Page "Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah" Paragraph 1

Histories of Al Hakim can prove controversial, as diverse views of his life and legacy exist.

Historian Paul Walker writes: “ Ultimately, both views of him, the mad and despotic tyrant irrationally given to killing those around him on a whim, and the ideal supreme ruler, divinely ordained and chosen, whose every action was just and righteous, were to persist, the one among his enemies and those who rebelled against him, and the other in the hearts of true believers, who, while perhaps perplexed by events, nonetheless remained avidly loyal to him to the end.