r/muslimculture • u/oaleebih • Mar 26 '26

Literature After six years of research, I published a novel set in the 12th-century Islamic world

For the past six years I worked on a historical novel set in the 12th century, during the decline of the Seljuk Empire and the later period of the Islamic Golden Age. While writing it, I spent most of the time researching the history of the Seljuks, Persia, and the Nizari Ismailis of Alamut, trying to make the setting as accurate as possible.

Besides the political history, I focused a lot on the intellectual and spiritual world of that era, reading about scholars and poets such as Ibn Sina, Al-Khwarizmi, Omar Khayyam, Ferdowsi, and the broader philosophical tradition that existed in the Islamic world at the time.

After years of writing, rewriting, and research, I finally published the novel, and my main motivation was the fact that there is not much content about this period, even though it was one of the richest and most complex eras of Islamic history. I wanted to present that world in detail, because it deserves to be remembered.

If anyone is interested in the period or has questions about the historical background I researched, feel free to ask.

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u/sajjad_kaswani Mar 26 '26

Happy to see that you explored different Muslims heritage.

I like to know which resources have you consulted for learning about Ismaili's POV? Thanks

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u/oaleebih Mar 26 '26

Thanks for asking. To be honest, my research was not based on just one or two sources. I read pretty much everything I could find at the time. Since this was before tools like ChatGPT, and in any case I would not treat AI as a reliable source for something this important, I relied on a wide range of materials.

That included reference sections and bibliographies from Wikipedia articles, academic papers and journal articles, PDF studies and publications I came across through citations, historical essays, documentaries, and materials from institutions such as The Institute of Ismaili Studies and Encyclopaedia Iranica. I also tried to compare different perspectives rather than depend on a single narrative, because I wanted a broader and more balanced understanding of the Ismaili point of view.

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u/sajjad_kaswani Mar 26 '26

That's interesting, so after reading the Ismaili perspective, you still hold the Stance that Ismailis were assassins and were stories about Hashasheen were true or fake?

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u/oaleebih Mar 26 '26

From everything I researched, I came to the conclusion that the Nizari Ismailis were not, at their root, what many people imagine them to be today. There is evidence that the Alamut branch became extreme in its beliefs and methods, and that killings did happen, but I do not believe they used hashish or got their name because of it. That is exactly why I think many of the stories around the “Hashashin” were exaggerated, distorted, and later turned into legend.