An Apocalyptic History of the Early Fatimid Empire

How can religion transform a society? This book investigates the ways in which a medieval Islamic movement harnessed Qur'anic visions of utopia to construct one of the most brilliant empires in Islamic history.

The Fatimids' apocalyptic vision of their central place in an imminent utopia played a critical role in transfiguring the intellectual and political terrains of North Africa in the early tenth century. Yet the realities that they faced on the ground often challenged their status as th...