Sayf Ibn Dhi-Yazan
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Saif ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari (
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
: سَيْف بِن ذِي يَزَن الحِمْيَريّ) or simply known as Saif ibn Dhi Yazan, was a semi-legendary
Himyarite Himyar was a polity in the southern highlands of Yemen, as well as the name of the region which it claimed. Until 110 BCE, it was integrated into the Qataban, Qatabanian kingdom, afterwards being recognized as an independent kingdom. According ...
king who lived in the 6th century CE. He is well-known in the Aksumite-Persian wars for his role in expelling the Aksumites out of
Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
and is considered as the liberator of Yemen.


Name

Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Hamdani Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Hamdānī (, 279/280-333/334 A.H.; 947;) was an Arab Muslim geographer, chemist, poet, grammarian, historian, and astronomer, from the tribe of Banu Hamdan, western 'Amran, Yemen. He was ...
narrated that the real name of Saif ibn Dhi Yazan was Shurahbil ibn 'Amr, and he was nicknamed Saif because of his courage and fearless aura. Contrary to this,
Ibn Hisham Abu Muhammad Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham ibn Ayyub al-Himyari (; died 7 May 833), known simply as Ibn Hisham, was a 9th-century Abbasid historian and scholar. He grew up in Basra, in modern-day Iraq and later moved to Egypt. Life Ibn Hisham has ...
narrated that his real name was Ma'dikarib ibn Abi Murrah al-Fayyad. Tabari narrated both views in his ''
Tarikh al-Tabari The ''History of the Prophets and Kings'' ( ''Tārīkh al-Rusul wa al-Mulūk''), more commonly known as ''Tarikh al-Tabari'' () or ''Tarikh-i Tabari'' or ''The History of al-Tabari '' () is an Arabic-language historical chronicle completed by the ...
'', as well as an additional view that his real name was Saifan ibn Ma'dikarib. Saifur Rahman Mubarakpuri, however, combines Ibn Hisham's and Tabari's views and states that his real name is Ma'dikarib ibn Saif Dhi Yazan al-Himyari. As for the epithet in his patronymic, Dhi Yazan, it is in reference to the tribe of Dhu Yazan which was an elite ruling family during the time of the
Himyarite Kingdom Himyar was a polity in the southern highlands of Yemen, as well as the name of the region which it claimed. Until 110 BCE, it was integrated into the Qataban, Qatabanian kingdom, afterwards being recognized as an independent kingdom. According ...
. This family had also converted to
Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
at a time as early as the late 4th century CE.


Early life

Saif ibn Dhi Yazan was born to the Dhu Yazan family around 516 CE in the town of
Sana'a Sanaa, officially the Sanaa Municipality, is the ''de jure'' capital and largest city of Yemen. The city is the capital of the Sanaa Governorate, but is not part of the governorate, as it forms a separate administrative unit. At an elevation ...
. During his birth, the kingdom was under the rule of the
Aksumite The Kingdom of Aksum, or the Aksumite Empire, was a kingdom in East Africa and South Arabia from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, based in what is now northern Ethiopia and Eritrea, and spanning present-day Djibouti and Sudan. Emerging ...
client king,
Ma'dikarib Ya'fur Ma'dikarib Ya'fur () also romanized as Mu'di Karab Ya'fir, was a Himyarite king who ruled in the 6th century CE. Ma'dikarib Ya'fur was an adherent to Christianity, and served as a vassal ruler over Yemen under the Aksumite Empire. His rule is only ...
. Saif lived during the time of the persecution of
Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
by the Jewish zealot
Dhu Nuwas Dhū Nuwās (), real name Yūsuf Asʾar Yathʾar ( Musnad: 𐩺𐩥𐩪𐩰 𐩱𐩪𐩱𐩧 𐩺𐩻𐩱𐩧, ''Yws¹f ʾs¹ʾr Yṯʾr''), Yosef Nu'as (), or Yūsuf ibn Sharhabil (), also known as Masruq in Syriac, and Dounaas () in Medieval G ...
as well as the subsequent conquest of Himyar by the Aksumite Empire. Eventually, Saif's father was forcibly exiled from Yemen by Abraha so that the latter could marry his wife Rayhana bint Dhi Jadan, the daughter of
Dhu Jadan al-Himyari ʿAlqama bin Dhi Jadan al-Himyari () also Dhu Jadan al-Himyari () (fl. 6th - 7th century) was an Arab poet from Yemen. He was noted in particular for his poems about the fortresses of Yemen and their destruction including Ghumdan Palace, Baynun ...
. This marriage resulted in Abraha having stronger relations with the Yemeni family of Dhu Jadan, as well as the birth of Saif's half-brother
Masruq ibn Abraha Masrūq ibn Abraha () was the last Aksumite ruler of Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman ...
.


Reign


Ending the Aksumite rule over Himyar

When Saif ibn Dhi Yazan was older, he asked for help from the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
for assistance to remove his half-brother Masruq from the throne of Himyar, but his pleas for help were denied by them as Masruq and the Byzantines shared a common religion. Saif proceeded to meet with the
Lakhmid The Lakhmid kingdom ( ), also referred to as al-Manādhirah () or as Banū Lakhm (), was an Arab kingdom that was founded and ruled by the Lakhmid dynasty from to 602. Spanning Eastern Arabia and Sawad, Southern Mesopotamia, it existed as a d ...
king
Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir Al-Nuʿmān III ibn al-Mundhir (), also transcribed Naʿaman, Nuʿaman and Noman and often known by the patronymic Abu Qabus (), was the last Lakhmid king of al-Hirah (582 – ) and a Nestorian Christian Arab. He is considered one of the mos ...
, who pitied him and then brought him to the
Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
, where Saif explained his request for help to
Khosrow I Khosrow I (also spelled Khosrau, Khusro or Chosroes; ), traditionally known by his epithet of Anushirvan ("the Immortal Soul"), was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 531 to 579. He was the son and successor of Kavad I (). Inheriting a rei ...
. When Khosrow asked him to prove his worth, Saif convinced him that they were related by their fair skin colours as opposed to the dark colour of the Abyssinian people: The latter agreed to Saif's request, on condition that Yemen be a vassal state of the Sasanian Empire. The general
Wahrez Wahrez (born Boe or Bōē) was a Sasanian general of Daylamite origin, first mentioned in the prelude to the Iberian War and then during the Aksumite–Persian wars. Name He was born Boe (Middle Persian: ''Bōē'', ''Bōyah/Büyah''), which is ...
was sent alongside Saif and a fleet of Sasanian soldiers. Tabari reports that at least eight ships sailed from the coast of
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
to Yemen, one of which was carrying Saif and Wahrez; two ships reportedly sunk in the journey.


Becoming the king of Himyar

After Masruq ibn Abraha had been killed in the battle, the Sasanian forces placed Saif ibn Dhi Yazan on the throne of Himyar as a vassal king who would be required to send a yearly tribute to
Khosrow I Khosrow I (also spelled Khosrau, Khusro or Chosroes; ), traditionally known by his epithet of Anushirvan ("the Immortal Soul"), was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 531 to 579. He was the son and successor of Kavad I (). Inheriting a rei ...
. During this time, Saif received a delegation from the
Quraysh The Quraysh () are an Tribes of Arabia, Arab tribe who controlled Mecca before the rise of Islam. Their members were divided into ten main clans, most notably including the Banu Hashim, into which Islam's founding prophet Muhammad was born. By ...
which included the elderly
Abdul Muttalib Shayba ibn Hāshim (; ), better known as ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, () was the fourth chief of the Quraysh tribal confederation and grandfather of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Early life His father was Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf,Muhammad ibn Saad ...
. Both men had a conversation, and Saif informed Abdul Muttalib that his grandson, the future prophet
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
, would receive prophecy someday and break all the idols 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 ...
. The historian
Ignác Goldziher Ignác (Yitzhaq Yehuda) Goldziher (22 June 1850 – 13 November 1921), often credited as Ignaz Goldziher, was a Hungary, Hungarian scholar of Islam. Alongside Joseph Schacht and G.H.A. Juynboll, he is considered one of the pioneers of modern aca ...
denies the existence of any Quraysh delegation ever meeting Saif, and he states that the story of the delegation was invented by the Yemenis as a form of apology for having degraded the Quraysh.


Death and succession

Saif ibn Dhi Yazan was eventually stabbed to death by one of his Abyssinian servants, between the years 575–578. News of his assassination reached Persia, and again, the Sasanian troops under Wahrez were deployed to Yemen, where they conquered it and started the period of rule known as
Sasanian Yemen Yemen (Middle Persian: ) was a province of the Sasanian Empire in Late Antiquity in southwestern Arabia. History Yemen was conquered in 570 by a small expeditionary '' aswaran'' force led by the Sasanian veteran Vahrez−the Himyarite prince ...
.


Succession

Encyclopedia Iranica An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles or entries that are arranged alphabetically by artic ...
states that a king named Ma'dikarib, probably Saif's son, was installed as his successor. However, Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri disagrees and stated that after Saif had died, the Yemenis were completely deprived from ruling by the
Persians Persians ( ), or the Persian people (), are an Iranian ethnic group from West Asia that came from an earlier group called the Proto-Iranians, which likely split from the Indo-Iranians in 1800 BCE from either Afghanistan or Central Asia. They ...
until the rise of
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
in Yemen.


Historicity

An extremely legendary biographical book titled Sīrat Sayf ibn Dhī-Yazan has been attributed to him, and it features Saif going on extraordinary conquests including the realm of the
jinn Jinn or djinn (), alternatively genies, are supernatural beings in pre-Islamic Arabian religion and Islam. Their existence is generally defined as parallel to humans, as they have free will, are accountable for their deeds, and can be either ...
. Both historical and fictional narratives are blended together in this book. The book also describes the Aksumite Empire being adherent to
South Arabian polytheism In pre-Islamic Arabia, the dominant religious practice was that of Arab polytheism, which was based on the veneration of various deities and spirits, such as the god Hubal and the goddesses al-Lāt, al-‘Uzzā, and Manāt. Worship was ce ...
, contrary to reality where the Aksumites were actually Christians.


Chronological errors

Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir, the king whom introduces Saif to the Sasanians, begins his reign around 580–583 CE, more than ten years after the death of Khosrow I.


In popular culture

The story of Saif ibn Dhi Yazan served as inspiration in
Malaysian literature Malaysian literature consists of literature produced in the Malay Peninsula until 1963 and in Malaysia thereafter. Malaysian literature is typically written in any of the country's four main languages: Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil. I ...
, especially in the story of a king named Yusuf Dzu Yazin. The name Yazan is also a popular male given name for Muslims. Saif has been referenced in Yemeni politics. The Yemeni revolutionary, Muhammad Mahmoud Al-Zubairi, saw Saif as an inspiration and mentioned him a few times to lift the spirits of his followers. Abdulaziz Al-Maqaleh also wrote a poem regarding Saif and his liberation of Yemen. A Jordanian television show about the story of Saif ibn Dhi Yazan was broadcast in 1982.


See also

*
List of rulers of Saba and Himyar This is a list of rulers of Saba' and Himyar, ancient Arab kingdoms which are now part of present-day Yemen. The kingdom of Saba' became part of the Himyarite Kingdom in the late 3rd century CE. The title Mukarrib (Old South Arabian: , romanize ...


References


Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Saif ibn Dhi Yazan Kings of Himyar 6th-century Arab people 6th-century monarchs in the Middle East Pre-Islamic Arabia Abyssinian–Persian wars