Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i

Abu 'Abdullah al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn Zakariyya al-Shi'i ( Arabic : ابو عبد الله الشيعي , Abū 'Abd Allāh ash-Shi'ī ) (d. February 28, 911) was a Da'i for the Isma'ilis in Yemen and North Africa mainly among the Kutama Berbers , whose teachings influenced the rise of the Fatimid dynasty. He was born in Kufa in Iraq (or Sanaa , according to some accounts) and was active in the administration of the Abbasid Caliphate , before he began to associate with Ismaili teachers. At first he proselytised under the guidance of Ibn Hawshab in Yemen and Mecca . During a pilgrimage to Mecca in 279 A.H. /892 CE , he met some Kutama Berbers that boasted of their independence and autonomy from the Aghlabids . Abu 'Abdullah sensed a chance and decided to follow their invitation to the Maghrib where he arrived in 280/893. After successfully preaching the Ismaili doctrine among the Sanhaja , he was able to form a powerful army consisting of Berber peasants. He began conquering the cities of Ifriqiya up to the point where he finally took over ar-Raqqada, the palace city of the Aghlabids near Kairuan in 909. All this had been done by him to prepare for the appearance of Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah , the imam -caliph of the Fatimids . Al-Mahdi was rescued from a prison in Sijilmasa (present-day Morocco ) and proclaimed as caliph , ruling from the former residence of the Aghlabids. Al-Shi'i had hoped that al-Mahdi would be a spiritual leader, and leave the administration of secular affairs to him, but he was soon disappointed. After being suspected of complicity in a revolt of Kutama leaders, he was put to death in 911.

Isma'ilis Da'i Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Zakariyya , better known as Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i ( ), was an Isma'ili missionary ( dāʿī ) active in Yemen and North Africa , mainly among the Kutama Berbers . He was successful in converting and unifying a large part of the Kutama, leading them to the conquest of Ifriqiya in 902–909 and the overthrow of the Aghlabid dynasty . This allowed the establishment of the Fatimid Caliphate in Ifriqiya under the imam – caliph Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah , but the latter quickly fell out with Abu Abdallah, and had him executed on 28 February 911.

10th-century Iraqi Isma'ili missionary Abu Abdallah al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Zakariyya , better known as Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i ( ), was an Isma'ili missionary ( dāʿī ) active in Yemen and North Africa . He was successful in converting and unifying a large part of the Kutama Berber tribe, leading them on the conquest of Ifriqiya from 902 to 909 and the overthrowing of the Aghlabid dynasty . This ultimately led to the establishment of the Fatimid Caliphate in Ifriqiya under the Imam – caliph Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah . However, Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah quickly fell out with Abu Abdallah and had Abu Abdallah executed on 28 February 911.

10th-century Iraqi Isma'ili missionary Abu Abdallah al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Zakariyya , better known as Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i ( Arabic : ابو عبد الله الشيعي , romanized : Abū ʿAbd Allāh ash-Shīʿī ), was an Isma'ili missionary ( dāʿī ) active in Yemen and North Africa . He was successful in converting and unifying a large part of the Kutama Berber tribe, leading them on the conquest of Ifriqiya from 902 to 909 and the overthrowing of the Aghlabid dynasty . This ultimately led to the establishment of the Fatimid Caliphate in Ifriqiya under the Imam – caliph Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah . However, Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah quickly fell out with Abu Abdallah and had Abu Abdallah executed on 18 February 911.