al-Hadi Musa

Musa ibn al-Mahdi, the Abbasid caliph al-Hadi. Al-Baladhuri says he came down in the City of Peace (Baghdad) and died there. ¹

His mother was al-Khayzuran, a Berber concubine. He was born at al-Rayy in 147 AH. No caliph before him had come to power at his age. ²

His father charged him with killing the heretics, and he pursued them strenuously. He was called "Musa the Tight-Lipped", because his upper lip was drawn in. ²

Al-Suli relates that the only caliph known to have travelled by post-horse was al-Hadi, from Jurjan to Baghdad. ²

Al-Mas'udi describes him as severe, brave and hard-hearted, and says that men walked before him with swords, staves and bows, so weapons were abundant in his time. ³

In his days al-Husayn ibn Ali (may God be pleased with him), of the battle of Fakh, rose on the day of Tarwiya six miles from Mecca. ⁴

He wanted to depose al-Rashid from the heirship in favour of his son Ja'far. ⁴

Al-Mas'udi says that he appointed al-Rabi' as vizier, and that al-Rabi' died, and it is said al-Hadi gave him a potion. This is an attributed report and is not established here. ⁴

On the night of his death he told al-Khayzuran that he would die that night, that his brother Harun would rule that night, and that al-Ma'mun was born that night. ⁵