Ali al-Hadi ibn Nizar
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Al-Hadi: علي الهادي بن نزار 20th Ismaili Nizari Imam Al-Hadi | |
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| Born | 470 AH/1076 CE Cairo |
| Died | 530 AH/1136 CE |
| Resting place | Lambsar Castle |
| Other names | Abu Ali Hasan, or Ali |
| Title | al-Hadi الهادي meaning The Guide. |
| Term | 490 AH/1097 CE - 530 AH/1136 CE |
| Predecessor | Nizar ibn al-Mustansir |
| Successor | Al-Muhtadi |
| Part of a series on Islam Isma'ilism |
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Abū ʿAlī Ḥasan, or ʿAlī, surnamed Al-Hādī (
Name
Abu Ali Al-Hasan son of Nizar son of Al-Mustansir Billah.[1] Syrian resources mention his name as Ali Al-Hadi Ibn Nizar, علي الهادي بن نزار commonly referred to by the title al-Hadi الهادي meaning The Guide. According to a copy of a letter from the 21st Imam Al-Muhtadi to the Syrian Ismaili, the proper name was Al-Hadi Ali. A careful reading of this important letter composed by his son the 21st Ismaili Nizari Imam Al-Muhtadi may imply that he had a compound name Ali Hassan, because Al-Muhtadi mentioned his father's name both as Ali and Hassan in the same letter.
Birth and early life in Egypt
According to reliable reports
Origins of Nizari Isma'ilism in Persia
Isma'ilism had deep roots in
In 1094, a conflict broke out between the
Al-Hadi the Concealed Imam (الهادي الإمام المستور)
According to the Ismail Nizari tradition Imam al-Hadi was the designated (Nass) as the successor to Nizar.[5]
The period under review denotes the second concealment period Dawr-i Satr دور الستر of the Ismaili history (490-559 AH/1097–1164 CE), wherein three Imams lived in concealment during about 70 years:
- The 20th Nizari Ismaili Imam al-Hadi, الهادي
- The 21st Nizari Ismaili Imam al-Muhtadi المهتدي
- The 22nd Nizari Ismaili Imam al-Qahir. القاهر
- During this period of concealement, three Ismaili hujjats governed the Nizari state:
- Hassan-i Sabbah(1090–1124)
- Kiya Buzrug Ummid (1124–1138)
- Muhammad bin Kiya (1138–1162)
Timeline depicting the transition of Ismaili Nizari seat from Egypt to Persia between 980 and 1153, with important dates around the 20th Nizari Ismaili Imam Al-Hadi..jpg Edited by: Dr Bassam Zahra
Numismatic evidence from the early
There are many narrations about the detention of Imam Nizar or his murder. One of them mentioned by Hafiz Abru states, "Only one of al-Nizar’s sons was arrested with him, and the other son disappeared in Alexandria, who was neither arrested nor recognized." This seems an erroneous account, as the arrested sons were Abu Abdullah al-Hasan and Abu Abdullah al-Hussain, who were prominent faces in the Fatimid court. Under concealment, the third son was Imam Ali al-Hadi, who had managed to escape from Alexandria.[7]
In 1095, a certain Qadi, Abu’l Hasan as-Sa’idi, had moved from Sijilmasa to Persia with Imam al-Hadi or his grandson al-Muhtadi.[1]
After a long and tedious journey, they alighted in the vicinity of Rudhbar, the chief city of Daylam in Iran, after crossing the ranges of Mount Taliqan. Since Alamut was stormed by the Seljuqs at that time, Imam al-Hadi sought safety either in the villages of Rudhbar, or in some other remote place which was only known to Hasan- i Sabbah and no one else.. Al Hadi was taken to the vicinity of Alamut after the restoration of peace. Hasan- i Sabbah facilitated Imam's dwelling in a village at the foot of Alamut. Abu’l Hasan as-Sa’idi is said to have stayed with Imam Hadi for about six months and then returned to Egypt. Imam al-Hadi finally moved his residence to the castle of Lamasar after the death of Hasan bin Sabbah in 518/1124.
A major part of the life of Imam al-Hadi was in concealment, while the ruling responsibilities were delegated to Hasan bin Sabbah and Kiya Buzrug Ummid. Abu Muhammad al-Iraqi in his al-Firaq (from manuscript # 791 in the library of Sulemaniyya mosque, Istanbul, compiled soon after the fall of Alamut in 654/1256), and Zakariya Qazwini (1203–1283) in Athar al-Bilad wa-Akhbar al-Ibad (comp. in 661/1263) both reaffirm the presence of Imam al-Hadi in Alamut. The Egyptian historian Ibn Muyassar (1231–1278) writes in Tarikh-i Misr (p. 68) that "Hasan-i Sabbah introduced an Imam to his successors during his death-bed."
The tradition widely referenced about Imam al-Hadi's arrival in Iran consists of very meager details, which are cited in the later sources, namely Dabistan al-Mazahib (comp. in 1653), Janat al- Amal (comp. in 1886), Athar-i Muhammadi (comp. in 1893), etc. It states, "It is recounted by the Ismailis of Rudhbar and Kohistan that during the time of Hasan-i Sabbah, one of his trusted Dais, Abu’l Hasan as- Sa’idi, came to Alamut and brought with him a son of Imam al-Nizar bin al- Mustansir, who was a legitimate Imam (Imam al Hadi). Nobody except Hasan-i Sabbah knew about the existence of Imam Hadi with Abu’l Hasan as- Sa’idi. Hasan bin Sabbah treated Abu’l Hasan as-Sa’idi with honour and respect and consequently the Imam decided to dwell in a village at the foot of Alamut. Abu’l Hasan as-Sa’idi was allowed to return after six months. Imam Hadi remained engaged in his spiritual work during the divine the seclusion, and then married a woman in that village, who bore his son, al-Mohtadi (who became the future Imam)."
Imam al-Hadi continued to guide his followers in religious matters through Kiya Buzrug from Lambsar (Persian:لمبسر, also pronounced Lamsar) Castle without making any public appearance. The fragments of the traditions do not reveal much, however, some records mention the existence of an open ground inside the castle of Lamasar, where he used to take an interest in horse riding and horse breeding. It is also said that Imam al-Hadi used to visit the vicinity of Lamasar under the cover of night and distributed food and clothes to the poor villagers.
Challenges during Al-Hadi Imamat
Under the leadership of
Death
Imam al-Hadi died in 530/1136 at the age of 60 in
References
- ^ OCLC 1192446705.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ Tamir, Arif (1998). Al-Imama fi Al- Islam. Beirut: Adwaa. p. 185.
- ^ Ghalib, Mustafa (1956). Tarikh ad-Daw'ah al-Ismai'liyyah, 2e edition. Beirut: Al Andalus. pp. 244–248.
- OCLC 70284299.
- ^ Ghalib, Mustafa (1953). Tarikh ad-Daw'ah al-Ismai'liyyah. Beirut: Al Yaqaza. p. 178.
- ^ OCLC 67713931.
- ^ Hafiz Abru (1425). Majma al-Tawarikh-i Sultaniyya. p. 242.
Sources
- ISBN 978-0-521-61636-2.
- ISBN 978-90-04-09834-3.
- ISBN 978-3-406-66163-1.
- Stern, S. M. (1951). "The Succession to the Fatimid Imam al-Āmir, the Claims of the Later Fatimids to the Imamate, and the Rise of Ṭayyibī Ismailism". Oriens. 4 (2): 193–255. JSTOR 1579511.
- Walker, Paul E. (1995). "Succession to Rule in the Shiite Caliphate". JSTOR 40000841.