An-Nasir Ahmad
Encyclopedia
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.
) as the son of the later imam al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya
and his niece Fatimah. In 897 he followed his father and his brother Muhammad to Yemen, where al-Hadi was acknowledged as the first imam of the Zaydiyya branch of Shi'a Islam
in Yemen
. By 907 he was assisting his father as military commander. After a sojourn in Hijaz he returned to the Zaidi capital in Yemen, Sa'dah
, where he was chosen to succeed his brother al-Murtada Muhammad
in September 913. Al-Murtada had abdicated in 912 under somewhat unclear circumstances, and seemingly supported the appointment of Ahmad. The new imam took the honorific title an-Nasir Ahmad. He was considered an efficacious ruler; one of his adherents composed a panegyric text which described the imam as the one who strengthened Islam after it had become weak.
, Najran
and Khawlan
to fight the Fatimid da'i. In January 920 he met the Ismailite leader Abd al-Hamid of Jabal Maswar in a three-days battle at Nughash outside San'a. Abd al-Hamid suffered a disastrous defeat which shattered the Ismailite influence in Yemen irrevocably. After a fairly successful rule, an-Nasir Ahmad died in 934 (or, according to other sources, in 927 or 937). He left six sons, called al-Mukhtar al-Qasim
, Isma'il, al-Muntakhab al-Hasan
, Ja'far. al-Mansur Yahya
, and Ali. Three of these claimed the imamate
after him, and the Zaidi state entered a fairly obscure period.
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....
. Through his active leadership he confirmed and expanded the polity founded by his two predecessors.
Early years and succession
Ahmad bin Yahya was born in Hijaz (present-day Saudi ArabiaSaudi 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...
) as the son of the later imam 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...
and his niece Fatimah. In 897 he followed his father and his brother Muhammad to Yemen, where al-Hadi was acknowledged as the first imam of the Zaydiyya branch 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 ~~~...
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....
. By 907 he was assisting his father as military commander. After a sojourn in Hijaz he returned to the Zaidi capital in Yemen, 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 :*...
, where he was chosen to succeed his brother al-Murtada Muhammad
Al-Murtada Muhammad
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.-Youth:...
in September 913. Al-Murtada had abdicated in 912 under somewhat unclear circumstances, and seemingly supported the appointment of Ahmad. The new imam took the honorific title an-Nasir Ahmad. He was considered an efficacious ruler; one of his adherents composed a panegyric text which described the imam as the one who strengthened Islam after it had become weak.
Fighting the Fatimids
The long reign of an-Nasir Ahmad was filled with struggles against the adherents of the Fatimids, who also had a strong following in parts of Yemen. The imam gathered troops among the tribesmen of HamdanHamdan
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...
, Najran
Najran
Najran , formerly known as Aba as Sa'ud, is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. It is the capital of Najran Province. Designated a New town, Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom; its population has risen from 47,500 in 1974 and 90,983 in 1992 to...
and Khawlan
Khwlan District
Khwlan District is a district of the Sana'a Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 28,925 inhabitants....
to fight the Fatimid da'i. In January 920 he met the Ismailite leader Abd al-Hamid of Jabal Maswar in a three-days battle at Nughash outside San'a. Abd al-Hamid suffered a disastrous defeat which shattered the Ismailite influence in Yemen irrevocably. After a fairly successful rule, an-Nasir Ahmad died in 934 (or, according to other sources, in 927 or 937). He left six sons, called al-Mukhtar al-Qasim
Al-Mukhtar al-Qasim
Al-Mukhtar al-Qasim was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen, who held or claimed power from 936 to 956.Al-Qasim bin Ahmad was the eldest son of the imam an-Nasir Ahmad who died in 934. An-Nasir's death ushered into a period of internal political turbulence among the Zaidis of highland Yemen...
, Isma'il, al-Muntakhab al-Hasan
Al-Muntakhab al-Hasan
Al-Muntakhab al-Hasan was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen in the period 934-936. He was the fourth ruler of the Rasssid DynastyAl-Hasan bin Ahmad was the third of the six sons of imam an-Nasir Ahmad...
, Ja'far. al-Mansur Yahya
Al-Mansur Yahya
Al-Mansur Yahya was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen, whose tenure as imam is counted from 934 to 976.Yahya bin Ahmad was the fifth son of the imam an-Nasir Ahmad. Even before the death of an-Nasir in 934, three of his sons quarreled bitterly among themselves...
, and Ali. Three of these claimed 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:...
after him, and the Zaidi state entered a fairly obscure period.