2. Conversion

It is generally accepted that Nasir went on pilgrimage probably as quite a devout orthodox Muslim, and was converted to Ismailism in Egypt through which he had to pass on his way to Mekka, returning to his native land as an Ismaili missionary of such a high rank as a hujjat. All this appears to be an accumulation of misunderstandings.

Of what religion was Nasir originally? There is no direct answer to this question in his works, including the Diwan. He continually eulogizes the Imam of his time, al-Mustansir bi'l-lah, sometimes, very ambiguously referring to eminent Ismaili worthies, as to Mu'ayyid, Nu'man (Qadi Nu'man, the great Ismaili jurist, d. 363/974), and others. His references to Sunnism are invariable hostile. But what he invariably passes over in silence is the Ithna-'ashari doctrine and Imams. This is not because this branch of Shi'ism was not within his sphere of vision. We know perfectly well how widespread of Shi'ism in Khorasan and Central Asia in the fourth/tenth c. Balkh, Samarqand, Marw, and other cities had important Shi'ite centers. Ibn Babuya, the famous Ithna-'ashari theologian (d.381/991 or 1001), spent many years studying hadiths in the East prior to his departure to Bhaghdad, the inefficient Ghaznawid government hardly ever took energetic measures to suppress the Shi'ites. The Saljuqs altered this order of affairs, but by that time Nasir was, as we have already seen, 35 years of age. Nasir's own rather boastful references to his "search for the truth," i.e. true religion, search for knowledge, and so forth, should not be taken too literally. For him obviously the truth was only in Islam, and we may easily realize that the "truth" was the authentic interpretation of religion which can be received only from the Imam. It is thus quite possible that he might have been a Shi'ite. Perhaps the change of the dynasty, if it upset his career, the frustration of his youthful ambitions, even his probable contact with the Ismailis - all this together possibly inspired him to espouse the cause of the Fatimids whose star had never risen so high as at that particular time (only to begin its rapid declines almost at once). We know how many eminent Ithan-'asari Shi'ites turned to Ismailism, and attained high positions in it, obviously taking their new religion sincerely and enthusiastically.

Popular religious psychology usually ignores the lengthy and often very painful process of "conversion," in a broad sense, to a new religion, with all its doubts, internal struggle, and other similar experiences, and remembers only that final and decisive moment that "flashes" to the convert who either "repents" or in some other way manifests his complete changeover. It is like the vision of St. Paul on the road to Damascus. Nasir, strangely, never mentions such an all important moment, and this also to some extent may speak in favour of an admission of his Shi'ite persuasion. As a Shi'ite he had merely to transfer his allegiance from one line of the Imams to another, and this would be, of course, a far less serious step than the conversion to Ismailism of a Christian, or even a Sunni.

Disregarding rather obscure allusions in his Diwan, we have two important statements by Nasir pertaining to his conversion. One of the oft-cited story of his religious dream, at the beginning of the Safar-nama, and another in his "confession" in the form of the lengthiest of his qasidas (Diwan, pp. 172-177), known as "the poem in which he mentions the date of his birth." it is poetry (and that makes all the difference), but fully deserves careful study. We shall return to it presently. The passage in the Safar-nama (p.2) is well known but we must take it up again.

"On a certain night I saw a dream hat ‘someone' (yaki) said to me: How long art thou going to go on drinking the potion that ruins human reason? It would be better for thee to become sober. - I answered: The wise have not invented any better means for the purpose of reducing the sorrows of the world. - (The man in the dream) said: Senselessness and unconsciousness do not bring peace of mind. One cannot be called a wise man who leads people to unconsciousness. It is necessary to search for something that increases reason and wisdom. - I asked: Where can I find that? - He replied: Those who search will find. - He waved his hand in the direction of the qibla, i.e. Mekka, South West (which is also the direction of Cairo) and said nothing more."

If this is an allegory, as it obviously is, then its implications are perfectly clear, and the fact that Nasir offers his elaborate explanations, even quoting a hadith, and shows such ostentatious frankness, makes it rather overdone. It is really necessary for a pious Muslim to introduce a prophetic dream to explain his desire to go on pilgrimage? "Significant dreams" to this day influence the decision in many peoples' lives, especially in Muslim society. In the dream described by Nasir, the most important point is who was the man who admonished him to cease drinking. Surely, Nasir himself well knew the harm that he was causing to himself, but obviously the speaker in the dream was someone of special importance, the Prophet or the Imam, not named by him out of peculiar modesty. It is generally believed that the Prophet may "appear in a dream" only to deserving and pious people, and would not visit others. Thus the mention of the holy visitor is equivalent to the narrator's claim to exceptional piety and virtue.

It is therefore quite plausible that that is what Nasir wants to say. Perhaps his dissatisfaction with the conditions that came about under the Saljuqs, and probably sincere devotion to religion of the Shi'ite type, caused Nasir to be converted to Ismailism where he could recover from chronic drunkenness, i.e. practicing religious life without knowing its real meaning and implications. He was awakened from his intoxication, i.e. converted, and later he was summoned to Cairo, perhaps for higher training and instructions. Three hundred years later, another Ismaili, Nizar Quhistani of Birjand, in his versified Safar-name, exactly in the same way speaks of his own drunkenness, and then of his revival and departure towards the Southern Caucasus where the Imam of his time was hiding in disguise. We know also that some time after his conversion, Hasan b. as-Sabbah was also sent to Cairo.

If we accept this interpretation of his "dream," it will be understand why his departure shows the signs of suddenness, - the orders came, and he had to go. The route that he had taken strengthens this impression. If he had been a high official of the Saljuqs state, he certainly would have travelled with the annual hajj caravan, in relative safety and greater comfort, by shorter routes. Instead of this, Nasir departs with only his brother and a slave, obviously in order not to have witnesses.

An interesting point is the question of his being financed on his way. Surely, to have carried enough gold for the expense of three men and several animals on an eight thousand miles' journey, would have necessitated quite a large sum of money, and would have exposed the party to grave risks. We see, however, that he always finds someone to help him to reach the next stage where he wold receive further help. Would it therefore not be possible to suppose that the route which he took was chosen in consideration of the Ismaili "cells" at which he, provided with necessary certificates, could "refuel" on his journey? He highly praises his benefactors, and this is an additional indication of their belonging to the sect. In his Safar-nama Nasir does not waste praises on anybody or anything unconnected with Ismailism and the Fatimids.

Where and when his conversion took place, we have no means of ascertaining. But from what is mentioned above we may infer that it took place a considerable time - at least several years - before his rather sudden departure. Surely not every new convert was sent to Egypt, and not immediately after his having been converted.