Ismaili Literature: A Bibliography
of Sources and Studies

Farhad Daftary
London and New York: I.B. Tauris Publishers, in association with The

Institute of Ismaili Studies (London), 2004. 469 pages.

This compilation of Ismaili literature is the result of over thirty years of
research, put together by one of the world’s leading experts on Ismaili
thought and history. Previous attempts to take account of Ismaili literature 
have been carried out by such noteworthy scholars as W. Ivanow and I.
Poonawala. But as the author notes, their compilations were essentially

110 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 22:4



inventories of manuscripts, whereas the present bibliography is solely con-
cerned with those materials, both primary sources and secondary studies,
which have been published.

This bibliography contains an important survey of medieval and con-
temporary developments in Ismaili studies. Particular attention is paid to the
early polemical assaults (and many outright fabrications) to which the
Ismaili image collectively fell victim and which caused numerous misunder-
standings concerning key Ismaili doctrines. Particularly noteworthy in this
regard is the Ismaili “black legend” that surreptitiously came to the fore by
the tenth century CE (see p. 87). This image, which severely distorted Ismaili
teachings with regard to both its faith and practice, resulted in increased
Ismaili polemics and hostilities. In addition, this image also suffered
defamation from outside the house of Islam, for distortions spread by the
Crusaders and other European travelers resulted in a slew of embellished
tales – the “Assassin legends.” 

Needless to say, these products of the European popular imagination
came along with the European encounter with the “Other.” If Islam, in gen-
eral, suffered its share of distortions, the Ismaili image, already obscured by
centuries of anti-Ismaili polemical activity, felt the brunt of it. Alongside this
was the problem of the Orientalists who studied the Ismailis through the
medium of hostile Muslim sources.

In the nineteenth century, thanks to discoveries of original Ismaili man-
uscripts, things started to change. But only in the early part of the twentieth
century did the most significant body of manuscripts came to light. Since
then, such noteworthy scholars as W. Ivanow, B. Lewis, M. Hodgson, A.
Fyzee, H. Corbin, L. Massignon, W. Madelung, P. Walker, I. Poonawala, A.
Asani, A. Nanji, and F. Daftary have carried out many studies. These more
recent findings have allowed a clearer picture of the Ismailis’ self-perception
to emerge. 

The bibliography compiled in this book (pp. 104-439) is conveniently
divided into three sections: primary sources, studies, and selected theses. The
“primary sources” section, comprised of entries in Arabic and Persian along
with their translations into modern languages (if applicable), is further divid-
ed into five subcategories: works by Ismaili authors, collective Ismaili works,
anonymous Ismaili and pseudo-Ismaili works, the Epistles of the Brethren of
Purity, and selected works by non-Ismaili Muslim authors. The primary
source materials are arranged alphabetically, and each entry is accompanied
by useful descriptive annotations. The “studies” section covers a wide range
of modern academic work devoted to many facets of Ismailism, from articles

Book Reviews 111



on Ismaili law and cosmogonic doctrines to monographs on Nasr-i Khusraw
and Ismaili history. The “selected theses” section presents a selection of some
of the more important published and non-published theses written in the field
of Ismaili studies (mostly in English, but also in French, Italian, Farsi, and
Arabic). Here, one will notice several interesting studies devoted to Ismaili
communities in the West, Ismaili history, Ismaili devotional literature, and
important dissertations on Ismaili theology and philosophy. 

Not only does Ismaili Literature contain a wealth of information pertain-
ing to many significant aspects of Ismaili studies, but it also comes with a
comprehensive account of Ismailism’s origins and development with respect
to both its history and doctrines. This introduction is, in fact, a condensed ver-
sion of the author’s well-received books on Ismailism: his long and thor-
oughly documented The Isma`ilis: Their History and Doctrines (Cambridge
University Press: 1990) and his more recent A Short History of the Isma`ilis
(Markus Wiener Pub.: 1998). Ismaili Literature is appended with two gene-
ological tables. The first table deals with the early Imami and Ismaili imams,
and the second one with the long succession of Fatimid caliphs. This is cer-
tainly a useful tool, given their complicated genealogies, which date from the
early part of the tenth century, extend to the present day, and cover a wide
geographical expanse comprising Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Mohammed Rustom
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations

University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

112 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 22:4