Najran is a booming city in Saudi Arabia. From a population of only 47,500 in 1974, it has erupted to an official population of 246,880 in the 2004 census (some believe the actual count may be 500,000). Most of the inhabitants are of the Banu Yam tribe and are Ismaili Shiites. This means that they accept Ismail ibn Jafar ( the Ismailis) as the successor to Imam Jafar as-Sadiq, rather than Ismail's brother, Musa al-Kazim (the Twelvers). The Ismailis are more metaphysical and mystical than the Twelvers.
About 524 AD/CE, the Jewish king of Himyar (South Arabia), Yusuf As'ar Dhu Nuwas (aka Yusuf As'ar Yathar) invaded the area and demanded that the Christian inhabitants become Jews. When they refused, as many as 20,000 were martyred by being thrown into fiery ditches and burned to death. Charred bones have been found during excavations of what locals call "al ukhdood," "the trenches."
The modern Ismailis of Najran are outsiders, considered to be heretics by Sunni Muslims. They consider the Christian martyrs to have been heroes and one modern Najrani clearly stated how they feel. "This story means so much to us. Our life and our struggle today comes from those martyrs who gave their lives for their beliefs."
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