A Utopian Life, Yet Not Antinomian: Abrogation of Sharīʻa and the Qiyāma Doctrine in Ismāʻīlī Thought
Author: Yusuf Sansarkan Orcid: 0000-0001-8010-4173
Research Article
Submitted: 31.08.2025
Published: 30.12.2025
Doi: 10.14421/ajis.2025.632.259-282
PDF: Al-Jami’ah Journal of Islamic Studies
Atıf/Cite:
Sansarkan, Yusuf. “A Utopian Life, Yet Not Antinomian: Abrogation of Sharīʻa and the Qiyāma Doctrine in Ismāʻīlī Thought”. Al-Jami’ah Journal of Islamic Studies 63/2 (December 2025), 259-282.
Abstract
Early Ismāʻīlī belief describes the advent of the seventh imam as qiyāma. However, this qiyāma does not signify the end of the world. Rather, it marks the end of the era of concealment (satr), which began with the first imam, and the beginning of the era of revelation (kashf). This event is also understood as the moment when the Sharīʻa (Islamic law) will be abolished. Throughout history, certain Ismā’īlī groups have believed that the Qāʼim, the seventh imam, had already appeared and attempted to live a utopian life without Sharīʻa. These beliefs, along with historical experiences associated with them, gave rise to accusations of antinomianism (ibāḥa) against the Ismāʻīlīs. The present study seeks to clarify the Ismā’īlī understanding of the abolition of Sharīʻa by examining the views of prominent missionaries (dāʻī) who may be regarded as the founders of this intellectual tradition. It argues that Ismāʻīlī authors generally agreed that the Sharīʻa would remain in force until qiyāma, after which a period without it would begin.
Keywords: Ismāʻīlīsm; Sharīʻa; resurrection; the Resurrector
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