Nizar
Encyclopedia
Abū Manṣūr Nizār al-Muṣṭafá liDīnillāh (1045-1097) was a Fatimid Caliph
and a Nizāri
Ismā‘ilī Imām. He was deposed by his brother, Aḥmad al-Musta‘lī
but his son, al-Hādī ibn Nizār, escaped to Alamūt
and took refuge with believers there, thereby continuing the Imāmate.
The followers of Nizār's descendants constitute the majority of the Ismā‘ilī today, with the smaller Musta‘lī
branch accepting his younger brother who overthrew him and the Druze
ending the Imāmate before either of them.
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
and a Nizāri
Nizari
'The Shī‘a Imami Ismā‘īlī Tariqah also referred to as the Ismā‘īlī or Nizārī , is a path of Shī‘a Islām, emphasizing social justice, pluralism, and human reason within the framework of the mystical tradition of Islam. The Nizari are the second largest branch of Shia Islam and form the majority...
Ismā‘ilī Imām. He was deposed by his brother, Aḥmad al-Musta‘lī
Al-Musta'li
Aḥmad al-Musta‘lī was the ninth Fatimid Caliph, and believed by the Mustaali Ismaili sect to be the 19th imam. Al-Musta‘lī was made caliph by Regent al-Afdal Shahanshah as the successor to al-Mustansir...
but his son, al-Hādī ibn Nizār, escaped to Alamūt
Alamut
Alamut was a mountain fortress located in the South Caspian province of Daylam near the Rudbar region in Iran, approximately 100 kilometres from present-day Tehran, Iran...
and took refuge with believers there, thereby continuing the Imāmate.
The followers of Nizār's descendants constitute the majority of the Ismā‘ilī today, with the smaller Musta‘lī
Mustaali
The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...
branch accepting his younger brother who overthrew him and the Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
ending the Imāmate before either of them.