In the history of Islam the Fatimids and the Buyids came to power almost at the same time. The most significant feature common between these two dynasties was the promotion of new Shi‘ah missionary activities throughout Muslim lands despite the numerical superiority of the Sunnis in the Muslim World. Using their da‘is (missionaries), the Fatimids began their extensive new religious activities though they did not succeed to extend their political sphere of influence beyond Egypt and Greater Syria. With the capture of Baghdad by the Buyids and their control over the ‘Abbasid caliphs, correspondence was exchanged between the new masters of Baghdad and the Fatimid rulers in Cairo leading to a revival of Shi‘ah creed and Shi‘i religious rituals and ceremonies throughout the Muslim World. Although the rise of the Shi‘ah was met by challenges such as the rise of the Seljuq Turks in the East and Ayyubid Kurds in Syria and Egypt, bringing anti-Sh‘ah zeal to its peak during that particular period of Islamic history, the Shi‘ah had already managed to guarantee its survival in the coming centuries.
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