al-Khayzuran, Mother of the Caliphs

Al-Khayzuran, mother of the caliphs. Al-Suyuti says that no woman is known to have borne two caliphs except her: she was the mother of al-Hadi and al-Rashid. He adds that in the time of her son al-Hadi she ruled autocratically over the great affairs, and it is said she planned his killing when he rebuked her for the processions at her door. ¹

Al-Baladhuri says that she ordered the digging of the canal known as Mahdud, which she called al-Rayyan. Her agent divided it into sections, and he appointed people to dig each section, so it was called Mahdud. ²

Al-Mas'udi says that she made into a mosque the house in Mecca in which the Prophet ﷺ was born. ³ He also relates the story of the entry of Mazna, the wife of Marwan ibn Muhammad, into her house known as Ashnas, and that she treated her well. ⁴