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An imam (Arabic: إمام‎, plural: أئمة A'immah; Persian: امام‎) is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question. In smaller communities, an imam could also be the community leader however most Imams are there for religious guidance.

Sunni Imams[link]

An Imam leading prayers in Cairo, Egypt, in 1865.

The Sunni branch of Islam does not have imams in the same sense as the Shi'a. In every day terms, the imam for Sunni Muslims is the one who leads congregational Islamic worship and prayers, and the Friday sermon is most often given by an appointed imam.

The term is also used:

for a recognized religious scholar or authority in Islam, often for the founding scholars of the four Sunni madhhabs, or schools of jurisprudence (fiqh). It may also refer to the Muslim scholars who created the analytical sciences related to Hadith or it may refer to the heads of the Prophet Muhammad's family in their generational times.

Those who are considered imams in the context of scholarly authority by Sunni Muslims.

Shi'a imams[link]

In the Shi'a context, imam has a meaning more central to belief, referring to leaders of the community. Twelver and Ismaili Shi'a believe that these imams are chosen by God to be perfect examples for the faithful and to lead all humanity in all aspects of life. They also believe that all the imams chosen are free from committing any sin, infallibility which is called ismah. These leaders must be followed since they are appointed by God.

Twelver[link]

Here follows a list of the Twelvers imams:

Fatimah, also Fatimah al-Zahraa, daughter of Muhammed (615–632), is also considered infallible but not an imam. Many Shi'a believe that the last imam will one day return.

Ismaili[link]

See Imamah (Ismaili doctrine) and List of Ismaili imams for Ismaili imams.

Zaidi imams as rulers of Yemen[link]

In the Zaidi Shiite sect, imams were temporal as well as spiritual leaders who held power in Yemen for more than a thousand years. In 897, a Zaidi ruler, al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya, founded a line of such imams, a theocratic form of government which survived until the second half of the 20th century. (See details under Zaidiyyah, History of Yemen, Imams of Yemen.)

Gallery[link]

• 

  An Imam reads verses from the Quran after Isha' (night prayers) in the Mughal Empire.

• 

  A manuscript from the Mughal Empire describing the story of an Imam.

• 

  Crimean Tatar Imam's teach the Quran.

• 

  Imam presiding over prayer, North Africa

• 

  Imam Shamil, Caucasus

• 

  Imam in Bosnia, c. 1906

• 

  An Imam in Omdurman, Sudan.

• Constantinople(1878)-begging dervis.png

  An Ottoman Imam in Istanbul.

• 

  A Bosniak Military Imam in the Austro-Hungarian Army.

• 

  Imam Thierno Ibrahima Thiello

See also[link]

• Women as imams
• Mullah

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

• Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.. 
• Encyclopædia Iranica. Center for Iranian Studies, Columbia University. ISBN 1-56859-050-4. 
• Martin, Richard C.. Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim world; vol.1. MacMillan. ISBN 0-02-865604-0. 
• Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Gale Group. 2004. ISBN 978-0-02-865769-1. 
• Corbin, Henry (1993 (original French 1964)). History of Islamic Philosophy, Translated by Liadain Sherrard, Philip Sherrard. London; Kegan Paul International in association with Islamic Publications for The Institute of Ismaili Studies. ISBN 0-7103-0416-1. 
• Momen, Moojan (1985). TAn Introduction to Shi`i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelve. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-03531-4. 
• Sachedina, Abdulaziz Abdulhussein (1988). The Just Ruler (al-sultān Al-ʻādil) in Shīʻite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the Jurist in Imamite Jurisprudence. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0-19-511915-0. 
• Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn; Seyyed Hossein Nasr (translator) (1979). Shi'ite Islam. SUNY press. ISBN 0-87395-272-3. 

External links[link]

Look up imam in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Imams

Look up imam in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• A brief introduction of Twelve Imams
• A Brief History Of The Lives Of The Twelve Imams a chapter of Shi'a Islam (book) by Allameh Tabatabaei
• The Twelve Imams Taken From "A Shi'ite Anthology" By Allameh Tabatabaei
• A Short History of the Lives of The Twelve Imams
• Detailed description of the Shiite belief
• List of Sunni Imams
• International Imam Organization

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2011)

Siraj Wahhaj
Born	Jeffrey Kearse (1950-03-11) March 11, 1950 (age 62) Brooklyn, New York City New York, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Islamic scholar
Religion	Sunni Islam
Spouse	Wadiyah Wahhaj
Website
www.mana-net.org

Siraj Wahhaj (born Jeffrey Kearse, March 11, 1950) is an African-American convert to Islam. He is imam of Al-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn, New York and the leader of The Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA).

Early life[link]

Wahhaj was born as Jeffrey Kearse and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His mother Gloria Sage was a nurse and his father a hospital dietitian. His brother is writer and editor Gregory S. Kearse of Silver Spring, Maryland. He went to church religiously and went on to become a Sunday school teacher as a teenager in a Baptist church.^[1] Wahhaj then later went on to the New York University on a partial scholarship. He also played basketball where he met a teammate who interested him in the Nation of Islam, an African-American movement.

In 1969 he ended his schooling and joined the Nation of Islam, changing his name to Jeffrey12x.^[1] During this time he was vocal in his belief that “white people are devils." He said of this, “I preached it. I taught it.”^[2] Wahhaj says of his interest in the Nation: "It wasn't the theology that attracted me to the Nation of Islam at all... It was the kind of do-for-self black pride."

When Elijah Muhammed died in 1975, "His teachings began to unravel in my mind", and he became a Sunni Muslim with the encouragement of Muhammad's son Warith Deen Mohammed. Mohammed took over and reorganized the Nation of Islam, urging members to come to orthodox Islam. Kearse then changed his name again to Siraj Wahhaj, which means "bright light" in Arabic. He was chosen to study Islam at the Umm al-Qura university of Mecca for a period of four months in 1978.^[2] He also briefly taught a course in Islamic studies at Howard University, where Johari Abdul-Malik is the chaplain.

Public Life[link]

Wahhaj is a prolific speaker in America. He makes many appearances at major North American Muslim conventions, and numerous forums and lectures in New England. His audio and video lectures are also popular in America's Muslim community. He is known to encourage Muslims to be God-fearing, enjoining good and forbid evil, practice regular charity, stay away from drugs, abstain from pre-marital relations, and other issues as well. He has also appeared on several national television talk shows and has had interviews with several media outlets.

In 1991 Wahhaj offered an invocation (opening prayer) to the United States House of Representatives. He was the first Muslim to do so.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright hosted Wahhaj and notable scholars for a Ramadan feast of lamb, lentils and saffron rice.

Activities[link]

Masjid At-Taqwa Mosque[link]

Masjid At-Taqwa, in Brooklyn, New York

In 1981 Wahhaj started his own mosque, Masijd Al-Taqwa, in a friend's apartment in Brooklyn. Later they bought an abandoned clothing store which is where Masjid At-Taqwa still resides today. The Masjid has expanded since then and is usually overcrowded on days of Jummah (Friday prayer).

Anti drug movement[link]

In 1988 he led his community in an anti-drug patrol in which they staked out drug houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant in the cold of winter for 40 days and nights, forcing the closure of 15 drug houses. This effort received high praise from the New York City Police Department and the media.

Organizational Involvement[link]

Since that time, Wahhaj has been active in many Islamic organizations. He has been vice president of the Islamic Society of North America since 1997 and has served on the Majlis al Shura, a consultative council of Islamic scholars, since 1987. He is a member of the Board of Advisors for the American Muslim Council and has also served on the national board of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

In 2005 Wahhaj was elected as the Amir (Chair) of MANA's Diwan (Executive committee). MANA was founded on the independent ideas of many scholars including Wahhaj, Zaid Shakir, Hamza Yusuf, Talib Abdur Rashid, Asim Abdur Rashid, Ihsan Bagby, R. Mukhtar Curtis, Sherman Jackson, Amir al-Islam and many others. The organization's initials stand for Muslim Alliance in North America. The organization has since held two conventions in 2007 and 2008, in which the topics of community activism, criminal justice and marriage were given great concern.

Recent speeches[link]

Wahhaj is still the resident imam of Masjid Al- Taqwa as well as a speaker across the country. One of his most recent speeches was given on September 5, 2009 during the "United Against Malaria" conference, were he helped to raise money for people of Africa suffering from Malaria. On March 27, 2010, he gave an emotional speech about the Youth at Darul Islah Mosque, in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Lawsuits[link]

A jury threw out Wahhaj's $5 million (libel) lawsuit against Curtis Sliwa for claiming the mosque had run guns to Canada, after the Guardian Angels had helped the mosque fight a crack epidemic in the 1980s.^{[citation needed]}

Battle with Prostate Cancer[link]

Wahhaj, having publicly spoken about his battle with hyper tension stated in a letter posted on his website that he'd been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.

As a result of being thoroughly checked by the competent doctors in Atlanta , I have been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Al Hamdulillah, inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun. (All Praise is for Allah. Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.) My diagnosis is not as bad as it sounds on the surface. Many men have been cured from prostate cancer. My doctors are very optimistic about my cure, and so am I. InshaAllah the treatment should last about two months.^{[citation needed]}

Months later, Wahhaj wrote another letter on helpimamsiraj.com where he stated that he was now cured of the disease:

Al Hamdulillah, I'm happy to announce to MANA readers and supporters that my major treatment for prostate cancer has been successfully completed. This has been a major milestone in my life and I thank Allah, Most High, for His purification, love and mercy. Likewise, it is through Allah's love and mercy that my treatment has been paid for with help from so many of you. The generous donations, acts of kindness, duas, and overall love shown to me and my family has been a true blessing and is deeply appreciated. Jazakallah khairan! Your highest reward is with Allah, Most High. Many of you want to know how I'm feeling. This is an easy question to answer. Al Hamdulillah, I feel very good. I think I'm in very good condition and I actually feel more healthy now than I have in years. I'm exercising everyday, eating healthy and am more conscious of making the best choices for my health. I really feel I'm on the right track in terms of achieving and maintaining a lifestyle of wellness. In terms of the efficacy of my treatment, my doctor has informed me that we are "right on target". Insha'Allah, after one month I will return for an evaluation, and again three months later for a full examination. With the full examination we will have a good idea of where things are, insha'Allah.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Him Promoting A Cair Fundraiser
• Muslim Alliance in North America
• Siraj Wahhaj Lectures
• ImamSWahhaj.com Official Site for CDs/DVDs by Imam Siraj
• Siraj Wahhaj's interview on Australian radio
• Imam Siraj Wahhaj on IBN MEDIA
• Guide For Humanity

Crvena jabuka ("Red apple") is a Sarajevo-based rock/pop band that originated in 1985, and since then has remained very popular. They were also a part of the so called New Primitives movement that occurred in the 1980s in the Former Yugoslavia territory.

Of the different lineups the band has gone through only two of the band's members managed to stay ever since the beginning: drummer Darko Jelčić, and vocalist Dražen Žerić-Žera who in the beginning played keyboards and sometimes sang backup vocals, but then switched to main vocals when Dražen Ričl died. The other two members that had remained in the band's lineup after the 1990s were Nikša Bratoš, and Krešimir Kaštelan. Guitarists were also changed and a new keyboard player was recruited as well in 2002.

Around the time of their 20th Anniversary, the band started to lose their popularity. To compensate for this two farewell concerts were organized that year.

During the Yugoslav wars the band was stationed in Zagreb, and underwent a long hiatus.

Biography[link]

The 80s[link]

Crvena jabuka, which means "Red Apple", was founded in 1985. The first line-up of the band consisted of drummer Darko Jelcic, lead guitarist/singer Drazen Ricl "Zijo", bassist Aljosa Buha, rhythm guitarist/lead songwritter Zlatko Arslanagic "Zlaja", and keyboardist/vocalist Drazen Zeric "Zera." The band's name was derived from an occasion when Darko Jelčić brought a red apple to one of the band's meetings. They released their self titled debut album is issued in 1986, and was an instant success. This had the first singles on it "Bježi kišo s prozora", "S tvojih usana", and "Dirlija". The band quickly gained popularity all over former Yugoslavia, and on September 18, 1986 the band headed to Mostar for a promotional concert, and suffered a car accident that claimed the lives of two members. - Dražen Ričl and Aljoša Buha.

In tribute of this tragic moment, a concert was done in Skenderija palace in Sarajevo in which musicians and bands from all generations performed. Crvena jabuka would end with their work.

Because the material for 1987's "Za sve ove godine" was already ready, the band decided to first record that before undergoing a one-year hiatus. The band decided to stay a trio with Drazen Zeric (who originally sang backup vocals) taking on lead vocal duties. Guitarist Zlatko Arslanagic also switched to mostly lead/bass guitar, and Darko Jelcic decided to remain on drums. Next to him, Zeric was the only original member present in the band. Also, as the 1987 album was meant to be a tribute to the late Ricl and Buha, there were no promo ads. Nor was there a tour because of the requests of the band members.

It was, however, 1988's Sanjati that proved the band's commercial success. While the album was recorded in the same fashion as Za sve ove godine, the band brought in two more musicians, bassist Srdan Serberdia, and keyboardist Zlatko Volarevic. This allowed Zera to focous primarily on vocals, and Zlaja to go to just lead guitar. The album sold 250,000 copies, and following its release, Crvena Jabuka embarked on a 180 concert tour.

The band made some major changes during the recording of Sanjati. First, the band worked in Rockoko studios in Zagreb. They would record every future album there. Secondly, the band dropped producer Zeljko Brodinac (who had produced their first two albums), and got Niksa Bratos. (Niksa would eventually be inducted as another full-time member, and the third long-standing member next to Jelcic and Zeric.) Not only was Bratos a producer, but a multi-instrumentalist. He could put all the band's ideas to work, and even did string arrangements. He would be put on rhythm guitar, and would also play many woodwind instruments on future albums.

January 1989 was when the recording contract for the band's fourth album called Tamo gdje ljubav počinje was signed. Serberdia, having grown tired of touring with the band, quit right after the first session so was replaced by professional guitarist/bassist Branko Salka. Immediately after this release, a tour took place. During the tour Niksa Bratos was not available, but suggested a good friend of his, Igor Ivanovic. The significant moment was at the Sports Arena in Zagreb where a double album was recorded live called "Uzmi me (kad hoćeš ti)".

The 90s[link]

In 1991, the band released their fifth studio album. This album was titled Nekako s' Proljeća, and had the singles "Moje najmilije", "Da nije ljubavi", and the title cut which has Kemal Monteno as a guest. This would be the first time that Jabuka has contributed with another singer. For this album, Niksa Bratos was once again replaced. This time, by former bassist Srdan Serberdia's father, Zoran Serberdia.

A tour was meant to happen, but it was never done due to the wars in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. After this album, Zlatko Arslanagić left the band and eventually moved to Toronto. Žera opened his new cafe in Sarajevo called "Broj jedan" (Number one). Even the remaining members parted ways. Niksa moved to Zagreb (and so would the rest of the band eventually), Igor Ivanovic to Germany, and Zoran Serberdia to Macedonia. Furthermore, Croatia Records released, in 1993, an 18-hit compilation entitled Ima Nesto od Srca do Srca. The album was put into chronological order, but for unknown reasons, omitted both "Bjezi Kiso s' Prozora", and a cover of Bacila je sve niz Rijeku (a hit for Indexi in 1974). This album would, in 2005, be re-released but dubbed Zlatna Kolekcija. It would include the two said songs that were previously omitted, and also be in chronological order with 20 songs more than this one.

In the fall of 1994, Cunja, and Zera both relocated to Zagreb to re-unite with Niksa Bratos who now was to play on every album, and attend most shows. A backing vocals trio of Darija Hodnik, Jana Nemacek, and Mirza Treterac was established to the band, and so were three more members: guitarist Mario Vukcevic-Jimmy, bassist Kresmir Kastelan "Kreso" (4th long-standing member), and keyboard player Danijel Lastric. There was a big tour once again covering: Macedonia, Czechia, Austria, Germany, and Armenia, and of course, the former Yugoslavia countries.

With this new lineup, the band released their next album in 1996 called U tvojim očima. This album featured two guests as well as various authors of songs including Saša Lošić of Plavi orkestar. Immediately a tour went of all over including: Zagreb, Tuzla, Mostar, and Sarajevo.

In 1998, yet another studio album was released titled Svijet je lopta šarena. This was another best selling album of the band. In that same year they recorded their next live album simply called "LIVE", and in 1999, Crvena jabuka released an unplugged album called Riznice sjećanja.

2000 to Present Day[link]

In 2000, the band went on a new chapter with their next studio album entitled Sve Što Sanjam. On this album the band had the hit singles "Ti si lijepa", "Tvoga Srca Vrata", the title track, "Ni Zadnji Ni Prvi", and another good hit "Niko nije lud da spava".

In 2002, Crvena jabuka returned with Tvojim Željama Vođen. After releasing this album, guitarist Zlatko Bebek, and keyboard player Danijel Lastrić left the band. The replacements were Marko Bjelić on keyboards, and Damir Gonz on guitar.

In 2005, Žera reformed the band. The result was Oprosti Što Je Ljubavna. With this album, the band started to lose its popularity. However, a 20th anniversary concert was held on April 24, 2005.

2005 also saw the release of an updated hit singles collection that the band called Zlatna Kolekcija. It contained hits from 1986 to 2002.

In 2007, Crvena jabuka announced yet another album called Duša Sarajeva. The album has 11 new songs.

During the time of 2007-2008 the band was mostly doing concerts touring Canada and USA. Cities covered were Toronto, Ontario in Canada, and in the US: Chicago, Detroit, and most lately there is talk of coming to Seattle on 6 June. Concerts are also expected to happen in Calgary, Alberta, and in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Singer Dražen Žerić-Žera got married just a couple months ago, which is the reason for the band's upcoming album entitled Volim Te, which has songs more in the style of the old Crvena Jabuka rather than what they've showed in Oprosti što je ljubavna and Duša Sarajeva .

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Crvena Jabuka (The Red Apple) March 22, 1986
• Za sve ove godine (For All These Years), 1987
• Sanjati (To Dream) June 6, 1988
• Tamo gdje ljubav počinje (Where the Love Begins), January, 1989
• Nekako s' proljeća (In the Springtime), 1991
• U tvojim očima (In Your Eyes) November 17, 1996
• Svijet je lopta sarena (The World Is a Colourful Ball), 1998
• Sve sto sanjam (Everything I Dream), 2000
• Tvojim zeljama voden (Led By Your Wishes), 2002
• Oprosti sto je ljubavna pjesma (Forgive Me for This Love Song), 2005
• Duša Sarajeva (The Soul of Sarajevo), 2007
• Volim Te (I Love You), 2009
• Za Tvoju Ljubav (For Your Love), 2011

Live albums[link]

• Uzmi me (kad hoćeš ti) Take me (When You Want To) 1990
• LIVE 1998
• Riznice sjećanja-unplugged 1999

Compilations[link]

• Ima nešto od srca do srca (There Is Something from Heart to Heart) 1993
• Moje najmilije (My Dearest) 1996
• Antologija (Anthology) 2003
• Zlatna kolekcija (The Golden Collection) 2005
• Da Nije Ljubavi - 25 Godina

Band members[link]

Lineups[link]

See also[link]

• Sarajevo school of pop rock
• New Primitives

References[link]

• "Bend s planeta Zemlja Dražen Žerić - Žera, pevec zasedbe Crvena jabuka". 7dni. 11. februar 2009. http://bam.vecer.com/portali/7dni/v1/default.asp?kaj=2&id=5406529. Retrieved 2009-11-30. 
• OGNJEN TVRTKOVIĆ, glazbeni kritičar Dela, Ljubljana/Slovenija (30. ožujka 2000). "Skladbu "Zarjavele trobente" napisali su Subašić i Buha, a "Zemlja pleše" Sepe i Strniša". Vjesnik. http://www.vjesnik.com/html/2000/03/30/Clanak.asp?r=pis&c=3. Retrieved 2009-11-30. 
• "Nova plošča - Oprosti što je ljubavna". Si21. 2005-07-17. http://www.si21.com/news.php?id=41746. Retrieved 2009-11-30. 
• "Crvena jabuka bodo prestolnico obarvali rdeče". Dnevnik. 2007-03-28. http://www.dnevnik.si/novice/kultura/236907. Retrieved 2009-11-30. 

External links[link]

• MP3 source
• Crvena jabuka discography
• Crvena Jabuka song lyrics

Part of a series on Shī‘ah Islam
Ismāʿīlism
Concepts
The Qur'ān · The Ginans Reincarnation · Panentheism Imām · Pir · Dā‘ī l-Muṭlaq ‘Aql · Numerology · Taqiyya Żāhir · Bāṭin
Seven Pillars
Guardianship · Prayer · Charity Fasting · Pilgrimage · Struggle Purity · Profession of Faith
History
Shoaib · Nabi Shu'ayb Seveners · Qarmatians Fatimids · Baghdad Manifesto Hafizi · Taiyabi Hassan-i Sabbah · Alamut Sinan · Assassins Pir Sadardin · Satpanth Aga Khan · Jama'at Khana Huraat-ul-Malika · Böszörmény
Early Imams
Ali · Ḥassan · Ḥusain as-Sajjad · al-Baqir · aṣ-Ṣādiq Ismā‘īl · Muḥammad Abdullah /Wafi Ahmed / at-Taqī Husain/ az-Zakī/Rabi  · al-Mahdī al-Qā'im · al-Manṣūr al-Mu‘izz · al-‘Azīz · al-Ḥākim az-Zāhir · al-Mustansir · Nizār al-Musta′lī · al-Amīr · al-Qāṣim
Groups and Present leaders
Nizārī · Aga Khan IV Dawūdī  · Dr. Burhanuddin Sulaimanī  · Al-Fakhri Abdullah Alavī  · Ṭayyib Ziyā'u d-Dīn
v t e

Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah (r. 909-934) (Arabic: عبد الله بن الحسين بن أحمد بن عبد الله بن محمد بن اسماعيل بن جعفر المهدي‎), often referred to as Ubayd Allah, is the founder of the Fatimid dynasty, the only major Shi'a caliphate in Islam, and established Fatimid rule throughout much of North Africa.

History[link]

At the beginning of the Abbasid realm in Baghdad, the Alids faced severe persecution by the ruling party as they were a direct threat to the Abbasid Caliphate. Owing to the political complexities, the forefathers of Imam Abdullah opted to conceal themselves which helped them secure the Dawa's existence. Subsequently, these Imams traveled long and far towards the Iranian Plateau and distanced themselves from the epicenter of the political scenario. Al Mahdi's father, Imam al Husain al Mastoor returned in secrecy to Syria and began to control the Dawa's affairs from there in complete concealment. He sent two Dai's of great calibre, abul Qasim and Abu 'Abdullah Al-Husayn Al-Shi'i to Yemen and Western Africa respectively to build the foundation for what was to be the Fatimid Caliphate.

Imam al Husain al Mastoor died soon after the birth of his son, Al Mahdi. An extremely trustworthy system of information gatherers helped Al Mahdi to be updated on each development which took place in North Africa which was to be the launching pad of the soon to be Empire.

After establishing himself as the first Imam of the Fatimid dynasty he made claim to genealogic origins dating as far back as Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, through Husayn, Fatimah's son, and Ismail.

The above interpretation of the Fatimid history is only an interpretation of some of the writers. Other authors who have extensively written on the Fatimids such as "al-Maqrizi" have denied the above theory.^{[citation needed]}

He began his conquest by establishing his headquarters at Salamiyah and began riding towards north-western Africa, which at the time was under Aghlabid rule, following the propagandist success of his chief da'i', Abu 'Abdullah Al-Husayn Al-Shi'i. Al-Shi'i, along with laying claim to being the precursor to the Mahdi, was instrumental in sowing the seeds of sedition among the Berber tribes of North Africa, specifically the Kutamah tribe.

It was Al-Shi'i's success which was the signal to Sa'id? who set off from Salamyah disguised as a merchant. However, he was captured by the Aghlabid ruler Ziyadat-Allah and thrown into a dungeon in Sijilmasah. Al-Shi'i was then required to rescue Sa'id in 909 after which the Aghlabid dynasty, the last stronghold of Sunni Islam in North Africa, was expelled from region.

'Abdullah Al-Mahdi, as-Sa'id? was now to be known, established himself at the former Aghlabid residence at Raqqadah, a suburb of Al-Qayrawan in Tunisia. Two years after he achieved power, 'Abdullah had his missionary-commander Al-Shi'i executed. After that his power only grew. At the time of his death he had extended his reign to Morocco of the Idrisids, as well as Egypt itself. In 920, 'Abdullah took up residence at the newly established capital of the empire, Al-Mahdiyyah, which he founded on the Tunisian coast sixteen miles south-east of Al-Qayrawan, and which he named after himself.

After his death, 'Abdullah was succeeded by his son, Abu Al-Qasim Muhammad Al-Qaim, who continued his expansionist policy.

Gold coin of Caliph al-Mahdi, Kairouan, 912 CE.

Gold coin of Caliph al-Mahdi, Mahdiyya, 926 CE.

See also[link]

• Fatimid Caliphate
• Imamah (Shi'a Ismaili doctrine)
• Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)
• List of Ismaili imams
• People claiming to be the Mahdi

Sources[link]

• Hitti, Philip K. (1970). "A Shi'ite Caliphate in Egypt: The Fatimids". History of The Arabs. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 617–619. ISBN 0-06-106583-8. 

External links[link]

• Imam al-Mahdi, the 11th Fatimi Imam.
• Institute of Ismaili Studies London.

Hassen Chalghoumi (born Tunis, 1972) is the imam of the municipal Drancy mosque in Seine-Saint-Denis (near Paris).

Before coming to France, he was a member of the Tablighi Jamaat an Islamic reformist and spiritualist movement. During many years, he called for Jihad. He was remarked during the Islamic scarf controversy in France, supporting French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s draft law to ban the burqa. This support added with his good relations with zionist organizations in France, caused demonstrations and clashes in Drancy mosque. Protesters wanted to change imam because he was unrepresentative of muslim people. In 2009, he founded the "Conference of Imams", an organisation which aims to represent muslims in politics.^[1][2][3][4]

He was quoted as saying "with a bit of cloth over their faces, what can these women share with us? If they want to wear the veil, they can go to a country where it's the tradition, like Saudi Arabia".^[5]

Married with five children, he studied in Syria and Pakistan before coming to France in 1996. Until 2005, he was a member of the Tablighi Jamaat, with whom he remains close. He is naturalised as a French citizen in 2005.^[6]

Some of his critics call him "Imam of the Jews" for his activism with the French zionist organization CRIF. In 2006 his house was sacked and his children threatened after a speech he made in front of the deportation memorial in Drancy.^[7]

In an interview in the Parisien he voiced the opinion that no man should refuse to allow his wife to be examined by a male doctor. At the beginning of 2009 he was invited to the Elysée and the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France (CRIF), a French zionist organisation.

Chalghoumi has questioned Western support for the 'Arab Spring', which has delivered a number of countries into the hands of Islamist groups.^[8]

References[link]

1. ^ Cuénod, Jean-Noël (2009-01-15). "Un imam prêche la paix et la concorde avec les juifs: il est menacé de mort". Tribune de Genève. http://archives.tdg.ch/TG/TG/-/article-2009-01-1321/francedirecteur-spirituel-de-la-mosquee-de-drancy-hassen-chalghoumi-doit-aujourd8217hui-se. Retrieved 2010-01-30. 
2. ^ "Hassen Chalghoumi, un imam pas comme les autres". Le Point. 2010-01-26. http://www.lepoint.fr/actualites-societe/2010-01-26/portrait-hassen-chalghoumi-un-imam-pas-comme-les-autres/920/0/417413. Retrieved 2010-01-30. 
3. ^ "FRANCE: ANTI-VEIL IMAM TARGETED; GROUP STORMS MOSQUE". Ansamed. 2010-01-26. http://www.ansamed.info/en/news/ME03.XAM14082.html. Retrieved 2010-01-30. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "French Mosque Raided by Islamic Radicals". Israel National News. 2010-01-28. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135751. Retrieved 2010-01-30. 
5. ^ "Paris imam backs France's proposed burqa ban". Reuters. 2010-01-21. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60L25C20100122. Retrieved 2010-01-30. 
6. ^ "L'Imam de Drancy, un médiateur menacé". Mejliss et kalam. 2010-01-27. http://www.mejliss.com/showthread.php?t=508017. Retrieved 2010-01-30. 
7. ^ "L'imam de Drancy prône l'ouverture". Le Figaro. 2009-03-27. http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2009/03/24/01016-20090324ARTFIG00649-l-imam-de-drancy-prone-l-ouverture-.php. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
8. ^ http://www.francesoir.fr/actualite/societe/charlie-hebdo-arretez-soutenir-islamistes-scande-l-imam-drancy-152778.html