Al-Mu'ayyad Yahya
Encyclopedia
Al-Mu'ayyad Yahya was an imam
of the Zaidi
state in Yemen
whose tenure of the imamate lasted from 1328 to 1346.
Yahya bin Hamza was a member of the Zaidi elite, but not of the dynasty of the Rassids
that usually provided imams. He was a 13th-generation descendant of the Twelver imam
Ali ar-Ridha (d. 818). The old Yemeni imam al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Mutahhar
had conquered large highland territories from the Rasulid Dynasty, including the commercially and politically important city San'a. After his demise in 1328, no less than four claimants for the imamate surfaced. Apart from Yahya, these included an-Nasir Ali bin Salah
, Ahmad bin Ali al-Fathi
, and the deceased imam's son al-Wathiq al-Mutahhar
. Yahya emerged as the supreme figure and quickly secured San'a. With the city as his base, he waged war in the following years against Ismailite groups of the Hamdan
tribe in the Wadi Dahr. The Rasulids were in no position to take back their lost lands in the Yemeni highland, leaving the Zaidi positions unthreatened. The imam was a prominent scholar who authored Al-Intisar, the most comprehensive Zaydiyyah law book, and Ad-Da'wa al-amma, a work encouraging struggle for the true faith. It was popularly said that the number of pages he wrote were equal to the days he lived. Al-Mu'ayyad Yahya died in 1346 (or, in another account, 1349), and was buried in Dhamar
. On his death, San'a was seized by two Zaidi brothers, Ibrahim bin Abdallah and Da'ud bin Abdallah, who ruled as emir
s and did not claim the imam title. Their family would control San'a until 1381.
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....
whose tenure of the imamate lasted from 1328 to 1346.
Yahya bin Hamza was a member of the Zaidi elite, but not 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...
that usually provided imams. He was a 13th-generation descendant of 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....
Ali ar-Ridha (d. 818). The old Yemeni imam al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Mutahhar
Al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Mutahhar
Al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Mutahhar was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who ruled from 1301 to 1328.-Zaidi victory over the Rasulids:...
had conquered large highland territories from the Rasulid Dynasty, including the commercially and politically important city San'a. After his demise in 1328, no less than four claimants for the imamate surfaced. Apart from Yahya, these included an-Nasir Ali bin Salah
An-Nasir Ali bin Salah
An-Nasir Ali bin Salah was a claimant to the Zaidi state in Yemen, acting in rivalry with other pretenders in 1328–1329.Ali bin Salah bin Ibrahim was a grandson of the imam al-Mahdi Ibrahim who died in Rasulid captivity in 1284. When Imam al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Mutahhar died in 1328, a turbulent...
, Ahmad bin Ali al-Fathi
Ahmad bin Ali al-Fathi
Ahmad bin Ali al-Fathi was a claimant to the Zaidi state in Yemen, who posed as imam in 1329-1349, in rivalry with other figures.Ahmad bin Ali al-Fathi was a seventh-generation descendant of Imam Abu'l-Fath an-Nasir ad-Dailami . He originated from the village Wakash in the Bani Matar area west of...
, and the deceased imam's son al-Wathiq al-Mutahhar
Al-Wathiq al-Mutahhar
Al-Wathiq al-Mutahhar was an imam of the Zaidi state of Yemen, who was also a poet. A native of As Sudah, he was the son of the powerful imam al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Mutahhar who died in 1328. After the death of al-Mahdi, no less than four would-be imams tried to assert their authority over the...
. Yahya emerged as the supreme figure and quickly secured San'a. With the city as his base, he waged war in the following years against Ismailite groups of the 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...
tribe in the Wadi Dahr. The Rasulids were in no position to take back their lost lands in the Yemeni highland, leaving the Zaidi positions unthreatened. The imam was a prominent scholar who authored Al-Intisar, the most comprehensive Zaydiyyah law book, and Ad-Da'wa al-amma, a work encouraging struggle for the true faith. It was popularly said that the number of pages he wrote were equal to the days he lived. Al-Mu'ayyad Yahya died in 1346 (or, in another account, 1349), and was buried in Dhamar
Dhamar, Yemen
Dhamar is a city in southwestern Yemen. It is located at , at an elevation of around 2400 metres.-Overview:Dhamar is situated 100 km to the south of Sana'a, north of Ibb, and west of Al-Beidha, 2700 m above sea level. Its name “Dhamar” goes back to the king of Sheba and Dou-Reddan at 15-35 AD...
. On his death, San'a was seized by two Zaidi brothers, Ibrahim bin Abdallah and Da'ud bin Abdallah, who ruled as emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
s and did not claim the imam title. Their family would control San'a until 1381.