Reflection of the Ismaili Doctrine of Imamate in the Poems of Al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din Al-Shirazi

Al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din Al-Shirazi, as a religious preacher of the Fatimids, tries to increase the followers of the Ismaili denomination with the help of poetry, along with Ismaili teachings. A descriptive-analytical study of his poems can answer the question of how he has taken this path. Al-Mu’ayyad tries to address the issue of Imamate in many of his poems and from different dimensions to prove the existence of an Imam in society. In his poems, by explicitly attributing the Fatimids to the Prophet and Imam Ali, he clearly considers them the caliphs of the Muslims. In Al-Mu’ayyad’s poetry, the Fatimid caliph has knowledge of the inside, so he is aware of the interpretation of the Qur’an and is able to distinguish right from wrong. They are the beacon and people should follow them to be saved from misguidance and be guided to salvation because according to Ismaili beliefs, no period can be empty of the Imam. In Al-Mu’ayyad’s poems, the Fatimids are responsible for leading the Islamic world and Muslims, by attributing them to the Prophet and Imam Ali. The Qur’anic verses that were revealed about the Ahl al-Bayt also include the Fatimids.