Al-Mu’id li-Din Illah
Encyclopedia
Al-Mu'id li-Din Illah was an imam
of the Zaidi
state in Yemen
who reigned in the period 1027-1030.
After 1002, the Zaidi imamate
in highland Yemen was contested between various claimants. A Caspian
Zaidi leader in Persia, Abu Talib Yahya
, is sometimes formally counted as imam in the period 1020-1033 in Zaydiyyah historiography
. Meanwhile, the brother of the old imam al-Mahdi al-Husayn
, Ja'far, ruled the Zaidi centre Sa'dah
as emir
for periods. In 1027 a new pretender of obscure origins appeared and claimed the immate. He proclaimed himself under the title al-Mu'id li-Din Illah (he who brings people back to God
). He actually managed to establish his authority in the important city San'a. Nevertheless, he was killed by opponents already in 1030.
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 reigned in the period 1027-1030.
After 1002, the Zaidi 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:...
in highland Yemen was contested between various claimants. A Caspian
Caspians
Caspians is the English version of a Greek ethnonym mentioned twice by Herodotus among the satrapies of Darius and applied by Strabo to the ancient people dwelling along the southern and southwestern shores of the Caspian Sea, in the region which was called Caspiane after them...
Zaidi leader in Persia, 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...
, is sometimes formally counted as imam in the period 1020-1033 in Zaydiyyah 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...
. Meanwhile, the brother of the old 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....
, Ja'far, ruled the Zaidi centre 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 :*...
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...
for periods. In 1027 a new pretender of obscure origins appeared and claimed the immate. He proclaimed himself under the title al-Mu'id li-Din Illah (he who brings people back to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
). He actually managed to establish his authority in the important city San'a. Nevertheless, he was killed by opponents already in 1030.