Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan

Saif ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari (Arabic: سَيْف بِن ذِي يَزَن الحِمْيَريّ) or simply known as Saif ibn Dhi Yazan, was a semi-legendary Himyarite king who lived in the 6th century CE. He is well-known in the Aksumite-Persian wars for his role in expelling the Aksumites out of Yemen and is considered as the liberator of Yemen.

Name Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Hamdani narrated that the real name of Saif ibn Dhi Yazan was Shurahbil ibn 'Amr, and he was nicknamed Saif because of his courage and fearless aura. Contrary to this, Ibn Hisham narrated that his real name was Ma'dikarib ibn Abi Murrah al-Fayyad. Tabari narrated both views in his Tarikh al-Tabari, as well as an additional view that his real name was Saifan ibn Ma'dikarib. Saifur Rahman Mubarakpuri, however, combines Ibn Hisham's and Tabari's views and states that his real name is Ma'dikarib ibn Saif Dhi Yazan al-Himyari.

As for the epithet in his patronymic, Dhi Yazan, it is in reference to the tribe of Dhu Yazan which was an elite ruling family during the time of the Himyarite Kingdom. This family had also converted to Judaism at a time as early as the late 4th century CE.

Early life Saif ibn Dhi Yazan was born to the Dhu Yazan family around 516 CE in the town of Sana'a. During his birth, the kingdom was under the rule of the Aksumite client king, Ma'dikarib Ya'fur. Saif lived during the time of the persecution of Christians by the Jewish zealot Dhu Nuwas as well as the subsequent conquest of Himyar by the Aksumite Empire. This marriage resulted in Abraha having stronger relations with the Yemeni family of Dhu Jadan, as well as the birth of Saif's half-brother Masruq ibn Abraha. Saif proceeded to meet with the Lakhmid king Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir, who pitied him and then brought him to the Sasanian Empire, where Saif explained his request for help to Khosrow I.

The latter agreed to Saif's request, on condition that Yemen be a vassal state of the Sasanian Empire.

Death and succession Saif ibn Dhi Yazan was eventually stabbed to death by one of his Abyssinian servants, between the years 575–578. News of his assassination reached Persia, and again, the Sasanian troops under Wahrez were deployed to Yemen, where they conquered it and started the period of rule known as Sasanian Yemen.

Chronological errors Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir, the king whom introduces Saif to the Sasanians, begins his reign around 580–583 CE, more than ten years after the death of Khosrow I.

In popular culture The story of Saif ibn Dhi Yazan served as inspiration in Malaysian literature, especially in the story of a king named Yusuf Dzu Yazin. The name Yazan is also a popular male given name for Muslims.

Saif has been referenced in Yemeni politics. The Yemeni revolutionary, Muhammad Mahmoud Al-Zubairi, saw Saif as an inspiration and mentioned him a few times to lift the spirits of his followers. Abdulaziz Al-Maqaleh also wrote a poem regarding Saif and his liberation of Yemen.

A Jordanian television show about the story of Saif ibn Dhi Yazan was broadcast in 1982.