After Faisal's death in 1865, Abdullah became Imam, but was immediately challenged by the ambitious Saud. Saud claimed that he was qualified to rule the state due to his prior appointment as the governor of al-Kharj by his father, Faisal. Saud had left Riyadh and gathered supporters among the tribes of Al Hasa in the east, including the Ajman tribe. However, the Wahhabi leader, Abdul Rahman bin Hasan, did not endorse the rebellion of Saud, but supported Abdullah as the legitimate ruler.