In the history of the Fatimid dynasty, no leader of the community was considered as unorthodox as al-Hakim. Succeeding his father al-Aziz, who died in 996, at a young age, al-Hakim began ruling independently from the year 1000. The appointment of this young boy turned out to be a dramatic event for the entire female population and beyond: deeply misogynistic and xenophobic, he took measures that were nothing short of bizarre and outrageous, targeting Christian, Jewish, and even Sunni Muslim communities. 

Al-Hakim’s personality was highly eccentric: he was known for leaving his palace at night to gaze at the stars, wandering through the streets of Cairo multiple times during the same night. This became increasingly frequent, leading people to believe he suffered from severe insomnia, which might also explain why he ordered the killing of all the city's dogs, whose barking kept him from sleeping. Perhaps for this reason, he also forced merchants and artisans to work at night and rest during the day, so that his entourage, which followed him on his nocturnal walks, could be properly admired. 

Nightlife became a source of entertainment, but al-Hakim saw the city's newfound nightlife as overly influenced by the perceived dissolute behavior of women. He decided to ban women from going out at night, and soon, these restrictions expanded to include a vast range of activities, applying to both women and men. His actions were particularly obsessive towards one of his half-sisters, Sitt al-Mulk, who was overwhelmed by her brother's obsessive jealousy, as he saw her lovers everywhere, even among the high-ranking generals of his army. 

This oppressive situation lasted for seven years, until al-Hakim mysteriously disappeared during one of his nightly walks, possibly the victim of a plot orchestrated by his own half-sister.