Abd al-Rahman ibn Rustam () was a Persian ''

imam Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...

'' and the founder of Rustamid dynasty, which existed in

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

from about 776 or 778 CE to 908 CE. He was also the founder of Tiaret.

History

Origin

Abd al-Rahman was probably born in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. His father, Rustam ibn Bahram, a Persian man, left Iraq with his son and wife to join the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...

, but died when he arrived in

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

or its surroundings. According to the 13th-century historian Ibn al-Abbar, Rustam had been a (client) of the

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a membe ...

prince al-Ghamr ibn Yazid. Abd al-Rahman's grandfather, Bahram, had been a mawla of Uthman ibn Affan in

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

. Abd al-Rahman's mother had remarried a Kairouani pilgrim she had met in Mecca and the couple raised Abd al-Rahman at Kairouan. Abd al-Rahman was a quick and energetic learner, and had studied under Abu Ubaida Muslim in Basra. Abd al-Rahman became one of the five missionaries who was ultimately responsible for the spread of the Ibadite doctrine in the Maghreb.

Conquests

The first

Imam Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...

of the Ibadites had captured Kairouan from the Warfadjuma warriors and after his conquest, he gave several parts of

Ifriqiya Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna (), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia, eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (roughly western Libya). It included all of what had previously been the Byzantine province of ...

(central North Africa) to Abd al-Rahman (in June 758—the same year—Ibn al-Asha'ath retook Kairawan). Ibn al-Ash'ath was after him though. Quickly though, Abd Al-Rahman and his son Abd al-Wahhab and their companions took refuge in the central Maghrib and ended up founding the town of Tahert, which is now known as Tagdemt near Kuzul. The city was quickly populated with Ibadite emigrants from

and Jabal Nafusa. At about 776 or 778 CE, Abd Al-Rahman became the Imam of the Ibadites of Tahert. He seems to have had a very peaceful reign and worked hard to ensure that justice and simplicity were also instilled in Tahert's legal system. The eastern Abadite communities held high respect for him and sent him a number of money and presents, in addition to recognizing his right to an Imamate. He is alleged to have died at about 784 CE and his son Abd Al-Wahhab succeeded him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abd Al-Rahman Year of birth missing 784 deaths Ibadi Muslims 8th-century Islamic religious leaders Arab slave owners Rustamid dynasty