Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq (Al-Dibaj)

Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq (Al-Dibaj i.e. the handsome),^[1] the younger full brother of Musa al-Kadhim,^[2] appeared in Mecca in the year 200 A.H. / 815 C.E. claiming that he was the Awaited Mahdi. He believed in a Zaydl Shia type of Imamate^[3] and declared himself as the Caliph of the Muslims and took the oath of allegiance from them and was called the Leader of the faithful. He was recognized as the Imam by a small group of followers. His followers became denominated as the Shumaytiyya (Sumaytiyya) after their leader Yahya ibn Abi’l-Shumayt (al-Sumayt).^[4] However, his revolt against the Caliph Al-Ma'mun proved unsuccessful in the very same year it started (i.e. 815 C.E.).^[5] He ended his revolt by abdicating and publicly confessing his error and was then banished from the Hejaz.^[6]

Al-Dibaj died in 203 A.H. / 818 C.E.^[7]

Al-Dibaj had a son named al-Qasim. Al-Qasim had 3 children: Umm Kulthum (d.868), Abdallah (d.875) and Yahya (d.877).^[8] They all went to live in Egypt after the failure of Al-Dibaj’s revolt and were among the first Alid families to resettle in Egypt.^[9]

Al-Dibaj's followers (the Shumaytiyya/Sumaytiyya) believed that the Imamate would remain with his family and that the Mahdi would come from among his family.^[10]

See also

• Abbasid internal strife
• People claiming to be the Mahdi
• Descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib

References

• Firaq al-Shi’ah (The Shi'ah Groups), by Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Musa al-Nubakhti, pg.68
• Al-Maqalat wa al-Firaq, by Sa'ad Ibn Abdillah al-Ash'ari al-Qummi (d. 301), pg.80

Notes

1. ^ An Introduction to Shi’i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi’ism: The Shumayliyya or Sumaytiyya, by Moojan Momen
2. ^ The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines, By Farhad Daftary, pg.94
3. ^ An Introduction to Shi’i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi’ism: The Shumayliyya or Sumaytiyya, by Moojan Momen
4. ^ The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines, By Farhad Daftary, pg.94
5. ^ A short history of the Ismailis: traditions of a Muslim community, By Farhad Daftary, pg.35
6. ^ Muqarnas, Volume 3: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture, By Oleg Grabar, pg.41
7. ^ The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines, By Farhad Daftary, pg.94
8. ^ Muqarnas, Volume 3: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture, By Oleg Grabar, pg.56
9. ^ Muqarnas, Volume 3: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture, By Oleg Grabar, pg.41, 43
10. ^ An Introduction to Shi’i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi’ism: The Shumayliyya or Sumaytiyya, by Moojan Momen

Persondata
Name	Muhammad Ibn Jafar Al-Sadiq
Alternative names
Short description	Self-declared messiah
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	818
Place of death