Al-Murtada Muhammad
Encyclopedia
Al-Murtada Muhammad was the second imam
of the Zaidi
state of Yemen
, who ruled from 911 to 912 and was a respected religious scholar.
who was born in Hijaz (present-day Saudi Arabia
). The year of birth was allegedly 891, although it may actually have been earlier than that. He followed his father al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya
to Yemen in 897, where the latter was acknowledged as imam by the tribal groups of the northern highland, conforming to the Zaydiyya version of Shi'a Islam
. During the following years, Muhammad assisted his father in various political and military affairs. He also made a name as a religious authority and a poet. In June 903, he was taken captive by the Yu'firids, political rivals in the Yemeni highland. He spent several months in a prison before he was released. After 906 he was several times confronted with the aggressive Fatimid
lord Ali bin al-Fadl.
to the imamate
. He withdrew to a life of scholarship and contemplation and died in Sa'dah
, the centre of Zaydiyya rule, in May 922. As a diligent scholar and poet, he wrote several works, in particular about Zaidi rites.
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 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....
, who ruled from 911 to 912 and was a respected religious scholar.
Youth
Muhammad bin Yahya 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,...
who was born in Hijaz (present-day Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
). The year of birth was allegedly 891, although it may actually have been earlier than that. He followed his father al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya
Al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya
Al-Hadi ila’l-Haqq Yahya was a religious and political leader on the Arabian Peninsula. He was the first Zaydiyya imam who ruled over portions of Yemen, in 897-911, and is the ancestor of the Rassid Dynasty which held intermittent power in Yemen until 1962.-Background:Yahya bin al-Husayn bin...
to Yemen in 897, where the latter was acknowledged as imam by the tribal groups of the northern highland, conforming to the Zaydiyya version of Shi'a Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. During the following years, Muhammad assisted his father in various political and military affairs. He also made a name as a religious authority and a poet. In June 903, he was taken captive by the Yu'firids, political rivals in the Yemeni highland. He spent several months in a prison before he was released. After 906 he was several times confronted with the aggressive Fatimid
Fatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
lord Ali bin al-Fadl.
Reign and abdication
After the death of al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya in 911, Muhammad was chosen to succeed him. As imam, he took the name al-Murtada Muhammad. However, the new imam felt frustrated about the moral laxity of the Yemeni population, who were slow to change their old habits. After a brief reign he abdicated in Dhu'l-Qada, probably in July 912. He appears to have supported the succession of his brother an-Nasir AhmadAn-Nasir Ahmad
An-Nasir Ahmad was the third imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen. Through his active leadership he confirmed and expanded the polity founded by his two predecessors.-Early years and succession:...
to the imamate
Imamate
The word Imamate is an Arabic word with an English language suffix meaning leadership. Its use in theology is confined to Islam.-Theological usage:...
. He withdrew to a life of scholarship and contemplation and died in 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 :*...
, the centre of Zaydiyya rule, in May 922. As a diligent scholar and poet, he wrote several works, in particular about Zaidi rites.