and dominating the entire Miswar region and Bayt Rayb - a fortress on sheer precipice, which had no entrance than a single gate.
From this controlling position based on the three impregnable fortresses the Dai could easily rule and control the surrounding valley.
The Ismaili Mission in Iraq
Imam Mahdi (SA) was based in Salmiya. (Qbr mubarak of Imam Abdullah al Mastoor (SA) and Imam Ahmad al Mastoor (S.A.) are in Salmiya) The over jealous activities of the sons of Zakaroye led to much bloodshed. They purported to spread Ismaili Dawah.
Al Husain bin Zakoraye (the man with a birthmark - the sahib al Sahma) was misguided and his activities led Imam Mahdi (SA) to leave Salmiya. The Imam hurriedly traveled to Hims, from there to Tripoli, spending a day there and from there to al Ramala and finally reaching Egypt, where he remained for a year.
(to be contd :)
www.hikmaah.com.
