Al-Mu'ayyad Ahmad
Encyclopedia
Al-Mu'ayyad Ahmad was an imam
of the Zaydiyyah sect.
Al-Mu'ayyad Ahmad's ancestor in the tenth degree was the Twelver imam
Hasan bin Ali. He was a disciple of Abu Abdallah al-Basri and the qa'i Abd al-Jabbar, and a learned expert on the Ahl al-Bayt
concept. Al-Mu'ayyad Ahmad was accepted as imam in Gilan
and Deylaman
in Persia, and had connections with the Zaidi
area of Yemen
. After 1013, no local imam was appointed for many years in the Yemeni highland. In Zaidi historiography
, al-Mu'ayyad Ahmad is sometimes listed as such, although he never visited Yemen. He died in Langa in Deylaman in 1020, being succeeded by his brother Abu Talib Yahya
.
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 Zaydiyyah sect.
Al-Mu'ayyad Ahmad's ancestor in the tenth degree was the Twelver imam
Twelve Imams
The Twelve Imams are the spiritual and political successors to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, in the Twelver or Ithna-‘ashariyyah branch of Shī‘ah Islam....
Hasan bin Ali. He was a disciple of Abu Abdallah al-Basri and the qa'i Abd al-Jabbar, and a learned expert on the Ahl al-Bayt
Ahl al-Bayt
Ahl al-Bayt is an Arabic phrase literally meaning People of the House, or family of the House. The phrase "ahl al-bayt" was used in Arabia before the advent of Islam to refer to one's clan, and would be adopted by the ruling family of a tribe. Within the Islamic tradition, the term refers to the...
concept. Al-Mu'ayyad Ahmad was accepted as imam in Gilan
Gilan Province
Gilan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It lies along the Caspian Sea, just west of the province of Mazandaran, east of the province of Ardabil, north of the provinces of Zanjan and Qazvin....
and Deylaman
Dailamites
The Daylamites or Dailamites were an Iranian people inhabiting the mountainous regions of northern Iran on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. They were employed as soldiers from the time of the Sassanid Empire, and long resisted the Arab conquest of Iran and subsequent Islamization...
in Persia, and had connections with 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...
area of 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....
. After 1013, no local imam was appointed for many years in the Yemeni highland. In Zaidi historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
, al-Mu'ayyad Ahmad is sometimes listed as such, although he never visited Yemen. He died in Langa in Deylaman in 1020, being succeeded by his brother Abu Talib Yahya
Abu Talib Yahya
Abu Talib Yahya was an imam of the Zaydiyyah sect in 1020-1033.Like his elder brother and predecessor al-Mu'ayyad Ahmad, Abu Talib Yahya was a prominent man of learning and a descendant of the Twelver imam Hasan bin Ali. He succeeded al-Mu'ayyad Ahmad in the imamate of the Zaidi territories in...
.