theocracy · Arabia and the Gulf

Najdiyya

685 CE – 693 CE (approx.) · capital al-Yamama

A Kharijite state in central and eastern Arabia that briefly ruled al-Yamama, Bahrain and Oman during the civil war of the 680s.

Origins

The Najdiyya took their name from Najda ibn Amir al-Hanafi, a Kharijite leader who broke with the more extreme Azariqa. During the Second Fitna he seized al-Yamama, his tribe's homeland in Najd, around 686 and was acknowledged as commander of the faithful by his followers.

Rule and society

Najda's forces conquered Bahrain, Oman and parts of Yemen and Hadramawt and threatened Ta'if, challenging the Caliphate of Ibn al-Zubayr. He was more moderate than other Kharijites, allowing those who did not join him to live unharmed and relying on reasoned judgement where the Quran was silent. Internal disputes over the treatment of captives and payments to followers divided the movement.

Decline and legacy

Around 691 his own followers deposed and killed Najda and turned to Abu Fudayk. After the Umayyads reunited the caliphate, an army sent by Abd al-Malik defeated Abu Fudayk in Bahrain in 693, ending the state.

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Najdiyya. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/najdiyya
MLA
“Najdiyya.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/najdiyya. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Najdiyya.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/najdiyya.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Najdiyya’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/najdiyya (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻