About the middle of the century, his father Ali al-Mahdi ibn Muhammad attained considerable influence, which was however reduced before his death in Dhamar in 1372.
In the year after his accession, al-Nasir Muhammad Salah al-Din attempted to seize San'a, but was unable to penetrate the strong defences.
[2] Al-Nasir Muhammad Salah al-Din was a comparatively successful ruler; he advanced as far as the Tihama in the coastland of South Arabia, moving against the Rasulids.
[4] The death of al-Nasir was followed by internal turmoil among the Zaydi elite, but control over San'a was soon acquired by his young son al-Mansur Ali bin Salah al-Din.
In the same period of time, al-Taftazani (d. 1390) wrote also a commentary on al-Zamakhshari's work with slightly different title: al-Ni'am al-Sawabigh fi al-Kalim al-Nawabigh.