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يوسف بن تاشفين أمير المسلمين

يوسف بن تاشفين أمير المسلمين

Lord of Sabta and Marrakesh; in 479 he asked al-Muqtadi for investiture — the robes, banners and title amir al-muslimin came, to the Maghreb jurists' joy. He founded Marrakesh 1.

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Era
Abbasid Fragmentation
Identifiers
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Overview

Yusuf ibn Tashfin, commander of the Muslims, lord of Ceuta and Marrakesh. In the year 479 AH he sent to al-Muqtadi asking that he be granted the sultanate, and that the lands in his hand be confirmed to him. The caliph sent him the robes, banners and the investiture, and gave him the title "Commander of the Muslims". The jurists of the Maghrib rejoiced at this, and he founded the city of Marrakesh 2.

Ibn Khaldun's account

Ibn Khaldun reports that he laid out Marrakesh in the year 454 AH, and that al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad and Ibn al-Aftas met him at al-Zallaqa near Badajoz. Then he returned, seized al-Mu'tamid and led him as a captive to Marrakesh 3.

In the 'Al-Mubdi'un' programme (part 1 of 2)

Tareq al-Suwaidan presents Yusuf ibn Tashfin as 'the sixth rightly-guided caliph' in some historians' estimate — after the Rashidun and Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz 4 5. He sketches the context: the Maghreb shattered with the caliphate's weakness into petty states — Aghlabids, Idrisids, Rustamids, Fatimids — and the Amazigh tribes (a name he prefers over 'Berbers', a European coinage) sank into ignorance until Jahiliyya customs returned 6 7 8 9 10. The Almoravid movement: the ascetic jurist Abdallah ibn Yasin founded it in 443 AH at a ribat on an island in the Senegal river, supported by Yahya ibn Umar, amir of Lamtuna, becoming a jihad movement to reunify the Maghreb and uproot idolatry 11 12 13 14 15 16. In this milieu rose Yusuf ibn Tashfin al-Lamtuni; when Yahya died in 447 AH his brother Abu Bakr ibn Umar took over and made Yusuf, then forty-eight, commander of his armies; and Abdallah ibn Yasin was martyred in 451 AH fighting pagan Barghawata 17 18 19. Returning from reconciling the tribes, Abu Bakr found the state ordered in two months and abdicated to his nephew — 'you are worthier in religion, learning and administration' — a rare surrender of power in the history of rulers 20 21 22. Of his building: he turned the movement into a complete state, dividing the land into sectors and his forty-thousand-strong army accordingly, founding Marrakesh as capital in 454 AH, joined by the great Masmuda tribe, building a state from Tunis to the Atlantic and from the Mediterranean to the bounds of Mali, Chad, Niger and Senegal 23 24 25 26 27 28. Of his asceticism: 'he wore only wool all his life and ate only barley, camel meat and its milk' despite his vast realm, ever inspecting the frontiers and his subjects' affairs, ruling only by God's law 29 30 31 32. He refused the caliphal title though stronger than the Abbasid caliph, seeking from him instead the investiture of the Maghreb to preserve the caliphate's unity — so he was named 'amir of the Muslims and Nasir al-Din' 33 34 35. On al-Andalus: the age of the taifa kings — twenty-two weak petty states sunk in pleasures paying tribute to Alfonso VI of the Reconquista — and the fall of Toledo in 476 AH that shook the Muslim world and turned every eye toward the deliverer 36 37 38 39 40 41.

In the 'Al-Mubdi'un' programme (part 2)

Al-Suwaidan continues: when al-Andalus' cries for help poured in he gathered the jurists and Almoravid shaykhs who unanimously ruled aid obligatory, and crossed the strait in early 479 AH; when a storm struck he prayed 'O God, if our crossing holds good for the Muslims ease it, and if not, make it hard' and the sea calmed — whence his title 'the one whose prayer is answered' 42 43 44 45 46. His reply to Alfonso VI's long threatening letter: three words on its back, 'you will see what you will see' 47 48 49. At al-Zallaqa on Friday 12 Rajab 479 AH, aged eighty: he fought at the front sword in hand, his plan a drawing retreat then a strike from the army's rear with the 'Black Guard' Amazigh battalion — the immortal victory 50 51 52 53 54. On the day of victory came word of the death of his eldest son and heir Abu Bakr, amir of the Maghreb, so he returned to order the realm, leaving a three-thousand-man garrison in al-Andalus under al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad 55 56 57. When eastern al-Andalus — Valencia, Murcia, Mallorca — cried out and the taifa kings refused, al-Andalus' scholars led by Imam al-Baji issued a fatwa deposing the taifa rulers, and a delegation under him crossed and pledged to Yusuf ibn Tashfin 58 59 60 61. He crossed again in Rabi' I 481 AH inviting the taifa kings to join a united jihad keeping their thrones; but some secretly conspired with Alfonso to foil his campaign, fearing for their seats — so he returned harbouring the greater resolve 62 63 64 65. In 483 AH, past eighty-three: he brought down the taifa statelets one by one and united al-Andalus under the Almoravid banner — after consulting scholars as far as al-Ghazali and al-Tartushi in Baghdad, 'I wish to act by religious ruling, not by my own whim' — and the Andalusian people received him 66 67 68 69 70 71 72. He remained an ascetic unaltered by greatness until his death in Muharram 500 AH at a full hundred years of jihad; the speaker distils 'a clear goal, a mighty will, persistence', wishing Yusuf had been in the east when Jerusalem fell 73 74 75 76 77.

Connections

Explore the connections

Parent of
علي بن يوسف بن تاشفين
Spouse of
Zaynab al-Nafzawiyya
Participated in
The Almoravid seizure of Seville· Yusuf ibn Tashfin's killing of al-Mutawakkil, lord of Badajoz· Yusuf ibn Tashfin Given the Title Amir al-Muslimin· The Great Battle Between Ibn Tashfin and the Franks

People and things also explored

al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad· Abu Bakr ibn Umar al-Lamtuni· al-Muqtadi bi-Amr Allah Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Qa'im· al-Mu'tamid ala Allah· Ishaq ibn Ali al-Murabiti· Tashfin ibn Ali· Seville· Almoravid dynasty

Sources

  1. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p. 652
  2. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p.652
  3. Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun , p.1646-1648
  4. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:01:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  5. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:02:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  6. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:03:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  7. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:04:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  8. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:04:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  9. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:05:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  10. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:05:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  11. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:07:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  12. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:08:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  13. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:08:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  14. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:09:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  15. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:09:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  16. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:10:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  17. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:10:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  18. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:11:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  19. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:11:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  20. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:12:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  21. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:12:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  22. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:13:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  23. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:14:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  24. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:15:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  25. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:15:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  26. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:16:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  27. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:18:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  28. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:19:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  29. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:16:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  30. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:17:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  31. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:17:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  32. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:18:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  33. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:19:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  34. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:20:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  35. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:20:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  36. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:21:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  37. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:22:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  38. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:22:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  39. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:23:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  40. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:24:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  41. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 23, at 00:24:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  42. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:04:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  43. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:04:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  44. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:05:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  45. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:05:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  46. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:06:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  47. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:07:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  48. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:07:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  49. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:08:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  50. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:08:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  51. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:09:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  52. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:09:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  53. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:10:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  54. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:10:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  55. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:11:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  56. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:11:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  57. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:12:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  58. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:14:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  59. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:14:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  60. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:15:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  61. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:15:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  62. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:16:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  63. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:16:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  64. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:17:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  65. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:17:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  66. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:18:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  67. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:18:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  68. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:20:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  69. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:20:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  70. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:21:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  71. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:21:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  72. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:22:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  73. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:22:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  74. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:23:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  75. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:23:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  76. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:24:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  77. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Mubdioune, episode 24, at 00:24:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
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islam.museum contributors. “يوسف بن تاشفين أمير المسلمين”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/yusuf-ibn-tashfin/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-26.

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al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad

Muhammad ibn Abbad al-Mu'tamid, last Abbadid king of Seville and the most celebrated poet-king of the Taifas: he charged the Almoravids at the palace square, was dragged to captivity and chained — composing his famous verses to the fetter itself — then imprisoned at Aghmat where he died; his grave there was visited by Ibn al-Khatib and al-Maqqari.