Al-Mahdi Ahmad bin Yahya
Encyclopedia
Al-Mahdi Ahmad bin Yahya (1363? - 1436) was an imam
of the Zaidi
state in Yemen
who briefly held the imamate in 1391-1392.
Ahmad bin Yahya was a 12th-generation descendant of the Zaidi imam ad-Da'i Yusuf
(d. 1012), and was born in either 1363 or 1373. He was very well educated and a prolific writer in various subjects. In 1391, the old imam al-Nasir Muhammad Salah al-Din
died, leaving only young offsprings. The qadi
ad-Dawwari temporarily took care of the administration in the Zaidi domains of highland Yemen, in the name of an-Nasir's sons. However, the Zaidi ulema
assembled in the Jamal ad-Din Mosque in San'a and appointed Ahmad bin Yahya imam under the name al-Mahdi Ahmad. This step was not accepted by ad-Dawwani, who immediately appointed the deceased imam's son al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din
. Al-Mahdi Ahmad and his followers witdrew from San'a to Bayt Baws, and for one year the two imams fought each other for supremacy. In 1392, al-Mahdi Ahmad was captured by al-Mansur Ali's forces and imprisoned. In 1399 the ex-imam escaped with the help of sympathetic prison guards. He lived a private life until his death from the plague in 1436. While he lacked the administrative or military skills necessary for a Zaydiyyah imam, al-Mahdi Ahmad left a considerable amount of writings in dogmatics, logic
, poetry
, grammar
and law
. For example, he authored a theological-legal encyclopedia, Al-Bahr al-zahhar.
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of the Zaidi
Zaidiyyah
Zaidiyya, or Zaidism is a Shi'a Muslim school of thought named after Zayd ibn ʻAlī, the grandson of Husayn ibn ʻAlī. Followers of the Zaydi Islamic jurisprudence are called Zaydi Shi'a...
state in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
who briefly held the imamate in 1391-1392.
Ahmad bin Yahya was a 12th-generation descendant of the Zaidi imam ad-Da'i Yusuf
Ad-Da'i Yusuf
Ad-Da'i Yusuf was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who ruled for two highly turbulent terms .-Struggles against Yu'firids and Ziyadids:...
(d. 1012), and was born in either 1363 or 1373. He was very well educated and a prolific writer in various subjects. In 1391, the old imam al-Nasir Muhammad Salah al-Din
Al-Nasir Muhammad Salah al-Din
Al-Nasir Muhammad Salah al-Din or al-Nasir li Din Allah Muhammad Salah al-Din ibn Ali al-Mahdi was an imam of Yemen who ruled during the period 1372-1391...
died, leaving only young offsprings. The qadi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
ad-Dawwari temporarily took care of the administration in the Zaidi domains of highland Yemen, in the name of an-Nasir's sons. However, the Zaidi ulema
Ulema
Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
assembled in the Jamal ad-Din Mosque in San'a and appointed Ahmad bin Yahya imam under the name al-Mahdi Ahmad. This step was not accepted by ad-Dawwani, who immediately appointed the deceased imam's son al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din
Al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din
Al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din was an imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who ruled in 1391-1436, partly in rivalry with other claimants to the imamate.-Contest over the imamate:...
. Al-Mahdi Ahmad and his followers witdrew from San'a to Bayt Baws, and for one year the two imams fought each other for supremacy. In 1392, al-Mahdi Ahmad was captured by al-Mansur Ali's forces and imprisoned. In 1399 the ex-imam escaped with the help of sympathetic prison guards. He lived a private life until his death from the plague in 1436. While he lacked the administrative or military skills necessary for a Zaydiyyah imam, al-Mahdi Ahmad left a considerable amount of writings in dogmatics, logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
, poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. For example, he authored a theological-legal encyclopedia, Al-Bahr al-zahhar.