3rd Caliph of Abbasid Caliphate Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Mansur

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Third Caliph of Abbasid Caliphet Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Mansur

Asslamoalaikum sisters brothers friends and elders, Learn about the Third Caliph of Abbasid Caliphet, Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Mansur, in this educational and informative video. Explore the impact and contributions of this historical figure in shaping the Abbasid Caliphate. Share this video to spread knowledge and understanding of Islamic history.

Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Mansur better known by his regnal name al-Mahdi "He who is guided by God", was the third Abbasid Caliph who reigned from 775 to his death in 785. He succeeded his father, al-Mansur.

Al-Mahdi was born in 744 or 7i45 AD in the village of Humeima (modern-day Jordan). His mother was called Arwa, and his father was al-Mansur. When al-Mahdi was ten years old, his father became the second Abbasid Caliph.[1] When al-Mahdi was young, his father needed to establish al-Mahdi as a powerful figure in his own right. So, on the east bank of the Tigris, al-Mansur oversaw the construction of East Baghdad, with a mosque and royal palace at its heart. Construction in the area was also heavily financed by the Barmakids, and the area became known as Rusafa.[2]

According to reports, he was tall, charming, and stylish; he had tan skin, a long forehead, and wavy hair. He loved women.[3]

When he was 15 years old, al-Mahdi was sent to defeat the uprising of Abdur Rahman bin Abdul Jabbar Azdi in Khorasan. He also defeated the uprisings of Ispahbud, the governor of Tabaristan, and Astazsis,[verification needed] massacring more than 70,000 of his followers in Khorasan. These campaigns put Tabaristan, which was only nominally within the caliphate, firmly under Abbasid control.[4] In 762 AD, al-Mahdi was the governor of the Abbasid Caliphate's eastern region, based in Ray. It was here that he fell in love with al-Khayzuran (translates as "bamboo"), a daughter of a warlord in Herat[3] and had several children, including the fourth and fifth future Caliphs, al-Hadi and Harun al-Rashid.[5] Around 770 AD (153 AH), al-Mahdi was appointed as Amir al-hajj.[1] Al-Khayzuran was gifted to Mahdi by his father.

Al-Mahdi's father, al-Mansur, died on the hajj to Mecca in 775. The throne then passed to al-Mansur's chosen successor, his son al-Mahdi. According to Marozzi, "[it] was, by the standards of the future, blood-soaked successions of the Abbasid caliphate, a model of order and decorum."[6]

Al-Mahdi, whose nickname means "Rightly-guided" or "Redeemer", was proclaimed caliph when his father was on his deathbed. His peaceful reign continued the policies of his predecessors.

Mahdi commenced his rule by releasing several political prisoners, expanding and decorating the holy places of Mecca and Medina, and building fountains and lofts for Hajj pilgrims. He expanded the mail service, increased his secret service, fortified cities, and increased judicial appointments. His charitable giving was also impressive.[7]

Rapprochement with the Alids in the Caliphate occurred under al-Mahdi's reign. The Barmakid family, which had advised the Caliphs since the days of Abu al-‘Abb?s as viziers, gained even greater powers under al-Mahdi's rule, and worked closely with the caliph to ensure the prosperity of the Abbasid state.

Al-Mahdi's first concubine when he was a prince was Muhayyat. In 759–60, she gave birth to a son who died in infancy.[15] Another concubine was Rahim, who was the mother of his oldest surviving child, Abbasa.[15] Another was al-Khayzuran bint Atta. She was the mother of caliphs al-Hadi and Harun al-Rashid.[16] She had another son named Isa,[17] and a daughter named Banuqah or Banujah.[18] She was born in Mecca and brought up in Jurash.[19] She had two sisters, Salsal[20] and Asma,[17] and a brother Ghitrif.[20] She was al-Mahdi's favourite wife.[21] In 761, al-Mahdi married Raytah as his first wife after his return from Khurasan.[22] She was the daughter of Caliph al-Saffah and his wife Umm Salamah, a Makhzumite.[23] She gave birth to two sons, Ubaydallah and Ali.[22]

Another concubine was al-Bahtariyah, the noble-born daughter of the Persian rebel,[24] Masmughan of Damavand,[25] against whom Mahdi was first sent to Khurasan.[24] Her mother was Bakand, the daughter of Isbahbadh, Farrukhan the Little.[26] She had a sister named Smyr.[25] She bore al-Mahdi a son named for his grandfather, Mansur, and two daughters, Sulaimah and Aliyah.[24] Another was Shaklah, a Negress.[24] Her father was Khwanadan, steward of Masmughan.[26] She had a brother named Humayd.[27] She was acquired by al-Mahdi together with al-Bahtariyah, when she was a child. He presented her to his concubine Muhayyat, who, discovering musical talent in the child, sent her to the famous school of Taif in the Hijaz for a thorough musical education. Years later al-Mahdi, then caliph, took her as his concubine. She gave birth to al-Mahdi's powerful and dark-skinned son Ibrahim.

Another concubine was Maknunah, a singer.[29] She was owned by al-Marwaniyyah.[30] Al-Mahdi, while yet a prince, bought her for 100,000 silver dirhams. She found such favor with the prince that al-Khayzuran used to say, "No other woman of his made my position so difficult." She gave birth to al-Mahdi's daughter Ulayya.[29] Another was Basbas, a singer trained at Medina. He had bought her about the same period for 17,000 gold dinars.[29] Another was Hasanah, a Persian.[31] She was a singer, and was al-Mahdi's favourite concubine. She gave al-Khayzuran some uneasy moments.[32] According to some versions, she was unintentionally but tragically involved in al-Mahdi's death.[33][14] Some other concubines were Hullah, another singer, and Malkah.

Al-Mahdi's second wife was Asma, al-Khayzuran's younger sister. She grew up at the court. In 775–776, al-Mahdi formed a sudden attachment for her. He then married her, settling on her a marriage portion of one million dirhams. Al-Khayzuran, who had been on the pilgrimage, learned of the marriage. After her return, al-Mahdi divorced Asma, and married al?Khayzuran as his third wife.[34] That same year, he married his fourth wife Umm Abdallah, a noble Arab woman. The next year he married his fifth wife Ruqaiyah, an Uthmanid. After al-Mahdi's death, she married an Alid

His elder son was Al-Hadi, the older brother of Harun al-Rashid. Al-Hadi was very dear to his father, al-Mahdi and was appointed as the first heir by his father at the age of 16 and was chosen as the leader of the army.[70]

His second, Harun's raids against the Byzantines elevated his political image and once he returned, he was given the laqab "al-Rashid", meaning "the Rightly-Guided One". He was promoted to Caliph's heir and given the responsibility of governing the empire's western territories, from Syria to Azerbaijan.[7] Al-Hadi was nominated his first heir and Harun al-Rashid was named second. After al-Mahdi's death he was succeeded by Al-Hadi. He ruled for a year and two months. Al-Hadi was succeeded by his brother Harun as per the succession plan of al-Mahdi.

We pray to Allah Almighty to give us permission to read Quran wa Hadith and also permit us to read, understand our Islamic history. Ameen Allah Hafiz

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