ibn ʿAlī, a Hāshimite of the ʿAbbāsid house.

His birthplace was Īdhaj ⦗1⦘ in the land of Persia, in the year 127 AH; others said: in 126 AH. His mother was Umm Mūsā al-Ḥimyarīyah.

He was open-handed, fond of being praised, liberal in giving, beloved by the populace; toward the zindīqs he was a butcher, relentlessly hunting them down, and he was handsome in appearance. A number of his reports have already been cited in my Major History.

When he reached maturity his father placed the kingdom of Ṭabaristān under his rule. By then he had pursued learning, acquired refined manners, and distinguished himself.

Al-Manṣūr spent vast sums until he persuaded the heir-apparent—his nephew ʿĪsā ibn Mūsā—to step down in favour of al-Mahdī. When al-Manṣūr died, al-Rabīʿ ibn Yūnus ⦗2⦘, the chamberlain, secured the oath of allegiance for al-Mahdī.

Al-Mahdī was brown-skinned, good-looking, sturdily built; there was a white spot in one of his eyes and his hair was curly. The inscription on his signet ring read: “Allah is the reliance of Muḥammad, and in Him we believe.”

They relate—as Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Manṣūrī informed us—that when the treasuries came into al-Mahdī’s hands he began restoring confiscated rights, brought out the greater part of the hoarded wealth, distributed it, and treated his family and retainers generously.

It was said that he gave away more than one hundred million ⦗3⦘.

He was once praised for his courage. He responded, “Why should I not be courageous? I have never feared anyone but Allah, Exalted be He.”