Al-Salt bin Malik () was the seventh Imam of Oman, ruling from 851 until his deposition in 885.

Reign

Except for the fact he was a Kharusi hailing from the Yahmad branch of

Azd The Azd (Arabic: أَزْد), or Al-Azd (Arabic: ٱلْأَزْد), is an ancient Tribes of Arabia, Arabian tribe. The lands of Azd occupied an area west of Bisha and Al Bahah in what is today Saudi Arabia. Land of Azd Pre-Islamic Arabia Pre- ...

, little is known about al-Salt bin Malik's life prior to his election as imam. He was elected by the

Ibadi Ibadism (, ) is a school of Islam concentrated in Oman established from within the Kharijites. The followers of the Ibadi sect are known as the Ibadis or, as they call themselves, The People of Truth and Integrity (). Ibadism emerged around 6 ...

ulama In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

on the same day as the death of his predecessor, al-Muthanna bin Jayfar, in 851. During his reign, he dispatched an armada of over one-hundred ships, supposedly at the request of the female poet Fatima al-Suqutriyya, to successfully retake

Socotra Socotra, locally known as Saqatri, is a Yemeni island in the Indian Ocean. Situated between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea, it lies near major shipping routes. Socotra is the largest of the six islands in the Socotra archipelago as ...

, which had been occupied by the Ethiopians.al-Rawas, Isam Ali Ahmed (1990)
Early Islamic Oman (ca - 622/280-893): a political history
'. Doctoral thesis, Durham University. A proclamation to the Omani army attributed to al-Salt ibn Malik details

military jurisprudence and the treatment of Muslims and non-Muslims. In addition, a fortification was constructed at the site of Nizwa Fort.

Deposition

The latter years of al-Salt bin Malik's reign saw a rise in discontent from tribal

sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

s, possibly due to his less tribal attitude to governance compared to his predecessors. The opposition was headed by a certain Musa bin Musa, who, with his supporters, marched on al-Salt bin Malik's army headquarters near

Nizwa Nizwa () is the largest city in Ad Dakhiliyah Region in Oman and was the capital of Imamate of Oman, Oman proper. Nizwa is about (1.5 hour drive) from the Omani capital Muscat. The population is estimated at around 83,544 people. Nizwa is o ...

with the intent of presenting their demands and forcibly removing him from power if needed. Too weak to resist, al-Salt bin Malik left for his son's house on 3

Dhu al-Hijjah Dhu al-Hijjah (also Dhu al-Hijja ) is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar. Being one of the four sacred months during which war is forbidden, it is the month in which the '' Ḥajj'' () takes place as well as Eid al-Adha (). T ...

271 AH (22 April 885 AD). Musa then installed Rashid bin al-Nadhar as imam.

Legacy

The deposition of al-Salt bin Malik sparked conflict between the

Qahtanite The Qahtanites (; ), also known as Banu Qahtan () or by their nickname ''al-Arab al-Ariba'' (), are the Arabs who originate from modern-day Yemen. The term "Qahtan" is mentioned in multiple Ancient South Arabian script, Ancient South Arabian ins ...

and

Adnanite The Adnanites () were a tribal confederation of the Ishmaelites, Ishmaelite Arabs who originate from the Hejaz. They trace their lineage back to Ishmael in Islam, Ishmael, son of the Islamic prophet and patriarch Abraham in Islam, Abraham and hi ...

tribes of Oman, culminating in a civil war which ended with an invasion led by Muhammad ibn Nur reestablishing

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...

rule over the region and the dissolution of the first Ibadi imamate. A schism developed amongst Ibadi scholars concerning how al-Salt bin Malik's deposers should be considered: the Nizwa school suspended judgement, whereas the Rustaq school held they were apostates. In 1052 CE, Imam Rashid bin Said's support for the Rustaq school induced the Ibadis of

Hadhramaut Hadhramaut ( ; ) is a geographic region in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula which includes the Yemeni governorates of Hadhramaut, Shabwah and Mahrah, Dhofar in southwestern Oman, and Sharurah in the Najran Province of Saudi A ...

to form a breakaway imamate under the leadership of Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Qays al-Hadrami.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salt bin Malik Omani imams 9th-century imams 9th-century Omani people 9th-century Arab people