[4] Following the assassination of the Sulayhid 'Ali ibn Muhammad in 1067 CE, Arwa al-Sulayhi's husband Ahmad became the de jure ruler of Yemen, but he was unable to rule, being paralysed and bedridden.

He gave all of his power to Arwa, one of her first actions was to move the capital from Sana'a to Jibla, in order to be in a better position to destroy Sa'id ibn Najar, and thus avenge her father-in-law's death.

[4][5][6][7] As late as 1979, the women of Jibla would launder their clothes in large pools formed by rivulets of natural spring water, which trickled down the slopes of Jebal Attaker.

Rest your heart among the little hills of Dhī l-Sufāl, gaze upon its expanses, / There the air is as clear as crystal, the water is pure, and night brings even greater happiness.

Yet according to two healthcare workers there, the hospital daily received almost 50 people with symptoms, and out of fear of reprisals, doctors did not inform relatives of deceased patients about them even being suspected to have contracted the virus.