تحقيق وتفريغ مخطوط مغربي نادر في أحكام التجويد والحديث (15 ورقة) | Critical Edition of a Rare Maghrebi Manuscript

From Martyrdom to Dynasty: Imam Idris I and the Foundation of Fez.
This historical composition commemorates the legacy of Imam Idris I, whose death at Volubilis (Walili) became part of the founding narrative of the Idrisid dynasty. On the left, the shadowed scene evokes the tragedy of his assassination; on the right, the rising city of Fez symbolizes the enduring political, spiritual, and architectural legacy associated with his dynasty.

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​"...the martyr of Karbala, may God be pleased with him, and people began to approach the Sultan by showing Shiism. When Al-Ma'mun bin Harun al-Rashid came and saw the danger looming over his state, he followed a different policy with the Alids than his father's, seeing the sympathy of state officials and the callers of the state towards the Alids, their inclination towards them, and the hatred of what they suffered at their hands. They showed extreme compassion towards them to prevent a similar fate from befalling them, so he changed the policy of severity towards them and approached them with some of what they loved, satisfying the desires of the sympathetic and financial supporters, in order to break their edge and reduce the activity of them and their Shiites against the state. He chose to draw close to him Al-Sharif Al-Rida bin Musa al-Kazim al-Husayni, whom most Shiites follow, bringing him close, appointing him as his heir, and marrying him to his daughter. He did this to please his minister, Hasan bin Sahl, because he was one of the Shiites of Ali and one of Al-Ma'mun's favored men who handed over the Caliphate to him after removing his brother Al-Amin. To the extent that Al-Ma'mun pleased the Alid side and their followers among the Shiites with this policy, he angered the men of his own clan from the Abbasids, who revolted against him in Baghdad, deposed him, and chose from among themselves his uncle Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi. He found no way to heal this dangerous rift except by first getting rid of his minister Hasan bin Sahl, sending men who struck him down with their swords. Then he got rid of his in-law and crown prince Al-Rida by poisoning and killing him—there are strong clues indicating this. Then things returned to their normal course as the lineage of his Abbasid paternal uncles returned to him, and they turned away from his uncle Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi. However, Al-Ma'mun remained committed thereafter to his sympathy for the Alids and their Shiites, and loyalty to Ali ibn Abi Talib, declaring this in his speech, sermons, and letters. Whenever he saw something from them that gave cause for suspicion and rebellion against him, he would conciliate them. But how long would the policy of conciliation and courtesy last, along with the fear of angering his own clan against him? Hearing no other choice, he changed his policy towards them and returned to his father's policy of precaution and caution against them, ordering that they not be allowed to enter upon him after some of them revolted against him in Yemen. He decided to establish a state in Yemen similar to the Aghlabid state in Africa, which is the Ziyadid state, with the purpose of cutting off the path for the Alids and their Shiites in Yemen so they would not rebel against him again. Then he pursued a policy of isolation against the Shiite Imams, opposing them openly in view and hearing of everyone in Baghdad, and in Samarra after its mixture.

​Chronological Order of the Abbasid Caliphs

For the sake of completeness, I thought it best to list those who assumed the Abbasid Caliphate in order, accompanied by the starting and ending dates for each one along with the historical eras they passed through, until the Caliphate passed from their hands to the Kurdish Ayyubids."

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​"And the Turks: "And those days [alternating] We present among the people."

1. ​The first of them: Abdullah Abu al-Abbas, who titled himself "Al-Saffah", son of Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate on Thursday, 13 Rabi' al-Awwal in the year 132 AH.

1. ​His brother Abdullah Abu Ja'far, titled Al-Mansur, assumed the Caliphate in the year 136 AH, and the duration of his caliphate was 23.

1. ​His son Muhammad Al-Mahdi assumed the Caliphate after his father in the year 158 AH.

1. ​Musa Al-Hadi bin Muhammad Al-Mahdi was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 169 AH - 785 AD.

1. ​Harun Al-Rashid bin Muhammad Al-Mahdi, his brother, was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 170 AH - 786 AD.

1. ​Muhammad Al-Amin bin Harun Al-Rashid was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 193 AH - 808 AD.

1. ​Abdullah Al-Ma'mun bin Harun Al-Rashid was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate on the day his brother Muhammad Al-Amin was deposed in the year 198 AH - 813 AD.

1. ​Muhammad Al-Mu'tasim بالله bin Harun Al-Rashid was pledged allegiance toره the Caliphate in the year 218 AH - 833 AD.

1. ​Harun Al-Wathiq بالله bin Al-Mu'tasim was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 227 AH - 842 AD.

1. ​Ja'far Al-Mutawakkil 'ala Allah bin Al-Mu'tasim بالله was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 232 AH - 847 AD.

1. ​Muhammad Al-Muntasir bin Al-Mutawakkil was pledged allegiance to by the Turkish commanders in the year 247 AH - 861 AD.

1. ​Ahmad Al-Musta'in بالله bin Muhammad bin Al-Mu'tasim بالله was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 248 AH - 862 AD.

1. ​Al-Mu'tazz بالله bin Al-Mutawakkil was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 252 AH - 866 AD.

1. ​Muhammad Al-Muhtadi بالله bin Al-Wathiq بالله bin Al-Mu'tasim was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 255 AH - 869 AD."

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​"15) Ahmad Al-Mu'tamid 'ala Allah bin Al-Mutawakkil bin Al-Mu'tasim was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 256 AH - 870 AD.

16) Ahmad Al-Mu'tadid بالله bin Abi Talhah Al-Muwaffaq bin Al-Mutawakkil was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 279 AH - 892 AD.

17) Ali Al-Muktafi بالله bin Al-Mu'tadid bin Abi Talhah Al-Muwaffaq was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 289 AH - 902 AD.

18) Ja'far Al-Muqtadir بالله bin Al-Mu'tadid bin Abi Talhah Al-Muwaffaq was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 295 AH - 908 AD.

19) Muhammad Al-Qahir بالله bin Al-Mu'tadid bin Abi Talhah Al-Muwaffaq was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 320 AH - 933 AD.

20) Ahmad Al-Radi بالله bin Al-Muqtadir bin Abi Talhah Al-Muwaffaq was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 322 AH - 935 AD.

21) Ibrahim Al-Muttaqi لله bin Ahmad bin Al-Mu'tamid bin Al-Mutawakkil 'ala Allah was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 329 AH - 942 AD.

Then the illusory Caliphate came under the rule of the Buyid Daylamites.

22) Abdullah Al-Mustakfi بالله bin Al-Muktafi bin Al-Mu'tadid was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 334 AH, and this illusory Caliphate lasted from this date until the year 447 AH, handled by 5 caliphs over a period estimated at 113 years, the first of them being Al-Mustakfi, then Al-Muti', then Al-Ta'i, then Al-Qadir, then Al-Qaim, all of whom derived power and influence from the Buyid Daylamites. Their region is called Gilan and Daylam, located west of the Caspian Sea shore, its plains belong to Gilan and its mountains to Daylam, and its slope is Ruziyar. In the past, it was subject to the rule of Persia, except that its people were not of Persian stock; rather, they belonged to an element that excelled over others with qualities of excellence, high noble character, and goodness, and therefore they were called the Daylamites or the Gilanis. Their country was among those conquered by the companion Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, and they remained subject to Islamic influence while retaining their paganism. Islamic influence did not affect the minds of their pre-Islamic society, nor did it deprive them of their nationality. Bordering them was the region of Tabaristan, in which the Alid state called the Zaidiyyah State arose—which was referred to previously—and its capital was the city of Amol. Most of their religion was Islam, and they sympathized with the Household of Ali, may God be noble his face."

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​"23) Al-Fadl Al-Muti' لله bin Al-Muqtadir بالله bin Al-Mu'tadid بالله was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 335 AH - 947 AD. During his reign, power rested with Mu'izz al-Dawla from the Buyids. Among the things he introduced into Islam in the year 352 AH was ordering the closure of shops, the nullification of markets, and the cessation of buying and selling on the day of "Ashura"—the tenth of Muharram—making it a day of mourning for Imam Hussain, the martyr of Karbala, every year. He permitted women on that day to display wailing, to go out into the streets bare-headed, with disheveled hair, blackened faces, torn clothes, wandering in the streets, wailing, crying, beating their cheeks, and weeping for Imam Hussain. Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah had no ability to prevent them due to the large number of Shiites and their support by the ruling authority. Another remembrance was also established for them on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah, making it a festival of joy and happiness to revive the memory of "Ghadir Khumm" by celebrating it, ordering the display of decorations in the city, lighting candles and fires at night at the police headquarters along with all kinds of joy, opening markets at night as is done on festival nights, beating tambourines and horns, and making that day a celebrated day.

The reason for this commemoration is what was narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, regarding the matter of Ghadir Khumm, that he said in it: "Whoever I am his master, then Ali is his master. O God, befriend whoever befriends him, and show enmity to whoever shows enmity to him." Except that God tested the Muslims by the departure of those inside "Quraish," so the power of their enemy from the Romans overwhelmed them, and their evil swept the country. They killed, burned, captured, and plundered, and no one was able to stand in their way within a span of three years, from 358 to 359 (361) AH, during which the King of the Romans raided al-Daha and its environs, which is a city near the Euphrates River. Its people fled from it, and they marched in the Jazira between the Tigris and Euphrates until they reached Nusaybin, where they plundered, looted, burned, and ravaged the country, and did the same in Banu Bakr bin Wail. Abu Taghlib, the ruler of Mosul, showed no movement or effort in repelling this danger from the country during that period, because he feared for himself, repelling them from him with the wealth he carried to them, so they did not target him. Groups of the people of those lands moved, raiding Baghdad, seeking help and rescue from those in it, so they stayed in mosques and shrines, instigating the Muslims, reminding them of what the invading Romans did to their country of killing, looting, plundering, and captivity. The people deemed this enormous and feared the opening of the road to them, the greed of the Romans for them, and seeing no one to prevent them. The people of Baghdad gathered with them and headed to the Abode of the Caliphate, wanting to storm it, but they were prevented by the doors being closed in their faces, and the governor of the country was Bakhhtiyar, hunting around the outskirts of Kufa."

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​"The faces of the people of Baghdad came out to him, denouncing, seeking help, and complaining to him about his preoccupation, his master, and his killing of Imran bin Shahin, the owner of al-Bati'ah—who was a Muslim—and his abandoning the jihad against the Romans, preventing them, and repelling them from the lands of Islam, because they had wreaked havoc, destroyed crops and progeny, and penetrated most Islamic countries. His appointment was to prepare for the conquest, so he sent the chamberlain Subaktigin, ordering him to prepare for combat and mobilize the general public, and a large number gathered to him. Bakhhtiyar wrote to Abu Taghlib bin Hamdan, the ruler of Mosul, ordering him to prepare provisions and fodder, informing him of his determination to fight the Romans invading the Islamic lands. He answered him by showing joy and preparing what was requested of him. Then Bakhhtiyar, the tyrannical governor of Baghdad, sent word to the illusory caliph (Al-Muti' li-Allah) asking him for money. He said to him: "Jihad and its expenditure are upon me and upon other Muslims, so as long as my interests are binding upon me, if the world were in my hands and wealth came to me, I would have sufficed you with what you asked of me. But as my condition is what it is, nothing of that is binding upon me; rather, it is binding upon the one in whose hands the country is and to whom wealth comes. As for me, nothing remains in my hands except the Khutbah (sermon), so if you wish that I step down, then I will step down." Messages went back and forth between them until the matter reached threatening the caliph. Al-Muti' li-Allah paid four hundred thousand dirhams, for which he needed to sell his clothes and his house, and it spread among the people of Iraq that the governor of Baghdad, Bakhhtiyar, seized the money, spent it on his own interests, and the talk of jihad vanished. Thus the caliphate became in the hands of Al-Muti' li-Allah, so upon whom does the blame fall, I wonder? In that era, the Romans recovered all the major Islamic frontiers, and the people of al-Sham and the Jazira among the Muslims were in security, while the Buyids and Hamdanids were answering one another, busy with what befell them from the Turks and playing in their distractions. In the year 361 AH, the Fatimid Caliphs' commander, Gawhar al-Siqilli, seized Egypt after his return from the Maghrib, and it became dependent on Africa, then after him Ma'ad the Fatimid."

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27. • ​Abdullah Al-Muqtadi bi-Amr Allah bin Al-Dhakirah bin Al-Qaim bi-Amr Allah was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 467 AH - 1077 AD.

28. • ​Ahmad Al-Mustazhir بالله bin Muhammad Al-Qaim bi-Amr Allah was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 487 AH - 1121 AD.

29. • ​Al-Fadl Al-Mustarshid بالله bin Muhammad Al-Qaim bi-Amr Allah was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 512 AH - 1166 AD.

30. • ​Al-Mansur Al-Rashid بالله bin Al-Mustarshid بالله was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 530 AH - 1136 AD.

31. • ​Yusuf Al-Mustanjid بالله bin Al-Muqtafi li-Amr Allah was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 555 AH - 1160 AD.

32. • ​Al-Hasan Al-Mustadi' بالله bin Al-Mustanjid بالله was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 566 AH - 1171 AD.

33. • ​Ahmad Al-Nasir li-Din Allah bin Al-Mustadi' بالله was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 575 AH - 1181 AD.

34. • ​Muhammad Al-Zahir bi-Amr Allah Al-Nasir li-Din Allah was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 622 AH - 1225 AD.

35. • ​Al-Mansur Al-Mustansir بالله bin Al-Zahir بالله was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 623 AH - 1226 AD.

36. • ​Abdullah Al-Mu'tasim بالله bin Al-Muntasir بالله was pledged allegiance to the Caliphate in the year 640 AH - 1242 AD.

• ​And in this count there are 36 caliphs, the first of them being Abu al-Abbas Al-Saffah, and the last of them being Al-Mu'tasim بالله, who died at the hands of Hulagu Khan the Tatar in the Tatars' war against the Islamic world. He died on 20 Muharram in the year 656 AH - January 27, 1258 AD, and perpetuity and survival belong to God. With his death, the lamp of the Abbasid House was extinguished in the East and the West, and their days lasted 524 lunar years: "And to God belongs the command before and after." What was the fate of Baghdad after the fall of the major Islamic Caliphate? It was natural that what befell other major Islamic cities should befall it after the killing of most of its people. The Mongols left no one except a group of Shiites, and those of the Christian religion, then various scattered groups and mixtures gathered in Baghdad from various backgrounds who marched to it with Hulagu Khan, and the capital of the Caliphate was dyed...

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​"... Islamic with the character of a state that knows neither name nor meaning for religion after it had been a sun for religion and science shedding its radiant rays over the Islamic world. Then what is its fate? With its vast expanses extending from beyond the Oxus River in the east to the lands of Andalusia in the west of Europe, its fate after the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate was that it fragmented into 13 independent states, some independent of others:

1. ​The Nasrid State, with its founder and ruler Muhammad al-Ghalib بالله bin Yusuf bin Nasr, and its capital "Cordoba," from the year 629 to 671 AH.

1. ​The Almohad State in North Africa in the Far Maghrib, and its ruler Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada bin Abu Ya'qub Yusuf bin Abd al-Mu'min, and its capital "Marrakesh," from the year 646 to 665 AH.

1. ​The Zayyanid State in Algeria, and its ruler Yaghmurasin bin Zyan Tunis the State, and its capital "Algiers," from the year 633 to 681 AH.

1. ​The Hafsid State in Tunis, and its ruler Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Mustansir بالله bin Abi Zakariya Yahya bin Abd al-Wahid bin Abi Hafs, and its capital "Kairouan," from the year 647 to 675 AH.

1. ​The rise of a new state in the Far Maghrib for the Marinids, and its ruler Abu Yusuf Ya'qub bin Abd al-Haqq al-Marini, and its capital "Marrakesh," which also began historically in 620 AH - 912 AH.

1. ​The Bahri Mamluk State in Egypt, and its ruler Al-Mansur Izz al-Din Ali bin Al-Mu'izz Izz al-Din Aybak, and its capital "Cairo," from the year 65 to 675 AH.

1. ​The Rasulid State in Yemen, and its ruler Al-Muzaffar بالله bin Yusuf bin Al-Mansur بالله Umar bin Ali bin Rasul, and its capital "Sana'a," and ruling in it from the Zaidi Imams was Al-Mutawakkil Shams al-Din Ahmad.

1. ​The former captured a portion of Yemen from the year 647 to 674 AH, and the latter from the year 656 to 680 AH.

1. ​Melik Arslan IV Rukn al-Din from the Seljuks in Turkey from the Lands of Rum from the year 655 to 666 AH.

1. ​Najm al-Din Ghazi al-Sa'id from the Artuqid State in Mardin from the year 658 AH."

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​"11) Abu Bakr bin Sa'id bin Zanki bin Mudud from the Seljuk Atabegate in Fars from the year 623 to 658 AH.

12) Hazar-Aspid Dakla bin Hazar-Asp from the Atabegate in Luristan from the year 650 to 657 AH.

13) Qutlugh Khatun from the Qutlugh Khan State in Kerman from the year 655 to 681 AH.

​Summary of the Abbasid State

The Abbasids assumed the Islamic Caliphate in the year 132 AH, from when the first of them, Abdullah Abu al-Abbas Al-Saffah, was pledged allegiance in Kufa, and their caliphate continued until the year 656 AH, ending with the fall of Abdullah Al-Mu'tasim بالله at the hands of Hulagu Khan the Mongol, a descendant of Genghis Khan, the unifier of the Tatars who rose against the Islamic lands. This revolution was the greatest calamity that befell the Islamic land because it encompassed most Islamic regions except Egypt. The Abbasid State opened its slogan with the black banners from the lands of the East until it managed to seize all Islamic lands, and with the expiration of its term, the banners of the Tatars appeared from the east of Turkestan. They overthrew their throne and erased its name from Baghdad, the flower of the Islamic world in the East and its worldly paradise. From the East rose the star of their happiness, and from it dawned the star of their misery. Their caliphates lasted for 524 lunar years, during which 37 caliphs succeeded, making the average caliphate among them about 14 years, the longest period an Abbasid caliph held office being 46 years, and the shortest being a year or less."

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​"...and this period ends with the death of Al-Wathiq in the year 232 AH, then another century came after that from 222 to 334 AH where the state began to decline little by little. That strength weakened, and that status they had in the souls of the Islamic nation collapsed, so the princes in the outskirts dared to seek independence, and the state's affairs proceeded into decay until nothing remained in their hands except Iraq, Fars, and Ahwaz, which were plagued by turmoil and tribulations. The matter led to Baghdad being ruled by Daylamite or Qurtite kings, referred to as "Amir al-Umara" (Commander of Commanders), who became the holder of actual sovereignty and absolute authority, absolute sultanate, and general governance, while the caliph had nothing with him except the Khutbah. In this era, there were 12 caliphs, namely: Al-Mutawakkil, Al-Muntasir, Al-Musta'in, Al-Mu'tazz, Al-Mahdi, Al-Mu'tamid, Al-Mu'tadid, Al-Muktafi, Al-Mu'tamid, Al-Qahir, Al-Muttaqi, and Al-Mustakfi, whom the Buyids ruled in the last of his reign. The average caliphate of each of them was 8 and a half years, and none of them died a natural death except four; the rest exited the caliphate either killed or deposed. The Buyids seized Baghdad in the year 334 AH, and then a third period came from the same date until 447 AH where the caliph had nothing except the name of the caliphate. Sovereignty and sultanate belonged to the Daylamite nation, which in pre-Islamic times was subject to the Persian nation. Among the Daylamite leaders from the Buyids was (Tuzun), who enjoyed the honor of "Izz al-Dawla" from Al-Mustakfi. He was the one who held the supreme word, appointing whoever he wished and dismissing whoever he wished, until coinage was minted in his name, and the caliph remained as a religious figurehead for religion. The Daylamites were Zaydism Shiites for the House of Ali, seeing the right to the caliphate belonging to the House of Ali. Hence, Tuzun, nicknamed Izz al-Dawla, intended to depose the former caliph and replace him with an Alid caliph, the rightful owner of the usurped right. However, some of his associates advised him not to do so, and rather preferred that he remain commanded after having been a commander, saying to him: "You are with a caliph whom you and your companions believe is not of the people of the caliphate, and if you ordered them to kill him, they would kill him, deeming his blood lawful. But if you seated an Alid caliph, you would have someone whom you and your companions believe in the validity of his caliphate, and if you ordered them to kill you, they would do it." So he turned away from what he had intended and kept the name of the caliphate with the Banu al-Abbas. The caliph remained in this state like a salaried employee of the state to a clerk who manages his affairs and fiefs, receiving from them what sustains his livelihood, having no disposal or influence. He signs to command, and does what is desired of him, not what he desires. The Daylamites had no spiritual influence because they were foreigners to the religion of Islam, their worship and beliefs being contrasting, and they being extremist Shiites regarding Ali and the House..."

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​"...of his household, falsehood does not divert them from their belief, even though they feign Islam and favor the House of Ali over those who opposed them. You have seen how they subordinated their interest over the right of their Shiites, and kept the illusory Abbasid caliph as an honorary president for them so that his affair would be easy for them, keeping him whenever they saw benefit in his retention and deposing him whenever they saw his removal as better for them, if they did not prefer to kill him. In this period, Al-Mustakfi بالله, Al-Muti', Al-Ta'i, Al-Qadir, and Al-Qaim served, and the average duration of a caliph among them was 22 and a half years. Al-Qaim was the connecting link in this period, followed in it by the first three of the caliphs of this period whom the Buyids deposed. Then came another period, from 447 to 550 AH, in which actual influence shifted to a Turkish nation represented by a group of the Seljuks residing in the mountain lands of Turkey. The Abbasids in this period were in a better condition than they were with the Daylamite Buyids, due to the spiritual influence that existed between the two parties, because the Turkish commanders were religious in the true sense, and therefore they respected their Abbasid caliphs and showed them manifestations of reverence and glorification required by their religious position due to their proximity to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. 7 caliphs ruled in this period, namely: Al-Muqtadi, Al-Mustazhir, Al-Mustarshid, Al-Rashid, Al-Muttaqi, Al-Mustanjid, and Al-Mustadi', and the average caliphate of each of them was about 20 and a half years. The caliphs in this period were not in one uniform state, for starting from the era of Al-Mustarshid, they began to reclaim actual sovereignty and influence little by little in Baghdad, the capital of their caliphate, and its surrounding Iraqi lands. What helped them in this was the submission of the Seljuks, their distance from the capital of the caliphate Baghdad while they were in Turkey, their dispersion across countries, and the outbreak of wars among them until they took over the affairs of Iraq in the era of Al-Muqtadi. Then the Seljuk state ended in the year 490 AH at the hands of Khwarizm Shah, and their influence in Iraq dissolved thereafter. Then the Abbasids remained after the fall of the Seljuks for 66 years not under the rule of anyone, but rather independent in their influence in Iraq until the rise of the Mongol Tatars with their revolution against the Islamic world. Their movement began in the farthest lands of Turkestan, and their storm swept through the Islamic lands with killing, burning, and destruction. When they reached Baghdad, the capital of the Islamic Caliphate, they killed therein within 24 hours two million six hundred thousand (2,600,000) souls. Then they killed the caliph Al-Mu'tasim bi-Amr Allah, threw the treasuries of scientific books into the Tigris River until they were crossing over them with their horses, and hung the copies of the Holy Quran around the necks of dogs, so their terror entered the hearts of the people, until..."  

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​...that you see a single person stopping 40 men and slaughtering them alone, one after another, while they surrender like sheep; not one of them moves a muscle. Al-Mu'tasimah Billah died facing the same Abbasid state, which became a thing of the past at the hands of Hulagu Khan in the year 656 AH, in the second half of the 7th century AH: "To Allah belongs the command before and after"—there is no God but Him.

​Summary of the Eras the Abbasid State Passed Through

Era and Year:

• ​100 – The Era of Strength and Decisive Action: From the year 132 to 232 AH.

• ​102 – The Era of Tyranny by the Mamluks and Turks: From the year 232 to 334 AH.

• ​113 – The Era of Tyranny by the Kings of Buwayh (Buyids): From the year 334 to 437 AH.

• ​083 – The Era of Tyranny by the Seljuk Turks: From the year 447 to 530 AH.

• ​126 – The Era of the Abbasids Regaining Some of Their Influence: From the year 530 to 656 AH (Total: 524 years).

​Biography of Idris II in Morocco

​May Allah have mercy on him, Idris II, son of Idris I, son of Abdullah Al-Kamil, son of Al-Hasan Al-Muthanna, son of Al-Hasan Al-Sibt, son of Ali and Fatimah Al-Zahra, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). His birthplace was the city of Volubilis (Walili) in Far Maghreb, on Monday, the 3rd of Rajab Al-Fard, in the year 177 AH. His teknonym was Abu Al-Qasim.

​His traits resembled his father's traits: he was fair-skinned with a reddish complexion, deep black eyes, curly hair, handsome face, aquiline nose, beautiful eyes, bright-browed, wide-eyed, broad-shouldered, with fine hands and feet, of medium stature—neither tall nor short. He was eloquent, fluent, well-versed in literature, acting upon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, upholding His limits, reporting the Hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), knowledgeable in jurisprudence, the Sunnah, the lawful and the prohibited, and legal rulings.

​He was pious, devout, generous, noble, firm, wise, brave, brilliant, possessed great forbearance, a sound mind, correct judgment, and bold initiative in critical matters.

​His contemporaries: He was contemporary with Caliph Al-Ma'mun in the East from 198 AH in Morocco, and Al-Hakam in Al-Andalus from 202 AH in 833 CE.

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​...Hisham III, the ruler of the Umayyads there from 180 to 206 AH, then his son Abd al-Rahman II from 206 to 238 AH. His contemporary in Ifriqiya from the Aghlabid dynasty was Abdullah ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Aghlab from 196 to 201 AH, followed by his son Ziyadat Allah ibn Ibrahim, the conqueror of Sicily, from 201 to 223 AH. His contemporary in France was Charlemagne, who died in 814 CE, and in Constantinople, Leo the Armenian from 813 to 820 CE, followed by his son Michael II, known as the Stammerer, from 820 to 829 CE.

​Virtues of Idris

Dawud ibn al-Qasim narrated:

"I witnessed with Idris ibn Idris some of his military expeditions against the Sufrite Kharijites among the Berbers. We met them while they outnumbered us three to one. When the two armies drew near, Idris dismounted, performed ablution, and prayed two units of prayer, then supplicated to Allah Almighty.

​He then mounted his horse and advanced to fight. We fought them fiercely; Idris was striking on one flank, then turning to charge the other, continuing to do so until high noon.

​He then returned to his banner and stood beside it while the men fought before him. I kept looking at him and turning toward him frequently as he stood under the shade of the banners, encouraging and inspiring the men. I was amazed by his bravery, steadfastness, and composure.

​He turned to me and said: 'O Dawud, why do I see you looking at me so much?' I replied: 'O Imam, I marvel at virtues in you that I have not seen in anyone else.' He asked: 'And what are they?' I said: 'Your beauty, elegance, sound judgment, bright composure, and the joy on your face when meeting the enemy.'

​He replied: 'O Dawud, what you see is an inheritance from the blessing of our grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), his supplication for us, and his blessings upon us. It is also an inheritance from our father, Imam Ali (may Allah honor his face).'

​Then I said to him: 'O Imam, I see you spitting gathered saliva, while I seek even a little saliva in my mouth and cannot find any.' He said: 'O Dawud, that comes from my gathered composure and strength of heart upon meeting the enemy in battle. As for the dryness in your mouth, it is due to your fear, scattered thoughts, and the panic that has overtaken you.'

​Then I said to him: 'O Prince, I marvel at how much you move around in your saddle and how little you remain still in your place.' He replied: 'What you see in me is my eagerness for battle, combined with resolve and determination—which is the best trait in war; do not think it is out of fear.'

​Then he began reciting poetry, saying:

​Our father Hashim dressed us against his coat of mail,

And advised his sons to strike and pierce in battle.

We never tire of war until it grows weary of us,

Nor do we ever complain of what leads to fatigue.

​He was an accomplished poet, and among his noble achievements (may Allah be pleased with him) was the founding of the city of Fez.

​Page 273

​The reason for its construction was that in the year 189 AH, large delegations of Arab immigrants arrived, who supported the Alid Household, so that his comfort might be found among them, and so that he might feel secure through them against any potential treachery from the Berbers—a trait that remained a mark of deficiency in their manhood and a flaw in their character, an inherited shortcoming that remained stamped on their descendants (may Allah mend their condition).

​This was evident in the actions of Bahlul ibn Abd al-Wahid regarding Rashid, and later when he turned against Idris, who recognized this and composed poetry about it. This betrayal recurred with the repeated tribulations during the time of the Idrisids until the end of their era with Al-Hasan ibn Kannun, as will be discussed later.

​Because of this deceitful trait, Idris sought out the Arab element to rely on for safety against his enemies, the Aghlabids. From among the Arab delegates, he appointed Umayr ibn Mus'ab al-Azdi as his vizier; Umayr was among their finest horsemen and leaders, and his father Mus'ab had great accomplishments and witnessed many battles in Ifriqiya, Al-Andalus, and against the Byzantines.

​He also appointed Amir ibn Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Qaysi (from Qays Aylan) as a judge; he was a righteous, pious, clean-minded scholar who had heard directly from Imam Malik and Sufyan al-Thawri, then set out to Al-Andalus for Jihad before coming to Idris among the Arab delegations.

​When conditions stabilized and Arab delegations increased, a large population of Berbers gathered around him in the city of Volubilis (Walili), making the place overcrowded and increasing the need for abundant water.

​Idris began thinking about building a new city in a location rich in water. A period passed searching for a suitable site without success.

​He then assigned his vizier, Umayr ibn Mus'ab al-Azdi, along with a group of men, to select a suitable site for its construction. When they arrived at the site of present-day Fez, they saw a dense thicket between two mountains, surrounded by trees, flowing springs, and rivers. In some parts, there were hair tents inhabited by tribes from Zanata, known as the Zuwagha and the Bani Barghish.

​He returned to Imam Idris and informed him of the location he approved of due to its abundant water, pleasant air, fertile soil, healthy climate, and moderate weather.

​Idris asked about the land's owners, and he was told: "It belongs to a people from Zuwagha known as the Bani Al-Khayr." Imam Idris said: "This is good."

​He dispatched his scribe, the scholar Abu Al-Hasan ibn Abdullah ibn Malik Al-Khazraji Al-Ansari, who purchased the site of the city from them for six thousand dirhams, paid them the price, and had witnesses record the transaction.

​They were people of different faiths: some were Muslims, some were Christians, some were Jews, and others were Magians—and these were the Bani Barghish And their tents were located in what is known today as the Andalusian Quarter (Hawmat al-Andalus), and their fire temple was in Al-Siba or Shilwayba, and the Zuwagha tribe was located on the Qarawiyyin side.

​Continuous fighting persisted between the two tribes over the years regarding the borders of the dwellings between them. The first sent an envoy calling for reconciliation, so they made peace between themselves.

​He then purchased the dense woodland from both of them, which, due to its dense trees, was inhabited by various wild animals such as lions and boars.

​The sale of the aforementioned woodland was completed on Friday, the first day of Rabi' al-Awwal in the year 191 AH.  

End of the Section, to be continued 

Author 

Taher Ben Abdessalam El Lhioui Al-Wahhabi Al-Alami Al-Hassani
Foreword
Abdallah Guennoun
Digital Edition, Translation and Presentation
Jaafar El Lhioui
Northern Morocco Archive 

https://northern-morocco-archive.blogspot.com/2026/10/history-of-idrisid-dynasty-from-tragedy.html

 Conclusion
The archival lineage records preserved by historian Taher El Lhioui offer critical insights into the structural dynamics of the early prophetic households. By documenting these primary transmissions and clarifying descendant pathways, his work serves as an essential bridge connecting foundational Islamic history with the genealogical heritage of Northern Morocco. 
Stay tuned for the upcoming chapters of this digital series as we continue to unlock rare documents from the Northern Morocco Archive.

 

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Jaafar El Lhioui
Researcher, Editor, and Digital Activist

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