Ahmad al-Wafi

Mousoleum Imam Abadullah,Salamia

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Ahmad al- Wafi (true name Abdullah ibn Mohammad; born: 179 AH, died: 212 AH, 828 AD Salamiyya, Syria, Imam: 197-212 AH ,813-828 AD) is the eighth Ismaili Imam . He was surnamed al-Wafi. 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 Empire. He was succeeded by his son, Taqi Muhammad (Ahmed ibn Abdullah).^[1]

The 8th to 10th Ismaili Imams were hidden from the public, because of threats from the Abbassid 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 those "hidden" imams: 8th Imam Abdillah-ibne-Mohammad the true name/ (Wafi Ahmad), 9th Imam "Ahmed-ibne-Abdillah (Taqi Muhammad), and the 10th Imam Husain-ibne-Ahmed(Rabi Abdullah).^[2],^[3]

Residence at Salamia, Syria

As per Ismaili.net ^[4] residence history of Salamia is as follows:

"kabra mubarak"Imam Abadullah,Salamia

Tunnel imam salamia

Mosque Imam Abadullah,Salamia,Syria,renovated by Dawoodi Bohra

"The Ismaili dais in search of a new residence for their Imam came to Salamia and inspected the town and approached the owner, Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Saleh, who had transformed the town into a flourishing commercial centre. They told him that there was a Hashimite merchant from Basra who was desirous of settling in the town. He readily accepted and pointed out to them a site along the main street in the market, where existed a house belonging to a certain Abu Farha. The Ismaili dais bought it for their Imam and informed him about it. Wafi Ahmad arrived to his new residence as an ordinary merchant. He soon pulled down the old building and had new ones built in its place; and also built a new wall around it. He also built a tunnel inside his house, leading to the desert, whose length was about 12 miles. Money and treasures were carried on camels to the door of that tunnel at night. The door opened and the camels entered with their loads inside the house.

Salamia was a small town in Syria in the district east of the Orontes, and is located at a distance of 32 kilometers to the south- east of Hama, or 44 kilometers to the north-east of Homs. It lies in a fertile plain, about 1500 feet above sea level, south of the Jabal al-A'la and on the margin of the Syrian steppe, standing on the main entrance of the Syrian desert."

Photo placed here shows the mousoleum of the Imam. Near his kabra mubarak ("blessed grave"), the tunnel opening still exists.

References

1. ^ WAFI AHMAD (197-212/813-828)
2. ^ The dua (prayer) "Taqarrub" lists these names amongst the Imams.
3. ^ “In addition to what has been concluded from this study, the following deductions can also be drawn: To the Isma'ilis, the names of the hidden Imams after Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Ja'far are: Abdallah ibn Muhammad (better known in Isma'ili circles as Ahmad al- Wafi), Ahmad ibn Abdallah (better known as Muhammad at-Taqi), Muhammad ibn Ahmad (better known as 'Abdallah ar-Radi) and Ali ibn Muhammad (better known as Ali ibn al-Husayn, with al-Mahdi as title)." - Quarterly Journal of the American University of Beirut, Vol. XXI. Nos. 1 2, Edited by Mahmud Ghul, The Hidden Imams of the Ismailis. Sami N.Makarem
4. ^ http://www.ismaili.net/histoire/history04/history419.html Wafi Ahmad in Salamia

References and External links

• List of Syednas (according to Dawoodi Bohras)
• The Ismaili, their history and doctrine by Farhad Daftary
• Religion,learning and science by Young Lathan
• Medieval Islamic civilisation by Joseph w. Meri, Bacharach
• Sayyida Hurra: The Isma‘ili Sulayhid Queen of Yemenby Dr Farhad Daftary
• The Uyun al-akhbar is the most complete text written by an Ismaili/Tayyibi/Dawoodi 19th Dai Sayyedna Idris bin Hasan on the history of the Ismaili community from its origins up to the 12th century CE. period of the Fatimid caliphs al-Mustansir (d. 487/1094), the time of Musta‘lian rulers including al-Musta‘li (d. 495/1101) and al-Amir (d. 524/1130), and then the Tayyibi Ismaili community in Yemen.