Abu'l-Fath an-Nasir ad-Dailami
Encyclopedia
Abu'l-Fath an-Nasir ad-Dailami (d. 1053) was an imam
of the Zaidi
state in Yemen
who ruled from c. 1038 to 1053.
but not a member of the dynasty of the Rassids
. He traced his descent from Zaid bin al-Hasan bin Ali, grandson of the caliph
Ali
. He was born and raised in Deylaman south of the Caspian Sea
where there was also a Zaydiyyah congregation, hence his cognomen ad-Dailami. Abu'l-Fath arrived to Yemen in 1038 or later, and claimed the Zaidi
imamate. In 1046 the tribesmen of Hamdan
accepted him, and he was able to seize Sa'dah
and San'a in the same year. The new ruler set out to organize the Yemeni highland, appointing officials and collecting land taxes and zakat
. As his permanent residence, he used a fortified mountain near Dhibin. In 1047 several further highland groups submitted to Abu'l-Fath, including the emir Ja'far, brother of imam al-Mahdi al-Husayn
and leader of the Husayniyya Zaidi sect.
which began to expand in the highlands. Abu'l-Fath had to move from place to place, and tried to enlist the support of the Mamluk
Najahid dynasty in Zabid
. In 1053 (or, in another account, 1055) the Sulayhid forces overcame the imam at Najd-al-Jah, and he was killed with 70 followers. The slain imam was buried in Radman in the Ans region, and his grave was subsequently the object of veneration by pilgrims. Among his writings, one may mention two qur'anic commentaries, and a collection of answers to legal and theological questions. Some of his theological standpoints are said to have been eccentric. Through his career in Yemen, he may have influenced the introduction of Zaidi doctrine and literature from the Caspian
region.
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of the Zaidi
Zaidiyyah
Zaidiyya, or Zaidism is a Shi'a Muslim school of thought named after Zayd ibn ʻAlī, the grandson of Husayn ibn ʻAlī. Followers of the Zaydi Islamic jurisprudence are called Zaydi Shi'a...
state in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
who ruled from c. 1038 to 1053.
From Deylaman to Yemen
Abu'l-Fath was a SayyidSayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
but not a member of the dynasty of the Rassids
Rassids
The Imams of Yemen and later the Kings of Yemen were religiously consecrated leaders belonging to the Zaidiyyah branch of Shia Islam. They established a blend of religious and secular rule in parts of Yemen from 897. Their imamate endured under varying circumstances until the republican revolution...
. He traced his descent from Zaid bin al-Hasan bin Ali, grandson of the caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
. He was born and raised in Deylaman south of the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
where there was also a Zaydiyyah congregation, hence his cognomen ad-Dailami. Abu'l-Fath arrived to Yemen in 1038 or later, and claimed the Zaidi
Zaidiyyah
Zaidiyya, or Zaidism is a Shi'a Muslim school of thought named after Zayd ibn ʻAlī, the grandson of Husayn ibn ʻAlī. Followers of the Zaydi Islamic jurisprudence are called Zaydi Shi'a...
imamate. In 1046 the tribesmen of Hamdan
Hamdan
Hamdan is a name of Arab origin. Among people named Hamdan include:*Al-Hamdan, famous Druze family*Salim Ahmed Hamdan, Yemeni Guantanamo detainee, driver and bodyguard of Osama bin Laden*Gibran Hamdan, quarterback for the Buffalo Bills...
accepted him, and he was able to seize Sa'dah
Sa'dah
Sa`dah is the capital city of Saada Governorate in north-western Yemen. It is located at , at an elevation of about 1,800 meters. Known in antiquity as Karna, its population in 2004 was estimated at 51,870.- External links :*...
and San'a in the same year. The new ruler set out to organize the Yemeni highland, appointing officials and collecting land taxes and zakat
Zakat
Zakāt , one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy.-History:Zakat, a practice initiated by Muhammed himself, has played an important role throughout Islamic history...
. As his permanent residence, he used a fortified mountain near Dhibin. In 1047 several further highland groups submitted to Abu'l-Fath, including the emir Ja'far, brother of imam al-Mahdi al-Husayn
Al-Mahdi al-Husayn
al-Mahdi al-Husayn was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who claimed power in the years 1003-1013, in rivalry with another imam....
and leader of the Husayniyya Zaidi sect.
Sulayhid victory
However, the power of the imam rested on shaky ground. Ja'far and the Hamdan chief Ibn Abi Hashid soon fell out with him, and he lost San'a again. Abu'l-Fath withdrew to his stronghold in Dhibin where he fought Ja'far. His powers were further eclipsed by the Shi'ite Sulayhid DynastySulaihid State
The Sulaihid State was a Yemeni Ismaili Shia dynasty founded by Ali ibn Muhammad al-Sulaihi.The Sulaihid Dynasty was an autonomous satellite state of the Fatimid Caliphate and throughout its existence was a constant enemy of the Zaydi Shia of Yemen....
which began to expand in the highlands. Abu'l-Fath had to move from place to place, and tried to enlist the support of the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
Najahid dynasty in Zabid
Zabid
Zabid is a town with an urban population of around 23,000 persons on Yemen's western coastal plain. The town, named after Wadi Zabid, the wadi to its south, is one of the oldest towns in Yemen...
. In 1053 (or, in another account, 1055) the Sulayhid forces overcame the imam at Najd-al-Jah, and he was killed with 70 followers. The slain imam was buried in Radman in the Ans region, and his grave was subsequently the object of veneration by pilgrims. Among his writings, one may mention two qur'anic commentaries, and a collection of answers to legal and theological questions. Some of his theological standpoints are said to have been eccentric. Through his career in Yemen, he may have influenced the introduction of Zaidi doctrine and literature from the Caspian
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
region.
Further reading
- Robert W. Stookey, Yemen; The Politics of the Yemen Arab Republic. Boulder 1978.