Sulaymān ibn al-Ḥāfiẓ was the oldest son of the eleventh

Fatimid caliph This is a list of an Arab dynasty, the Shi'ite caliphs of the Fatimid dynasty (909–1171). The Shi'ite caliphs were also regarded at the same time as the imams of the Isma'ili branch of Shi'a Islam Shia Islam is the second-largest br ...

and

imam Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...

Hafizi Isma'ilism Hafizi Isma'ilism (), also known as Majidi Isma'ilism (), was a branch of Musta'li Ismailism, Musta'li Isma'ilism that emerged as a result of a split in 1132. The Hafizis accepted the Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid caliph al-Hafiz, Abd al-Majid al-Haf ...

al-Hafiz Abūʾl-Maymūn ʿAbd al-Majīd ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Mustanṣir, better known by his regnal name as al-Ḥāfiẓ li-Dīn Allāh (), was the eleventh Fatimid caliph, ruling over Egypt from 1132 to his death in 1149, and the 21st imam of Hafi ...

. Designated as heir-apparent, he served as

vizier A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...

for two months in 1134, before his death in office.

Life

Sulayman was the oldest son of the

(). Al-Hafiz had come to the throne under dubious circumstances, and was not the son of the previous caliph, al-Amir, but his cousin. This event created a crisis of legitimacy, and a schism among the

Isma'ili Ismailism () is a branch of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (Imamate in Nizari doctrine, imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the ...

faithful, dividing them into the

Hafizi Hafizi Isma'ilism (), also known as Majidi Isma'ilism (), was a branch of Musta'li Isma'ilism that emerged as a result of a split in 1132. The Hafizis accepted the Fatimid caliph Abd al-Majid al-Hafiz li-Din Allah () and his successors as imams ...

and Tayyibi branches. After disposing of the too powerful

Abu'l-Fath Yanis, al-Hafiz initially ruled without a vizier who might threaten his throne. In 1134, al-Hafiz appointed Sulayman both as heir-apparent () and vizier. It was the first time that a Fatimid prince, or even the heir-apparent, had been appointed to the vizierate. With this unusual conferment of plenipotentiary power in Sulayman's hands, the caliph intended to solidify the succession in his line, but Sulayman died two months later. This once more called into question the supposed infallibility of al-Hafiz as the Isma'ili imam. Sulayman's younger brother Haydara was immediately appointed as heir and vizier, but this provoked the jealousy of another of al-Hafiz's sons,

Hasan Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...

, who rebelled against his brother and father and seized the vizierate, only to be killed after a brief reign of terror by a military strongman, Bahram al-Armani.

References

Sources

* * * {{Fatimid Caliphate topics Year of birth unknown 1134 deaths Sons of Fatimid caliphs Viziers of the Fatimid Caliphate 12th-century people from the Fatimid Caliphate Heirs apparent who never acceded 12th-century Ismailis