al-Qa'im (Fatimid caliph) facts for kids

al-Qāʾim bi-Amr Allāh
Gold dinar of al-Qāʾim
Imam–Caliph of the Fatimid Dynasty
Reign	3 April 934 – 17 May 946
Predecessor	al-Mahdi billah
Successor	al-Mansur bi-Nasr Allah
Born	April 893
Died	17 May 946 (aged 53)
Issue	al-Mansur bi-Nasr Allah
Full name Kunya: Abu'l-Qasim Given name: Muhammad Laqab: al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah
Father	al-Mahdi Billah
Mother	?
Religion	Shia Islam

Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh (Arabic: أبو القاسم محمد ابن عبد الله; c. 893 – 17 May 946) was an important leader. He is better known by his royal name al-Qāʾim (القائم). This name means "He who carries out God's orders."

Al-Qa'im was the second Caliph of the Fatimid dynasty. He ruled in a region called Ifriqiya from 934 to 946. He was also the 12th Isma'ili Imam. He took over after his father, Abd Allah al-Mahdi Billah, who ruled from 909 to 934.

Early Life and Family History

Birth and Secret Beginnings

Al-Qa'im was born in March or April 893. His birth name was Abd al-Rahman. He was born in Salamiyah, a town in Syria. His father was Sa'id ibn al-Husayn, who would later become Caliph Abd Allah al-Mahdi Billah. His mother was his father's cousin.

His father, Sa'id, led a secret group called the Isma'ili missionary network. This group was known as the da'wa, which means 'invitation' or 'calling'. They claimed to be preparing for the return of a hidden leader. This leader was called the mahdi, an Islamic messiah.

A Family on the Run

Around 899, Sa'id began to say that he was the hidden imam. He claimed he came from a line of secret imams. This caused a big split in the Isma'ili movement. Some people believed Sa'id, while others did not. Those who did not are often called "Qarmatians".

Some of Sa'id's followers started revolts in Syria. They called themselves 'Fatimids'. These actions put Sa'id and his family in danger. The government began searching for them. Sa'id took Abd al-Rahman and other family members. They left Salamiyah and went to Ramla in Palestine. A local governor, who secretly supported them, hid them.

The rebels took control of much of Syria. They wanted Sa'id to join them. But Abd al-Rahman's father stayed hidden. The Abbasid army defeated the rebels in November 903. This forced Sa'id to move again.

Journey to Sijilmasa

Sa'id and his family moved to Fustat in Egypt. They stayed there until January 905. The Abbasids then took over Egypt. Abd al-Rahman's father decided to move west. He went to the Maghreb, which is in North Africa.

One of his agents, Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i, had convinced the Kutama Berbers to join their cause. By 905, this agent had won some battles. These battles were against the Aghlabid dynasty in Ifriqiya. This area is modern Tunisia and eastern Algeria.

On their journey, they learned that the Aghlabids knew who they were. So, they avoided Aghlabid land. They traveled along the southern borders. They headed for Sijilmasa, an oasis town in what is now eastern Morocco. Sa'id, Abd al-Rahman, and their group lived comfortably there for four years. They pretended to be rich merchants.

Becoming a Leader

Crown Prince and General

In March 909, the Kutama Berbers, led by Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i, won a major victory. They defeated the last Aghlabid army. This forced their ruler, Emir Ziyadat Allah III, to leave. The Kutama captured Kairouan, the capital of Ifriqiya. They also took the nearby palace city of Raqqada.

After his father, Abd Allah al-Mahdi Billah, became ruler in Ifriqiya, al-Qa'im was named heir in 912. This meant he would be the next ruler. He helped put down several revolts. He also led military campaigns into Egypt. These campaigns happened in 914–915 and 919–921. However, these efforts failed against the Abbasid Caliphate. Many soldiers were lost.

Reign as Caliph

Expanding Fatimid Power

In 934, al-Qa'im became Caliph after his father died. After this, he never left the royal palace in Mahdia. Despite this, the Fatimid kingdom grew very powerful. It became a major force in the Mediterranean.

The Fatimids took back control of Sicily. They also attacked the Byzantine area of Calabria. They plundered the Ligurian coast. They even sacked the city of Genoa.

Facing a Major Revolt

From 944 to 947, the Fatimid kingdom faced a big crisis. A revolt started, led by Abu Yazid. He brought together the Kharijite Berber tribes from the Aurès Mountains in eastern Algeria. They took over much of Ifriqiya.

Imam Al-Qa'im and his navy managed to defend Mahdia. They held out for over a year. But al-Qa'im died on May 17, 946, before the revolt was fully stopped. His son, Ismail al-Mansur, became the next ruler.

Family Life

Al-Qa'im was married when he was young. This was before his family left Salamiya. His wife, Umm Habiba, was still a child when she traveled with him to the Maghreb. He also had six known concubines. One of them, Karima, became the mother of his son and successor, al-Mansur.

See Also

In Spanish: Muhammad al-Qa'im Bi-Amrillah para niños

• List of Ismaili imams
• Ali ibn Muhammad al-Iyadi

Sources

• Brett, Michael (2001). The Rise of the Fatimids: The World of the Mediterranean and the Middle East in the Fourth Century of the Hijra, Tenth Century CE. The Medieval Mediterranean. 30. Leiden: BRILL. ISBN 9004117415. https://books.google.com/books?id=BqCdfhW3nVwC.
• Brett, Michael (2017). The Fatimid Empire. The Edinburgh History of the Islamic Empires. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-4076-8.
• Daftary, Farhad (2007). [Al-Qa'im (Fatimid caliph) at Google Books The Ismāʿı̄lı̄s: Their History and Doctrines] (Second ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-61636-2. Al-Qa'im (Fatimid caliph) at Google Books.
• Halm, Heinz (1991) (in de). Das Reich des Mahdi: Der Aufstieg der Fatimiden. Munich: C. H. Beck. ISBN 978-3-406-35497-7.
• Halm, Heinz (2015). "Prinzen, Prinzessinnen, Konkubinen und Eunuchen am fatimidischen Hof". In Pomerantz, Maurice A.; Shahin, Aram A. (in de). The Heritage of Arabo-Islamic Learning. Studies Presented to Wadad Kadi. Leiden and Boston: Brill. pp. 91–110. ISBN 978-90-04-30590-8.