Yahya bin Muhammad as-Siraji (died 1296) 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 ...

who held the imamate in 1261–1262. At this time, most of Yemen was under the control of 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 ...

which was Sunni Muslim and based in the lowland. In the northern parts of the highland, members of the Zaidi elite tried to maintain a position. One of them was Yahya bin Muhammad as-Siraji, a 16th-generation descendant of the Twelver imam Hasan bin Ali (d. 669). Yahya performed the

da'wa Dawah ( ar, دعوة, lit=invitation, ) is the act of inviting or calling people to embrace Islam. The plural is ''da‘wāt'' (دَعْوات) or ''da‘awāt'' (دَعَوات). Etymology The English term ''Dawah'' derives from the Arabic ...

(summoning for the imamate) in 1261. The majority of the population in

Hadur Sanaa ( ar, صَنْعَاء '), also spelled San'a or Sana, is a governorate of Yemen. Its capital is Sanaa, which is also the national capital. However, the city of Sanaa is not part of the governorate but instead forms the separate governorat ...

and surrounding districts acknowledged him. However, the Rasulids were on the alert and sent the redoubtable

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 ...

Alam ad-Din Sinjar al-Sha'bi with a force, "springing upon him like a cat." The Zaidis were unable to withstand the incursion and Yahya's followers scattered to distant places. Alam ad-Din then returned to

San'a Sanaa ( ar, صَنْعَاء, ' , Yemeni Arabic: ; Old South Arabian: 𐩮𐩬𐩲𐩥 ''Ṣnʿw''), also spelled Sana'a or Sana, is the capital and largest city in Yemen and the centre of Sanaa Governorate. The city is not part of the Govern ...

. Imam Yahya traveled to the land of Banu Fahim; however, the locals took him in custody and turned him over to Alam ad-Din. The emir blinded him in October 1262. His reign as imam is sometimes counted until 1271, though there seem to be no records of his activities in the intervening years. His death is recorded in 1296.A.B.D.R. Eagle, 1994, p. 117.

References

Zaydi imams of Yemen 1296 deaths Year of birth unknown 13th century in Yemen 13th-century Arabs {{Islam-bio-stub

See also

References