, Ṭalḥah son of al-Mutawakkil, Jaʿfar son of al-Muʿtaṣim, Muḥammad son of al-Rashid, the Hāshimite, the ʿAbbāsid.

He was born during his grandfather’s lifetime, in 242 AH.

He entered Damascus in 271 AH to wage war against Ibn Ṭūlūn, and he was invested with the caliphate after his uncle al-Muʿtamid in Rajab 279 AH.

He was an awe-inspiring ruler—brave, domineering, and harsh in retribution, one of the outstanding men of the age; he would advance upon a lion single-handed.

He was brown-skinned, slender, well-proportioned, and possessed of sound intellect.

Al-Masʿūdī said: “He was sparing in mercy (1); whenever he became angry with a governor he would have a pit dug for him, cast him into it alive, and heap earth over him (2).”

He also displayed remarkable political acumen. It is related that on one hunting excursion he alighted near a cucumber patch. The watchman shouted at him, so he had the man brought before him. The watchman said, “Three youths entered the patch and stole some produce (3).” The youths were seized and imprisoned, and the next day their heads were struck off. He then said to Ibn Ḥamdūn, “Report the facts about me.” I mentioned the three youths, whereupon he replied, “By Allah, I have not shed unlawful blood since I assumed the caliphate. I executed only highwaymen who had committed murder; I merely allowed people to think that they were those three.”

I said, “And what of Aḥmad ibn al-Ṭayyib (4)?” He answered, “He invited me to outright unbelief (5).”