A devout Christian, Marthad'ilan Yanuf engaged in diplomatic relations with the Aksumite Empire as well as renovated churches in his territory.
The name Marthad'ilan Yanuf appears in a few inscriptions dating to the early 6th century CE.
[1][2][3] In the books of Arab histories, his full name is given as Marthad ibn 'Abd-Kulal al-Himyari, which confirms that he is the son of the regent 'Abd-Kulal who is also a Christian, albeit a follower of Nontrinitarianism.
He welcomed three ambassadors from the Aksumite Empire into Yemen and supported a project to build a residence for them at Dhofar.
[8] Ibn Hisham in The Book of Crowns on the Kings of Himyar narrates that Marthad'ilan Yanuf had another son named Rabi'ah who took power[9] although this is mostly a legendary tale as are most of the other stories in that book are based on legends in Arabian folklore.