Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Katib

محمد بن سليمان الكاتب

Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Katib, from Diyar Mudar of al-Raqqa; Ahmad ibn Tulun's own protege in Egypt until estranged, he fled to Baghdad becoming army secretary and one of al-Muqtafi's greatest commanders, urging the caliphs to retake Egypt — when Tulunid power failed and the Qarmatians ravaged Syria, al-Muqtafi sent him with the armies: he crushed the Qarmatians, captured their Shama chief, took Syria, entered Egypt breaking Harun ibn Khumarawayh, chained the Banu Tulun (seventeen men) and shipped them to Baghdad, and burned Ibn Tulun's al-Qata'i' mile by mile while Fustat was plundered — the man who turned over the Tulunid state in 292 AH.

Depth

At a glance

Roles: military-commander
Counted among: Sunni
Era: Abbasid Fragmentation
Region: Egypt & Nile · Levant & Iraq
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Overview

Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Katib, from the lands of Mudar in Raqqa. Ahmad ibn Tulun raised him in Egypt and then turned against him, so he went to Baghdad, where he became secretary of the army and one of the greatest commanders of al-Muktafi. ¹

When the state of the Banu Tulun failed and the Qaramita ravaged Syria, al-Muktafi sent him with the armies. He defeated the Qaramita and captured the lord of al-Shama, then took over Syria and entered Egypt. He defeated Harun ibn Khumarawayh, shackled the Banu Tulun and sent them to Baghdad. The estates that Ahmad ibn Tulun had built were burned, and Fustat was plundered in 292 AH. In this way he was the one who brought about the change of the Tulunid state (the fall of the Tulunids). ¹

Connections

Explore the connections

Fought: Harun ibn Khumarawayh
Participated in: Fall of the Tulunid state and burning of al-Qata'i' (292 AH)

People and things also explored

Fall of the Tulunid state and burning of al-Qata'i' (292 AH)· Harun ibn Khumarawayh· Al-Fustat

Sources

Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun , p.1100

al-Muntazam fi Tarikh al-Muluk wa'l-Umam — Ibn al-Jawzi

Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Katib”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/muhammad-ibn-sulayman-al-katib/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-21.

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People

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Fall of the Tulunid state and burning of al-Qata'i' (292 AH)

As Tulunid power failed and the Qarmatians ravaged Syria, al-Muqtafi sent his commander Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Katib, who took Syria then neared Egypt and won over the commanders until Badr al-Hammami their chief came over; Harun ibn Khumarawayh rode out to fight but was struck by a spear amid a mutiny of his own troops, his state's notables surrendered, and Muhammad rode into Egypt, chained the seventeen Banu Tulun and shipped them to Baghdad — then on al-Muqtafi's order burned Ibn Tulun's al-Qata'i' quarter east of Fustat mile upon mile while Fustat was plundered.