ABSTRACT
The da'wa, which ought to have born an intimate relationship with the state it served, however, existed prior to the state and also long after it had ceased. Ironically, the state, the da'wa, often appears in the historical literature as if it were a separate, unconnected institution, functioning independently or even at odds with its ideological counterpart. The preponderance of historical evidence for the Fatimids derives from relatively late Sunni histories and these in turn rely on older writings, which are also Sunni. Ismaili Shiism, especially in the Fatimid period, recognized in each successive, living imam the sole authority for determining religious policy. The actions and words of the previous imams, thus, preserved no more than an antiquarian value. The relatively brief duration of this most extreme Fatimid attempt to fully apply Shiite doctrine in all matters of public concern was hardly long enough to permit conclusions about the interest of the da'wa in supporting this policy.
