An-Nasir Ahmad (died 5 June 934) was the third imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen. Through his active leadership he confirmed and expanded the polity founded by his two predecessors.
Ahmad bin Yahya was born in Medina (present-day Saudi Arabia) as the son of the later imam al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya and Fatimah bint Al-Hasan. In 897 he followed his father and his brother Muhammad to Yemen, where al-Hadi was acknowledged as the first imam of the Zaydiyya branch of Shi'aIslam in Yemen. By 907 he was assisting his father as military commander. After a sojourn in Medina he returned to the Zaidi capital in Yemen, Sa'dah, where he was chosen to succeed his brother al-Murtada Muhammad in September 913. Al-Murtada had abdicated in 912 under somewhat unclear circumstances, and seemingly supported the appointment of Ahmad. The new imam took the honorific title an-Nasir Ahmad.[1] He was considered an efficacious ruler; one of his adherents composed a panegyric text which described the imam as the one who strengthened Islam after it had become weak.[2]
Fighting the Fatimids
The long reign of an-Nasir Ahmad was filled with struggles against the adherents of the Fatimids, who also had a strong following in parts of Yemen. The imam gathered troops among the tribesmen of Hamdan, Najran and Khawlan to fight the Fatimid da'i. In January 920 he met the Ismailite leader Abd al-Hamid of Jabal Maswar in a three-days battle at Nughash outside San'a. Abd al-Hamid suffered a disastrous defeat which shattered the Ismailite influence in Yemen irrevocably. After a fairly successful rule, an-Nasir Ahmad died in 934 (or, according to other sources, in 927 or 937).[3] He left six sons, called al-Mukhtar al-Qasim, Isma'il, al-Muntakhab al-Hasan, Ja'far. al-Mansur Yahya, and Ali. Three of these claimed the imamate after him, and the Zaidi state entered a fairly obscure period.[4]
nasir, ahmad, zaidi, imam, nasir, ahmad, died, june, third, imam, zaidi, state, yemen, through, active, leadership, confirmed, expanded, polity, founded, predecessors, contents, early, years, succession, fighting, fatimids, also, referencesearly, years, succes. An Nasir Ahmad died 5 June 934 was the third imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen Through his active leadership he confirmed and expanded the polity founded by his two predecessors Contents 1 Early years and succession 2 Fighting the Fatimids 3 See also 4 ReferencesEarly years and succession EditAhmad bin Yahya was born in Medina present day Saudi Arabia as the son of the later imam al Hadi ila l Haqq Yahya and Fatimah bint Al Hasan In 897 he followed his father and his brother Muhammad to Yemen where al Hadi was acknowledged as the first imam of the Zaydiyya branch of Shi a Islam in Yemen By 907 he was assisting his father as military commander After a sojourn in Medina he returned to the Zaidi capital in Yemen Sa dah where he was chosen to succeed his brother al Murtada Muhammad in September 913 Al Murtada had abdicated in 912 under somewhat unclear circumstances and seemingly supported the appointment of Ahmad The new imam took the honorific title an Nasir Ahmad 1 He was considered an efficacious ruler one of his adherents composed a panegyric text which described the imam as the one who strengthened Islam after it had become weak 2 Fighting the Fatimids EditThe long reign of an Nasir Ahmad was filled with struggles against the adherents of the Fatimids who also had a strong following in parts of Yemen The imam gathered troops among the tribesmen of Hamdan Najran and Khawlan to fight the Fatimid da i In January 920 he met the Ismailite leader Abd al Hamid of Jabal Maswar in a three days battle at Nughash outside San a Abd al Hamid suffered a disastrous defeat which shattered the Ismailite influence in Yemen irrevocably After a fairly successful rule an Nasir Ahmad died in 934 or according to other sources in 927 or 937 3 He left six sons called al Mukhtar al Qasim Isma il al Muntakhab al Hasan Ja far al Mansur Yahya and Ali Three of these claimed the imamate after him and the Zaidi state entered a fairly obscure period 4 See also EditRassids Imams of YemenReferences Edit Bosworth C E van Donzel E Heinrichs W P amp Pellat Ch eds 1993 The Encyclopaedia of Islam New Edition Volume VII Mif Naz Leiden E J Brill p 995 ISBN 978 90 04 09419 2 Ella Landau Tasseron Zaydi Imams as Restorers of Religion Ihya and Tajdid in Zaydi Literature Journal of Near Eastern Studies 49 3 1990 256 Bosworth C E van Donzel E Heinrichs W P amp Pellat Ch eds 1993 The Encyclopaedia of Islam New Edition Volume VII Mif Naz Leiden E J Brill p 996 ISBN 978 90 04 09419 2 H C Kay Yaman Its Early Medieval History London 1892 p 186 Preceded byal Murtada Muhammad Zaydi Imam of Yemen913 934 Succeeded byal Muntakhab al Hasan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title An Nasir Ahmad Zaidi imam amp oldid 1125110211, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
