Ahmad al-Wafi
Aḥmad al-Wafī (proper name: Abadullāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl, Arabic: عبد اللّه بن محمد بن إسماعيل; born 766-828 CE/149-212 AH in Salamiyah, Syria; Imamate 809-828 CE/193-212 AH) alias ʿAbdallāh ibn Maymūn Al-Qaddāḥ[1][2] is the eighth Isma'ili Imam. He was the son and successor of the seventh Imam, Muhammad ibn Isma'il. [3] He was called al-Wafi "true to his word".
Ahmad al-Wafi | |
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Title | al-Azbab al-Itlaq (Absolute lord), al-Wafi |
Other names | Abadullah ibn Muhammad |
Personal | |
Born | Abadullah 179 AH (approximately 795/796) |
Died | 212 AH (approximately 827/828) |
Resting place | Salamiyah, Syria |
Religion | Islam |
Children | Muhammad at-Taqi (Ahmed ibn Abadullah) |
Parents |
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Other names | Abadullah ibn Muhammad |
Muslim leader | |
Initiation | 212 AH |
Post | Eighth Isma'ili Imam |
As the Imam, he was the supreme spiritual leader of the Ismaili community from his appointment until his death. The Nizari and Mustaali trace their Imamate lines from him and his descendants who founded the Fatimid Caliphate. For protection against his real Imam position, he was known as "Attar" (due to his profession in drug and medicine). He was succeeded by his son, Muhammad at-Taqi (Ahmed ibn Abadullah).[4] With the death of Ja'far al-Sadiq in 765 (148 AH), Isma'il in 775 (158 AH) and Muhammad in 813 (197 AH), the Isma'ili Imams were impelled to hide; this first occultation lasted from 813-882 (197-268 AH).[5]
The eighth to tenth Ismaili Imams were hidden from the public because of threats from the Abbasid Caliphate and were known by their nicknames. However, the Dawoodi Bohra in their religious text, Taqqarub, claim to have the true names of all 21 imams in sequence including the "hidden" imams: the eighth Imam Abdullah ibn Mohammad (Ahmad al-Wafi), the ninth Imam Ahmed ibn Abadullah (Muhammad at-Taqi), and the tenth Imam Husain ibn Ahmed (Radi Abdullah).[6]
Gallery
- Mosque Imam Abadullah, Salamia, Syria, renovated by Dawoodi Bohra
- "Kabra mubarak" Imam Abadullah, Salamia
- House and Mausoleum of Abadullah, Salamiyah
See also
- List of Ismaili imams
- Family tree of Muhammad#Family tree linking prophets to Imams
References
- Daftary, Farhad (1990). The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines. Cambridge University Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-521-42974-0.
- "Encyclopædia Iranica, ʿAbdallāh bin Maymūn Al-Qaddāḥ". Archived from the original on 2018-05-16. Retrieved 2018-05-07.
- Tabari, 3rd vol., p. 2218
- WAFI AHMAD (197-212/813-828)
- Achilles des Souza, "Mediation in Islam - an Investigation" (Rome, 1975, p. 35)
- Makarem, Sami. "The Hidden Imams of the Ismailis". Quarterly Journal of the American University of Beirut. 21.
Ahmad al-Wafi of the Ahl al-Bayt Clan of the Quraish Born: 149 AH ≈ 766 AD Died: 212 AH ≈ 828 AD | ||
Shia Islam titles | ||
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Preceded by Muhammad ibn Ismāʿīl ash-Shākir |
8th Imam of Ismailism | Succeeded by Ahmad (al-Taqī Muhammad) |