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Death of al-Wathiq

وفاة الواثق

c. 22 August 847 CE · 6 Dhu al-Hijja 232 AH

Samarra

Al-Wathiq died at Sur man Ra'a on Wednesday, 6 Dhu'l-Hijja 232; when he died he was left alone while the people busied themselves with the bay'a to al-Mutawakkil, and a rat came and plucked out his eye and ate it 1.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Early Abbasid Caliphate
Region
Levant & Iraq
Review
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In time

830840850860 c.
The Early Abbasid Caliphate

In space

Samarra

Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph

Overview

The caliph al-Wathiq died in Samarra on Wednesday, six nights before the end of Dhu al-Hijja 232 AH. 2

A story after his death

al-Suyuti relates that he was left alone when he died, and while people were busy with the oath to al-Mutawakkil, a large rat came and pulled out his eye and ate it. 2

Dating

The corresponding Gregorian date (around August 847 CE) is derived from the Hijri date and is not stated in the source. 2

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
al-Wathiq
Occurred at
Samarra

People and things also explored

al-Askari shrine (Samarra)· Dome of Redress of al-Muhtadi· The Killing of Abu Faqqas by Flogging· Al-Wathiq installs Ashinas al-Turki over the sultanate· The Founding of al-Mutawakkiliyya· The Garrisoning of Sur man Ra'a (Samarra)· Killing of Ahmad ibn Nasr al-Khuza'i· Sallam the Interpreter's mission to the barrier of Gog and Magog

Sources

  1. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p. 534
  2. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p.534
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Death of al-Wathiq”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/death-of-wathiq/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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al-Askari shrine (Samarra)

The al-Askari shrine at Samarra, holding the graves of Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari; the Mawsu'at al-Atabat (Samarra section) records its building history: Nasir al-Dawla the Hamdanid covered the grave in 333, Mu'izz al-Dawla the Buyid raised the dome and sirdab, Adud al-Dawla fenced the rawda in 368, Amir Arslan restored the dome in 445, Barkyaruq the Seljuk renewed the doors in 495, and the Abbasid al-Nasir rebuilt dome and minarets, inscribing the Twelve Imams' names on the arch ring in 606 — ornamentation continued under the Jalayirids and Safavids.