Sariyya of Imam Ali (a) in Yemen

The Sariyya of Imam Ali (a) in Yemen was a mission assigned to him by the Prophet (s) for inviting the people of Yemen to Islam. According to some reports, Imam Ali (a) traveled to Yemen two or three times. During these missions, he succeeded in persuading the tribes of Hamdan and Madh-hij to embrace Islam, which prepared the ground for the acceptance of Islam by all the tribes of Yemen. Later, the people of Hamdan and Madh-hij became among the supporters of Imam Ali (a), Imam Hasan (a), and Imam Husayn (a).

In the distribution of the spoils of this Sariyya, some of the members of Imam Ali's forces who had accompanied him in Yemen complained to the Prophet (s) about his conduct. The Prophet responded by expressing the virtues of Imam Ali (a). Some Sunni historians maintain that the Sermon of Ghadir was delivered in response to these complaints. In reply, some researchers have argued that the temporal, geographical, thematic, and causal differences between the Prophet's statements in defense of Imam Ali (a) and the Sermon of Ghadir show that the two events cannot be connected.

The Prophet (s), during one of these journeys or in a separate mission, instructed Imam Ali (a) to adjudicate disputes among the people of Yemen.

Inviting the Yemeni Tribes to Islam

The Sariyya of Imam Ali (a) in Yemen is regarded as a mission assigned by the Prophet (s) for inviting the people of Yemen to Islam. Ibn Hisham and Ibn Sa'd, both Sunni historians, mention two separate missions undertaken by Imam Ali (a) in Yemen. Others, however, count these journeys as three. There are various reports regarding Imam Ali's (a) journey to Yemen and his invitation of the Yemenis to Islam. Some of these accounts relate to his encounter with the tribe of Hamdan, while others concern his encounter with the tribe of Madh-hij.

Inviting the Tribe of Hamdan

According to Tarikh al-Tabari, the Prophet (s) first sent Khalid b. Walid to Yemen; however, after six months without success, he dispatched Imam Ali (a) to the region in Ramadan of the year 10 AH, along with a letter. When Imam Ali (a) arrived in Yemen, he read the Prophet's letter to the people, and the entire tribe of Hamdan embraced Islam on the very same day. Some researchers, however, place the date of this journey in the year 8 AH.

Inviting the Tribe of Madhhij

Muhammad b. Umar al-Waqidi, Ibn Saʿd, and several other historians report that the Prophet (s) dispatched Imam Ali (a) to Yemen with a group of cavalrymen. According to this account, he initially encountered the tribe of Madh-hij and invited them to Islam. The report states that opposition and confrontation arose on the part of Madh-hij, leading to a clash in which a number of tribesmen were killed. Following this incident and Imam Ali’s (a) renewed invitation, they accepted Islam. This Sariyya is reported to have taken place in Ramadan of the year 10 AH.

It is reported that during this journey, Ka'b al-Ahbar, one of the Jewish scholars, encountered Imam Ali (a). After asking the Imam questions about Islam and the Prophet (s), he embraced Islam and sought to invite the Jewish scholars of his region to the faith as well.

Distribution of the Spoils

In the battle with the tribe of Madh-hij, Imam Ali (a) obtained spoils of war, and after separating the khums (one-fifth), he distributed the remainder among his soldiers. Following the practice of previous commanders, some members of the army asked the Imam to give them a portion of the khums, but he refused and said that he would take the entire khums to the Prophet (s), who was on his way to perform the Hajj, so that he might deal with it as he deemed appropriate. According to one report, Imam Ali (a) wrote a letter to the Prophet (s) explaining his actions, and the Prophet (s) replied by instructing him to join him and participate in the Hajj.

After arriving in Ta'if, Imam Ali (a) entrusted the command of the army and the safeguarding of the khums to Abu Rafi' and then joined the Prophet (s) in Mecca. Some individuals asked Abu Rafi' to give them a portion of the khums, and he agreed. After returning and rejoining his troops, the Imam rebuked Abu Rafi' for this action and restored the khums property from his companions. This caused them displeasure and led them to complain to the Prophet (s). It is reported that the Prophet (s) reproached these individuals and, while expressing the virtues of Imam Ali (a), affirmed the correctness of his action.

There is also a report of complaints made by some of Imam Ali’s (a) companions to the Prophet (s) after Ali was dispatched in place of Khalid b. Walid. In that instance, the Prophet (s) defended Imam Ali (a) and spoke of his virtues. Ibn Hisham reports the complaints against Imam Ali (a) in connection with his mission to collect zakat from the region of Najran.

Al-Ghadir Sermon and Complaints against Ali (a)

Ahmad b. Husayn al-Bayhaqi, Ibn Kathir, and others have held that the Prophet's purpose in delivering the Sermon of Ghadir was to respond to the complaints made by some Muslims about Imam Ali (a) during the Yemen campaign. Based on this view, some have argued that the sermon was not connected to the immediate succession of Ali (a). In response, some researchers have argued that the two events were entirely independent and lacked temporal, geographical, thematic, or causal connections.

Difference in Time and Place between the Two Events

According to some researchers, reports of the complaints from the forces dispatched to Yemen state that the Prophet (s) immediately and explicitly responded to the complainants at that time, leaving no ambiguity that would require a later sermon to address the matter. It has also been noted that the locations of the event of Ghadir Khumm and the complaints from the forces dispatched to Yemen do not correspond. According to historians, the event of Ghadir took place in a location between Mecca and Medina, whereas some narrations identify the site of the complaints as Medina, and others as Mecca.

Difference in Content between the Two Events

It has been argued that the event of Ghadir is also unrelated to the complaints from the forces dispatched to Yemen in terms of content. In the Hadith of Ghadir, there is no reference to any complaint, whereas in the reports concerning Imam Ali's mission to Yemen, expressions from the Prophet (s) that explicitly mention the word "complaint," such as "Do not complain about Ali…" appear.

Moreover, the Prophet's taking an acknowledgement from the people regarding his authority over the believers does not accord with statements about not complaining against Imam Ali (a) or loving him. In addition, the reports describing the congratulations offered to Imam Ali (a), the greetings extended to him with the title "Commander of the Faithful," and the pledges of allegiance given to him indicate that the audience understood the Prophet's words as pertaining to the issue of succession.

A distinction has also been noted regarding the underlying causes of the two events. The Prophet's (s) statements in praise of Imam Ali (a) were made in response to complaints raised against him; however, according to Shi'a scholars and even many Sunni hadith transmitters, the Sermon of Ghadir was delivered after the revelation of the Verse of Proclamation, and was followed by the revelation of the Verse of Completion. Thus, the causes and circumstances that gave rise to the two events are fundamentally different.

Imam Ali's (a) Judiciary Mission in Yemen

Sources such as Musnad Ahmad b. Hanbal and al-Mustadrak ʿala al-Sahihayn by al-Hakim al-Nishaburi refer to a mission in which the Prophet (s) instructed Imam Ali (a) to go to Yemen and undertake judicial responsibilities among its people. Imam Ali (a) expressed concern that, due to his youth, they might not accept his judgments, but the Prophet (s) offered him guidance and prayed for his firmness in carrying out this task.

Some scholars have understood this mission as part of one of Imam Ali's (a) journeys to invite the tribes of Hamdan and Madh-hij to Islam, while others have suggested that the mission was not military in nature and likely took place between the eighth and ninth years after the Hijra. Based on the numerous judicial rulings reported from Imam Ali (a) in Yemen, it is inferred that he spent a considerable amount of time there.

Achievements of Imam Ali's (a) Presence in Yemen

According to some reports, Imam Ali's (a) journey to Yemen and the conversion of the tribes of Hamdan or Madh-hij led other Yemeni tribes to follow their example and embrace Islam. It is reported that the people of Yemen, especially the tribes of Hamdan and Madh-hij, developed an affection for Imam Ali (a) from that time onward and became among his closest supporters in Kufa. They accompanied him in the battles of Siffin and Nahrawan. They later also supported Imam Hasan (a) and Imam Husayn (a). Some scholars believe that their devotion and sincere loyalty stemmed from their deep understanding of Islam and of Imam Ali's spiritual status, including his guardianship (wilaya) and his role as the Prophet's designated successor (wasiyya).