At a glance
- Era
- Abbasid Fragmentation
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Life in time
Overview
Al-Muqtadi bi-Amr Allah, Abu al-Qasim Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Qa'im, an Abbasid caliph who ruled from 467 to 487 AH. 2
Birth and allegiance
His father died while his mother was pregnant with him, so he was born six months after his father's death. His mother was a concubine called Arjuwan. He was given the allegiance at the age of nineteen in the presence of Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi, Ibn al-Sabbagh and al-Damghani. 2
Ibn al-Jawzi says that the allegiance took place on Friday the thirteenth of Sha'ban 467 AH in the House of the Tree, and that the first to give him the allegiance was the sharif Abu Ja'far. 3
His days
Al-Suyuti relates that many blessings appeared in his days and that the foundations of the caliphate were dazzling. Among his acts he exiled the singing girls and the dissolute from Baghdad, ordered that no one enter the bath-house except with a loincloth, and destroyed the pigeon towers. He describes him as a pious and good man from the excellent Abbasids. 2
He appointed Abu Shuja Muhammad ibn al-Husayn as vizier and gave him the title Zahir al-Din. Al-Suyuti thinks this is the first title with "al-Din" added. 2
In the account of Ibn al-Jawzi, when the power of Tutush grew after the death of his brother Malik Shah, he asked the caliph to have the khutba given in his name; the caliph replied with a harsh letter, then wrote him a khutba at last. 4
His death
He died suddenly. It was said that his concubine Shams al-Nahar poisoned him, as al-Suyuti relates. 2
Connections
People and things also explored
al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah Abd Allah ibn al-Qadir· السلطان ملكشاه جلال الدولة بن ألب أرسلان· يوسف بن تاشفين أمير المسلمين· Baghdad· Malikshah Resolves to Expel the Caliph from Baghdad, and Dies· The death of al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah and the accession of al-Muqtadi· Yusuf ibn Tashfin Given the Title Amir al-Muslimin
Sources
- Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p. 650-654
- Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p.650-654
- al-Muntazam fi Tarikh al-Muluk wa'l-Umam — Ibn al-Jawzi , j.8 p.292
- al-Muntazam fi Tarikh al-Muluk wa'l-Umam — Ibn al-Jawzi , j.8 p.293
- Shadharat al-Dhahab — Ibn al-Imad al-Hanbali
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “al-Muqtadi bi-Amr Allah Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Qa'im”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/al-muqtadi-billah/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-25.