The Fatimids, the Talibids, the Quraysh

The group feeling of the Fatimids and the Talibids, that of all the Quraysh, has everywhere disappeared.

There are other nations, whose group feeling has gained the upper hand over that of the Quraysh.

The only exception is a remnant of the Talibids-Hasanids, Husaynids, and Ja’farites 982 - in:

• the Hijaz
• Mecca
• al-Yanbu
• Medina.

They are Bedouin groups and are spread over these regions and dominate them.

They are settled and rule in different places and hold divergent opinions.

They number several thousands.

If it is correct that a Mahdi is to appear, there is only one way for his propaganda to make its appearance. He must be one of them, and God must unite them in the intention to follow him, until he gathers enough strength and group feeling to gain success for his cause and to move the people to support him.

Any other way -such as a Fatimid who would make propaganda for (the cause of the Mahdi) among people anywhere at all, without the support of group feeling and power, by merely relying on his relationship to the family of Muhammad - will not be feasible or successful, for the sound reasons that we have mentioned previously.

The common people, the stupid mass, who make claims with respect to the Mahdi and who are not guided in this connection by any intelligence or helped by any knowledge, assume that the Mahdi may appear in a variety of circumstances and places.

They follow blindly the well-known (traditions) about the appearance of a Fatimid. They do not understand the real meaning of the matter, as we have explained it.

They mostly assume that the appearance will take place in some remote province and at the limits of civilization, such as the Zab in Ifriqiyah or as-Sus in the Maghrib. There are many people of weak intelligence who journey to a monastery (ribat) at Massah 983 near as-Sus.

They assume that they (will be able) to meet him there, thinking that he will appear at that monastery and that the oath of allegiance will be rendered to him there.

Also, that monastery is close to the Veiled Gudalah, and they believe that (the Mahdi) will be one of them, or that they will be in charge of his propaganda.

This is a conjecture that has no basis except the fact that these nations are strange ones and too remote (for others) to have a definite knowledge of their numbers and their weakness or strength. Also, the regions where they live are out of the reach of the (ruling) dynasties and outside of their authority. Therefore, (people) firmly imagine that the Mahdi will appear there, since these regions are not under the control of (ruling) dynasties and out of the reach of law and force.

They have nothing else to go on except that. Many weak-minded people, therefore, go to that place (Ribat Massah), in order to support a deceptive cause that the human soul in (its) delusion and stupidity leads them to believe capable of succeeding. Many of them have been killed.

Our shaykh, Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Abili, told me that at the beginning ofthe eighth [fourteenth] century, during the reign of Sultan Yusuf b. Ya’qub 984 a man who practiced Sufism came forth in the Ribat Massah. He was known as at- Tuwayziri, a gentilic formation from Tozeur (Tf zar), in the diminutive form. He claimed to be the expected Fatimid.

Many of the Zanigah and Guzfilah inhabitants of as-Sus followed him.

His power grew and was about to flourish. The Masmudah chiefs feared that he might become dangerous to their rule. Therefore, as-Saksiwi hired someone who killed him in his home, at night, and his power dissolved.

Likewise, in the last decade of the seventh [thirteenth] century, a man who had the name al-Abbas appeared among the Ghumarah.

He claimed to be the Fatimid. He gained followers among the great mass of the Ghumarah. He entered Badis by force and burned down the business section of the city. Then, he traveled to the place al-Mazammah. There, he was killed by deceit, and thus failed (to achieve his purpose).

There are many things of the sort. Our afore-mentioned shaykh told me a strange story of this type. On his pilgrimage (to Mecca), upon leaving the Monastery of the Worshippers (Ribat al-‘Ubbad),988 which is the burial place of Shaykh Abu Madyan on the mountain overlooking Tlemcen, he met a man from Kerbela who belonged to the family of Muhammad.

He had many followers and was held in high esteem. He also had many pupils and servants.

The shaykh said: {People from his native town paid for his expenses in most countries. He said (further)= We became good friends on the road, and it became clear to me what the matter was with (that man and his people).

They had come from their home at Kerbela on behalf of the (Fatimid) business and in order to make propaganda for the Fatimid in the Maghrib. But when (the man) observed the Merinid dynasty, whose ruler Yusuf b. Ya’qub was at that time laying siege to Tlemcen he said to the men around him: “Go back, for we have fallen victim to an error.

This is not our time.”

This shows that he realized that power can materialize only with the help of a group feeling equaling that of the people in power at the time. When he realized that he was a stranger without power in (the Maghrib), and that none of the inhabitants of the Maghrib at the time was able to resist the group feeling of the Merinids, he gave up, admitted his error, and did not pursue his ambitions.

It still remained for him (to realize) that the group feeling of the Fatimids and all the Quraysh had disappeared, especially in the Maghrib. However, his bias in favor of his cause did not permit him to realize this.

Recently, there has been a movement among the Arabs of the Maghrib to make propaganda for the Truth and for living by the Sunnah, but which does not make propaganda for the Fatimid or anybody else.

At times, a few individuals have aimed at re-establishing the Sunnah and changing reprehensible ways. Such individuals occupy themselves with this (purpose) and gain many followers.

They are mostly concerned with the improvement of the safety of the roads, since most of the corruption of the Bedouins has something to do with that, on account of the way Bedouins make their livelihood, as we have mentioned before.

These individuals consider it their task to change reprehensible ways among the Bedouins through improving the safety of the roads as much as possible.

However, the religious coloring cannot be firmly established in the Arabs.

For them, repentance and return to the religion merely mean refraining from raids and robberies. That is the only thing they understand by repentance and becoming religious. (Raids and robberies) were the sins they committed before they repented,and these were the things of which they repented.

Therefore, those who follow the (new religious) propaganda and live, as they think, by the Sunnah, are not deeply immersed in the different ways of seeking and following (religious models). Their religion is merely abstinence from robbery and injustice and from making the roads unsafe. Beyond that, they continue most eagerly to search for worldly goods and for ways of making a living.

There is a great difference between looking for religious ethics and searching for worldly (goods). It is impossible that the two things could go together.

No religious coloring can establish a hold over such people, and they cannot completely keep away from worthlessness. (Reformers) cannot ever become numerous. The chief differs from his followers in that religion and saintliness are firmly established in him.

If he perishes, their rule dissolves, and their group feeling disappears.

This happened in the 13th century in Ifrigiyah to a man of the Banit Ka’b of the Sulaym, by name Qisim b. Mari 993 b. Ahmad.

Later on, it happened to another man, of the Riyah Bedouins, who belonged to one of the subtribes of the Riyah, known as the Muslim. His name was Sa’idah. He was more religious and devoted than the former (Qasim). In spite of that, his followers were not successful, for the reasons mentioned.

We shall mention (these events) in their proper places in connection with the discussion of the Sulaym. and Riyah. 994

After that, there appeared (other) people to make such (religious) propaganda. They adopted similarly deceptive ideas. They followed the Sunnah in name only, but did not live by it, except for a very few. Neither they nor any of their successors had any success.