Al-Sayyid Isma'il al-Himyari

Abu Hashim or Abu ‘Amir Sayyid Isma’il b. Muhammad Yazid b. Rabi’a Himyari known as Sayyid Himyari (Amman 105 AH - Baghdad 179 AH) was among famous Shia poets who composed many poems in defense of Shia. His poems are so many that no one has so far been able to compile a complete record of all his poems. Only 2300 of his Hashimiyyat poems have been collected. It is said that he was first among Khawarij, but then converted to Kaysaniyya and later became Twelver Shia through the guidance of Imam al-Sadiq (a) and stayed Shia until the end of his life.

His Lineage and Birth

Himyari was born in Amman (current capital of Jordan) in 105 AH and grew up in Basra. His grandfather was Yazid b. Ziyad known as Ibn Mufarriq (d. 69 AH) who was among famous poets too.

His lineage reached Himyar tribe who were originally from Yemen and were not from Quraysh. Sayyid Isma’il Himyari was neither Fatimid nor Alawi. Sayyid was just a part of his name.

His Superiority over Poets

Imam al-Sadiq (a) called him “Sayyid al-Shu’ara” [“Master of Poets”]. In his rijal, Kashi mentioned that Imam (a) addressed Sayyid Himyari, “Your mother named you Sayyid and you became successful and now have become master of poets.”

Sayyid composed a poem out of this speech of Imam (a).

Religion of His Family

His parents were among Khawarij and followed Abadiyya. They swore at Imam Ali (a) after Fajr prayer, but Sayyid converted to Shia when he was young and composed many poems in defense of Shia and Imam Ali (a).

His parent admonished and harassed him to return to the creed of Khawarij, but he did not accept until they planed to kill him. He thus took refuge with ‘Uqba b. Salm b. Muhanna, the Shia ruler of Basra and stayed with him until the death of his parent. In a poem, he cursed his parent.

His Conversion of Religion

It is said that Himyari was asked how he became Shia and in a poem, he answered, “like Mu’min of the people of Pharaoh, the mercy of God was poured upon me all at once.”

There is no information about the causes of his conversion and leaving the creed of Khawarij. In those days when Umayyad government was about to fall, inviters of Bani Hashim were all around Iran. Shia was spread in Basra and Ahvaz and its followers were supported in those regions.

Himyari first followed Kaysaniyya who believed in the imamate of Muhammad b. Ali b. Abi Talib (a) known as Muhammad b. Hanafiyya after Imam al-Hasan (a).

Sayyid was born at the time of Imam al-Baqir (a) and lived at the times of Imam al-Sadiq (a) and Imam al-Kazim (a). Apparently, after Imam al-Sadiq (a) visited him when he was sick in Kufa, he left Kaysaniyya and converted to Ja’fari Shia and defended it until the end of his life. He reached such a high position that when Imam al-Sadiq (a) heard his poems, asked the blessings of God upon him three times.

In some hadiths, a miracle of Imam al-Sadiq (a) is reported which proves invalidity of Kaysaniyya in Sayyid. In any case, Ibn Babywayh in Ikmal al-Din, Shaykh Mufid in al-fusul al-mukhtara, Marzbani in Akhbar al-Sayyid, Ibn Mu’tazz in Tabaqat al-Shu’ara, Ibn Shahr Ashub in Manaqib Al Abi Talib (a) and other hadith scholars and historians reported the news about Himyari’s conversion to Shia through the call of Imam al-Sadiq (a) and mentioned that he kept his religion until the end of his life.

His Position before Caliphs

Sayyid Isma’il Himyari lived during the rules of ten caliphs: Hisham b. ‘Abd al-Malik, Walid b. Yazid, Yazid b. al-Walid, Ibrahim b. al-Walid and Marwan Himar from Umayyads and Saffah, Mahdi, Hadi, Harun al-Rashid from Abbasids. He was loved by the court and received many gifts and privileges from them and was supported by them.

His Characteristics

Sayyid Himyari is introduced as a good-looking person who had eloquence and fluency of speech and delicacy of manner. He had a good knowledge of the Qu’an, hadiths, fiqh, history of Islam, conduct of the Prophet (s) and Imams (a) and brought almost all hadiths about the merits of Imam Ali (a) and criticized his dissidents in his poems.

He was powerful in debates with Sunni dissidents. He mentioned the reasons for caliphate and wilaya of Imam Ali (a), proofs for Shia beliefs, rejection of dissidents’ sayings and examples of the usurpers of the rights of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) with a sharp language showing tawalla and tabarra [friendship with the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and rejection of their enemies]. He was safe from harassment of Sunni bigots since the leaders of Twelver Shia, Abbasid caliphs and rulers praised and defended him, for he criticized Umayyads, praised Bani Hashim and defended Abbasid caliphs.

It is said that Mansur Abbasi dismissed Sawar b. ‘Abd Allah because of his disrespect toward Sayyid Himyari and despite Sawar’s dislike, gifted a farm in Basra to Himyari to make a living.

Poetry of Himyari

Sayyid Himyari composed many poems. Abu al-Faraj Isfahani considered Sayyid Himyari one of most prolific poets of the time of Jahiliyya and Islam. Poems received from Sayyid are more than any other poets and just from his Hashimiyyat, 2300 poems have been collected. Abu ‘Ubayda Laghwi said that no one has ever been able to collect all poems of Himyari.

There is much sarcasm about companions and the three caliphs in the poems of Himyari.

During his life, some women transmitters of hadiths including his four daughters wrote his poems with good eloquence. Each of them memorized a part of his poems and altogether memorized 400 poems.

The truth about the state and positions of Sayyid is lost in a mist of love and hate and there are many opinions pro and against him.

Alawi Sayyids in Shia regions recite his poems with beautiful voices in masses of wedding parties, Eid of Ghadir and other celebrations and show their tawalla and tabarra.

In his al-Ghadir, Allama Amini mentioned some of Sayyid’s 21 poems of Ghadiriyya and his Hashimiyyat and elegies for the martyrs of Taff have always been a source of inspiration for Shia poets.

His Book of Poems

Sayyid’s Diwan [book of poem] was published with the research of Husayn A’lami by Mu’assisa al-A’lami lilmatbu’at in Beirut. According to Aqa Buzurg, author of al-Dhari’a, the manuscript of Sayyid’s diwan is available in one of the libraries of Yemen and a copy of it is kept in Maktaba Tahiriyya of Damascus. The French orientalist, Barbie Dominard published a 100-page biography of Sayyid Himyari in French in Paris. Many men of literature, poets and historians such as Abu Bakr Sawli, Muhammad Marzbani and others after 4th century AH have written books about Sayyid and anthologies of his poems.

Of contemporary scholars, Muhammad Taqi b. Sa’id Hakim wrote a book called Sha’ir al-‘aqida in Najf about the life of Himyari and Shaykh Ali Khaqani, manager of Majallat al-Bayan published a special issue about him.

His Demise

He passed away at the age of 68 or 74 in Rumayla neighborhood of Baghdad. Harun al-Rashid ordered to hold an honorable funeral for him. His body was wrapped in shrouds caliph sent by his brother. Ali b. Mahdi, brother of Harun accompanied the body to the cemetery and prayed over it. To respect his body, he recited 5 Takbir like Shia tradition and by the order of caliph, stayed there after prayer until the funeral finished. His grave is in Karkh Shia neighborhood of Baghdad in Junayna near Qati’ al-Rabi’.