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The subject I have the privilege to submit to this Congress comes under Section VIII, Islamic Studies. It deals with the Fatimid Caliphate in North Africa and Egypt as regards its relations with the Umayyad Caliphate in Spain, and involves the conflict between two great Muslim powers and the struggle between two religious doctrines : The Sunna and the Shi'a..
The establishment of the Fatimid Caliphate in North Africa gave the 'Alids the chance to avenge themselves on their old enemies, the Umayyads, who then held supreme power in Spain. In order to take this power from them, the Fatimids started to spread their doctrines in Spain as a preliminary step for their political supremacy. The Umayyads of Spain, on the other hand, looked upon the Fatimid Caliphate as a dangerous rival, especially after 'Abdu-r'Rahman III came to the throne in 300 A.H. (912 A.D.), and not long after this he put into execution his gigantic project of assuming the title of Caliph, because he perceived that their extension of power in the Far Maghrib would enable them to turn their arms against Spain, especially at a time during which he had to devote himself to quelling the insurrections of the Muslims at home and the Christians in the North.
The Fatimids and the Umayyads both endeavoured to gain to their side the struggling Berber tribes. After the death of the first Fatimid Caliph, al-Mahdi, 'Abdu-r-Rahman III of Spain seemed to gain a further advantage in the Maghrib, when the Zenata chieftain, Abu Yazid, broke his bond of allegiance to the Fatimids, revolted against them, threatened the city of Mahdiyya, then the capital of the Fatimids in North Africa, sent the news of his victories to the Umayyad court at Cordova, and inserted into the Friday prayer the name of 'Abdu-r-Rahman III of Spain who supported this dissenter and blessed his movement. The Fatimid and the Umayyad fleets played a prominent part in this strife.
The hostilities that existed between the Fatimids and the Umayyads during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph, al-'Aziz, and the Umayyad Caliph, al-Hakam II, were most remarkable. Although there had been no direct contact between the two powers after the arrival of the Fatimids in Egypt in 362 A.H, (972 A.D.), antagonism was kept up through correspondence.
Sectarian antagonism between the two Caliphates, the Fatimid and the Umayyad, was not less effective than the political one. This struggle was in fact a struggle between the Sunna and the Shi'a. After they had possessed North Africa the Fatimids did their best to spread their doctrines. The jurisiconsults of Qayrawan were persecuted because they adhered to the teachings of Malik, and the Fatimid propagandists (da'i) exhorted the people to adhere to the Fatimid faith, and those who refused, or even hesitated, were persecuted or put to death.
The Fatimid missionaries traversed all parts of Spain in the guise of merchants. One of these was the eminent Arab geographer and traveller, Ibn Hawqal, who visited Spain in the IVth century A.H. His hatred of the Sunna is remarkably revealed in his description of Spain.
The Fatimids sent the philosopher and propagandist, Ibn Masarra, to gain the support of the philosophers and free-thinkers. He concealed his idea for fear of persecution, and made a parade of piety and austerity and attracted many to his lectures, leading them step by step from faith to doubt, and from doubt to the adoption of the Shiite Fatimid doctrines. However he did not succeed to gain to his side the religious men who burnt his books in wrath.
The Umayyads of Spain were aware of the dangerous consequences of the Fatimid propaganda. They persecuted the Shi'ites in Spain and attempted to check the Shiite propaganda in North Africa. But this was in vain. The Fatimids, on the other hand, attacked the Umayyads from the pulpits and looked upon them as usurpers of the Caliphate.