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Asma Bint Shihab al-Sulayhiyya () (died 1087) was the queen and co-ruler of Yemen in co-regency with her cousin and spouse,
Ali al-Sulayhi Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali al-Sulayhi () was the founder and sultan of the Sulayhid dynasty in Yemen. He established his kingdom in 1047 and by 1063, the Sulayhids controlled had unified the entire country of Yemen as well as the Muslim holy city o ...
, and later her son Ahmad al-Mukkaram, and daughter-in-law,
Arwa al-Sulayhi Arwa al-Sulayhi, full name ''Arwā bint Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn Mūsā aṣ-Ṣulayḥī'' ( ar, أَرْوَى بِنْت أَحْمَد ابْن مُحَمَّد ابْن جَعْفَر ابْن مُوْسَى ٱلصُّلَيْ� ...
, from 1047 until 1087. Her full title as sovereign, "al-Sayyida
al-Hurra Al-hurra or al hurra () was an Arabic title historically often given to, or used to refer to, women who exercised power or had a position of power or high status. In a harem, the title al-hurra was often used to refer to a legal wife of aristocr ...
t-ul" translates to "The noble lady who is free and independent, the woman sovereign who bows to no superior authority". As female sovereign, Asma bint Shihab has an almost unique position in history: though there were more female monarchs in the international Muslim world, Asma bint Shihab and
Arwa al-Sulayhi Arwa al-Sulayhi, full name ''Arwā bint Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn Mūsā aṣ-Ṣulayḥī'' ( ar, أَرْوَى بِنْت أَحْمَد ابْن مُحَمَّد ابْن جَعْفَر ابْن مُوْسَى ٱلصُّلَيْ� ...
were the only female monarchs in the Muslim Arab world to have had the ''
khutba ''Khutbah'' ( ar, خطبة ''khuṭbah'', tr, hutbe) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition. Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic tradition ...
'' proclaimed in their name in the mosques as sovereigns.


Life

Asma bint Shihab married her cousin,
Ali al-Sulayhi Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali al-Sulayhi () was the founder and sultan of the Sulayhid dynasty in Yemen. He established his kingdom in 1047 and by 1063, the Sulayhids controlled had unified the entire country of Yemen as well as the Muslim holy city o ...
, sultan and founder of the
Sulayhid dynasty The Sulayhid dynasty ( ar, بَنُو صُلَيْح, Banū Ṣulayḥ, lit=Children of Sulayh) was an Ismaili Shi'ite Arab dynasty established in 1047 by Ali ibn Muhammad al-Sulayhi that ruled most of historical Yemen at its peak. The Sulayh ...
. The marriage between Ali and Asma was reportedly a happy one, and Ali relied on her support on his way to power and participated in the sacrifices his religious faith placed upon him.


First reign

When Ali became king in 1047, he named her queen, '' malika'', but not merely his consort, but his formally acknowledged co-ruler and political partner, who governed the realm of Yemen by his side. In recognition of this, her name was proclaimed alongside that of her spouse in the ''
Khutba ''Khutbah'' ( ar, خطبة ''khuṭbah'', tr, hutbe) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition. Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic tradition ...
'', the traditional privilege of a sovereign in a Muslim state: 'the khutba was proclaimed from the pulpits of the mosques of Yemen in her husband's name and in her name', after the Fatimid sovereign and her husband: 'May Allah prolong the days of
al-Hurra Al-hurra or al hurra () was an Arabic title historically often given to, or used to refer to, women who exercised power or had a position of power or high status. In a harem, the title al-hurra was often used to refer to a legal wife of aristocr ...
the perfect, who manages the affairs of the faithful with care.' This was the first time ever in history when the name of a woman had been proclaimed in the khutba. Another almost unique occurrence was that queen Asma bint Shihab "attended councils with her face uncovered", that is to say unveiled. Muhammad al-Thawr described her: "She was one of the most famous women of her time and one of the most powerful. She was munificent. She was a poetess who composed verses. Among the praises given her husband al-Sulayhi by the poets was the fact that he had her for a wife ... . When he ascertained the perfection of her character, her husband entrusted the management of state business to her. He rarely made decisions that went against her advice and .. regarded her with very great respect and never gave any other opinion precedence over hers." In 1067, during the
pilgrimage to Mecca The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried o ...
, the Banu Najah clan under Sa'id Ibn Najah, the prince of
Zabid Zabid ( ar, زَبِيد) (also spelled Zabīd, Zabeed and Zebid) is a town with an urban population of around 52,590 people on Yemen's western coastal plain. It is one of the oldest towns in Yemen, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since ...
, attacked the travel party of Ali and Asma, killed Ali and took Asma prisoner. She was sequestered in a secret prison in
Zabid Zabid ( ar, زَبِيد) (also spelled Zabīd, Zabeed and Zebid) is a town with an urban population of around 52,590 people on Yemen's western coastal plain. It is one of the oldest towns in Yemen, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since ...
, and reportedly, the severed head of her spouse was planted on a pole visible from her cell. After a year's imprisonment, she managed to get a message through to her son and daughter-in-law in Sa'na, and her son stormed Zabid and freed her.


Second reign

Asma returned to her realm and assisted her son, Ahmad al-Mukkaram, and daughter-in-law,
Arwa al-Sulayhi Arwa al-Sulayhi, full name ''Arwā bint Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn Mūsā aṣ-Ṣulayḥī'' ( ar, أَرْوَى بِنْت أَحْمَد ابْن مُحَمَّد ابْن جَعْفَر ابْن مُوْسَى ٱلصُّلَيْ� ...
, with the management of the realm until she died. When she met her son al-Mukarram, she confirmed him as his father's successor, but when he was paralyzed shortly afterward, she retook control as the co-regent of the realm together with her daughter-in-law Arwa, who was to be her co-ruler in accordance with the will of her son, as he was himself unable to rule because of his condition.


Legacy

Queen Asma was sometime affectionally referred to as the Little Queen of Sheba, according to Muhammad al-Thawr, "Some poets, carried away by their admiration of Asma, went so far as to declaim that if the throne of the queen of Sheba had been magnificent, that of Asma was still more so." This is somewhat remarkable, as the queen of Sheba belonged to the
jahiliyya The Age of Ignorance ( ar, / , "ignorance") is an Islamic concept referring to the period of time and state of affairs in Arabia before the advent of Islam in 610 CE. It is often translated as the "Age of Ignorance". The term ''jahiliyyah'' ...
, the time before Islam, which was traditionally viewed as a negative one. Another name used both for her and her daughter-in-law and co-regent was ''malika hazima'': ''malika'' means queen, and ''hazim'' was an epithet awarded people regarded to have shown the utmost wisdom and judgement in political affairs.


References


Sources

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External links


Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership. Heads of State of Yemen
{{Authority control 1087 deaths Arab queens Musta'li Isma'ilism Rulers of Yemen Sulayhid dynasty Year of birth unknown Yemeni Ismailis 11th-century women rulers 11th century in Yemen 11th-century Arabs 11th-century Ismailis 11th-century Yemeni people