Al-Mu'ayyad Abbas
Encyclopedia
Al-Mu'ayyad Abbas was an Imam
of Yemen
who ruled briefly in 1850. He belonged to the Qasimi family, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, who dominated the Zaidi
imamate
of Yemen between 1597 and 1962.
Abbas bin Abd ar-Rahman was a scholar who descended from Imam al-Mutawakkil Isma'il
(d. 1676) in the sixth generation. He was a disciple of the renowned Yemeni scholar Muhammad ash-Shawkani
. After the abortive Ottoman
intervention in highland Yemen in 1849, the remains of the Zaidi state became the prey of political rivalries. The current imam al-Mansur Ali II
was an alcoholic and commanded little respect; tribal groups rebelled, and the court in San'a was dominated by the oppressive minister al-Misri. Certain Sayyid
s and qadi
s in San'a defected to Sa'dah
far to the north, where al-Mansur Ahmad bin Hashim
posed as imam. Al-Mansur Ahmad besieged San'a in 1850. However, the elite of San'a chose Abbas as their imam, under the name al-Mu'ayyad Abbas (June 1850). The new imam appointed Muhammad ash-Shawkani's son Ahmad as his qadi
. His soldiers and emir
s held out for a while against the attackers in the qasr (fortress) of the city. Finally he had to surrender to al-Mansur Ahmad and was imprisoned. The victor, however, could only maintain his position in San'a for three months before he was forced to flee to the Arhab
tribe. In the following year 1851, the contenders for the Zaidi imamate agreed to appoint al-Hadi Ghalib
. Al-Mu'ayyad Abbas withdrew to a life of scholarship and teaching until his demise in 1880.
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 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 ruled briefly in 1850. He belonged to the Qasimi family, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, who dominated 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...
imamate
Imamate
The word Imamate is an Arabic word with an English language suffix meaning leadership. Its use in theology is confined to Islam.-Theological usage:...
of Yemen between 1597 and 1962.
Abbas bin Abd ar-Rahman was a scholar who descended from Imam al-Mutawakkil Isma'il
Al-Mutawakkil Isma'il
Al-Mutawakkil Isma'il was an Imam of Yemen who ruled the country in the years 1644-1676. He belonged to the Qasimid family, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. His rule saw the greatest territorial extension of the Yemeni state....
(d. 1676) in the sixth generation. He was a disciple of the renowned Yemeni scholar Muhammad ash-Shawkani
Muhammad ash-Shawkani
Muhammad ash-Shawkani was a Yemeni scholar of Islam, jurisprudent, and reformer.-Name:His full name was Muhammad Ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Shawkani...
. After the abortive Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
intervention in highland Yemen in 1849, the remains of the Zaidi state became the prey of political rivalries. The current imam al-Mansur Ali II
Al-Mansur Ali II
Al-Mansur Ali II was an Imam of Yemen who reigned in the capital San'a during four brief terms . He belonged to the Qasimid family, descended from the Prophet Muhammad, which dominated the Zaidi imamate of Yemen from 1597 to 1962.-First reign:Ali bin Abdallah was the son of Imam al-Mahdi Abdallah...
was an alcoholic and commanded little respect; tribal groups rebelled, and the court in San'a was dominated by the oppressive minister al-Misri. Certain Sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
s and 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...
s in San'a defected to Sa'dah
Sa'dah
Sa`dah is the capital city of Saada Governorate in north-western Yemen. It is located at , at an elevation of about 1,800 meters. Known in antiquity as Karna, its population in 2004 was estimated at 51,870.- External links :*...
far to the north, where al-Mansur Ahmad bin Hashim
Al-Mansur Ahmad
Al-Mansur Ahmad was a Zaydiyya imam who claimed the rulership over Yemen in the years 1849-1853. His strife-ridden career spelt the end of the Zaydi Imamate of Yemen as a coherent force.- Background of the rebellion :...
posed as imam. Al-Mansur Ahmad besieged San'a in 1850. However, the elite of San'a chose Abbas as their imam, under the name al-Mu'ayyad Abbas (June 1850). The new imam appointed Muhammad ash-Shawkani's son Ahmad as his 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...
. His soldiers and emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
s held out for a while against the attackers in the qasr (fortress) of the city. Finally he had to surrender to al-Mansur Ahmad and was imprisoned. The victor, however, could only maintain his position in San'a for three months before he was forced to flee to the Arhab
Arhab District
Arhab District is a district of the Sana'a Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 90,038 inhabitants....
tribe. In the following year 1851, the contenders for the Zaidi imamate agreed to appoint al-Hadi Ghalib
Al-Hadi Ghalib
Al-Hadi Ghalib was an Imam of the Zaidi state in Yemen who ruled in 1851-1852, and made subsequent periodical claims to the imamate up to the Ottoman intervention in 1872.-Rivalry for the imamate:...
. Al-Mu'ayyad Abbas withdrew to a life of scholarship and teaching until his demise in 1880.