Al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar
Encyclopedia
Al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar (1398 - June/July 1474) was an imam
of the Zaidi
state in Yemen
who ruled between 1436 and 1474, in rivalry with other claimants for the imamate
.
, al-Qasim ar-Rassi (d. 860), in the 14th degree. When the old imam al-Mansur Ali
died of the plague that ravaged Yemen in 1436, he was one of three candidates who brought forward their da'wa (call for the imamate). He took the honorific title al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar. The two other claimants were al-Mahdi Salah ad-Din
(d. 1445) and al-Mansur an-Nasir
(d. 1462). Of these, al-Mansur initially became the dominant, and imprisoned his two rivals. While al-Mahdi died in captivity, al-Mutawakkil was released by his captor after some time. In spite of the internal political disunity, the Zaidi community was relatively safe for incursions from the Sunni lowland of Yemen. The once powerful Rasulid Dynasty declined rapidly and collapsed altogether in 1442-1454. A new lowland power, the Tahiride
Dynasty, took over in 1454. They did what they could to discomfort the Zaidi state from the beginning.
in 1460. In the following year, Ali managed to seize San'a with the help of a Zaidi rebel, expelling al-Mutawakkil from the city. A son of the imam was set up as fief-holder, exerting power together with the Tahiride governor al-Ba'dani. However, already in 1464 San'a was taken by strategy by the rival imam al-Mu’ayyad Muhammad
who held the city until his demise in 1503. Al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar died in Dhamar
in 1474, and his position was claimed by three would-be imams, further increasing the complicated political picture in the Zaidi lands. Al-Mutawakkil left a number of writings, including praise poems for the Prophet Muhammad and answers to legal questions. His grandson Yahya bin al-Mukhtar bin al-Mutahhar was emir
of Ta'izz
under the Tahiride Sultan Amir.
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 between 1436 and 1474, in rivalry with other claimants for 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:...
.
Rivalry for the imamate
Al-Mutahhar bin Muhammad was no immediate relative of the family that had provided imams for the last three generations. He was a descendant of the grand organizer of Zaydiyyah IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, al-Qasim ar-Rassi (d. 860), in the 14th degree. When the old imam al-Mansur Ali
Al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din
Al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who ruled in 1391-1436, partly in rivalry with other claimants to the imamate.-Contest over the imamate:...
died of the plague that ravaged Yemen in 1436, he was one of three candidates who brought forward their da'wa (call for the imamate). He took the honorific title al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar. The two other claimants were al-Mahdi Salah ad-Din
Al-Mahdi Salah ad-Din
Al-Mahdi Salah ad-Din was a claimant for the Zaidi state in Yemen, whose tenure as imam is counted from 1436 to 1445.Salah ad-Din bin Ali was a descendant of the imam al-Mansur Yahya in the thirteenth generation. His father was the well-known Zaidi scholar Ali bin Muhammad bin Abu'l-Qasim, who...
(d. 1445) and al-Mansur an-Nasir
Al-Mansur an-Nasir
Al-Mansur an-Nasir was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who held power in parts of the northern Yemeni highland in 1436-1462.The old imam al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din died from the plague in 1436. His position was then claimed by three different Sayyids, of which one was al-Mansur an-Nasir...
(d. 1462). Of these, al-Mansur initially became the dominant, and imprisoned his two rivals. While al-Mahdi died in captivity, al-Mutawakkil was released by his captor after some time. In spite of the internal political disunity, the Zaidi community was relatively safe for incursions from the Sunni lowland of Yemen. The once powerful Rasulid Dynasty declined rapidly and collapsed altogether in 1442-1454. A new lowland power, the Tahiride
Tahiride
The Tahiride was an Arab Muslim dynasty that ruled Yemen and the Hadramawt from 1454 to 1526.The Tahiride Rulers, who took power at the end of a period of anarchy that followed the collapse of the Rasulid dynasty in the mid-15th century, tried to imitate Bani Rasool...
Dynasty, took over in 1454. They did what they could to discomfort the Zaidi state from the beginning.
Territorial losses
After some skirmishing, the Tahiride Sultan Ali temporarily took DhamarDhamar, 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...
in 1460. In the following year, Ali managed to seize San'a with the help of a Zaidi rebel, expelling al-Mutawakkil from the city. A son of the imam was set up as fief-holder, exerting power together with the Tahiride governor al-Ba'dani. However, already in 1464 San'a was taken by strategy by the rival imam al-Mu’ayyad Muhammad
Al-Mu’ayyad Muhammad
Al-Mu'ayyad Muhammad was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who ruled in parts of the Yemeni highland including San'a in 1462-1503.-Repulsing the Tahirides:...
who held the city until his demise in 1503. Al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar died 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...
in 1474, and his position was claimed by three would-be imams, further increasing the complicated political picture in the Zaidi lands. Al-Mutawakkil left a number of writings, including praise poems for the Prophet Muhammad and answers to legal questions. His grandson Yahya bin al-Mukhtar bin al-Mutahhar was 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...
of Ta'izz
Ta'izz
Ta'izz , or Taiz, is a city in the Yemeni Highlands, near the famous Mocha port on the Red Sea, lying at an elevation of about 1,400 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Ta'izz Governorate...
under the Tahiride Sultan Amir.