The Advent of the Fatimids A Contemporary Shi'i Witness. An Edition and English Translation of lbn alHaytham's Kitab al-Munaharat by Wilfred Madelung and Paul E. Walker. (New York: LB. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies (London), 2000. 326 pages.)

Abstract

Fatimid intellectual production contains some remarkable personal memoirs
that deserve a joint study. The Kitab al-MunaJ?arat (The Book of Discussions)
by lbn al-Haytham is one example of this kind ofliterature. Abu 'Abd
Allah Ja·far ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Aswad ibn al-Haytham was
a Qayrawani scholar of Sh???? i persuasion when the Fatimid caliphate was
established in North Africa. In this Ki tab, he recorded his meetings and conversations
with the leaders of the Isma·ili da·wah (mission) in the first
months after the conquest ofQayrawan, from Rajab 296/March 909 until the
appearance of the Imam al-Mahdi in Rabi' II 297/January 910.
Although the existence of this work had been known for some time, it
is only now that we have at our disposal the complete Arabic text, together
with an English translation, an introductory study, a bibliography and an
index. Paul E. Walker is mainly responsible for having realized the importance
oflbn al-Haytham's text. Both he and W. Madelung, whose collaboration
has been decisive in the final outcome, are the best qualified scholars ...