Mukarrib (Mukrab, Karab), a religious title that means "near to God", was used by rulers of Saba' until Karib'il Watar changed his title to Malik at the time of the kingdom of Saba' and Dhu Raydan that was established between Himyarites and Sabaeans, both descending from ancient South Arabian patriarch Qahtan.[1] The title Tubba, which means "the one who follows the sun like a shadow" was used by Himyarites to refer to their rulers.[2]
Son of (96). He is the first king to officially convert to Judaism and remove previous polytheistic invocations from records and inscriptions. He also replaced the Great Temple of the pagan god Almaqah with a mikrāb for Jewish organization. Later tradition ascribes the conversion to Judaism to his son, Abu Karib.
Son of (97). Judaism was made the state religion during his rule. Some Arab traditions relate that he was the first ruler to put a covering over the Kaaba during his attempted invasion of Mecca.
There is only one inscription available of this king, and after him is a fifteen-year period of rule with no known ruler yet, throughout Himyarite history.[5]
A Christian ruler of Himyar, he is the son of regent Abdul Kulal ibn Muthawwib who was also a Christian. His name is seen in a rock inscription labelled "YM 1200" in the corpus of the many South Arabian inscriptions.[6]
The last of the native Himyarite kings, he rose to power in 517 after assassinating (104). His real name was Yusuf As'ar Yathar and his father was an unknown Sharhabil, thought to have been Sharhabil Yakkuf (101). He was known for his persecutions of Christians. He was killed in the year 530 during the Aksumite conquest of Yemen by King Kaleb.
After the Aksumites successfully invaded and subsequently took control of Yemen, they appointed a native Christian as the vassal ruler of Saba' and Himyar. However, later on actual Abyssinians would rule Saba' and Himyar temporarily until the Sasanian Empire conquered Yemen under request from the native Yemenis.
A native from Himyar who had converted to Christianity, Sumyafa Ashwa was appointed by Kaleb as the ruler of Saba' and Himyar. He was deposed and overthrown in 535 by Abraha, who usurped the throne from him.
An usurper to the throne, he deposed (106) by force and imprisoned him. He also turned against Kaleb, but they later reconciled and he was allowed to keep his throne. He is best known for his attempted invasion of Mecca, a famous story in Islamic literature and exegesis.
108
Yaksum ibn Abraha
570–571
Son of (107), he ruled for only a year and died in the second year of his rule.
The son of (107) and the brother of (108). After his brother had died, he took the throne. During this time period, the native Yemenis revolted against him and later on, they were assisted by forces from the Persian Sasanian Empire. Masruq was ultimately killed in the attacks by the incoming Persian army, ending Aksumite rule over Himyar.
Appointed as a vassal king by the Sasanian Empire. He ruled for two years until he was stabbed to death by Abyssinian assailants whom he had hired as his servants. After his death, his son Ma'dikarib was made a temporary ruler of Yemen.