Introduction





ln 1664 A.D. (559 A.H.) the Nizârî Ismâ'îlîtes at the mountain castle Alamût in the Daylâman province of northern Iran proclaimed the "Great Resurrection" (Qiyâma). This unprecedented event, brought about by the Nizârî leader Hasan II, testifies to a remarkable reinterpretation of traditional Shî'îte notions of truth and of a religious duties. Declaring that Reality (Haqîqa) was now accessible in the person of the eternal Imâm, the supreme religious head and cosmic principle, the ruling Hasan II claimed his own, direct communication with the Imâm. Although the Imâm remained hidden to the mortal eye, his very presence meant nothing less than the end of religious law and duties, the sharî'a. Accordingly, Hasan II declared the sharî'a void, since adherence to the law under these new circumstances would imply a cover-up of the Haqîqa, i.e. the present Imâm.

The logic of this startling reinterpretation of the sharî'a raises the question: how can a religion account for abolishing its own ritual laws and duties? How does the sudden presence, albeit an invisible one, of the Imâm warrant the end of the law? A "Great Resurrection" while the believers are still on earth seems no mean feat and indicates that something extraordinary has taken place, even though the external world seems much the same as before.

Moreover, what looks like a stunning anti-climax takes place forty-seven years later, when Hasan III re-introduces the sharî'a. How to account for this "fall from resurrection"? I wish to deal with these issues by presenting:

1. A. a short description of the Ismâ'ilî doctrinal development from the beginnings to Hasan as-Sabbâh's capture of the Alamût fort in 1090 A.D.

Section 1. B. Treats the Qiyâma proper and the ascendancy of Hasan III who "closed" the Qiyâma-period in 1210 A.D.

Part II - treats the meaning of ritual duties in terms of zâhir-bâtin (i.e. external vs. hidden meaning). In part III I argue for the application of a non-dualistic model in under- standing the lack of sharî'a in the Qiyâma. Here, the physical and mental world appear to have changed drastically: the cessation of sharî'a indicates that ritual law is somehow "seasonal". Part IV presents an interpretation of the significance of Hasan III's re-Islamization.

In V, the conclusion, I will make use of the theories of E. Leach and V. Turner, which may prove helpful in the task of interpreting the "timeliness" of sharî'a.


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