Note 598 — Chapter VI

“The Batenian, ‘interior,’” says Silvestre de Sacy, “are so called, because they establish an interior sense of the Scripture besides the exterior; they say, whoever attaches himself to the exterior, fatigues himself with vain practices, whilst he, who follows tho interior, may dispense with all actions; they give to faith a preference over Islamism, undoubtedly,” founded upon the authority of the Koran, where it “is to be found” (Sura XLIX. v. 14): “The Arabs of the desert say: ‘We believe;’ answer: ‘Ye do by no means believe; but say: ‘We have embraced Islam;’ for the faith hath not yet entered into your hearts.’”

The Ismâilahs are often confounded with the Batenian. The first who maintained this doctrine of mystic interpretation was Marzaban, ben Abdullah, ben Maimun al Kadah. He was the servant of Imám Jâfer Sadík, and also served Jâfer’s son Ismâil, after whose death he attended Muhammed, the son of the latter. When Jâfer was poisoned, Abdullah carried off Jâfer’s grandson, from Medina to Misr (Egypt). When Muhammed died, he left a concubine pregnant, and Abdullah, having put her to death, substituted a woman of his own in her room. This woman brought forth a son, whom Abdullah asserted to be Muhammed’s son; and when this son had grown up, he succeeded in making him acknowledged as the Imám by many. Some of this person’s descendants attained the rank of sovereigns, and the doctrine of the Batenian spread afar. The first of these who sat on the throne of the khalifat was Sáid, under the name of Abu-Muhammed Obaid-alla, the founder of the Fatimite khalifs, in Africa, in the year of the Hejira 296, A. D. 908. He took the title of Al Mahdi, “the Director.”—(See, upon this sect, Asiatic Researches, vol. II. p. 424.)

The Fatimites claim their descent from Alí, the fourth legitimate khalif, and from Fatima, the daughter of the prophet; but their adversaries give an account of their origin similar to that just stated: the opinions of historians are divided about this fact.