Idris Imad al-Din facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Idris Imad al-Din
إدريس عماد الدين
Mausoleum of Idris Imad al-Din in Shibam in 2011
Religion	Shia Islam
Sect	Tayyibi Isma'ilism
Personal
Born	1392 Shibam, Yemen
Died	10 June 1468 Shibam, Yemen
Resting place	Shibam, Yemen
Parents	Al-Hasan Badr al-Din I (father)

Idris Imad al-Din ibn al-Hasan al-Qurashi (Arabic: إدريس عماد الدين بن الحسن القرشي, romanized: ʾIdrīs ʿImād al-Dīn ibn al-Ḥasan al-Qurashī; 1392 – 10 June 1468) was an important leader for the Tayyibi Isma'ilis. He served as their 19th Da'i al-Mutlaq from 1428 to 1468. This title means "absolute missionary" and refers to the main leader of the Tayyibi community.

Idris was a major religious and political figure in Yemen during the 15th century. He was also a skilled writer and historian. His historical works are very important for understanding the history of the Fatimid Caliphate and the Isma'ili communities in Yemen.

Life and Leadership

Idris Imad al-Din was born in 1392 in Shibam, a town in northern Yemen. His family, the Banu al-Walid al-Anf, belonged to the Quraysh tribe. This family had a long history of leading the Tayyibi Isma'ili community in Yemen. They had been the main missionaries, called da'is, since the early 1200s.

Becoming a Leader

The Da'i al-Mutlaq acted as the real leader of the Tayyibi community. They were seen as representatives of the hidden imam. Their power reached not only across Yemen but also to the Tayyibi community in India. Idris's grandfather, Abdallah Fakhr al-Din, was the 16th Da'i al-Mutlaq. His father, al-Hasan Badr al-Din I, followed him. After his father's death in 1418, his uncle, Ali Shams al-Din II, took over.

Idris received a good education when he was young. He was also active in helping to manage the Tayyibi community. When his uncle died in 1428, Idris became the 19th Da'i al-Mutlaq. He held this important position for the rest of his life.

Political Alliances and Challenges

Idris first lived in the citadel of Haraz. Like the leaders before him, he worked with the Rasulids of Zabid. They were allies against the Zaydi imams of Sanaa. Idris and the Rasulid ruler, al-Malik al-Zahir, fought many battles against the Zaydi imam, Al-Mansur Ali bin Salah ad-Din. They successfully took back many fortresses from Zaydi control.

Later, the Tahirids replaced the Rasulids in 1454. Idris kept good relationships with these new rulers of Zabid. In 1436 or 1437, a terrible plague hit the region. Idris lost several family members to this illness. After the plague, he moved back to his hometown of Shibam.

Focus on India and Succession

Idris was very interested in spreading the Tayyibi faith in western India. He helped the Tayyibi missionaries in Gujarat to succeed. Some later Indian scholars believed that Idris was the first to plan moving the main center of the Tayyibi missionary movement from Yemen to India. However, this move did not happen until about 100 years after his death.

Idris Imad al-Din passed away on June 10, 1468. His sons, al-Hasan Badr al-Din II and al-Husayn Husam al-Din, became the next Da'i al-Mutlaqs. After them, his grandsons, Ali Shams al-Din III and Muhammad Izz al-Din I, took over. Muhammad Izz al-Din I was the last leader from Idris's family line. After his death, the first Indian leader, Yusuf ibn Sulayman, was chosen as the next Da'i al-Mutlaq.

Idris's tomb in Shibam was rebuilt in 2010. It was done by the 52nd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra branch of Tayyibi Isma'ilism. Today, it is a popular place for Bohra followers from Yemen and India to visit.

Scholarly Works

Besides his duties as a religious and political leader, Idris was also a dedicated scholar. He wrote many books that became very important for the Tayyibi community. He often wrote near a lake called Birkat Jawjab, close to Shibam. People still point out his favorite writing spot today.

Historical Writings

His most important work is a seven-volume book called Uyun al-akhbar. This book tells the history of Islam, starting from Muhammad. It covers the 21 Isma'ili Imams and goes up to the end of the Fatimid Caliphate. It also describes the beginning of the Tayyibi missionary movement in Yemen under the Sulayhid dynasty.

Idris used many different sources for his book, including some that no longer exist. His work is the only general history of Isma'ilism written by an Isma'ili author during the Middle Ages. This makes him a very famous Isma'ili historian. His book gives a special Isma'ili view on the history of the Fatimid Caliphate and its groups in Yemen. Many historians consider Uyun al-akhbar to be one of the most detailed sources for Fatimid history.

The Uyun al-akhbar has been published in several modern editions. Parts of it have also been translated into English.

Idris also wrote two smaller historical books. These are the two-volume Nuzhat al-afkar and its continuation, Rawdat al-akhbar. These books focus specifically on the Tayyibi community in Yemen, from the fall of the Sulayhid dynasty to Idris's own time.

Theological Writings

Among his religious writings, the Zahr al-Ma'ani is very notable. This book explains the deep, hidden meanings of Tayyibi beliefs. It is considered a high point of Tayyibi writing. Idris was especially inspired by the ideas of an 11th-century da'i named Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani.

He also wrote six shorter religious essays. These included:

• A book of questions and answers on religious topics.
• An explanation of parts of the Islamic calendar.
• A book about strictly following the fast during Ramadan.
• A response to a Zaydi religious book.
• A strong argument against an atheist.
• A response to some Indians who watched the moon to decide when Ramadan started and ended.

Poetry

Idris also wrote a collection of poems called a diwan. In his poetry, he tried to write like the Fatimid-era poet al-Mu'ayyad al-Shirazi. Most of his poems were religious, praising Muhammad, Ali, his family, and the Isma'ili imams. Some poems discussed religious ideas, while others shared his own spiritual feelings.

Images for kids

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  Citadel of Idris, Shibam

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  Idris' reconstructed mausoleum in 2013

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  Tomb of Idris in 2011