Qarmatians

The Qarmatians were a radical Ismaili Shiite movement that established a state in eastern Arabia and sacked Mecca in 930.

Ismailism: A branch of Shiite Islam that recognizes Ismail ibn Ja'far and his descendants as rightful imams. Qarmatian doctrine emerged from early Ismaili missionary activity.
Ismail ibn Ja'far: An eighth-century figure whom Ismaili Muslims recognize as the designated successor to the sixth Shiite imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq. Disputes about succession after Ja'far shaped the tradition from which Qarmatianism developed.
Sack of Mecca (930): The Qarmatian attack on Mecca in 930, during which pilgrims were killed and the Black Stone was taken. This episode became the defining rupture between Qarmatian power and the wider Muslim community.
Eastern Arabia: The eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the Persian Gulf. Qarmatian rule made this region a major center of political power.
Dawah: The Islamic practice of inviting people to faith, including organized missionary work. Ismaili missionaries recruited followers through a network that helped spread Qarmatian ideas.
Ja'far al-Sadiq: An eighth-century Shiite imam whose death prompted disputes over succession among his followers. The succession dispute after his death formed the background to Ismaili origins.
Hajj: The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, required once in a lifetime for Muslims able to undertake it. The raid struck during the pilgrimage season and disrupted a central Muslim obligation.
Abbasid–Fatimid conflict: The prolonged political and religious rivalry between the Sunni Abbasid and Ismaili Fatimid caliphates. Qarmatian actions unfolded amid the caliphates' competition for authority over Muslim lands.
Abu Sa'id al-Jannabi: A Qarmatian leader who founded the movement's state in eastern Arabia in the late ninth century. His leadership transformed Qarmatian organization into territorial rule.
Hamdan Qarmat: An early Ismaili missionary in Iraq whose name became associated with the Qarmatian movement. His Iraqi community gave the movement its name and an early base.

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