Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi
Abbasid prince, singer, composer and poet (779–839)
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Ibrāhīm ibn al-Mahdī (Arabic: إبراهيم بن المهدي; 779–839) was an Abbasid prince, singer, composer and poet. He was the son of the third Abbasid caliph, al-Mahdi, and the half-brother of the poet and musician Ulayya.[6] Ibrahim was contemporary of Abbasid caliph al-Hadi, al-Rashid and his three nephews caliph al-Amin, al-Ma'mun, al-Mu'tasim.
| Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi إبراهيم بن المهدي | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 779 Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate | ||||
| Died | 839 Baghdad/Samarra, Abbasid Caliphate | ||||
| Spouse | Umm Muhammad (divorced) Shāriyah[1] Bid'ah[2] Rayyiq[3] Khishf[4] Shaja[4] | ||||
| Children | Hibat Allah[5] | ||||
| |||||
| Dynasty | Abbasid | ||||
| Father | Al-Mahdi | ||||
| Mother | Shakla | ||||
| Religion | Islam | ||||
| Occupation | Singer, Composer, Arabic poet | ||||
Biography
Ibrahim was born in 779. He was the son of Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi,[7] and was born during the Caliphate of his father. His mother was Shaklah,[8] whose father was Khwanadan, steward of Masmughan.[9] She had a brother named Humayd.[10] She was acquired by Al-Mahdi when she was a child. He presented her to his concubine Muhayyat, who, discovering a musical talent in the child, sent her to the famous school of Taif in the Hijaz for a thorough musical education. Years later Al-Mahdi, then caliph, took her as his concubine.[11]
One of his wives was Umm Muhammad. She was the daughter of Salih al-Miskin and Umm Abdullah bint Isa ibn Ali. After Ibrahim divorced her, she married Harun al-Rashid.[12]
During the Fourth Fitna, Ibrahim was proclaimed caliph on 20 July 817 by the people of Baghdad, who gave him the regnal name of al-Mubarak (Arabic: المبارك) and declared his reigning nephew al-Ma'mun deposed. Ibrahim received the allegiance of the Hashemites.[13] He had to resign in 819, and spent the rest of his life as a poet and a musician. He is remembered as "one of the most gifted musicians of his day, with a phenomenal vocal range",[6] and a promoter of the then innovative 'Persian style' of song, 'which was characterized inter alia by redundant improvisation'.[14]
Ibrahim died in 839 during the Caliphate of his younger nephew al-Mu'tasim.[7]
Culinary interests
Ibn al-Mahdi has been described by historians as a "gourmet prince".[15][16][17] He authored what is possibly the first Arabic language cookbook, kitab al-tabikh.[17][18][16] The book is referenced in Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq's kitab al-tabikh, with many recipes credited to him.[16][19] Ibn al-Mahdi also composed poetry about various dishes.[20][16] Nearly 10th of Ibn Sayyar's non-medicinal recipes were contributed by ibn al-Mahdi.[21]
Siblings
Ibrahim was related to several Abbasid caliphs. He was also contemporary to several Abbasid caliphs, princess and princesses. Ibrahim was at one point married to Abbasid princess Umm Muhammad.
| No. | Abbasids | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Musa al-Hadi | Half-brother |
| 2 | Harun al-Rashid | Half-brother |
| 3 | Abbasa bint al-Mahdi | Half-sister |
| 4 | Ubaydallah ibn al-Mahdi | Half-brother |
| 5 | Ulayya bint al-Mahdi | Half-sister |
| 6 | Banuqa bint al-Mahdi | Half-sister |
| 7 | Mansur ibn al-Mahdi | Half-brother |
| 8 | Aliyah bint al-Mahdi | Half-sister |
| 9 | Ali ibn al-Mahdi | Half-brother |
| 10 | Abdallah ibn al-Mahdi | Half-brother |
| 11 | Isa ibn al-Mahdi[22] | Half-brother |
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