Page:The Moslem World - Volume 02.djvu/27

 THE ARAB REBELLION IN THE YEMEN


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anyone attempts to speak of the Arab insurrection, it is well for him to premise his statement with a definition of such terms and names as Imam, Idrese, Mahdi, and Mullah. For even well-informed journals and largely -circulated newspapers often confuse the local use of these terms, and in so doing spread false information; e.g., some time ago I read an article in a London newspaper, headed "Fresh trouble with the Mullah", but on reading further on it was evident that it was the Imam who was meant.

Every person knows that the orthodox behevers in Islam look upon the Caliph as Heaven's vice-gerent and the earthly head of the Moslem world, and as the star and crescent, which surmount the domes of great men's tombs and are printed on the flags of every mosque, signify, the Sultan of Turkey not only claims to be the earthty head, but the vast majority of Sunni Moslems readily support him in his claim. In the Yemen, however, it has always been held that since Mohammed was an Arab and Islam was not only born but cradled in Arabia, the vice-gerent of Heaven should also be an Arab and speak the same pure language that the prophet did. That, moreover, he ought to be a lineal descendent of God's apostle and use the title of Imam to substantiate his claim. In accordance with this idea the people of the Yemen threw off the Karamite sultan's yoke in the year A.D. 932, and with Asad bin Yafur, a lineal descendent of Mohammed, who assumed the style and title of Imam, as their leader, became independent and gradually extended their borders till in A.D. 1325, under Abdal Hassan Ali, the then Imam of the Yemen, they seized Aden and the surrounding territory which they kept possession of till A.D. 1454, when a future Imam took it by storm. It was not, however, till the year A.D.