Born in Kahek and residing mostly in Shahr-i Babak in Kirman, Imam Muhammed Ibni Islam Shah is believed to have been about the age of 17 when assuming the Throne of Imamate. Upon his passing in 1464 AD, his son Ali Shah, surnamed Mustansirbillah, became the next hereditary Imam of the Time.

During the lifetime of Imam Islam Shah the headquarters of the Ismaili Imamat shifted from Azerbhaijaan to Kahek. The Ismailis once again fell prey to the cruelty of the Mongols, this time at the hands of Tamerlane, a descendent of Genghis Khan (Aziz, 1974). At this historic time in Ismaili history, the Pirs, renowned of which were Pir Sadirdeen and Pir Hassan Kabirdeen, converted mass numbers of Hindus in Sind, Gujrat, and Kathiawar - converts who would come to be known as the Khojas. An important historical artifact of this time is the treatise of Das Avatara (Sadik Ali, 1997).

As his father had done, Imam Qassim Shah lived in Azerbhaijaan under an assumed identity (Daftary & Hirji, 2008). Under his 60-year rule, the Ismailis lived peaceful lives by continuing the practice of taqiya. Imam Qassim Shah sent Pir Shams to India, where he converted a significant number of inhabitants to the Ismaili tariqah of Islam. During this time also, even thousands of Mongols had embraced the faith (Aziz, 1974).

The Imamate of Imam Shamsiddeen Muhammed marks the beginning of the second period of taqiya in Ismaili history. The great Ismaili saint, Shams Tabriz, who was also the uncle of the Imam, played a vital role in the propagation of the faith despite the harsh conditions. He is well known due to the fact that one of his loyal disciples was the mystical poet Jalaluddin Rumi. The succession of Pirs during this time was Pir Salahuddin, followed by his son Sayyid Shamsuddin, more commonly known as Pir Shams. The Imam, when passing away, appointed his son Qassim Shah as his successor (Aziz, 1974).

Mowlana Shamsiddeen Muhammed was born in Lamasar. As his only son, he was sent away by his father during the Mongol invasion to ensure his safety. He was destined to succeed his father at the age of eight years.