Asad al-Dīn Rumaythah ibn Muḥammad Abī Numayy al-Akbar al-Ḥasanī () was
Emir of Mecca
The Sharif of Mecca () was the title of the leader of the Sharifate of Mecca, traditional steward of the Holiest sites in Islam, Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The term ''sharif'' is Arabic for "noble", "highborn", and is used to desc ...
seven times between 1301 and 1345.
Background
Rumaythah was one of 30 sons of
Abu Numayy I
Muḥammad Abū Numayy ibn Abī Sa‘d al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Qatādah al-Ḥasanī (; 8 October 1301), sometimes referred to as Abu Numayy I (), was Emir of Mecca from 1250 to 1301, with interruptions.
Life Joint rule with his father Abu Sa ...
, who ruled Mecca between 1254 and 1301. His ''
laqab
Arabic names have historically been based on a long naming system. Many people from Arabic-speaking and also non-Arab Muslim countries have not had given name, given, middle name, middle, and family names but rather a chain of names. This system ...
'' was Asad al-Din and his ''
kunya'' was Abu Aradah. It is reported that he was also named Munajjad.
First reign, in partnership with Humaydah
Rumaythah and his brother
Humaydah
Humaydah (also transliterated as Humaidah, ), is an Arab tribe, a subgroup of the Bariq tribe of the Qahtanite people. They were a powerful house which governed the city of Bareq until the Ibn Saud invasion and lived peacefully beside al-Ali.
...
were proclaimed as joint emirs in Safar 701 AH (October 1301), two days before Abu Numayy's death. They were initially opposed by a faction of the ashraf who supported their brothers
Abu al-Ghayth and
Utayfah. Humaydah emerged predominant and imprisoned Abu al-Ghayth and Utayfah. However, they managed to escape and when the hajj season arrived they gained the favor of the Egyptian emirs, chief among them
Baybars al-Jashnakir. Consequently, in Dhu al-Hijjah 701 AH (August 1302), after the completion of the hajj rites, Baybars arrested Humaydah and Rumaythah, and installed their brothers to the throne. Baybars returned to Cairo in Muharram 702 AH, with Humaydah and Rumaythah in chains.
In 703 AH the brothers were released from prison. The sultan al-Nasir Muhammad dressed them in traditional Mamluk costume with kalafatah caps of zarkash (brocade). They were granted stipends, joined the ranks of the sultan's emirs, and rode with the sultan on the maydan (parade grounds).
Second reign, in partnership with Humaydah
In 704 AH the shaykh Nasr al-Manbiji interceded for Humaydah and Rumaythah to forego Mamluk attire in favor of their own Hejazi dress. Later that year the sultan reappointed them to the emirate of Mecca, as he had become displeased with their brothers. They accompanied the annual hajj caravan from Cairo, and in Dhu al-Hijjah 704 AH (July 1305), after the completion of the hajj rites, Baybars al-Jashnakir arrested Abu al-Ghayth and Utayfah and installed Humaydah and Rumaythah to the throne.
[al-Najm Ibn Fahd, '' Itḥāf al-wará'', 3/140–142]
Humaydah and Rumaythah initially acted justly and instituted popular policies including repeals of some of the mukus taxes.
However in the following years they became guilty of various misdeeds and abuses. As a result, during the hajj of 710 AH (1311) they left Mecca to avoid an Egyptian force that was sent against them. In 712 AH (1313) they again abandoned Mecca when al-Nasir himself performed the pilgrimage with a large army. Finally, in Shawwal 713 AH (January/February 1314) al-Nasir dispatched an army to install Abu al-Ghayth to the throne, with 320 Mamluk cavalry and 500 horsemen from the Banu Husayn of Medina. The Egyptian emirs were Sayf al-Din Taqsuba al-Nasiri, Wali of Qus and commander of the army, Sayf al-Din Baktamur, Sarim al-Din Saruja al-Husami, and Ala al-Din Aydughdi al-Khwarizmi. They were joined from Damascus by the emir Sayf al-Din Balaban al-Tatari. When Humaydah and Rumaythah heard of the army's approach they fled towards Haly Bani Ya'qub.
Third reign
On 3 Jumada II 715 AH (3 September 1315)
"Islamic Hijri Calendar For Jumada al-thani - 715"
Hijri.Habibur.com Rumaythah arrived at the court of al-Nasir in Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
. He received pardon from the sultan and sought support against Humaydah, who had deposed and killed Abu al-Ghayth. Al-Nasir sent Rumaythah back to the Hejaz
Hejaz is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes the majority of the western region of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Al Bahah, Al-B ...
with an army led by the emirs Najm al-Din Damurkhan ibn Qaraman and Sayf al-Din Taydamur al-Jamadar. Six days before the army's arrival, Humaydah loaded up a hundred camels with money and goods, burned what was left in the castle at Wadi Marr, and destroyed two thousand date palms. Then he made his way to al-Khalf wal-Khulayf, a castle six days journey from Mecca, and sought refuge with its master. Rumaythah and the Egyptians reached Mecca on Saturday, 15 Ramadan 715 (13 December 1315), then after two weeks they pursued Humaydah. They looted the castle at al-Khalf wal-Khulayf and captured Humaydah's wealth and 12-year-old son, who was handed over to Rumaythah, but Humaydah himself escaped to Iraq.
After the completion of the Hajj of 717 AH—either in late 717 or early 718 AH (February/March 1318)—Rumaythah was overthrown by his slaves and Humaydah assumed the Emirate. He replaced the name of al-Nasir in the ''khutbah
''Khutbah'' (, ''khuṭbah''; , ''khotbeh''; ) serves as the primary formal occasion for public sermon, preaching in the Islamic tradition.
Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic traditio ...
'' with that of the Ilkhanid
The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...
Sultan Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan
Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan (June 2, 1305 – December 1, 1335; ), also spelled Abusaid Bahador Khan, Abu Sa'id Behauder (Modern , ''Abu sayid Baghatur Khan'', in modern Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet, Mongolian), was the ninth ruler (c. 1316 – 1335) ...
.
Fourth reign
In Safar 718 AH (April 1318) al-Nasir sent an army to capture Humaydah led by the Emirs Sarim al-Din Uzbak al-Jurmaki, Sayf al-Din Bahadur al-Ibrahimi, and Badr al-Din Muhammad ibn Isa ibn al-Turkmani. They reached Mecca in late Rabi al-Awwal 718 AH (May 1318) and restored the Emirate to Rumaythah. On Tuesday, 14 Dhu al-Hijjah 718 AH (6 February 1319) the Emir Shams al-Din Aq Sunqur al-Nasiri arrested Rumaythah and al-Ibrahimi and took them prisoner back to Cairo. He alleged that Rumaythah had provided covert support to Humaydah and that al-Ibrahimi had intentionally allowed Humaydah to escape. Al-Ibrahimi was also accused of perpetrating other misdeeds in Mecca. After reaching Cairo in Muharram 719 AH (March 1319) Rumaythah received pardon from al-Nasir and was once again appointed to the ranks of the Sultan's emirs, with a monthly salary of 1000 dirham
The dirham, dirhem or drahm is a unit of currency and of mass. It is the name of the currencies of Moroccan dirham, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates dirham, United Arab Emirates and Armenian dram, Armenia, and is the name of a currency subdivisi ...
s. He was replaced as Emir of Mecca by his brother Utayfah. In Rabi al-Thani (June 1319) Rumaythah attempted to escape to the Hejaz. He was caught at Haql
Ḥaql () or Ḥaqal () is a city in the northwest of Saudi Arabia near the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, adjacent to Aqaba across the Jordanian border. The coasts of Egypt, Israel, and Jordan can be seen from Haql.
Haql is a small city and it is ...
, returned to Cairo, and imprisoned.
Fifth reign
After Humaydah's death in 720 AH (1320) al-Nasir released Rumaythah from prison. On 23 Dhu al-Qidah 720 AH () Rumaythah arrived in Mecca with the Vice-Sultan Sayf al-Din Arghun and was installed as co-Emir alongside Utayfah. In early 721 AH (1321) al-Nasir the Banu Hasan swore allegiance to Rumaythah, and Rumaythah began publicly supporting Zaydi Shi'ism
Zaydism () is a branch of Shia Islam that emerged in the eighth century following Zayd ibn Ali's unsuccessful rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate. Zaydism is one of the three main branches of Shi'ism, with the other two being Twelverism a ...
in Mecca. In 726 AH (1326) al-Nasir summoned Rumaythah to Cairo, then ordered Utayfah to expel the Zaydi 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, ...
from Mecca. By the Hajj season Rumaythah had returned to Mecca, still serving as joint Emir. In 730 AH (1330) Rumaythah and Utayfah quarreled. That year Rumaythah did not meet the Egyptian '' amir al-rakab'', nor was he invested with the annual robe of honor
A robe of honour (, plural , or , pl. or ) were rich garments given by medieval and early modern Islamic rulers to subjects as tokens of honour, often as part of a ceremony of appointment to a public post, or as a token of confirmation or accepta ...
alongside his brother.
On Friday, 14 Dhu al-Hijjah 730 AH (28 September 1330) fighting in the Masjid al-Haram
Masjid al-Haram (), also known as the Sacred Mosque or the Great Mosque of Mecca, is considered to be the most significant mosque in Islam. It encloses the vicinity of the Kaaba in Mecca, in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. It is among the ...
resulted in the death of Emir Aldamur al-Nasiri and a number of other pilgrims. Utayfah and his son Mubarak were involved in the fighting. In response al-Nasir decided to depose Utayfah and appoint Rumaythah as sole Emir of Mecca. The Egyptian army reached Mecca on 7 Rabi II () encountering no resistance, as Utayfah and Rumaythah had already fled the city with the rest of the ''ashraf'' in fear of al-Nasir's punishment.
Sixth and seventh reigns
After negotiations with the Egyptian emirs, Rumaythah was proclaimed Emir of Mecca in the beginning of Jumada I 731 AH () and Utayfah was taken back to Egypt. In 734 AH (1333/1334) al-Nasir appointed Utayfah as joint Emir, but Rumaythah deposed him after the Hajj in August 1334. Utayfah returned with the Hajj the following year. In 736 AH (1335/1336) the brothers quarreled, and Utayfah established himself in Mecca while Rumaythah established himself at al-Jadid in Wadi Marr. On 28 Ramadan 736 AH () Rumaythah attacked Mecca in an attempt to unseat Utayfah. He was unsuccessful and a number of his men were killed, including his vizier. Neither Rumaythah nor Utayfah performed the Hajj that year.
In 737 AH (1336/1337) Rumaythah and Utayfah reconciled. After a trip to al-Wadiyayn in Yemen, they returned to Mecca in Sha'ban (March 1337). They then traveled to Egypt in response to summons from al-Nasir. On 10 Dhu al-Qi'dah (June 1337) Rumaythah returned to Mecca, having been confirmed as sole Emir of Mecca. Utayfah was detained in Egypt and would remain there until his death.
In 744 AH (1343/1345) Rumaythah was compelled to abdicate by his sons Thaqabah and Ajlan in exchange for 60,000 dirhams. Sultan al-Salih Isma'il summoned Thaqabah to Cairo and had him arrested, and in Dhu al-Qi'dah 744 AH (March/April 1344) sent a decree returning the Emirate to Rumaythah. Ajlan fled to Yemen, but he reconciled with Rumaythah after the departure of the Hajj.
In 746 AH al-Salih summoned Ajlan to Cairo and appointed him Emir of Mecca. He returned on 14 Jumada al-Thani () accompanied by 50 mamluks. On 18 Jumada al-Thani Rumaythah summoned Ajlan to the ''qubba
A ''qubba'' (, pl. ''qubāb''), also transliterated as ḳubba, kubbet and koubba, is a cupola or domed structure, typically a tomb or shrine in Islamic architecture. In many regions, such as North Africa, the term ''qubba'' is applied commonly f ...
'' of Zamzam where he formally abdicated.
Rumaythah died in Mecca on Friday, 8 Dhu al-Qi'dah 746 AH (3 March 1346). The ''janazah
Islamic funerals () follow fairly specific rites, though they are subject to regional interpretation and variation in custom. In all cases, however, sharia (Islamic religious law) calls for burial of the body as soon as possible. The deceased is ...
'' prayer was performed in the Masjid al-Haram at the time of Jumu'ah
Friday prayer, or congregational prayer (), is the meeting together of Muslims for communal prayer and service at midday every Friday. In Islam, the day itself is called ''Yawm al-Jum'ah'' (shortened to ''Jum'ah''), which translated from Arabic me ...
. When the Zaydi imam Abu al-Qasim ibn al-Shughayf came forward to officiate, he was prevented from doing so by the chief qadi
A qadi (; ) is the magistrate or judge of a Sharia court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and minors, and supervision and auditing of public works.
History
The term '' was in use from ...
Shihab al-Din al-Tabari, a Shafi'i
The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
. Although Ajlan was present, he did not interfere, and the prayer was led by al-Tabari.
Issue
Rumaythah had at least five sons:
*Ahmad
*Sanad, Sharif of Mecca
*Thaqabah, Sharif of Mecca
*Ajlan, Sharif of Mecca
*Maghamis
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*{{cite book, author1=Ibn Battuta, authorlink1=Ibn Battuta, editor1-last=Defremery, editor1-first=C., editor2-last=Sanguinetti, editor2-first=B. R., title=The Travels of Ibn Battuta, date=1958, publisher=Published for the Hakluyt Society at the University Press, location=Cambridge, volume=1, others=Translated with revisions and notes by H. A. R. Gibb, orig-year=Composed 1355
Sharifs of Mecca
1346 deaths
14th-century Arab people
Year of birth unknown
Banu Qatadah
Vassal rulers of the Mamluk Sultanate
Prisoners and detainees of the Mamluk Sultanate