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EI-'Azhar, University of Mohammedan World 187
convert from Judaism who had suggested to the Fatimide
sovereign that the time was ripe for the conquest of Egypt,
and had been rewarded for his advice by being made vizier.
... In 967 he embraced Islam, and took into his house a
tutor who could give him regular instruction in the matters
which a Moslem gentleman should know. Once vizier, he
followed the example of many who had previously held that
high office in becoming a patron of learning and belles lettres ;
on Thursday evenings he regularly held a salon in his house
for the recitation of his own compositions but also for the
reunion of all the savants of Cairo.
"The notion, however, of Jacob, son of Killis, in encouraging
learning was somewhat deeper than that which had
inspired many other viziers. Since the Fatimide dynasty
had succeeded in virtue of its religious claims, it was necessary
to provide for its maintenance by a body of literature comparable
with that which the supporters of the rival Caliph
could display, and which enjoyed widespread respect and
authority owing to the long series of venerated names
concerned with its composition and perpetuation. These
authoritative books once provided, and arrangements being
made whereby their study could be encouraged and main-
tained, no mean dam would be provided against inundation
from without. The books, therefore, he composed himself;
the University was to secure that they should be properly
studied and interpreted.
" In 988, when the second Fatimide Caliph was reigning,
Jacob Ibn Killis requested his master to provide a grant for
the maintenance of a fixed number of scholars. The Caliph
Aziz assented ; provisions were made for thirty-five students,
and a house adjoining Jauhar's mosque secured for lodging.
" Thus began Al-Azhar, whose name is thought to have
been selected out of compliment to the supposed foundress of
the Fatimide line, Fatimah, honourably called Al-Zahra (the
luminous), of which Azhar is the masculine. This year's
statistics give 9,758 as the present number of students, with
317 professors. At times the numbers of both have been still
greater."