While al-Musta'li was recognized by the Fatimid elites and the official Isma'ili religious establishment (the ), as well as the Isma'ili communities dependent on it in Syria and Yemen, most of the Isma'ili communities in the wider Middle East, and especially Persia and Iraq, rejected it.
Al-Musta'li was recognized by the Fatimid aristocracy and the official Isma'ili spiritual authority (the ), as well as the Isma'ili groups reliant on it in Syria and Yemen. In contrast, most other Isma'ili communities throughout the Middle East, particularly Persia and Iraq, refused to accept him.