Ilsharah (603-November 634) was a Kindite Arab tribal chieftain and a rebel leader in the aftermath of the Ridda Wars. He was slain at the Battle of Thamud in 634.
Biography[]
Ilsharah was born in the Hadhramaut region of southern Arabia (in present-day Yemen) to the Arab Kindite tribe. He was raised in a Jewish clan, and he became a tribal chieftain at a young age. During the early 630s AD, the restive nature of the southern Arabian tribes which had manifested itself in the Ridda Wars experienced a resurgence due to continued animosity between Arabia Felix's 79% Muslim majority and its 15% pagan and 6% Jewish minorities. In addition, a famine in 634 AD led to increased tensions between the South Arabian clans and the Rashidun Caliphate, forcing Muhammad's son-in-law Ali to raise an army in Sanaa and prepare to put down an inevitable uprising. Ilsharah was the chief agitator behind the uprising, as he was eager to break away from the Caliphate's rule and restore the independence of Himyar with himself as its ruler. In October 634, Ilsharah's planned uprising broke out, and Ali allowed for the rebellion to fester for one month in order to allow for the dissidents within Sanaa and from the countryside to join the rebel army. Once the rebel army had reached a sufficient, yet manageable level, Ali led his army out of Sanaa to attack Ilsharah at Marib, only for Ilsharah to retreat deeper into the desert and make his last stand at the Battle of Thamud. In the ensuing battle, Ilsharah and his well-equipped bodyguards made a valiant last stand against the Rashiduns, smiting scores of them before being encircled and overwhelmed. Ilsharah and all of his bodyguards were killed in the ensuing slaughter, and the rebellion was crushed.