Al-Qa'im (Fatimid caliph)

Muhammad al-Qaim Bi-Amrillah (893 - 17 May, 946) (Arabic: محمد القائم بأمر الله) was the second Caliph of the Fatimids in Ifriqiya and ruled from 934 to 946. He is the 12th Imam according to Isma'ili Faatemi faith.

Al-Qaim (sometimes also spelled Ka'im) was born in Salamya in Syria in 895 with the name Abd ar-Rahman. After his father Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah (910-934) seized power in Ifriqiya he was named heir to the throne in 912, and helped put down several revolts. But campaigns into Egypt failed because of the resistance of the Abbasids (914-915 and 919-921).

In 934 Al-Qaim succeeded his father as Caliph. The Fatimid realm became an important power in the Mediterranean. After the re-conquest of Sicily the Byzantine province of Calabria and the coast of Italy and France were plundered.

But from 944 to 947 there was a crisis by the revolt of Abu Yazid, who had united the Kharijite Berber tribes of eastern Algeria and overrun Ifriqiya. Imam Al-Qaim was able to hold out in Mahdia with the help of the navy for over a year, but died (17 May 946) before the revolt could be put down.

He was succeeded by his son Ismail al-Mansur (946-953). He died on 13 th Shawwal 334 AH (Mahdiyya)/ 17th May 946 AD

Other websites

• Imam al-Qaaim, the 12th Fatimi Imam. Archived 2006-02-10 at the Wayback Machine
• J. J. Saunders. "The Turkish Irruption". A History of Medieval Islam. Routledge. Archived from the original on 2018-12-26. Retrieved 2007-08-25.

Preceded by Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi

Fatimid Caliph 934–946

Succeeded by Al-Mansur