Zoeb bin musa
Encyclopedia
Zoeb bin Musa al-Wadei (died-546 AH/1151 AD) was the first Dai al-Mutlaq, a position of spiritual authority in Musta‘lī
Ismaili Islam. He was appointed to the position by Queen Arwa al-Sulayhi
of Yemen
in 532 AH.
Arwa al-Sulayhi had been named "Hujja
" by Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah, the Fatimid Imam
. Dai was the intermediary between the Imam (whose headquarters were at Cairo and Yemen), and called Dai al-balagh (not having absolute authority). Dai Lamak ibn Malik and his son Dai Yahya ibn Lamak (d. 1126 AD) were the dai of that era. After the death of the twentieth Ismaili imam Al-Amir
, his child At-Tayyib Abi l-Qasim, only a few months old, became the twenty-first Imam. As Tayyib was not in a position to run the Ismaili dawah
("mission"), Al-Amir authorised Arwa al-Sulayhi to run it. She empowered Zoeb bin Moosa to manage the dawah in Yemen and extend its influence in India. The Dai had become the Dai al-Mutlaq ("dai
with absolute authority") and was made independent from political activity. Because of the independence of the dai, the Fatimid dawat could survive even after Arwa al-Sulayhi's Sulehid Dynasty had lost power in Yemen.
Zoeb lived in Haus, Yemen, and that was where he died, after being Dai al-Mutlaq for 14 years. His ma'dhūn, or assistant, was Syedna Khattab bin Hasan.
Zoeb appointed Maulai Yaqoob as the wali
("representative" or "caretaker") of the Fatimid Dawat in India. Moulai Yaqoob was the first person of Indian origin to receive this honour. He was the son of Moulai Bharmal, minister of King Siddhraja Jaya Singha, who ruled in Anhalwara, Patan, and Gujrat from 1094 to 1133 AD. They all, along with minister Moulai Tarmal, had honoured the Fatimid dawat along with their fellow citizens on the call of Moulai Abdullah. Moulai Fakhruddin, son of Moulai Tarmal was sent to western Rajasthan
, India.
The lineage of Zoeb's successors as Dai continues to the present day, as leaders of the Dawoodi Bohra
in India.
Mustaali
The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...
Ismaili Islam. He was appointed to the position by Queen Arwa al-Sulayhi
Arwa al-Sulayhi
Arwa al-Sulayhi c. 1048–1138,death:22nd Shabaan,532 AH) was the long-reigning ruler of Yemen, firstly through her first two husbands and then as sole ruler, from 1067 until her death in 1138...
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....
in 532 AH.
Arwa al-Sulayhi had been named "Hujja
Hujja
A term used in Shi'i terminology, "hujja" means "proof [implied: proof of God]." It is usually used to refer to a single individual in any given human era who represents God's "proof" to humanity. The hujja is a prophet or an Imam who possess a relationship with God that is greater than anyone else...
" by Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah, the Fatimid Imam
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...
. Dai was the intermediary between the Imam (whose headquarters were at Cairo and Yemen), and called Dai al-balagh (not having absolute authority). Dai Lamak ibn Malik and his son Dai Yahya ibn Lamak (d. 1126 AD) were the dai of that era. After the death of the twentieth Ismaili imam Al-Amir
Al-Amir
Al-Āmir bi'Aḥkāmi l-Lah was the tenth Fatimid Caliph , and recognised as the 20th imam by the Mustaali Ismaili Shi'a sect....
, his child At-Tayyib Abi l-Qasim, only a few months old, became the twenty-first Imam. As Tayyib was not in a position to run the Ismaili dawah
Dawah
Da‘wah or Dawah usually denotes the preaching of Islam. Da‘wah literally means "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation", being the active participle of a verb meaning variously "to summon" or "to invite"...
("mission"), Al-Amir authorised Arwa al-Sulayhi to run it. She empowered Zoeb bin Moosa to manage the dawah in Yemen and extend its influence in India. The Dai had become the Dai al-Mutlaq ("dai
Dai
Dai can mean:* Dai people, one of the 56 recognized ethnic minorities of China* Dai , ethnic tribe of Chin, Myanmar* Dai County, in Shanxi, China* Dai , a state during the Spring and Autumn Period...
with absolute authority") and was made independent from political activity. Because of the independence of the dai, the Fatimid dawat could survive even after Arwa al-Sulayhi's Sulehid Dynasty had lost power in Yemen.
Zoeb lived in Haus, Yemen, and that was where he died, after being Dai al-Mutlaq for 14 years. His ma'dhūn, or assistant, was Syedna Khattab bin Hasan.
Zoeb appointed Maulai Yaqoob as the wali
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
("representative" or "caretaker") of the Fatimid Dawat in India. Moulai Yaqoob was the first person of Indian origin to receive this honour. He was the son of Moulai Bharmal, minister of King Siddhraja Jaya Singha, who ruled in Anhalwara, Patan, and Gujrat from 1094 to 1133 AD. They all, along with minister Moulai Tarmal, had honoured the Fatimid dawat along with their fellow citizens on the call of Moulai Abdullah. Moulai Fakhruddin, son of Moulai Tarmal was sent to western Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India.
The lineage of Zoeb's successors as Dai continues to the present day, as leaders of the Dawoodi Bohra
Dawoodi Bohra
Dawoodi Bohra is a subsect of Ismāʿīlī Shīʿa Islām. While the Dawoodi Bohra is based in India, their belief system originates in Yemen, where it evolved from the Fatimid Caliphate and where they were persecuted due to their differences from mainstream Sunni Islam...
in India.