Ahmad bin Ali al-Fathi
Ad-Da'i Ahmad bin Ali al-Fathi was a claimant to the Zaidi state in Yemen, who posed as imam in 1329-1349, in rivalry with other figures.
Ad-Da'i Ahmad bin Ali al-Fathi was a seventh-generation descendant of Imam Abu'l-Fath an-Nasir ad-Dailami. He originated from the village Wakash in the Bani Matar area west of San'a. After the death of Imam al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Mutahhar in 1328, several pretenders surfaced. Ahmad bin Ali al-Fathi made his da'wa in 1329, from his base in the Sufian area. He is sometimes known by the title ad-Da'i. However, he had to contend with three other claimants called al-Mu'ayyad Yahya, an-Nasir Ali bin Salah, and al-Wathiq al-Mutahhar. The competition was fierce and many lives were lost. Al-Mu'ayyad Yahya soon triumphed, and stood out as the main political force in the Zaidi territory until his death in 1346. The career of Ahmad bin Ali al-Fathi after c. 1330 is obscure. He died in Rughafa, close to Sa'dah, in 1349.
