Jayyash ibn Najah
جياش بن نجاح
c. 1106 CE · c. 500 AH
Jayyash ibn Najah, kunya Ibn al-Qattay; he fled with his brother Sa'id to Dahlak island to study Qur'an and letters, then shadowed Ali al-Sulayhi's army, ambushed him in the saddle-lines on the Mecca road and killed him with his own hand in 473 — fleeing disguised through Aden to India, returning to take Zabid where he ruled under the Abbasid khutba against the Sulayhids' Fatimid one, famed for justice, dying at the turn of the fifth century and succeeded by his son al-Fatik.
At a glance
- Roles
- Ruler
- Era
- The Buyid, Fatimid and Seljuk Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Life in time
Overview
Jayyash ibn Najah, known by the kunya Ibn al-Qati, the third of the Banu Najah rulers of Zabid. 1
The killing of al-Sulayhi
He went to the island of Dahlak with his brother Sa'id to learn the Qur'an and literature. Then they broke with the troops and followed Ali al-Sulayhi, and they ambushed him at al-Lijam as he was heading for Mecca; Jayyash undertook to kill him with his own hand in 473 AH. 1
His rule
He fled to Aden and then to India, until he returned and seized Zabid. He had the sermon read for the Abbasids, while the Sulayhids had it read for the Fatimids. Ibn Khaldun describes him as just. 1
He died at the turn of the fifth century AH, and was succeeded by his son al-Fatik. The date of death is approximate and derived, and needs an additional source. 1
Connections
- Ruler of
- Najahid dynasty of Zabid
People and things also explored
Sources
- Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Jayyash ibn Najah”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/jayyash-ibn-najah/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.