ĭdˈrĭsĭdzˌ, two historic Muslim families. 1 An Arab Shiite dynasty of Morocco (788–974), founded by Idris I, a descendant of caliph Ali. It was the first Shiite dynasty in the history of Islam. Having failed in an anti-Abbasid rebellion in Arabia, Idris fled to central Morocco, where he later established a state. His son, Idris II, became known as the founder of Fès. Berber insurrections and invasions by the Umayyads of Spain and the Fatimids of Tunisia brought an end to the Idrisid dynasty. 2 A family of rulers in Arabia at the beginning of the 20th cent. The first ruler of the family was Sayyid Ahmad al-Idrisi, a descendant of the Idrisid family of Morocco, who established the Khardiriyah Idrisiyah, a strictly puritan religious brotherhood. Another member of the family, Sayyid Muhammad al-Sanusi, founded the Sanusi brotherhood in N Africa. Idrisid rule in Arabia came to an end when Saudi Arabia came into being in 1934.

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