Abd Allah al-Radi TenthImam ofIsma'ilism | |
|---|---|
عَبْد ٱللَّٰه الرَّضِيِّ | |
| 10thIsma'iliImam | |
| In office 840–881 | |
| Preceded by | Muhammad al-Taqi |
| Succeeded by | Abd Allah al-Mahdi Billah |
| Title |
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| Personal life | |
| Born | c. 825 |
| Died | 881 Salamiyah |
| Resting place | Salamiyah,Syria |
| Children | Abd Allah al-Mahdi Billah |
| Parent |
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| Other names | al-Ḥusayn ibn Aḥmad |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Shia Islam |
Abu ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl (Arabic:ابو علي الحسين بن أحمد ٱبْن عَبْد ٱللَّٰه ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱبْن إسْماعِيل,c. 825 – 881), also known asal-Zakī (lit. 'the pure'),al-Raḍī (lit. 'the satisfied one') andal-Muqtadā al-Hādī (lit. 'whose example should be followed, and guiding'), was a descendant of theIslamic prophetMuhammad and the tenth of theIsma'ili Imams, succeeding his father,Muhammad al-Taqi (d. 840). Before his death in 881, he entrusted the care of his son and successor,Abd Allah al-Mahdi who was then around 8 years old to his full brother, Sa'id al-Khayr, also known as Abu'l-Shalaghlagh.
With the death ofJa'far al-Sadiq in 765,Isma'il (d. 775) andMuhammad (d. 813), the gravity of the persecution ofIsma'iliImams and their supporters by theAbbasids had considerably increased.[1][2] The Isma'ili Imams were compelled to hide, therefore, the firstdawr al-satr ('period of concealment')[a] came into force from 765 to 909. During this period, the Imams were known asal-a'imma al-masturin (lit. 'the concealed Imams').[1][4][5] The Imam's identity was hidden to protect the Imam from being persecuted by the Abbasids and the community continued to operate under the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma'il.[6] According to later tradition, these Imams wereAbd Allah (the 8th Imam),Ahmad (the 9th Imam) and al-Husayn (the 10th Imam).[7][8] Among the later Isma'ili historians,Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Naysaburi, the author ofIstitār al-Imām, compiled under theFatimid Imam, Caliphal-Aziz Billah (r. 975–995), seems to be first historian to mention the names of the three 'hidden' Imams.[8]
A modern historian of the Fatimid period, Shainool Jiwa, explains that during dawr al-satr Ismaili doctrine had spread as far as fromYemen toIfriqiya (modern-dayTunisia and easternAlgeria), with its most prominent adherents being theKutamaBerbers ofNorth Africa.[9]
Husayn ibn Ahmad was born in 825 and assumed theImamate in 840.[10] Hishujjat was Ahmad, surnamed al-Hakim, a descendant ofHusayn ibn Ali, to whomAbd Allah ibn Maymun al-Qaddah handed over his position.[11][10] Al-Radi's home was inSalamiyah, where he lived among theHashimites and acted as if he was one of them.[12] He gave presents to the local governors and was lavish with hospitality.[12][13][14] He is said to have granted allowances from his wealth to the poor and disabled persons in Salamiyah without discrimination between the Isma'ilis and non-Isma'ilis.[10] His fatherMuhammad al-Taqi is remembered for hisEncyclopedia of the Brethren of Purity (Rasāʿil Ikhwān al-ṣafā), which his son is said to have summarised in his Jāmiʿat al-Jāmiʿa. Al-Radi is remembered for hisdaʿwah or proselytising .[12][15][16]
He organised the propaganda, spread it further afield, broadcast instruction to his followers, making it manifest; he established proofs, explained the risalas (apparently the Encyclopedia of the Ikhwān al-ṣafā') and despatched his da'is everywhere. He thus made the true religion visible to those who were in search of it.[16]
— Idris Imad al-Din, ʿUyūn al-Akhbār
Al-Radi travelled toKufa, on pilgrimage to the tombs ofAli ibn Abi Talib and his son, Husayn.[14][12] While there he metAbu al-Qasim ibn Hasan ibn Farah ibn Hawshab, who was of theTwelvers and was associated withHasan al-Askari. He also metAli ibn al-Fadl al-Jayshani. He sent both men toYemen to establish the way of theIsma'iliyya there.[12] They reached Yemen, and conqueredSanaa, the capital of Yemen, and exiled the ruling tribe of Banu Laydir, and established Isma'ili authority in Yemen.[15]
Al-Radi died in 881 at Salamiyah while he was travelling in the vicinity. Before his death he appointed as his trustee his brother, Sa'id al-Khayr, also known as Abu'l-Shalaghlagh. He also made Abu'l-Shalaghlagh the guardian of his son,al-Mahdi.[15][17][18] It is stated in theIstitār al-Imām that the guardian, Abu'l-Shalaghlagh, the 'acting Imam', tried to usurp the Imamate for his own line, appointing one after another his sons successively as his heir, but that all of his sons died.[19][20]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Abd Allah al-Radi of theAhl al-Bayt Clan of theQuraysh Born:210 AH≈ 825AD Died:268 AH≈ 881AD | ||
| Shia Islam titles | ||
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| Preceded by | 10thImam ofIsma'ilism | Succeeded by |