Abd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl (al-Wafī) eighth Imam of dawoodi bohra

About
Aḥmad al-Wafī (True name: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl (عبد اللّه بن محمد بن إسماعيل); born: 179 AH, died: 212 AH, 828 AD Salamiyya, Syria, Imam: 197-212 AH, 813-828 AD) is the eighth Ismaili Imam. He was surnamed "al-Wafi". As the Imam, he was the supreme spiritual leader of the Ismaili community from his appointment until his death. The Nizari and Mustaali trace their Imamate lines from him and his descendants who founded the Fatimid Empire. He was succeeded by his son, Taqi Muhammad (Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh).

The 8th to 10th Ismaili Imams were hidden from the public, because of threats from the Abbassid caliphate, and were known by their nicknames. However, the Dawoodi Bohra in their religious text, Taqqarub, claim to have the true names of all 21 imams in sequence including those "hidden" imams: 8th Imam ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad the true name/ (Wafī Aḥmad), 9th Imam Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh (Taqī Muḥammad), and the 10th Imam al-Ḥusayn ibn Aḥmad (Raḍī ʿAbd Allāh).

Residence at Salamia, Syria
"The Ismaili dais in search of a new residence for their Imam came to Salamia and inspected the town and approached the owner, Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Saleh, who had transformed the town into a flourishing commercial centre. They told him that there was a Hashimite merchant from Basra who was desirous of settling in the town. He readily accepted and pointed out to them a site along the main street in the market, where existed a house belonging to a certain Abu Farha. The Ismaili dais bought it for their Imam and informed him about it. Wafi Ahmad arrived to his new residence as an ordinary merchant. He soon pulled down the old building and had new ones built in its place; and also built a new wall around it. He also built a tunnel inside his house, leading to the desert, whose length was about 12 miles. Money and treasures were carried on camels to the door of that tunnel at night. The door opened and the camels entered with their loads inside the house."
Photo placed here shows the mousoleum of the Imam. Near his kabra mubarak ("blessed grave"), the tunnel opening still exists.

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