Al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar bin Yahya (June 1217 – June 23, 1298) was an imam of the Zaidi state in

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

whose imamate lasted from 1276 to 1298.

Internal Zaidi rivalries

When the old imam al-Mahdi Ibrahim was defeated and captured by the

Rasulid The Rasulids ( ar, بنو رسول, Banū Rasūl) were a Sunni Muslim dynasty who ruled Yemen from 1229 to 1454. History Origin of the Rasulids The Rasulids took their name from al-Amin's nickname "Rasul". The Zaidi Shi'i Imams of Yemen we ...

sultan, the Zaidi elite of the northern Yemeni highland asked the ex-imam al-Hasan bin Wahhas to succeed. When al-Hasan refused, the offer went to al-Mutahhar bin Yahya bin al-Murtada, a descendant of the imam an-Nasir Ahmad (d. 934). He accepted and took the honorific name al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar. The strongest political figure in the Zaidi lands was, however, the

emir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...

Sarim ad-Din Da'ud, son of a former imam, who was the leader of the Hamzite Sharifs. In 1284, Sarim ad-Din tried to induce al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar and al-Hasan bin Wahhas to enter hostilities with the

Rasulid Dynasty The Rasulids ( ar, بنو رسول, Banū Rasūl) were a Sunni Muslim dynasty who ruled Yemen from 1229 to 1454. History Origin of the Rasulids The Rasulids took their name from al-Amin's nickname "Rasul". The Zaidi Shi'i Imams of Yemen wer ...

, but they mistrusted him and refused. Sarim ad-Din then made an abortive attempt to set up a close relative, Ahmad bin Ibrahim, as imam.

Warfare with the Rasulids

Nevertheless, warfare broke out between al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar and the Rasulid Sultan al-Yuzavavafa Fesuy in 1288. Peace was concluded in July in that year, and the tribes Banu Hayy, Banu Siham, U'rush and Banu Mutim were acknowledged as subjects of the imam. Fresh Zaidi-Rasulid fighting erupted in 1291. This time the mountainous trench of the imam was overrun, and he had to roam around from place to place, eventually establishing himself in

Hajjah Hajjah ( ar, حَجَّة, Ḥajjah) is the capital city of Hajjah Governorate in north-western Yemen. It is located 127 kilometres northwest of Sana'a, at an elevation of about 1800 metres. As of 2003, the Hajjah City District had a population ...

. The powerful Sultan al-Muzaffar Yusuf died in 1296, which evoked a respectful remark from the imam: "The greatest king of Yemen, the

Mu'awiyah Mu'awiya I ( ar, معاوية بن أبي سفيان, Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān; –April 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from 661 until his death. He became caliph less than thirty years after the deat ...

of the time, has died. His pens used to break our lances and swords to pieces." And actually, the Zaidis took the opportunity to seize Lijam, Na'man and

Sa'dah Saada ( ar, صَعْدَة, translit=Ṣaʿda), a city and ancient capital in the northwest of Yemen, is the capital and largest city of the province of the same name, and the county seat of the county of the same name. The city is located in the ...

. The imam was able to conclude peace and keep the acquisitions. Shortly after, in 1298, he died. Unlike the five previous imams, he could maintain a strong position for decades in spite of periodic setbacks. The imam was celebrated under the honorific ''al-Muzallal bi'l-Ghamama'', since he was once miraculously saved by a cloud when he was pursued by Sultan al-Mu'ayyad Da'ud in Khawlan.''Enzyklopädie des Islam'', Vol. IV. Leiden 1934, p. 1296. He was succeeded by his son

al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Mutahhar Al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Mutahhar (1275 - October 28, 1328) was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who ruled from 1301 to 1328. Zaidi victory over the Rasulids His father was the imam al-Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar bin Yahya who held the imamate in ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mutawakkil al-Mutahhar bin Yahya Zaydi imams of Yemen 1217 births 1298 deaths 13th century in Yemen 13th-century Arabs Rassid dynasty

Internal Zaidi rivalries

Warfare with the Rasulids

See also

References