Yemeni Zaidism

Yahya ibn al Hussain ibn al Qasim al Rassi emerged in Yemen, who came from Hijaz in 284 AH (897 CE). He proclaimed himself as the Imam and was nicknamed al Hadi. He was a great, diligent scholar. He learned the fundamentals (the science of theology) from his teacher Abu al Qasim al Balkhi al Mu’tazili; his opinions in the fundamentals were mostly in agreement with his teacher. However, in the branches of knowledge, he was independent in his jurisprudence, differing from Zaid ibn ‘Ali in his juristic efforts. He did not adhere strictly to Zaid’s sayings included in Zaid ibn ‘Ali’s Majmu’ al Fiqh al Akbar (major jurisprudential collection) and al Jami’ al Kafi for the sayings of Zaid ibn ‘Ali.[1] No one strictly followed the original Zaidi doctrine in fundamentals and branches.[2] To verify these differences, one should refer to the book Mukhalafat al Imam al Hadi Yahya ibn al Hussain fi Kitabihi al Ahkam li al Imam Zaid ibn ‘Ali (Differences of Imam al Hadi Yahya ibn al Hussain in his book al Ahkam of Imam Zaid ibn ‘Ali).[3]

Despite this, the Zaidi denomination’s name prevailed over Imam al Hadi’s school because al Hadi and his followers advocated for the Imamah of Zaid ibn ‘Ali rahimahu Llah, believing in the necessity of rebellion against oppressors. They recognise his superiority and leadership, restricting the Imamah to those descendants of al Hassan and al Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhuma who rise and call for it, meeting the Imamah conditions recorded in their books. Therefore, anyone who acknowledges his Imamah is Zaidi, even if they do not adhere to his school in jurisprudential branches, as most Zaidis follow different opinions in jurisprudential and theoretical matters, including their Imams like al Qasim, al Hadi, and al Nasir, who align with Zaid ibn ‘Ali—though they, like him, exercised independent judgement and often disagreed with him on many issues.[4]

This is what Imam al Mahdi Ahmed ibn Yahya al Murtada confirmed by saying:

فالزيدية منسوبة إلى زيد بن علي لقولهم جميعا بإمامته وإن لم يكونوا على مذهبه في مسائل الفروع وهو تخالف الشافعية والحنفية في ذلك لأنهم إنما انتسبوا إلى أبي حنيفة والشافعي لمتابعتهم لهما في الفروع

The Zaidiyyah are attributed to Zaid ibn ‘Ali because they all agree on his Imamah, even if they do not follow his jurisprudence in the derivative matters (furu’), which differs from the Shafi’i and Hanafi schools; because they are attributed to Abu Hanifah and al Shafi’i for following them in these matters.[5]

Al Hakim said:

والزيدية يجمع مذهبهم تفضيل علي على سائر الصحابة وأوليته بالإمامة وقصرها من بعد الحسنين في البطنين أي في ذريتهما واستحقاقهما إنما يثبت بالفضل والطلب لا بالوراثة كما تقول العباسية ويعتقدون وجوب الخروج على الجائرين من أهل الأمر بخلاف ما تزعم الحشوية ويرون القول بالتوحيد والعدل والوعد والوعيد كالمعتزلة فهذه الأمور لا يختلفون فيها

The Zaidiyyah doctrine is distinguished by their preference of ‘Ali over all other Companions, their belief in his right to the Imamah, and limiting it after al Hassanayn (Hassan and Hussain) to their descendants, arguing their entitlement through merit and demand rather than inheritance[6], as the Abbasids claim. They believe in the necessity of rebellion against unjust rulers, contrary to what the Hashwiyyah claim, and they hold views on monotheism, justice, promise, and threat similar to the Mu’tazilah[7]. In these matters, they are in agreement.

Imam Yahya ibn Hamzah added to the aforementioned:

فمن كان على عقيدته في الديانة والمسائل الإلهية والقول بالحكمة والاعتراف بالوعد والوعيد وحصر الإمامة في الفرقة الفاطمية والنص في الإمامة على الثلاثة الذين هم علي وولداه وإن طريق الإمامة الدعوة في من عداهم فمن كان مقرا في هذه الأصول فهو زيدي

Whoever holds the same creed in religious and divine matters, believes in wisdom, acknowledges promise and threat, confines the Imamah to the Fatimid faction, specifies the Imamah to the three who are ‘Ali and his two sons, and believes that the path of Imamah is through invitation to others besides them, such a person is a Zaidi.[8]

Furthermore, the Hadawiyyah Zaidis in Yemen believe that ‘Ali, Fatimah, and Hassanayn radiya Llahu ‘anhum are infallible like prophets, and their consensus is a proof, just as the consensus of their scholars’ descendants is also a proof because they alone are the family of Muhammad among the Ummah of Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The consensus of the family is authoritative, specifically ‘Ali is infallible, and his word is as authoritative as the Qur’an and the Sunnah.[9]

When Imam al Hadi Yahya ibn al Hussain arrived in Yemen, the latter Zaidis in Gilan and Deylam had split into the Qasimiyyah[10] and Nasiriyyah[11], and they used to declare each other erroneous, until al Mahdi Abu ‘Abdullah al Da’i[12] emerged and declared to them, “Every mujtahid is correct.”[13] Similarly, the Zaidis of Yemen believed that only one person is correct in juristic efforts and the truth is with him until the time of Imam al Mutawakkil Ahmed ibn Sulaiman.[14] Then they reverted from this statement.

Imam Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al Wazir (d. 840 AH) mentioned that the Zaidiyyah (Zaidis of Yemen) were one faction of the Shia that split into the Mukhtari’ah, Muttarrifiyyah, Jarudiyyah, Salihiyyah, and Hussainiyyah[15], and in the branches [there are] Mu’ayyadiyyah[16], Hadawiyyah[17], Nasiriyyah, and Qasimiyyah.

The people of Kufah among them follow the school of thought of Ahmed ibn ‘Isa[18], al Hassan ibn Yahya[19], and Muhammad ibn Mansur[20] as mentioned by the author of al Jami’ al Kafi[21]:

ووقع بينهما تفسيق وتأثيم على الاختلاف في الفروع كما حكاه أبو العباس في تلقيفه رحمه الله دع عنك الأصول واشتد خلافهم من بعد الإمام المنصور بالله في الأئمة فافترقوا على الداعي وعلى الإمام المهدي بن الحسين افتراقا قبيحا كفر بعضهم بعضا

There occurred between them charges of transgression and sinfulness over differences in the branches as narrated by Abu al ‘Abbas[22] in his compilation: Da’ ‘anka al Usul. Their disagreement intensified after Imam Mansur bi Allah[23] regarding the Imams, so they split horribly between al Da’i and Imam al Mahdi ibn al Hussain[24], some of them accusing the other of disbelief.[25]

NEXT⇒ Sources of Imam al Hadi’s Jurisprudence

[1] Al Mustatab named Tabaqat al Zaidiyyah al Sughra.

[2] Al Mustatab.

[3] Of the researcher ‘Abbadi Muhammad Ahmed al ‘Awli.

[4] Hadyat al Raghibin; al Rahiq, pg. 16.

[5] Al Milal wa al Nihal, pg. 96.

[6] This principle is one of the most unique aspects of the Zaidi school compared to other Shia sects, but it was only practiced in rare cases while the common practice was the hereditary transfer of Imamah, done without a will or covenant, so as not to accuse the Imams of this sect of contravening this principle. Therefore, they fell into what they denounced the Umayyads for: transferring rule to their offspring through a covenant from the ancestors to the successors, as Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan radiya Llahu ‘anu did when he appointed his son Yazid as his successor.

[7] Al Munyah wa al Amal, pg. 96.

[8] Al Risalah al Wazi’ah, pg. 28.

[9] Al Yaman: al Insan wa al Hadarah, pg. 102.

[10] Al Qasimiyyah: Attributed to al Qasim ibn Ibrahim ibn Ismail ibn al Hassan ibn al Hassan, born in the year 170 AH. He proclaimed himself as the Imam in Kufah in the year 230 AH. His call did not succeed. He then settled in al Rass near Madinah Munawwarah, and was nicknamed al Rami. He died in the year 243 AH. (Al Rahiq, pg. 29.)

[11] Al Nasiriyyah: Attributed to al Nasir al Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hussain, nicknamed al Atrush because of a deformity in his ears, born in the year 230 AH. He proclaimed himself as Imam in Gilan and Deylam and was called al Nasir. He was killed in the year 304 AH. (Al Rahiq, pg. 11.)

[12] Abu ‘Abdullah al Da’i: Imam al Mahdi Muhammad ibn al Hassan, who was acknowledged as the Imam in Hawsam, then corresponded with the people of Deylam and reached them in the year 353 AH, then he headed to Hawsam and took control after extensive sieges and commanded several times. He was the one who asserted in Deylam that every mujtahid is correct, because the Qasimiyyah declared the Nasiriyyah erroneous and vice versa, so they returned to his word after many debates. He died from poison in Hawsam in the year 360 or 359 AH. (Al Rahiq, pg. 33.)

[13] Al Munyah wa al Amal, pg. 97.

[14] Ahmed ibn Sulaiman was born in the year 500 AH. He proclaimed himself as an Imam in the year 533 AH and died in Baydan in Khawlan ibn ‘Amr in the region of Sa’dah in the year 566 AH. (Al Rahiq, pg. 4.)

[15] Details on these sects will appear shortly.

[16] Al Mu’ayyadiyyah: Attributed to al Mu’ayyad al Kabir, Ahmed ibn al Hussain ibn Muhammad al Haruni, born in Amil, Tabaristan in the year 333 AH. He proclaimed himself as the Imam in the year 380 AH and died on the day of ‘Arafah in the year 411. (Al Rahiq, pg. 4.)

[17] Al Hadawiyyah: Attributed to al Hadi Yahya ibn al Hussain.

[18] Ahmed ibn ‘Isa ibn Zaid ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hussain: He was imprisoned during the days of al Mahdi al ‘Abbasi, then during the days of al Rashid. He disappeared until he died in Basrah in the year 247 AH.

[19] Hassan ibn Yahya: The Jurist of the Zaidis in Kufah; he was one of the students of al Qasim al Rassi.

[20] Muhammad ibn Mansur ibn Yazid al Muradi al Kufi al Zaidi: Nasir al Atrush and others took from him. He died after 290 AH. He is the author of the book Amali Ahmed ibn ‘Isa. (Al Rahiq, pg. 36.)

[21] Al Jami’ al Kafi by Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hassan ibn ‘Abdur Rahman al ‘Alawi al Kufi. He is known as the compiler of the family of Muhammad.

[22] Abu Al ‘Abbas: Ahmed ibn Ibrahim al Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim. He was an Imami and then returned to the school of the Zaidiyyah while a weaker view suggests that he did not. He died in 353 AH.

[23] Mansur bi Allah: Perhaps he is al Mansur al Qasim ibn ‘Ali al ‘Iyyani, who died in ‘Iyyan in the year 393 AH; and Allah knows best.

[24] He is Imam al Mahdi Ahmed ibn al Hussain ibn Muhammad ibn Harun, the brother of al Mu’ayyad al Kabir. He proclaimed himself as the Imam after the rule of his brother Ahmed in the year 411 AH and died at the end of the year 424 AH. (Al Rahiq, pg. 41.)

[25] Al ‘Awasim wa al Qawasim, 3/457.

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