Ismail bin Abdallah bin Abi al-Muhajir () was an

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...

governor of

Ifriqiya Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna ( ar, المغرب الأدنى), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia and eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (today's western Libya). It included all of what had previously ...

(North Africa) from 718 to 720. Ismail bin Abdallah bin Abu al-Muhajir (or al-Muhajjar) was from a client tribe of the

Quraysh The Quraysh ( ar, قُرَيْشٌ) were a grouping of Arab clans that historically inhabited and controlled the city of Mecca and its Kaaba. The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born into the Hashim clan of the tribe. Despite this, many of the Qur ...

. In 718, Ismail bin Abdallah was appointed by Caliph Umar bin AbdulAziz or Umar II to replace his predecessor's appointee, the unpopular Muhammad bin Yazid. Ismail was one of the new crop of Umar II's competent governors, with instructions to improve the

Kairouan Kairouan (, ), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan ( ar, ٱلْقَيْرَوَان, al-Qayrawān , aeb, script=Latn, Qeirwān ), is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by th ...

administration and pursue the integration of non-Arab Muslims into the empire, rather than treat them as conquered peoples. As such, Ismail encouraged conversions among the

Berbers , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , pop2 ...

of North Africa and curbed the abuses of the Arab military caste. Ismail adhered to

Islamic law Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...

and eliminated extraordinary taxes and slave-tributes on Berber populations. He is credited for completing the conversion of the

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

population to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

.Ibn Khaldun, ibid. In a curious note, Ismail bin Abdallah was the first and only

governor of Ifriqiya who was not given supervisory authority over Iberia (

al-Andalus Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...

). In an unusual step, Caliph Umar II decided to appoint Al-Samh bin Malik al-Khawlani as the governor of al-Andalus directly, and made him directly answerable to

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

, rather than going through Kairouan. Ismail bin Abdallah's tenure was competent but short. He was relieved of his post in 720 by Umar II's successor, Caliph

Yazid II Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik ( ar, يزيد بن عبد الملك, Yazīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik; — 28 January 724), also referred to as Yazid II, was the ninth Umayyad caliph, ruling from 9 February 720 until his death in 724. Early life Yazid was b ...

and replaced by the dubious Yazid bin Abi Muslim as governor in Kairouan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ismail ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi al-Muhajir Umayyad governors of Ifriqiya 8th-century rulers in Africa 8th-century Arabs Tabi‘un hadith narrators 8th-century people of Ifriqiya

See also

References