Ibrāhīm ibn Mūsā al-Kāẓim ( ar, إبراهيم بن موسى الكاظم), known as al-Murtaḍā ( ar, المرتضی, , the Attainer of God´s pleasure), died 825 or after 837, was a ninth century
Alid leader who led a rebellion against the
Abbasid Caliphate
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
in the
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
in the aftermath of the
Fourth Fitna
The Fourth Fitna or Great Abbasid Civil War resulted from the conflict between the brothers al-Amin and al-Ma'mun over the succession to the throne of the Abbasid Caliphate. Their father, Caliph Harun al-Rashid, had named al-Amin as the first suc ...
. He later seized control of
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
in ca. 817, and was subsequently recognized as legal governor of the city by the caliph
al-Ma'mun.
Background
An
Alid by birth, Ibrahim was one of the eighteen or nineteen sons of the seventh Shi'ite
imam Musa al-Kazim
Musa ibn Ja'far al-Kazim ( ar, مُوسَىٰ ٱبْن جَعْفَر ٱلْكَاظِم, Mūsā ibn Jaʿfar al-Kāẓim), also known as Abū al-Ḥasan, Abū ʿAbd Allāh or Abū Ibrāhīm, was the seventh Imam in Twelver Shia Islam, after ...
(d. 799), and a great-great-great-great-grandson of
Ali
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...
. He was a brother of the eighth imam
Ali al-Rida
Ali ibn Musa al-Rida ( ar, عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُوسَىٰ ٱلرِّضَا, Alī ibn Mūsā al-Riḍā, 1 January 766 – 6 June 818), also known as Abū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī, was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the e ...
(d. 818), who was briefly the designated heir of the Abbasid caliph
al-Ma'mun (r. 813–833).
Revolt in the Yemen
Ibrahim became active as a rebel following the damaging
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
of 811–813 between the rival caliphs
al-Amin
Abu Musa Muhammad ibn Harun al-Rashid ( ar, أبو موسى محمد بن هارون الرشيد, Abū Mūsā Muḥammad ibn Hārūn al-Rashīd; April 787 – 24/25 September 813), better known by his laqab of Al-Amin ( ar, الأمين, al-Amī ...
and al-Ma'mun, which had greatly weakened the ability of the Abbasid government to maintain its authority in
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
and the provinces of the empire. While in
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
in 815, he was appointed by
Abu al-Saraya al-Sari ibn Mansur, who had launched a pro-Alid revolt in southern
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
and seized the cities of
al-Kufah,
al-Basrah, Mecca, and
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...
, to conquer the
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
on his behalf, and he accordingly marched south toward the province with a large force. Upon learning of his advance, the governor of the Yemen,
Ishaq ibn Musa ibn Isa al-Hashimi Ishak, Ishaq or Eshaq may refer to:
* Ishak (name), list of people with this given name or surname
* Isaaq, a Somali clan-family in the Horn of Africa
* Ishaaq bin Ahmed, the semi-legendary forefather and common ancestor of the Isaaq clan-family
...
, decided against putting up any resistance and instead withdrew with his troops for the
Hijaz
The Hejaz (, also ; ar, ٱلْحِجَاز, al-Ḥijāz, lit=the Barrier, ) is a region in the west of Saudi Arabia. It includes the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif, and Baljurashi. It is also known as the "Western Provi ...
, in effect surrendering the province to Ibrahim. The latter was consequently able to enter the Yemen without facing any significant resistance, and he proceeded to occupy
Sana'a
Sanaa ( ar, صَنْعَاء, ' , Yemeni Arabic: ; Old South Arabian: 𐩮𐩬𐩲𐩥 ''Ṣnʿw''), also spelled Sana'a or Sana, is the capital and largest city in Yemen and the centre of Sanaa Governorate. The city is not part of the Gover ...
in September 815 and take control of the country.
Ibrahim was able to maintain his hold over the Yemen for approximately a year, during which time he minted coins in his own name. His severe administration of the province, which was characterized by frequent killings, acts of enslavement, and confiscations of private property, soon caused him to develop a reputation for brutality, and he became known by the title of al-Jazzar ("the Butcher"). Especially harsh measures were taken on behalf of his tribal allies, who assisted him in his rule of the country, and at their request he arrested several chiefs of their rivals, killing several of them and forcing others into exile.
After spending several months in the Yemen, Ibrahim attempted to assert his authority over Mecca as well, and dispatched an army to the city to lead the
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
of 816 in the name of the Alids. Upon their arrival at Mecca, however, his forces were unable to enter the city due to the presence of Abbasid reinforcements, and instead took to conducting raiding activities in the neighboring area until they were defeated and dispersed. Soon afterwards, Ibrahim learned that another army under the command of
Hamdawayh ibn Ali ibn Isa ibn Mahan was marching toward the Yemen in order to reassert government control over the province, and he set out with his own men to halt Hamdawayh's advance. In the resulting engagement, Ibrahim was defeated and put to flight, and Hamdawayh was able to enter Sana'a and establish himself as governor, putting an end to Alid rule of the province.
Seizure of Mecca
Ibrahim's movements in the aftermath of his defeat against Hamdawayh are reported differently by various sources;
al-Yaq'ubi states that he went straight to Mecca, while Yemeni writers claim that he remained in the province until 818, during which period he undertook punitive actions against a number of tribes that opposed him. It may have been around this time that he destroyed al-Khaniq, a sixth-century dam near
Sa'dah
Saada ( ar, صَعْدَة, translit=Ṣaʿda), a city and ancient capital in the northwest of Yemen, is the capital and largest city of the province of the same name, and the county seat of the county of the same name. The city is located in the ...
built by a ''
mawla
Mawlā ( ar, مَوْلَى, plural ''mawālī'' ()), is a polysemous Arabic word, whose meaning varied in different periods and contexts.A.J. Wensinck, Encyclopedia of Islam 2nd ed, Brill. "Mawlā", vol. 6, p. 874.
Before the Islamic prophet ...
'' of
Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan
Abū Murra Sayf bin Dhī Yazan al-Ḥimyarī ( ar, سيف بن ذي يزن) was a semi-legendary Himyarite king of Yemen who lived between 516 and 578 CE, known for ending Axumite rule over Southern Arabia with the help of the Sassanid Empire.
...
, and devastated the old town of Sa'dah as well. At some point, however, he decided to depart from the Yemen and set out with his supporters, traveling north until he reached the outskirts of Mecca. In response to his approach, the officer in command of the city, Yazid ibn Muhammad al-Makhzumi, came out to face him, but the rebels defeated him in battle, killing him and routing his forces. With the defeat of Yazid, Ibrahim was free to enter Mecca and occupy it, and he established himself as master of the city and surrounding territory.
Rapprochement with al-Ma'mun
A change in Ibrahim's relationship with the Abbasid government occurred in 817, when the caliph al-Ma'mun decided to show favoritism to the Alids and designated Ibrahim's brother Ali ibn Musa al-Rida as his heir to the caliphate, while at the same time pardoning several Alids who had rebelled against him. Toward this end, the central government reconciled with Ibrahim, who was still in Mecca, and formally gave him control of the city by recognizing him as its governor. With his rule over Mecca now legitimized, Ibrahim implemented the caliph's pro-Alid policy in the city and rendered the
oath of allegiance to Ali. A short time later he headed the pilgrimage of 818 and invoked his brother in the prayers as heir to al-Ma'mun, making him, according to
Al-Masudi
Al-Mas'udi ( ar, أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن عَلِيّ ٱبْن ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱبْن عَلِيّ ٱلْمَسْعُودِيّ, '; –956) was an Arab historian, geographer and traveler. He is sometimes referred to as the "Herodotus ...
, the first descendant of Abu Talib to lead the pilgrimage since the coming of Islam.
In addition to receiving legal control over Mecca, Ibrahim was granted the governorship of the Yemen, which was still in the hands of Hamdawayh ibn Ali. When Hamdawayh refused to yield the province, however, Ibrahim decided to dislodge him by force and organized an expedition against him. He soon reached the Yemen in mid-818 and made his way toward Sana'a, but he was met by Hamdawayh and his forces as he approached the town. The battle that followed went badly for Ibrahim, whose army was routed by Hamdawayh's, and he was forced to retreat back to the Hijaz, abandoning his hopes to recover the province.
Following his defeat in the Yemen, Ibrahim returned to Mecca, where he remained until 820. In that year he was dispatched to
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
by the military commander
Isa ibn Yazid al-Juludi
Isa ibn Yazid al-Juludi ( ar, عيسى بن يزيد الجلودي) was a ninth century military commander for the Abbasid Caliphate. He twice served as governor of Egypt, from 827 to 829 and again from 829 to 830.
Early career
In al-Tabari's ...
, and
Ubaydallah ibn al-Hasan al-Talibi Ubayd Allah ( ar, عبيد الله), also spelled or transliterated Obaidullah, Obaydullah, Obeidallah, or Ubaydullah, is a male Arabic given name that means "little servant of God".
Given name Obaidullah
* Obaidullah (detainee), an Afghan detaine ...
was appointed as governor of the city in his place.
Notable descendants
*
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
Chishtī Muʿīn al-Dīn Ḥasan Sijzī (1143–1236 CE), known more commonly as Muʿīn al-Dīn Chishtī or Moinuddin Chishti, or by the epithet Gharib Nawaz (),Blain Auer, "Chishtī Muʿīn al-Dīn Ḥasan", in: ''Encyclopaedia of Islam, TH ...
*
Sayyid Ahmad al-Rifai
*
Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Shamsuddin Amir Kulal
*
Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Alauddin Atar
*
Sayyid ul Sadaat Hazrat Ishaan
*
Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Moinuddin Hadi Naqshband
*
Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Mir Jan
*
Sayyid ul Sadaat Mir Sayyid Mahmud Saheb Agha
*
Sayyid ul Sadaat Sayyid Mir Fazlullah Saheb Agha
Death
Ibrahim died in Baghdad, reportedly from poisoning, and was buried next to his father in the graveyard of Quraysh in
al-Kazimiyyah. Various dates are given for his death, including in 825 and after 837.
[; ; .]
Notes
References
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{{s-end
Husaynids
9th-century Arabs
Rebels from the Abbasid Caliphate
Yemen under the Abbasid Caliphate
Abbasid governors of Mecca
Fourth Fitna
763 births
9th-century deaths
9th century in Yemen
9th-century Shia Muslims